Real Estate Connections | with Mary Foerster

Real Estate Connections is a real estate podcast exploring the people, trends, and ideas shaping today’s housing market. Hosted by Mary Foerster, the show features thoughtful conversations with real estate professionals, investors, and industry leaders about how residential and commercial real estate evolves across communities and markets. Each episode goes beyond the transaction to examine market shifts, housing supply, investment perspectives, and the relationships that influence successful real estate experiences. You’ll hear discussions on: • Housing market trends and regional insights • Real estate investing perspectives • The role of referrals and professional networks • Navigating change in residential and commercial markets • Technology and innovation in real estate • Recent Housing News • The human side of buying, selling, and investing Whether you are curious abo

Real Estate Connections | with Mary Foerster is a business podcast hosted by Mary Foerster, with 32 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Mary Foerster hosts Real Estate Connections | with Mary Foerster, a business show with 32 episodes published.

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  Episode #33

  Divorce After 50: Your Home, Money, Family, and What Comes Next

  Sep 22, 202642 min

  What happens when a marriage ends after decades together? For people going through divorce after 50, the questions extend far beyond signing legal documents. Where will you live? Can you afford two households? What happens to the family home? How will retirement change? What happens at holidays, weddings, birthdays, and family gatherings? And how do you make decisions about the future when fear and anger are very real? In this episode of Real Estate Connections, Mary Foerster talks with Kim Korven, a former family lawyer and mediator who now works as a family divorce strategist. Kim practiced law for 25 years, including eight years in family law. After seeing firsthand how adversarial family law can intensify conflict, and then navigating divorce herself, she developed a different approach. Kim encourages people to begin with the life they want to create rather than beginning with the fight. Mary and Kim discuss gray divorce, adult children and grandchildren, financial consequences, housing decisions, mediation, separation agreements, conflict, retirement, and why the traditional legal system may not always be the best place to begin. Kim also shares a deeply personal perspective on her own current separation and the fear that can come with leaving financial security later in life. Her philosophy is not to tell someone whether to stay or leave. It is to help people understand what they want, consider their options, and make clear-eyed decisions about the next chapter. This episode is especially relevant for adults over 50, people contemplating divorce, adult children of divorcing parents, real estate professionals, financial professionals, and anyone helping families navigate major transitions. Guest Bio Kim Korven is a former family lawyer and mediator with 25 years of legal practice, including eight years in family law. She holds an LLB and LLM from the University of Saskatchewan and is a government-recognized family mediator who trained at CDR Associates in Boulder, Colorado. After experiencing divorce herself and seeing the limitations of the traditional adversarial approach, Kim developed a non-adversarial process first for her own family and later built it into The Gentle Way Divorce Consulting Group, which now serves clients across North America. Kim’s TEDx talk explores how a thoughtful approach to divorce can help foster resilience in children. Her work encourages people to approach divorce as a life transition first, identify what they want their future to look like, and make deliberate decisions about family, finances, parenting, and major shared assets such as the home. Guest Links Kim Korven: https://kimkorven.com/ About Kim: https://kimkorven.com/pages/about Send us Fan Mail This episode is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Connect with Mary: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-foerster-realestate/ https://www.instagram.com/realestateconnectionspod/ Real estate is about more than buying and selling property. It is connected to how we live, build wealth, care for our families, navigate change, and plan for what comes next. On Real Estate Connections , host Mary Foerster brings together trusted professionals, thoughtful conversations, and practical information to help you make more confident decisions about your home, finances, and future. Episodes explore home buying and selling, downsizing, aging in place, multigenerational living, real estate investing, renovations, caregiving, financial planning, and the personal transitions that often accompany a move.

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  Episode #32

  Multi-Generational Living: How Families Can Share Homes, Money, and Care

  Sep 15, 202639 min

  What does it really take to make multi-generational living work? In this episode of Real Estate Connections, Mary Foerster talks with Juli Ford, founder of Home After 50™, host of the Home After 50™ Podcast, real estate broker, Certified Senior Advisor®, and multi-generational living expert. Juli has spent decades working in housing and real estate, including 20 years in affordable housing, and she has lived in a multi-generational home with her mother for 11 years. Her work now helps families think through the practical, emotional, financial, and relational realities of sharing a home across generations. Mary and Juli talk about why multi-generational living is becoming more relevant again, especially as families face an aging population, elder care challenges, housing affordability issues, and adult children who may not be able to access homeownership the way previous generations did. Juli shares the story of how her own family came to live together after her father passed away. She explains why her mother first needed time to live on her own, how the right house eventually appeared, and how her family created a multi-generational arrangement that worked for everyone. The conversation also explores money, home equity, family contributions, sibling conversations, privacy, ADUs, accessible design, reverse mortgages, multi-gen finance, and the different ways families can create shared housing. Juli also talks about her guides, workshops, clarity calls, Sunday Notes, and monthly Multi-Gen Coffee Chats. This episode is for anyone considering a parent moving in, an adult child returning home, building an ADU, buying a multi-generational home, combining family resources, or reimagining what home can look like in the second half of life. Guest Bio Juli Ford is the founder of Home After 50™, host of the Home After 50™ Podcast, a multi-generational living expert, Certified Senior Advisor®, and real estate broker. Her work focuses on helping women and families reimagine what home looks like, feels like, and means after 50. Through real estate, media, coaching, resources, workshops, and community conversations, Juli supports families navigating multigenerational living, empty nesting, aging parents, major moves, and life transitions. Juli Ford Juli has spent nearly three decades in real estate and housing, including two decades in affordable housing. She has also lived in a multi-generational home herself for more than 10 years, giving her both personal and professional insight into the decisions families face when they combine homes, resources, care, and everyday life. Juli Ford Guest Links Website: https://juliford.com/ Home After 50™ Podcast: https://juliford.com/podcast Multi-Generational Living Resources: https://juliford.com/multi-gen Events and Workshops: https://juliford.com/events Real Estate Services: https://juliford.com/real-estate-services Contact from Juli’s website: juli@juliford.com Send us Fan Mail This episode is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice.

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  Episode #31

  Offsite Construction and High-Performance Homes: What Buyers Need to Know

  Sep 11, 202633 min

  What if a home built partly in a factory could be stronger, more efficient, more precise, and more durable than a home built entirely on site? In this episode of Real Estate Connections, Mary Foerster talks with Seth Clarke, AIA NCARB, a licensed architect with more than 20 years of experience in residential, institutional, and commercial projects. Seth is a graduate of Rice University School of Architecture, a member of the AIA and the Boston Society of Architects, NCARB certified, and currently serves as Director of Business Development for Bensonwood. Mary first became fascinated with Bensonwood after touring the company’s facility and seeing how its offsite building process works. In this conversation, she and Seth explore what makes Bensonwood’s approach different from common assumptions about modular or prefab homes. Seth explains why Bensonwood uses the term offsite construction and why its panelized architecture approach is different from the volumetric box-style modular homes many people imagine. He also shares how Bensonwood’s history began in 1972 with timber framing, craft, reclaimed materials, and a commitment to building homes that last. Mary and Seth talk about energy efficiency, airtight wall panels, vapor-open wall systems, energy recovery ventilation, indoor air quality, moisture management, factory-installed windows and doors, and why building in a warm, dry factory can create better results. They also discuss the buyer process, financing conversations, working with local jurisdictions, ADUs, New England housing needs, missing middle housing, and why duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, and small multifamily buildings may become an important part of solving the housing affordability crisis. This episode is for homeowners, real estate professionals, developers, buyers, architects, and anyone interested in smarter, more efficient, more durable ways to build. Guest Bio Seth Clarke, AIA NCARB, is a licensed architect with more than 20 years of experience in residential, institutional, and commercial projects. A graduate of Rice University School of Architecture, Seth is a member of the AIA and the Boston Society of Architects, and is NCARB certified. Seth currently serves as Director of Business Development for Bensonwood, where he advises homeowners, architects, and construction managers on the possibilities of Bensonwood’s design-build offsite approach. In this episode, Seth helps explain how Bensonwood’s panelized construction, building science, and high-performance home systems are changing the way people think about modular, prefab, and factory-built homes. Guest Links Bensonwood: http://www.bensonwood.com Seth Clarke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethclarkeboston/ Send us Fan Mail This episode is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice.

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  Episode #30

  Financial Planning for Aging Parents: Long-Term Care, Final Expenses, and Family Protection

  Sep 1, 202635 min

  What financial plans should families have in place before aging parents need care? Natalie Kime returns to Real Estate Connections for a practical and eye-opening conversation with Mary Foerster about aging, caregiving, long-term care, final expenses, annuities, life insurance, and financial planning before a crisis. Natalie is a wealth strategist, financial professional, and host of The Chat with Nat Podcast. She works with individuals, families, and business owners to help them become financially literate and create customized financial plans that support their goals and dreams. In her previous episode, Natalie shared the deeply personal story of moving her parents from Utah to Texas after her mother’s vascular dementia diagnosis. In this follow-up conversation, Mary and Natalie talk about the financial mechanisms that helped Natalie support her parents while also preserving their independence. Natalie explains how her family organized legal documents, medical powers of attorney, financial powers of attorney, trusts, savings, annuities, and income planning. She also talks about what happened after her parents sold their longtime home of 43 years and how those proceeds were positioned to help cover possible future care needs. Mary and Natalie also discuss final expense policies, funeral and burial costs, cremation versus burial, why families may need access to funds quickly after a loved one dies, and how planning ahead can reduce stress during an already painful time. The episode also explores long-term care planning, life insurance with living benefits, fixed index annuities, self-insuring for care needs, capital gains conversations before selling a home, and why a wealth strategist often works alongside a CPA, investment advisor, and other financial professionals. This conversation is educational, compassionate, and practical. It is for anyone thinking about aging parents, future care needs, selling a family home, caregiving, retirement income, legacy planning, or how to make sure loved ones are not left scrambling when life changes. Guest Bio Natalie Kime is a financial professional, wealth strategist, and host of The Chat with Nat Podcast. She works with individuals, families, and business owners to help them become financially literate and create customized financial plans that meet their goals and dreams. Natalie believes in removing fear and emotion from financial conversations by meeting clients where they are, walking alongside them, and helping them understand their options. Her work is relational, practical, and grounded in helping people make educated decisions about their future. In this episode, Natalie brings both professional expertise and lived experience to the conversation, sharing what she learned while helping her parents navigate aging, caregiving, selling their longtime home, long-term care planning, and final expense preparation. Guest Links Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nattykime The Chat with Nat Podcast: https://chatwithnatpod.buzzsprout.com Send us Fan Mail This episode is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice.

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  Episode #29

  Multi-Generational Housing: Why Families Are Rethinking Home, Aging, and Independence

  Aug 25, 202612 min

  What happens when the old idea of independence no longer fits the realities families are facing? In this solo episode of Real Estate Connections, Mary Foerster talks about necessity as the mother of invention and how that idea is showing up in housing right now. Mary reflects on the cultural message many older adults grew up with: own your home, raise your family, stay independent, and do not become a burden to your children. But today’s families are facing a different reality. Housing costs are high. Many adult children are living with parents longer. Long-term care is expensive. Older adults may want to age in place but still need support. And families are beginning to rethink what home, independence, and shared living can look like. Mary explores the rise of multi-generational housing, accessory dwelling units, and family-based housing solutions that allow older adults, adult children, and caregivers to live with more flexibility. She also talks about why these arrangements require thoughtful planning, honest communication, written agreements, and a clear understanding of both financial and non-financial contributions. This episode also highlights resources families can explore, including AARP, the National Aging in Place Coalition, Generations United, Julie Ford’s work through Homes After 50, and Natalie Kime’s caregiving conversations through The Chat with Nat Podcast. This conversation is for anyone thinking about aging in place, helping adult children, building an ADU, planning for caregiving, sharing property with family, or exploring what multi-generational living could look like in real life. Resources mentioned: Aging in Place: https://ageinplace.org/ Generations United: https://www.gu.org/ Julie Ford / Homes After 50: https://juliford.com/ AARP: https://www.aarp.org/ The Chat with Nat Podcast: https://chatwithnatpod.buzzsprout.com For help connecting with strong real estate professionals in your area, contact Mary at: info@realestateconnectionspodcast.com Send us Fan Mail This episode is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice.

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