Welcome to Mindshift Power Podcast, a show for teenagers and the adults who work with them, where we have raw and honest conversations. I'm your host, Fatima Bey, the mind shifter. And welcome everyone. Today we have with us a real estate agent, a real estate broker, and agent with real estate, Khadijah Johnson out of Albany, New York. And she's also the owner and founder of Okay.

讓我們聊聊，我們會了解事情的來龍去脈。我們也邀請到了Janiyah Cheatham。她是一位來自紐約阿姆斯特丹的17歲女孩。你們好嗎？很好。

Doing great. Thank you for having me. Oh, no problem. You I I can't wait to talk to you. You you're wonderful to talk to, and they're gonna find that out too.

So and how are you doing, Janiyah? I'm doing okay. Good. Good. Alright.

So let's dive right in. So today, we're gonna talk about, diversity in real estate. And, Khadija, I wanna first ask you, you know, you have, okay. Let's talk. What is that?

Yeah. So, September will actually be my fifth year in real estate. Right? So, during the five years of me being in real estate, I've been exposed to a lot. Right?

A lot of opportunities where the door the doors are wide open and other opportunities where I felt like the doors were actually closed. Right? And it was harder Mhmm. Open. Right?

所以，好吧。 「Let's Talk」就誕生了。好嗎？所以我意識到，作為一名房地產經紀人，有很多黑人和棕色人種。對吧？

But as you get to start looking at the other professionals within the real estate in industry, such as home inspectors and real estate attorneys and appraisers, and even, mortgage brokers. That's where the numbers kinda decrease. Definitely here in the capital region, it decreases a lot. So the whole point of, okay, let's talk is to increase the numbers of black and brown people, to be in, many different real estate professions, but to also kinda go back to the youth and start there. Right?

首先，我們來告訴年輕人房地產行業有各種各樣的職業道路，因為那才是真正做決定的地方。當然，人的一生中都會換職業，但就像我，直到二十五、六歲才真正了解房地產。你知道嗎？如果我18歲就成了房地產經紀人，那會怎麼樣？誰知道會發生什麼事？抱歉。

So You're good. You recommend, so you recommend, like, the youth to, like if they was interested in real estate, you recommend them to, like, study like, I said study. Get into it in, like, after high school. Right? Yeah.

我的意思是，你甚至可以在高中期間這樣做。對吧？你能找到高中實習計畫嗎？是的。我的天哪。

Yeah. Absolutely. Well, like, even so, like and that's one of the programs that, okay, let's talk has. Right? We have a internship program for high schoolers.

Right now, it's only for seniors just because seniors usually get out of school early. So it's usually we usually hold it between, like, the one to 4PM time frame, just because, you know, they have sports that they may be doing or a part time job or, you know, taking care of taking care of family and stuff like that. But, yeah, you can always have a internship program, right, something real estate related, during high school. You can also even have a mentorship program. A lot of people don't know that you only a lot of people don't know that you only need to be 18.

Right? You can be 18 to get your real estate license. You know? And then from there on show. And from there on, you know, that's when you talk to a home inspector.

You're like, okay. Well, how old do I need to be to be a home inspector? How old do I need to be to be an appraiser and stuff like that? But I'm pretty sure I mean, I know a real estate agent, you only need to be 18, and I'm pretty sure that's across board with most, if not all, real estate career path. So the fact that you don't know, that's literally what was just said.

That's what I'm trying to change. Right? I'm trying to change, so that all the youth know. Definitely, the black and brown youth know of the many different career paths that they have that are at their disposal, but they they just don't know about it because, you know, we talk about, you know, we talk about sports all the time. You know, we talk about being a basketball player, going to NBA and, you know, the NFL and all that stuff, and it's like, yeah.

All those things are great, but they're not just for all of us. Just because you're black and brown does not mean you're supposed to go and play some type of sport. You know what I mean? Mhmm. You're right.

Yep. Again, just being acknowledged of other things. There are other things where it makes sense for, you know, some of us to go down that path. So just trying to put the word out there is really what okay let's Talk is about. Alright.

Now I wanna go back to, something you said a little bit earlier. You said that you had some barriers. Now for the audience, because this is an audio only podcast, and it always will be, you can't see that she is a black woman. So that matters because it's a part of the conversation and, that we're having and part of the question I'm about to ask. So you said that you had some you found that there were doors that were open for you that were wide open.

Great. Yep. But you also found that there are some challenges, some doors that were, you know, painted open but really shut is the way I'm a phrase it. Am I right? Yeah.

So can you tell the audience what what what do you mean by that? What did that look like? Yeah. So, I became a homeowner last year. Right?

So last year, I actually bought a two family. Woo hoo. And oh, thank you. So it's my family you know, my family and I, we live upstairs, and then we do have, just an amazing tenant downstairs. We definitely lucked out with our tenant.

So if he's listening to this, thank you for being you. So one of the things that, you know, I kinda ran into was the buying process. Yes. I definitely preach homeownership. Yes.

我不認為每個人都適合擁有房產。我不認為每個人都適合所有人。我們每個人都是不同的，你知道，我們都想接受這一點。但對於那些認為擁有房產是合理的人而言，這就像坐過山車一樣。對吧？

對於我的客戶，我會盡量讓事情順利進行。但對我自己來說，我做不到。根本做不到。所以，如果我告訴你我買房的財務流程，我找的貸款機構有時候會因為很多不同的當事人而有問題，那肯定是在說謊。你知道，買房的時候有很多不同的當事人，所以他們根本不是貸款機構。但如果我說我有時候，肯定是有時候，我突然想到，‘哇’，那肯定是在撒謊。

Is this happening because of my like, are they really pressing me because of my skin, like, my skin tone? Like, would I be getting these same, you know, would they be dotting their i's and crossing their t's if I if I had my name, you know, if my name was my name? You know? So, like, that that in itself was very, very tough. So Oh, I I wanna I wanna also add because you guys can't see her.

Khadijah looks like she belongs in high school, and she looks very young. As they say, black don't crack, and it definitely applies to her. She looks so freaking young. So that might be a part of it too because look at because, you know, when you open your mouth, the maturity is clearly there. But looking at you, we put you in high school, nobody would nobody pick you out.

He's like, hey, girl. Let's go to lunch. You know? Because you look so young. So I was 12 since I was 12.

Like, just doesn't Janiyah, were you gonna ask something? Yeah. So my question is because I know that if people was, like, in the same position as you going through, like, discrimination, some would have, like, gave up, but, like, what made you, like, still keep going? Yeah. Oh my gosh.

Great question. I would definitely have to say my family was definitely number one. Like, my family was definitely number one. You know, one of the reasons why I reached homeownership is because of generational wealth. Right?

我想買房子，然後把房子留給我的孩子。你懂我的意思吧？這樣至少他們有個起點。對吧？所以，家庭和世代財富絕對是最重要的。

Two, I needed to do it for myself. Right? Like I said, I'd be a real estate agent. Next month would be five years. I've helped more than a hundred people buy homes.

There's no reason why I should not be able to help myself buy a home. Right. So I needed to accomplish it for myself. So I fought and I fought and I fought. And I'm telling you, like, you know, I tell my clients, like, make sure you have a great home buyer home buying team.

And what I mean by a home buying team is your real estate agent, your real estate attorney, your lender, like, your home inspector. Like, those people are really going to ride for you, and that's exactly what they did in order to get me to the closing table. So, yeah, I would say number one was family, and two, I needed it was a must. Like, failing is not an option. I needed to buy my house for me.

Great question. So what I hear is that you you had a determination. You had a reason to do it just in owning a just other than, oh, I have a house. Yeah. I really do believe in whys.

對吧？我覺得這在很小的時候就被教導了。當然，當你開始創業，開始建立自己的事業時，為什麼要創業？那就從你的「為什麼」開始吧。

And I truly do believe in that same that same concept. Like, that why is going to stop you from failing. It's going to push you. It's going to, you know, bring your determination. You know what I mean?

So, yeah, as long as you have your why and, like, please understand your why can change. Like, I feel like a lot of people do also kinda think that, okay. Well, this is my why and this is my forever why. Yeah. Is that possible?

當然。但是，不。就像，你可以有多個不同的「為什麼」。對吧？你知道，你可以在整個過程中把「為什麼」去掉。

你明白我的意思嗎？或者說，整個「為什麼」都會改變。突然之間，你的「為什麼」就和你剛開始的時候完全不一樣了。所以我覺得這一點也很重要，很多人會想，『哦，這就是我的「為什麼」。你明白嗎？

It's this is a standard why. It's never going to change and, it will. And when it does, oh, man. When it does, most of the times when your why changes, it's because you've grown. You've accomplished.

是的。是的。那時你的「為什麼」就改變了，最後變成了你人生中最美好的感覺。人生中最美好的感覺。太棒了。

太棒了。那麼，對於青少年來說，我想問你這個問題。現在的青少年應該考慮買房還是提前上大學？是的。所以，好的。

Let's Talk programs. Right? So, Okay. Let's Talk goes into institutions. So, like, elementary school, middle school, high schools is really its, priority right now.

我們確實有課後活動之類的。對於我們的高中項目，我們確實會討論如果學生在大學期間購買房屋會是什麼樣子。哦，我這是什麼意思呢？對吧？

So let me break it down for you. So what if just, you know, kinda thinking. What if instead of going to college and paying for a room and board, and I'm speaking from experience, I went to two colleges. I went to SUNY Delhi my freshman year, and then I transferred to SUNY Albany, Great Danes in which I graduated, with my bachelor's degree. I'm I'm sorry.

我笑死你們了，因為她創造了這個符號。大丹犬，你們。你們看不到，但她剛才展現了她的驕傲。你們必須這麼做。你們必須這麼做。

So Was you in college when you figured out you wanted to do real estate? Nope. It was after college. It was after college is where I figured it out. Yep.

So hold like, hold on to that because I also do wanna talk about how I even got into real estate. So don't remind me to talk about that. Question. Go ahead. So so when when we talk to our high schoolers alright.

我正在分解。所以分解一下，不是上大學，而是在國外支付住宿費。對吧？如果你買了房子呢？對吧？

別誤會我的意思。不是所有大一新生都能賺到錢買房，因為如果你跟我一樣，你就是個窮困潦倒的大一新生。對吧？現在你基本上是在依靠你的家人，對吧？

也許是爸爸媽媽、阿姨、叔叔、奶奶、爺爺之類的，對吧，他們有能力買你上大學的房子。好嗎？那麼，如果這棟房子是多戶住宅，或者可能是獨戶住宅呢？在這個具體例子中，其實沒什麼差別。所以我們假設它是獨戶住宅。

Let's do that. With a single family home, you are living in this house. Let's say it's a three bedroom single family home. So you are living in one of the bedrooms, and then you have two other college students living in the other two bedrooms, and they're paying rent to be there. Okay?

Now what if this is a multifamily home? What what if this is a two family home like my house, right, where it's three bedrooms upstairs and three bedrooms downstairs? Again, you, there's total six bedrooms. You are living in one of the bedrooms, and now you're renting out five of the other bedrooms, two college students. These can be your friends.

These can be your, your classmates, and you're renting them out, let's say, I don't know, $600 a room. Instead of you going to college and paying that university or that community college room and board, what would your financial situation look like? What would be the difference? Does that make sense? Because, again, everyone's path is different.

So does that make sense for you? So that's an example of what I teach to my high school students to get them thinking. Not necessarily saying, hey. This is the one path that you have to go down. Not saying that at all, but, hey.

This isn't an option for you. If it makes for you, then proceed with it. Do it. If not, it's okay. I got a few more that may make sense.

就是這樣。你剛剛解釋得沒錯，我想回大學買房子，這樣我上學的時候可以把屋頂租出去賺點錢。至於我？我現在應該還沒欠債。這聽起來真是個好主意。

How could, let's say you got someone who grew up in apartments their whole life. There's there's nobody in their family owns a home. Because that's true for a lot of people. Whether you live out in the country or you live in the inner city, there's a lot in both areas where that's true for. So let's say you have people like that who've there nobody in their how their their family owns a home, and their families go look at it like, you stupid.

Why are you trying to own a home? Just rent like we did. Yeah. What would you say to those people? Oh, man.

What would I say to them? I would say, that it has to start somewhere. I would say, one, it has to start somewhere. I would say, two, create that generational wealth with you. Right?

And I would say, three, know what you're doing. Just keep moving forward. Again, as long as you have that real estate team to support you, keep doing it. I feel like and this is the other thing because I feel like every single time. Oh.

Janaya, what did you say? You just gotta break the chain. Oh, that's a good way to put it. She's really good with analogies, by the way. You think I'm good?

This girl. She got me beat. Yeah. Break the chain. I like I like that.

You're right. Break the chain because we do grow up with chains around our minds because of Yeah. Our our forefathers, so to speak, our parents, grandparents, and maybe they never got out of the welfare state of mind, the, or what I call slavery state of mind, welfare state of mind. Whatever you wanna call it, because it's gonna be different names to different people, but it's really all the same thing. You gotta break those chains or you end up in the same ones.

You know? Eventually, we're all black. We got out of slavery because somebody broke those chains for us, you know, our ancestors. And, you know, in different ways at different times, but nobody breaks free just by sitting there and doing the same thing. You gotta break free.

Anyway, that's my little preach on. I have I have to do that. No. You're right. Because even a lot of people, like, you know, they look you know, we look at homeownership as a negative thing.

對吧？我們沒想過的是，好吧。嗯，凡事都有利有弊。但說到房屋所有權，我們太關注負面的東西了，以至於很少宣揚正面的東西。對吧？

So, you know, we talk about, oh, you gotta have you know, you have to put a lot of money down. Oh, you your credit score has to be in the eight hundreds. You have to put 20% down. Like, just just all of these things to try and stop, you know, yourself or the next person from, you know, becoming a homeowner and creating that generational wealth in in our families. You know?

We're we're just we're just so quick to to, you know, just push out the negative instead of pulling in the positive. Like, okay. Well, yeah, I may need 20% down, but problem solved. What are some ways that you can, get that 20% down? By the way, just put it out there.

You don't need 20% down, guys. You don't. You don't need 20% down. You don't need a 700 credit score. It's it's false information.

這純屬虛構。還有一點，我們總是急於聽取家人和朋友的意見，這完全有道理，但我們還是應該聯繫專業人士。對吧？那是他們的工作，也是他們的謀生手段。

Right? So if you're looking, you know, someone's telling you, oh, I need a 700, credit score or I need 20% down. You know, how about we fact check it? You know? How about we call up a lender or a few and be like, hey.

I'm thinking about buying a house. Can you run my numbers and let me know, you know, what my score needs to be or what my credit score needs to be and how much I need to put down? Just saying. No. That's that's some pretty awesome advice.

For someone who is considering owning a home and they're 17, like, Janiyah, what's a realistic time frame for them to consider in order to make that happen? Alright. Let me rephrase that. What they're 17 right now, and their expected goal is to own a home. What's a realistic time frame for how long that might take?

So I would say, realistically, I would say by 22, you should own a home. And that's including that's obviously taken care of you gotta be mindful of your credit score. Right? Gotta be mindful of your credit score. You gotta be mindful of, you know, your debt.

你得注意你的收入。對吧？這些都是買房時需要考慮的因素，甚至更多。對吧？但我想說，如果你17歲，假設你在7.17到19歲之間高中畢業。

Everyone's lives are different between seven and 19. Right? Two full years of work and experience. Let's say you start working at 19. Let's say you start working at 20.

By 22, you should really be in the process of buying a house, if not just having having conversations about it. And that's really all I want is I want conversations to happen Mhmm. About homeownership. Because what's happening is these conversations are not starting because people believe, oh, well, let me wait until I get married. Oh, let me wait until I have my own children.

Oh, let me wait until I graduate from college. Oh, let me wait until I find my career job. Oh, let me wait until I make 6 figures, 7 figures, 8 figures. Wow. Are you pushing this off?

我們為什麼要延後這件事？您有什麼可以考慮的嗎？我之前甚至不知道，因為我甚至聽說買房子搬出去非常困難。而且根據我的觀察，我經常看到人們在二十多歲或三十出頭的時候才擁有他們的第一套房子或第一套公寓，因為他們覺得搬出去買房真的非常非常難。我甚至不知道22歲就能買房。

Yeah. You you can. It's hard to ride a bike until you try. And that's the thing is peep you we keep getting told, not just about home buying, but other things, it's too difficult. It's too difficult.

It's too difficult. So we we don't try, and it it holds us back because you really wanna own. If you really wanna own a city, buy up its property. I'm telling you that right now. You wanna own some, buy up some property.

The reason I asked you that that question, Khadijah, about the timeline is I think it's important since we're talking to teenagers and youth and and we wanna give them wanna encourage them to to try this. I think it's important to also let them know what the realistic timelines is. And because if we don't say that, they're gonna think, well, I didn't do it within a year, so I'm a failure. You know, this didn't happen right away, or I tried once and I got rejected, so forget it. And I I want them to know, like you just said, it's not something that happens overnight.

It's something you have to go in with great intention. It is completely and totally possible if you plan it. You have to plan it. It might take a few years, but you can get there, and you'll be better than all your peers when you do. Because they'll be still still be sitting there wondering how they're gonna buy McDonald's next week while you're buying a house.

You know? Am I right? It's it's it's really no. You're you're definitely right. And I and I think the other thing about it is that we don't know, the tools and resources that are out there to help us be a homeowner.

對吧？所以，就像補助金一樣。對吧？我用補助金，嗯。用來買房子。

Right? So Mhmm. I was just talking to my girls about OPM. Right? I have a a nine year old, and I have a seven year old.

And What's an OPM? Saying, oh, what's OPM? What's OPM? Right? So OPM is other people's money.

Right? So and I I bring this up because definitely to my high schoolers and to everyone, yes, I have the money. Yeah. I definitely have the money. But why am I gonna spend my money when I can leverage?

這是我最喜歡的詞。我已經用這個詞大概六年了。指的就是你可以利用別人的錢，例如補助金，例如房主補助金，來買你的房子。所以，你自己的那幾百美元，幾千美元，不管你有多少，都還是你的。為什麼？

Because the cities around you, they have grant money to help you become first time homebuyers. The counties around you have grant money. The states have grant money to help you become first time homebuyers, and a lot of people do not know this. And, also, guys, as a former couponer, because I used to be, yes, I used to be one of those extreme couponers. Yes.

我說的就是我。我說的就是我。所以，作為優惠券用戶，你可以疊加補助。所以，如果你符合五項補助的條件，夥計們，你可以用這五項補助來支付你的成交費和首付。你贏了。

Just winning. I did it. Wow. So if I could do it, I'm sharing the information so that you could do it too, and that goes to my high schoolers and everyone else. Just have a conversation.

Start that conversation. If you're 17 years old, 18, 19, 20, early twenties, mid twenties, what have you, call a lender, a mortgage lender, walk into a bank, and just have the conversation. Hey. I'm thinking about buying a house. Can you walk me through what needs to be done?

這樣你就有計畫了。對吧？你跟專業人士談過了，你面前已經有了具體的計劃，是你自己制定的，而不是爸爸媽媽、阿姨或叔叔的計劃。不是。你的具體計劃要根據你的財務狀況制定，這樣你就可以按照這個計劃，從a點到b點，也就是最終的結算表。

哇。嗯，這太棒了。這讓我現在就想出去買點東西。但是，我真的希望所有正在聽我說話的青少年們，現在開始考慮這些事情還不算太早，因為越早擁有自己的房子，就能越早做很多其他事情。 Janaya，你還有其他問題想問她嗎？

Oh, how did you, like like, what made what made you, get into real estate? Yeah. Yeah. Great question. And thank you for, remembering to bring this question back.

So, my family is all about go to college. Right? Go to high school, you go to college, and then you, work for the state is really what they were preaching. Right? And that's exactly what I did.

Right? I graduated from high school. As you guys know, as I already said, I graduated from UAlbany, Great Danes. Yes. Gotta do it again, Great Danes.

And then from then on, during my senior year of college, I was doing internships. Right? So everything that I all my programs that I run now are things that I did myself. So I I were I was in internship programs. And then one of my internships actually landed me at the state where I was able to get a full time state job.

So I was like, mama, I made it. Like, I did everything that my family was preaching to me, and I was like, yes. This is, like, this is the life. Right? Boy, was I lying to myself.

I was miserable. I felt like I was a robot. I felt like I was doing the same thing over and over and over again. Right? I'm now $35,000 in debt from my college degree.

And although I'm working at the state, which is great because you retire with benefits and all that stuff, well, I also don't plan to retire for another forty, fifty or, yeah, like, twenty, thirty years. So am I necessarily thinking about retirement at the age of 22, 20 three? No. And the fact that everyone is telling me that I have to sit at this desk for another twenty to thirty years in order to get great benefits, to then retire in my fifties or sixties. That was not appealing to me whatsoever.

So if anything, they were actually pushing me out of the state instead of keeping me in. But, anyway, you know, sitting out So glad they did. I know. Right? Yes.

Always always blessed for it. Always blessed. Sometimes you gotta climb out of the box people wanna put you in. Go ahead. You do.

You do. You really, really do. So just sitting behind a computer, eight hours, you know, going for a walk as your lunch break, it just it just wasn't it wasn't appealing to me. So Mhmm. At this time, I had a I had three best friends.

One of them was a real estate agent. One of them was a investor. He was a wholesaler. And the, the other one was a mortgage lender. So three of my best friends, you know, they were already in the real estate industry.

I was the only one who was not. So at this time, they kept saying, hey, Kaye. Like, you should be in real estate. Like, everybody you know, your clients will love your personality. They will love your smile.

Like, oh my gosh. You would be amazing. And, Janiyah, do you wanna guess what I said? No. Great.

Great answer. I said no. No. No. Stop talking about it.

I don't wanna have to market myself. I don't wanna have to sell myself. No. That's not what I wanna do. So they tried for about, I don't know, anywhere to six to nine months.

And then my best friend who was a real estate agent, he said to me one day, he said, hey. I'm thinking about starting a real estate team. And at this time, you know, as he was getting his commission checks this true story, guys. True story. As as he was getting his commission checks, he would take pictures of his commission checks, and he would send them to me.

And then he talked about starting this real estate team. So I was like, Hold on. You think you're gonna do something without me? Like, you think you're just gonna build something and I'm not going to be a part of it? Like, I started to feel left out.

And to be honest with you, I'm so serious. Within I think it took me, like, two months. Within two months, I went to real estate school, and I got my real estate license. I was the first one on the team and on the longest lasting member of the team. So right now, we're we're a team of nine.

That was the first one, and I'm very proud of that. Wow. So you were motivated in a very different way, but we're all motivated differently. And and I think it's important to point that out, and, you know, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Well, I do have to, wrap this up.

但和你聊天真是太棒了。我一直很喜歡跟你聊天。而且你每次去學校都會做演講。這已經不是我第一次見到她了。我親眼看過她做演講，她真是太棒了。

When you get her in front of a a a group of of youth of any age, really. So if you are in the capital region and you're looking to have someone come speak to your school, to your your community group of kids, you definitely want her. She's got the energy of children, and it works. And it's it's it's a beautiful thing. So, with that, I'm gonna end this session, but it has been amazing talking to you.

And thank you again, Janiyah, for coming on again, onto the show. And I hope that listeners really got something out of this, and thanks again for coming. Thank you. And now for a mind shifting moment. Like Khadijah said earlier, you're not too young to start your real estate journey.

Limiting beliefs have probably kept you from considering it. But outside of real estate, what other limits have you put on yourself, have you kept in your mind to keep you from achieving bigger goals? The truth is the only limits that we have are the ones in our minds. Nobody can stop you from doing what you wanna do except you. And sometimes the biggest stumbling block that we have is our own thinking.

只要有計劃，並下定決心，沒有什麼能阻止你，你就能實現任何你想做的事情。你只需要嘗試。感謝收聽“Mindshift Power”播客。請按讚並訂閱我的YouTube頻道「Mind shifter」。如果您有任何評論、主題建議，或想做客本節目，請造訪FatimaBay.com/podcast。

記住，轉變思維會帶來力量。請關注下週節目。