Hello Seattle Podcast

Dan Keller and Zach McDonald
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Investing
  • Weekly

Welcome to the Hello Seattle Podcast, a local perspective on living in and moving to Seattle. We are excited to introduce you to people, places, and communities that make living in our hometown special.  About your hosts:  Zach McDonald is one of the top real estate agents in Seattle, and Dan Keller is a Top 1% Mortgage Professional in America. Both are lifelong residents of the Seattle area! 

  1. 6h ago

    Your Offer Was Accepted on a Seattle Home — What Could Go Wrong? | Hello Seattle S3 E6

    Your offer just got accepted on a Seattle home. Now what could go wrong? Zach McDonald and Dan Keller walk through everything that can still blow up a deal between mutual acceptance and closing day — and why most of it is preventable. Why underwriting kicks files back, why income and employment is the number one reason, and why a lot of lenders don't check the boxes until it's already too late. Then the part buyers never see coming: the things you can do to sabotage your own purchase without knowing it. Moving cash out from under the mattress, co-signing for a friend, missing one credit card payment. Plus the final walkthrough, what time the sellers actually have to be out, rent backs, how to move gift funds from Mom and Dad the easy way, and the one thing every buyer with a smooth closing has in common. Welcome to Season 3 of the Hello Seattle Podcast — Buying a Home in Seattle! This season we're walking through the whole process, from what you can afford to what it actually costs to get into a home here. Whether you're a first-time buyer, moving to the area, or just trying to figure out if now is your moment, we're covering it week by week. Dan Keller is a licensed mortgage broker with New American Funding, MLO #115349. Nothing in this episode is a rate quote. Recorded November 2026. Thinking about buying a home in the Seattle area? Reach out anytime. We'd love to be a resource for you! Listen to the full Hello Seattle Podcast Series on Apple or Spotify: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hello-seattle-podcast/id1717099651 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0PN5YJGZR518e09iDk1tZK?si=19c6c153768f4741 About your hosts: Zach McDonald is one of the top real estate agents in Seattle, and Dan Keller is a Top 1% Mortgage Professional in America. Both are lifelong residents of the Seattle area! Contact Zach: call/text: (425) 343-3661 email: zach@mcdonaldresidential.com http://mcdonaldresidential.com/contact/ Contact Dan: Follow on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChR1f7qacDdH65idwjLUpjg call/text: (425) 350-7136 email: dankellermtg@gmail.com https://www.mymortgageguydan.com/ Thinking about buying or selling a home in the Seattle area soon? Please don't hesitate to reach out!  Dan Keller (mlo# 115349) Mortgage Advisor New American Funding call/text: (425)-350-7136 dankellermtg@gmail.com Instagram: @mymortgageguydan mymortgageguydan.com Zach McDonald Real Estate Agent Real Property Associates (425) 343-3661 zach@mcdonaldresidential.com Connect with Zach on social: Website - http://www.mcdonaldresidential.com/ Zillow - http://www.zillow.com/profile/mcdonaldresidential/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mcdonaldresidential/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/zachseattle Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mcdonaldresidential/ Google - https://goo.gl/maps/NvgkqngqvZKG8ZrB6

  2. 6d ago

    How Much Should You Offer on a Seattle Home? | Hello Seattle S3 E5

    How much should you offer on a house in Seattle? Zach McDonald and Dan Keller work through the question most buyers get wrong — and why the answer has far less to do with the asking price than you'd think. Brand new listing or five weeks on the market, how a home gets priced in the first place, and why the appraisal is the backstop that protects you. Then the part nobody explains: price is only one of the things you're negotiating. Earnest money, closing costs, what a discount point actually is, and seller credits — why taking $50,000 off the price and taking a $50,000 credit are not the same deal, and which one Dan would pick. Plus what "fully underwritten approved" means, why Dan pays $1,700 out of pocket to do it before you've even made an offer, and how a financed buyer beats an all-cash offer. Welcome to Season 3 of the Hello Seattle Podcast — Buying a Home in Seattle! This season we're walking through the whole process, from what you can afford to what it actually costs to get into a home here. Whether you're a first-time buyer, moving to the area, or just trying to figure out if now is your moment, we're covering it week by week. Dan Keller is a licensed mortgage broker with New American Funding, MLO #115349. Nothing in this episode is a rate quote. Recorded October 2026. Thinking about buying a home in the Seattle area? Reach out anytime. We'd love to be a resource for you! Listen to the full Hello Seattle Podcast Series on Apple or Spotify: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hello-seattle-podcast/id1717099651 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0PN5YJGZR518e09iDk1tZK?si=19c6c153768f4741 About your hosts: Zach McDonald is one of the top real estate agents in Seattle, and Dan Keller is a Top 1% Mortgage Professional in America. Both are lifelong residents of the Seattle area! Contact Zach: call/text: (425) 343-3661 email: zach@mcdonaldresidential.com http://mcdonaldresidential.com/contact/ Contact Dan: Follow on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChR1f7qacDdH65idwjLUpjg call/text: (425) 350-7136 email: dankellermtg@gmail.com https://www.mymortgageguydan.com/   Thinking about buying or selling a home in the Seattle area soon? Please don't hesitate to reach out!  Dan Keller (mlo# 115349) Mortgage Advisor New American Funding call/text: (425)-350-7136 dankellermtg@gmail.com Instagram: @mymortgageguydan mymortgageguydan.com Zach McDonald Real Estate Agent Real Property Associates (425) 343-3661 zach@mcdonaldresidential.com Connect with Zach on social: Website - http://www.mcdonaldresidential.com/ Zillow - http://www.zillow.com/profile/mcdonaldresidential/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mcdonaldresidential/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/zachseattle Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mcdonaldresidential/ Google - https://goo.gl/maps/NvgkqngqvZKG8ZrB6

  3. Oct 22

    How to Avoid Buying a Money Pit in Seattle | Hello Seattle S3 E4

    How do you know if the house you love is going to cost you $15,000 the month after you move in? Zach McDonald and Dan Keller walk through the inspection items that actually matter in Washington — sewer lines, roofs, foundations, water intrusion, rodents, mold, asbestos and oil tanks — and the one distinction that separates a normal repair from a real money pit: whether the work adds value or just fixes a problem. Both of them have paid for it personally. Dan skipped a sewer scope and the basement flooded two months after closing: a $15,000 bill. Zach found out from a city worker knocking on his door that his sewer line was 90% collapsed. Plus: what unpermitted work does to a deal under the new appraisal guidelines, how lenders actually treat deferred maintenance, and Dan's 1% rule for every first-time buyer. Thinking about buying or selling a home in the Seattle area soon? Please don't hesitate to reach out!  Dan Keller (mlo# 115349) Mortgage Advisor New American Funding call/text: (425)-350-7136 dankellermtg@gmail.com Instagram: @mymortgageguydan mymortgageguydan.com Zach McDonald Real Estate Agent Real Property Associates (425) 343-3661 zach@mcdonaldresidential.com Connect with Zach on social: Website - http://www.mcdonaldresidential.com/ Zillow - http://www.zillow.com/profile/mcdonaldresidential/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mcdonaldresidential/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/zachseattle Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mcdonaldresidential/ Google - https://goo.gl/maps/NvgkqngqvZKG8ZrB6

  4. Oct 22

    Condo vs Townhouse vs House in Seattle | Hello Seattle S3 E3

    Should you buy a condo, a townhouse, or a house? In this episode Zach McDonald and Dan Keller break down what you're actually buying with each one — and why a condo means going into business with your HOA and every other owner in the building. We compare a $500,000 condo against a $500,000 single family home side by side, cover the Fannie Mae condo financing rules that changed recently and why tougher lending is good news if you're the buyer, and answer the question everyone asks: which property type actually appreciates best in Seattle? Thinking about buying or selling a home in the Seattle area soon? Please don't hesitate to reach out!  Dan Keller (mlo# 115349) Mortgage Advisor New American Funding call/text: (425)-350-7136 dankellermtg@gmail.com Instagram: @mymortgageguydan mymortgageguydan.com Zach McDonald Real Estate Agent Real Property Associates (425) 343-3661 zach@mcdonaldresidential.com Connect with Zach on social: Website - http://www.mcdonaldresidential.com/ Zillow - http://www.zillow.com/profile/mcdonaldresidential/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mcdonaldresidential/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/zachseattle Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mcdonaldresidential/ Google - https://goo.gl/maps/NvgkqngqvZKG8ZrB6

  5. Oct 8

    How Much Money Do You Need to Buy a Home in Seattle | Hello Seattle S3 E2

    Do you really need 20% down to buy a house? You don't — and in this episode Dan Keller explains where that idea came from, what people are actually putting down in Seattle right now, and every down payment option available: FHA, conventional, jumbo, VA, and Washington State's down payment assistance program. Plus, a full cost breakdown on a $1,000,000 purchase at 20%, 10%, and 5% down.   Washington State Housing Finance Commission down payment assistance: https://www.wshfc.org/buyers/ Thinking about buying or selling a home in the Seattle area soon? Please don't hesitate to reach out!  Dan Keller (mlo# 115349) Mortgage Advisor New American Funding call/text: (425)-350-7136 dankellermtg@gmail.com Instagram: @mymortgageguydan mymortgageguydan.com Zach McDonald Real Estate Agent Real Property Associates (425) 343-3661 zach@mcdonaldresidential.com Connect with Zach on social: Website - http://www.mcdonaldresidential.com/ Zillow - http://www.zillow.com/profile/mcdonaldresidential/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mcdonaldresidential/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/zachseattle Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mcdonaldresidential/ Google - https://goo.gl/maps/NvgkqngqvZKG8ZrB6

  6. Oct 1

    Is Buying a Home in Seattle Actually Worth It? | Hello Seattle S3 E1

    Is buying a home in Seattle actually worth it right now? We open Season 3 with the question a client put to Dan directly: "You have a 20-year-old daughter — would you encourage her to buy a house right now?" We break down what it takes to buy at $750,000, $1 million, and $1.25 million — down payment, monthly payment, and the household income you'd need to qualify — plus why buyers finally have negotiating power again, how renting really compares over a few years, and the three things Dan says need to line up before you buy. Welcome to Season 3 of the Hello Seattle Podcast — Buying a Home in Seattle! This season we're walking through the whole process, from what you can afford to what it actually costs to get into a home here. Whether you're a first-time buyer, moving to the area, or just trying to figure out if now is your moment, we're covering it week by week. Thinking about buying a home in the Seattle area? Reach out anytime. We'd love to be a resource for you!  About your hosts: Zach McDonald is one of the top real estate agents in Seattle, and Dan Keller is a Top 1% Mortgage Professional in America. Both are lifelong residents of the Seattle area!   Contact Zach: call/text: (425) 343-3661 email: zach@mcdonaldresidential.com http://mcdonaldresidential.com/contact/    Contact Dan: Follow on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChR1f7qacDdH65idwjLUpjg  call/text: (425) 350-7136 email: dankellermtg@gmail.com  https://www.mymortgageguydan.com/ Thinking about buying or selling a home in the Seattle area soon? Please don't hesitate to reach out!  Dan Keller (mlo# 115349) Mortgage Advisor New American Funding call/text: (425)-350-7136 dankellermtg@gmail.com Instagram: @mymortgageguydan mymortgageguydan.com Zach McDonald Real Estate Agent Real Property Associates (425) 343-3661 zach@mcdonaldresidential.com Connect with Zach on social: Website - http://www.mcdonaldresidential.com/ Zillow - http://www.zillow.com/profile/mcdonaldresidential/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mcdonaldresidential/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/zachseattle Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mcdonaldresidential/ Google - https://goo.gl/maps/NvgkqngqvZKG8ZrB6

  7. 11/13/2025

    Hello Seattle - All About Briarcrest

    All about the Briarcrest neighborhood of Shoreline, WA. Thinking about buying or selling a home in the Seattle area soon? Please don't hesitate to reach out!  Dan Keller (mlo# 115349) Mortgage Advisor New American Funding call/text: (425)-350-7136 dankellermtg@gmail.com Instagram: @mymortgageguydan mymortgageguydan.com Zach McDonald Real Estate Agent Real Property Associates (425) 343-3661 zach@mcdonaldresidential.com Connect with Zach on social: Website - http://www.mcdonaldresidential.com/ Zillow - http://www.zillow.com/profile/mcdonaldresidential/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mcdonaldresidential/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/zachseattle Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mcdonaldresidential/ Google - https://goo.gl/maps/NvgkqngqvZKG8ZrB6

  8. 10/29/2025

    Hello Seattle - All About Ridgecrest

    All about the Ridgecrest neighborhood of Shoreline, WA. Thinking about buying or selling a home in the Seattle area soon? Please don't hesitate to reach out!  Dan Keller (mlo# 115349) Mortgage Advisor New American Funding call/text: (425)-350-7136 dankellermtg@gmail.com Instagram: @mymortgageguydan mymortgageguydan.com Zach McDonald Real Estate Agent Real Property Associates (425) 343-3661 zach@mcdonaldresidential.com Connect with Zach on social: Website - http://www.mcdonaldresidential.com/ Zillow - http://www.zillow.com/profile/mcdonaldresidential/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mcdonaldresidential/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/zachseattle Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mcdonaldresidential/ Google - https://goo.gl/maps/NvgkqngqvZKG8ZrB6

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Hello Seattle Podcast, a local perspective on living in and moving to Seattle. We are excited to introduce you to people, places, and communities that make living in our hometown special.  About your hosts:  Zach McDonald is one of the top real estate agents in Seattle, and Dan Keller is a Top 1% Mortgage Professional in America. Both are lifelong residents of the Seattle area! 

Information

  • Creator
    Dan Keller and Zach McDonald
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    37
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Hello Seattle Podcast
  • Show Website
    Hello Seattle Podcast