The HOOD

Morgan Shawver
  • 4.3 (6)
  • Parenting
  • Monthly

Welcome into The HOOD. I’m your host, Morgan Shawver bringing you all things ParentHOOD and NeighborHOOD.

  1. 2d ago

    What's It Worth?

    Sellers think their house is worth a million dollars. Buyers think it’s worth half that. Somewhere in the middle is the appraiser, the one person whose job is to land on the real number. Morgan sits down with Kevin, a central Ohio appraiser with more than 20 years in the business and a family friend whose life is woven into hers in more ways than one. Before appraising, Kevin was a realtor and a licensed assistant to one of Columbus’s biggest agents, back when she carried 110 listings at once. He left because the job never turned off. Appraising gave him control of his schedule, and he says he’s hardly missed one of his kids’ activities since. Together they break down what an appraisal actually is: an opinion of market value based on a typically motivated buyer. That’s why a desperate buyer throwing $60,000 over list during the bidding wars didn’t set the value of a house. Kevin explains why an appraisal is not a home inspection, how the C1 through C6 condition ratings work, why ranches and two-stories don’t compare cleanly, and why a beautifully renovated 1950s home still won’t appraise like the new builds down the street. They also get into appraisal gap coverage, why it’s mostly disappeared from offers, and the risk nobody talks about. Buyers who overpaid in the last few years may get a surprise when rates drop and they try to refinance. Kevin also shares why he believes central Ohio will stay underbuilt for the next decade, and why first-time buyers should treat their first home as a business decision, not a forever home. Plus, Kevin’s stories from 2008, appraising foreclosed homes ahead of sheriff’s sales door by door, and why he doesn’t think today’s market is a bubble.

    What's It Worth?

  2. Oct 28

    Schools Out For The Summer

    Morgan learned the hard way that a beautiful backyard basketball court still needs HOA approval. One cement truck, a $250 fine, and a denied request later, she’s been asked to help write the neighborhood’s new rules on activity courts. It’s a real estate agent’s cautionary tale, and she tells it on herself. This episode’s guest is Lauren, a special education teacher at Westerville Central who just wrapped her 18th year in the classroom. She’s also a past client who bought her condo on a single income, with two dogs in tow. Lauren talks about the sticker shock of seeing what a pre-approval number actually buys, the A/C that quit on her first summer, and the HOA letter over a Buckeyes garden flag. She also shares stories from her recent London and Paris trip, including a Peloton run past Buckingham Palace, and how her gym crew became some of her closest friends. Morgan also covers the July Fourth market slowdown and why Columbus rents of around $1,600 a month make the “just buy instead” advice harder than it sounds.

    Schools Out For The Summer

  3. Sep 28

    Sister, Sister

    Some friendships feel like family. And some families feel like best friends. In this Sister, Sister episode of The HOOD, Morgan sits down with Haleigh and Kelsey, two sisters, new moms, and past clients. They married their high school sweethearts four months apart and have done nearly everything since one right after the other, including buying and selling homes. Haleigh shares how she and Jared outgrew their condo and landed their dream home after first losing it to another buyer. Kelsey tells the story of trying to buy a house at 37 weeks pregnant (Morgan said no), then listing just weeks postpartum and selling in 24 hours. Along the way, the three get honest about why today's buyers expect perfection, why a clean, fresh-smelling home sells in ways photos never show, what a snowy January walkthrough can hide, and why hiring movers is always worth it. They also open up about losing their best friend Sydney, and the single ladybugs that still show up when they need them most. Plus, rapid fire questions, a sixth toenail, and a sleep-deprived dad who tried to rock the family cat to sleep in the bassinet.

    Sister, Sister

  4. Aug 26

    Entering FatherHOOD

    This episode of The HOOD introduces someone who usually stays behind the camera. Grant, owner of Optico Productions, sits down as a guest for the first time, and the conversation covers new fatherhood, building a business from scratch, and buying his first home as an agent himself. Grant opened his production company while still in college, choosing wedding videography over chasing the film industry in LA. That early bet on staying close to family in Columbus grew into a full team of shooters serving real estate agents across Central Ohio, and now he's navigating a new build and a home sale of his own. The conversation moves into the harder parts of the balance too, the guilt that comes with splitting time between work and a newborn, the boundaries he's had to set to protect family moments, and what has surprised him most about becoming a dad just weeks ago. He and Morgan also compare notes on which is harder, running a business or raising kids, and neither one gives a clean answer. Morgan opens with an update on a bonkers summer market, including a first-time homebuyer interest rate program that came and went in three days flat.

    Entering FatherHOOD

  5. Jul 30

    Raise the Roof

    Roofs don't come up in conversation until they're a problem. And by then, the stress has already set in. In this episode, Morgan sits down with Zach McRae, owner of Near Me Roofing, to pull back the curtain on one of the most misunderstood parts of buying or selling a home. Zach has worked with 600+ agents across Central Ohio, and he does not sugarcoat anything. They cover why the insurance-based roofing model is collapsing, what to do before you ever call your insurance company, how to read a roof inspection without panicking, and why the first call most homeowners make after damage is exactly the wrong one. Plus, Zach shares how he went from running retail stores to building one of Columbus's fastest-growing roofing companies, and the grandfather who shaped every bit of it.

    Raise the Roof

  6. Jun 30

    Good Head Space

    Buying a home is one of the biggest investments of your life, and the emotional weight of that process is real. So I brought in someone who knows a thing or two about helping people get out of their own heads. Brittany is a licensed professional counselor, a former kindergarten teacher, a fellow mom in the trenches, and one of those people who just makes you feel like everything is going to be okay the second she walks in the room. We go way back, and this conversation did not disappoint. We talk about how to mentally prepare before you enter the market, what assertive communication actually looks like between partners during the home search, why the inspection period is its own kind of stress spiral, and how to recognize when the process has started to take too much of a toll. Brittany also shares some real, practical tools, including a five senses grounding technique you can use anywhere, even during a showing. If you've ever felt like the homebuying process was messing with your mental health, or if you're a mom who just needs someone to tell you that what you're feeling makes sense, this one's for you.

    Good Head Space

  7. Jun 2

    New Construction

    This episode features one of the most recognizable names in Central Ohio new construction, Justin Phillips. Top 1% in the country, marketing maverick, stand-up comedian, and co-creator of the Rebel event. We threw the script out in the first five minutes and just talked. We get into the spring market and what's actually happening out there right now, the wildest marketing moves Justin has ever made (yes, the hot air balloon with his face on it counts), how he's leaning into AI to scale his business, and the personal brand work that actually moves the needle. Plus the story behind one cold call to Glenda Baker that turned into a 700 person event. As Justin said in this one, "you can have anything you want in this world if you just help enough other people get what they want." So grateful to call him a friend and to share this conversation.

    New Construction

  8. May 22

    Unexected Dynamic Duo

    This episode features two of my favorite people in this industry, Peggy and Bryce. What started as a pair of colleagues turned into one of the best friendships I've gotten to witness, and as a realtor and lender duo, they bring both a front row view of today's market and a whole lot of heart. We get into what we're really seeing out there (yes, interest rates included), the wildest moments of their careers so far, what keeps them showing up every day, and the exciting news Peggy has been waiting to share. The quote that stuck with me from this one: "Stick with the people who pull the magic out of you, not the madness." Peggy and Bryce are exactly that, and I'm so grateful to share space with them.

    Unexected Dynamic Duo
See All (24)

Ratings & Reviews

4.3
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Welcome into The HOOD. I’m your host, Morgan Shawver bringing you all things ParentHOOD and NeighborHOOD.

Information

  • Creator
    Morgan Shawver
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Morgan Shawver 2024
  • Show Website
    The HOOD