meet daniel

Our next guest is probably one of the only people I’d trust to leave my wallet around with. Kidding. A true business man at heart, but a family man to those who have the privilege to know him. If you haven’t caught on by now, yes, I have a lot of cousins. It’s crazy to see how far we’ve all come and to watch the family expand. With that being said, congratulations again, Dan, to you and your beautiful wife, Cara, on your third child. Crazy to think you’re a father of three now! 

Hey Dan! Thanks again for joining the conversation! How’s Dad life treating you? 

Hey Dom, I want to first start off by saying thanks for including me in the Conversation and thank you for wishing us a congrats, it has been a wild start as a father of three!

Did you always see this life for yourself? A family, kids, wife? 

To answer your question, yes; I definitely did see myself having a wife with a big family, I just didn’t see it starting with a pair of twin boys during Covid lockdowns. It’s been an amazing ride and just when Cara and I think we’ve got it figured out, a new challenge (like potty training) comes around! 

What’s something you wish you knew as a young adult that you think would have helped you financially today if you had known?

This is an amazing question. I really think the educational system fails young adults to some point with the lack of ‘practical’ teaching. I think there should be more common sense courses taught, even at the college level. Courses about taxes, investing, spending, saving, etc. - just more practical things you’re going to face. I’m sure many also wished they’d have learned more about the loans they were about to take out for college or beyond as it’s a HUGE commitment that I don’t think was explained properly or in as much depth as it should have been. I think more practical financial lessons would’ve been key as a young adult.

For someone who has no knowledge on what to do with their funds, what’s an easy investment?

So all investments come with risks but to someone who is just starting out I’d probably recommended investing in an ETF or a specific index like the S&P 500 which gives you a broad exposure to the market but comes with low risk. There are also really cool apps like Acorn that lets you invest with something as little as pennies and I think it’s a great start for young investors. 

Do you have any recommendations to someone who’s trying to fix their credit score? Any tricks to help it grow faster?

This goes back to one of the courses I wish were taught in high school or even sooner! Credit is SO SO SO important. As a mortgage banker I deal with credit scores daily and they can literally make or break you on some of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make. We work with particular credit repair services who are extremely well versed but my best advice is probably obvious; always pay on time and try and keep credit utilization as low as possible. Your credit is so important, ANOTHER great question.

There’s this new saying going around about how making six figures (especially in the state of NY) still isn’t enough to get by. Do you agree? 

the prices of absolutely everything are rising, like you said, especially in New York. From houses to literal eggs, everything is more expensive. The cost of living in New York is so brutal so the old myth of ‘six figures’ is just not going to cut it in my opinion. Friends and coworkers of mine are constantly trying to do more and either pick up more work or get creative for other streams of income. 

What’s something you tell every first time home owner that they should have before going to seek out a loan or even purchase a home?

First time home buyers absolutely need to get pre-approved before looking for their first home. A pre-approval letter not only shows you what you can afford but assures the seller of the home that you are serious and can make a legitimate offer. I work for United Mortgage Corporation and my team gets out same day pre-approval letters with just a few documents needed to review. It’s in the best interest for anyone serious about looking for a home, especially in such a competitive market like ours in New York, to get pre-approved. It’s a simple process that brings clarity to the sometimes daunting process of home buying.

What should every client be prepared for in the closing process when purchasing a home?

While closing is an extremely exciting time, every client should be aware of the closing costs that come along with this part of the process. A buyer should know that closing costs can include attorney fees, property appraisals, title and mortgage fees. They always differ from home to home depending on price, taxes, and location. 

Personally, I know you have the help of your beautiful wife, but what’s it like raising three boys?

Raising three boys is such an adventure and i know it’s cliche but there is no possible chance I could do it without my wife, Cara. We’ve got a pair of 2.5 year old twin boys named Sonny & Noah and now a 6 week old named Cooper! It’s really awesome seeing the twins react to their little brother and it’s very reassuring knowing they’ll all have each other growing up. It’s late nights and early mornings and I apologize for another cliche, but it’s all worth it. Very excited to get some hockey sticks in the boys hands soon and watch them grow up with our huge (crazy) Halbert family.

Just wanted to thank you again for taking the time out to join this segment. I’ll see you at Christmas!