Six Months in Mexico, Flat-Fee Listings, and What Our Clients Are Teaching Us About the 2025 Real Estate Market

In this episode of The Real Estate Education Podcast, we’re covering three major topics—from expat life to evolving real estate models to real-time client case studies—all focused on helping you make smarter moves in today’s U.S. housing market.

Segment 1 – Six Months Living in Mexico: What We’ve Learned
Thinking of a life change? Whether you're moving cities or countries, this honest reflection on six months of living in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico covers what it’s really like to leave the U.S. in midlife. We discuss cost of living, healthcare, infrastructure, culture, and how this move unexpectedly changed our perspective on homeownership, pace of life, and housing decisions back home.

Segment 2 – Flat-Fee Listings: Can They Save Sellers Thousands?
Flat-fee MLS listings are becoming more attractive in a tight housing market. Erin explains why she’s launching flat-fee services in Colorado, how it works, which properties are a good fit, and what most sellers misunderstand about traditional real estate commissions. If you’re considering selling in 2025, this segment breaks down when not to pay 3% and what really sells a house (hint: it’s not social media).

Segment 3 – Real Client Case Studies: What Buyers and Investors Are Doing Right Now
From midterm rental investors in Missouri, California, and Florida to traditional buyers in Denver and Castle Rock, we’re sharing real strategies and outcomes from current clients. Learn what’s working (and what’s not) in markets across the U.S., including insurance stays, house hacking, FIRE movement buyers, and high-end midterm rental bookings in Portland.

Topics Covered:

• Living abroad vs. U.S. housing stress

• Flat-fee real estate listings explained

• Midterm rental trends in 2025

• How to sell a house without overpaying

• What makes a flat-fee listing successful

• FIRE movement and affordable home strategies

• How real estate technology is changing the agent model

• When full-service agents are still worth it

Search terms optimized in this episode:
real estate podcast 2025, flat fee MLS listing Colorado, midterm rental case study, selling a house without a realtor, moving to Mexico from the U.S., best cities for house hacking, FIRE movement real estate, Colorado housing market update 2025, Portland midterm rental demand, Mexico expat living 2025

Subscribe for real talk, no fluff, and actionable insight from two working real estate pros—who also happen to live in Mexico.

Contact Information: erin@erinspradlin.com or James@jamescarlsonre.com