Homegrown Tales podcast: An Ode to Sugarbowl Sam
5 interviews to help guide first-time homeowners and condominium owners
I admit it. I was one of those people who followed the podcasting trend during the pandemic. But long before the world knew what coronavirus was, I’d already completed 240+ interviews for newspapers and magazines. In 2021, when a client asked me for an audio example of my interviews, I realized they were all either private recordings that I’d promised to never release or off the record.
If I was going to share a public interview, it was going to be an evergreen topic that listeners could learn from during the height of the pandemic and decade(s) from now. That’s how “Homegrown Tales: An Ode to Sugarbowl Sam” came about. (In a book report I completed in elementary school, I found out that “Sugarbowl Sam” was my grandfather’s nickname. He had a round head and ears that poked out a little on each side. I named the podcast after my grandfather because his homeownership and financial advice were extremely influential in decisions I made, although he was not alive to see me finally buy a home.)
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These four interviews I completed are for prospective homeowners and condominium owners who are wondering about the best steps to buy a home. I specifically chose the first three interviewees because they were essential in my first home purchase and the fourth one because of a prior report on tenants’ rights for CBS Chicago.
Click each image below and enjoy!
Homegrown Tales podcast: Meet Christopher Meeks, trainer for the First Time Home Buyer Education program
Step 1 to homeownership: Speak the same language as your mortgage loan officer
Homegrown Tales podcast: Meet Karla Thomas, Managing Broker of Urb & Burb
Step 2 to homeownership: Find a real estate agent who understands your taste
Homegrown Tales podcast: Meet Johnetta Paye, Esq., of J. Paye & Associates
Step 3 to homeownership: Find a real estate lawyer who speaks your communication style
Homegrown Tales podcast: Meet Melvin Sims of Tenants Rights Group LLC
Step 4 to homeownership: Know your landlord-tenant rights
Homegrown Tales podcast: Meet Mike Davis of Mike Davis & Associates
Step 5 to homeownership: Be willing to admit when you need legal counsel even after closing day and the boxes are unpacked
Writer’s note: When this podcast first started, it was released during my time writing on Medium’s platform from 2019 to early 2023. After moving all publications to Substack between the latter part of 2022 and completely in 2023, the name “Homegrown” was taken, which is how “Homegrown Tales” came about. This is why some episodes toggle back and forth between using both names.
Did you enjoy this post? You’re also welcome to check out my Substack columns “Black Girl In a Doggone World,” “BlackTechLogy,” “Homegrown Tales,” “I Do See Color,” “One Black Woman’s Vote” and “Window Shopping” too. Subscribe to this newsletter for the monthly posts on the third Friday. Thanks for reading!