MNN Diaries: Carmen Lee Shue

Welcome back to MNN Diaries, our monthly blog series that lets you get to know the talented producers and hosts behind MNN’s diverse programming. We’ve featured a lot of shows centered on news and culture (comedy, music, fashion, film and more), so for July we decided to bring you one of MNN’s super-useful how-to shows—in this case, one that helps viewers with a very serious life decision: buying a home.

Meet Carmen Lee Shue, owner of Lee Shue Realty and host of “The Carmen Lee Shue Real Estate Show.” Shue has been working in real estate for 25 years, so she knows a thing or two about what prospective buyers need to know before taking the plunge into homeownership. “Some people compare prices on groceries, others go to Macy’s and JCPenny to find the best deal,” Shue says. “But when it comes to the big things, like cars and houses, adrenaline and excitement take over, and they don’t do their homework.”

Shue’s program is a weekly series designed to walk you through the real estate purchasing process step-by-step—starting with the rock-bottom basics. “First, I talk about the thought process, and I really get inside people’s heads and ask questions about what they’re doing,” Shue says. From there, the series explains how to plan for buying a home, how to find the right realtor, and much more. Check out this preview for more on what Shue's show covers.

Read on to find out more about Shue’s helpful show, the biggest mistakes people make, and why she’s passionate about educating people—so passionate, she’s willing to give away her knowledge for free.

What led you to MNN?

Since 2001, I’ve had a successful lecture at The New York Public Library called "A Practical Guide to Buying a Co-op, a Condo or a House: Things You Should Know and Mistakes to Avoid." I turned it into “The Carmen Lee Shue Real Estate Show” on MNN because I wanted to reach more people to educate them about buying property. I can tell you that the majority of people who are purchasing a home know less than nothing about real estate, and they need an expert like me to walk them through the process.

What have you learned—about the craft, about yourself—while creating a TV show at MNN?

Being on television makes me realize how creative I am. Producing a show gives me the opportunity to think freely and to create a show that the public will like. I did not give up my other life—I still sell and rent real estate while producing and hosting this weekly show—but I’ve learned to handle the deadlines. You have to be passionate about making a TV show, because it is not profitable, and because it takes so much discipline and hard work. I learned how to multitask and how to make my show become a big success by giving people vital information about buying a home—information no one else is giving them. I practically hold their hands and walk them through the process. If they follow the course I impart, they should have no regrets after they have made the purchase. I learned that I have to be genuine and speak from the heart, and to give my viewers what they want: knowledge.

How would you like your show to impact your audience?

The most important thing I would like to achieve from doing this show is to change the way people go about purchasing real estate so they don’t make costly mistakes or, even worse, lose their homes to foreclosure. People fail to research the credentials of the people they will be using, like the real estate broker, the attorney and even the banker. Many times these people are not licensed and are working in concert to rip them off. People also make the mistake of paying their attorney’s fees up front, before the closing, and sometimes closing doesn’t occur and they lose their money. People also can be brainwashed about owning a home and accomplishing the “American Dream.” They become impulsive and buy the first home they see, and then they experience buyer’s remorse (but rather than taking responsibility, they blame their real estate broker). After they have made the purchase it’s way too late to make any corrections. It’s not like buying a dress at Macy’s and returning it the next day. I point out their mistakes to them and hopefully they will use the advice for their next purchase. You have to plan and research long before you start looking for a home to buy. People will plan a vacation or what they’re wearing to a wedding a year in advance, but when it comes to making this expensive purchase, they make a rash decision without any planning at all.

How has MNN changed your life, present and future?

After watching television all of my life, I am still in awe that MNN has taught me to produce and edit my own show, to focus on the content that’s most important and bring it to the public. The viewers’ response has been overwhelming. They want more and more info. I recall a man coming to the studio and saying to me, “I love your show…where have you been all my life? Where were you when I was purchasing real estate? You are a godsend.” I have met some wonderful people at MNN, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for the staff because they really want our show to succeed. In the future, I would like to be able to reach as many people as I can, both in America and the rest of the world, so that I can change the way they go about buying a home and prevent them from slipping up.

In three words, why do you love the work you do at MNN?

Discipline, camaraderie and patience. (And may I add two other words? Commitment and determination.)

Catch "The Carmen Lee Shue Real Estate Show" every Monday at 9:30pm on MNN3 and MNN.org.