"You Don't Sound Like A Motivated Person"

Summary

Podcast Summary: "You Don't Sound Like A Motivated Person"

The Ramsey Show Highlights | December 26, 2025
Host: Dave Ramsey (with co-host/financial expert)
Caller: Anonymous
Length: Under 10 minutes

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Dave Ramsey takes a call from a young woman facing a family financial crisis. After years of financial missteps, she's trying to get her life together but is now managing her father's finances after her parents’ separation. Their shared home is at risk of auction due to $10,000 in unpaid property taxes. The conversation explores practical, urgent solutions for preventing the loss of the family’s paid-off house, all while highlighting family dysfunction, personal responsibility, and financial discipline.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Caller’s Situation (00:06–01:30)

• The caller, age 28 and a single mother, recently moved back in with her parents after financial mistakes led to debt and instability.
• Her mother left for another state; the caller now shares a house with her father, who has about $2,000 in savings, but no one has funds to pay overdue property taxes.
• The house is fully paid off, worth about $150,000, but owes around $10,000 in back taxes, with an auction date looming.

2. Financial Snapshot (01:30–02:27)

• Dave clarifies: The caller earns approximately $3,600/month (pre-tax); the father’s income varies between $3,000–$4,000 monthly.
• The caller reveals deep-rooted family financial dysfunction, traced to infidelity—"on all levels, including financial" (02:27).
• Parents have never been on the same financial page, which led to missed property taxes.

3. Analyzing the Urgency (03:08–04:56)

• The caller reads the property tax auction notice: “If it's not paid within a month, the house is going to go to auction."
• Dave questions the accuracy and timing of the auction notice, steering the caller toward more information:
  Quote: “I want you to get more knowledge than just the threat in the mailbox. And I don't know. I don’t have the knowledge to give you.” (04:47 – Dave Ramsey)
• The caller confirms with the tax office: after previous payment plan defaults, auction is scheduled for January 6—only full payment will stop it.

4. Possible Solutions (05:22–06:17)

• Dave outlines two main options:
  1. File for Chapter 13 bankruptcy to temporarily halt the auction.
  2. Sell the house immediately—ideally to an investor—using a real estate agent to cover the tax before the auction.
     Quote: "But I really think that it might be a good idea for your dad just to sell the house now." (05:48 – Dave Ramsey)
• Dave is realistic: bankruptcy would “kick the can down the road…because your parents are going to screw that up.”

5. Alternative: Liquidating Assets (06:17–07:24)

• Co-host suggests a quick, creative solution:
  Quote: “Does your dad, between all the stuff they have, do they have $8,000 worth of stuff that you can sell quickly?” (06:32 – Co-host)
• The caller shares her dad is a welder and has valuable steel and materials, possibly enough to cover the shortfall.

6. Urgency and Accountability (07:24–07:44)

• Dave urges immediate action and tough love:
  Quote: "Your dad's gonna have to get off his dad gum butt or he's going to lose his house and it's not fair that you have to do this for him. This is supposed to be a grown man. I mean this guy's what, 60 years old?...So maybe he ought to act like it." (07:27–07:44 – Dave Ramsey)
• The hosts stress the preference for asset liquidation over bankruptcy or rescuing the father through further bailout.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Family Dysfunction:
  “It was just a lot of infidelity throughout their marriage, you know, on all levels, including financial, just never being on the same page about things.”
  — Caller, 02:27

• On Urgency Versus Information:
  “I want you to get more knowledge than just the threat in the mailbox.”
  — Dave Ramsey, 04:47

• On Bankruptcy and Responsibility:
  “You can file bankruptcy, but it's not going to work because it's going to crash if he catches it up. That's his only shot at making this work.”
  — Dave Ramsey, 07:44

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Timeline of Key Segments

• [00:06] Caller explains her background and urgent property tax crisis.
• [01:30] Dave probes the family’s income and the source of financial distress.
• [03:53] Caller clarifies the house is paid off; they just owe back taxes.
• [04:01] Dave advises contacting real estate agents and exploring Texas property tax rules.
• [05:22] The two main options: bankruptcy or selling the house.
• [06:17] Co-host suggests selling assets (tools, materials) for a fast solution.
• [07:27] Dave delivers his signature tough love, demanding responsibility.

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Tone, Takeaways, & Final Thoughts

The episode is characterized by Dave Ramsey’s straightforward, no-nonsense advice mixed with tough love and practical solutions. The family story highlights the generational impact of poor financial discipline and the emotional strain it places on adult children. Listeners are reminded that, though the caller is motivated, her father's unwillingness to act responsibly is the true crisis—and, despite her best efforts, only direct action from him can prevent disaster.

Overall message:
Immediate, decisive, and sometimes difficult choices—like selling assets or property—are preferable to denial, delay, or relying on others to rescue you from longstanding financial mismanagement.

Transcript

[Dave Ramsey]

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[Caller]

I wish I was calling to talk about my own more of my own financial situation, you know, because I'm doing the baby steps, getting out of debt right now, which is a lot of what I've heard you call the stupid tax. Because I'm 28 and I've made a lot of mistakes, a lot of mistakes over, over the years. But I guess one of them is led me to moving back in with my parents, with my daughter who's now four years old. And anyways, I've been here and when I first moved back in, like, I was still like being pretty irresponsible, like just kind of floating through life. And I've really gotten my act together these past few months and crazy things have happened to where my mom left my dad about two months ago and I took over all the bills and all that. But now I'm looking at my father basically owing about $10,000 on property taxes. And if it's not paid within a month, the house is going to go to auction. So I'm just juggling a lot right now. And it occurred to me, okay, well, maybe I can call the Ramsey show and I got a hold of you guys.

[Dave Ramsey]

Wow. So your parents finances are a mess and you have taken over them with two whole months of experience controlling yours?

[Caller]

Yes, sir.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay, what do you make a year.

[Caller]

Right now before taxes? I'm bringing in about 3,600amonth. Sometimes a little bit more, sometimes a little less, but right around.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay, and what does your mom make?

[Caller]

Well, my mom, she doesn't live here anymore. She actually moved to another state.

[Dave Ramsey]

Oh, I'm sorry, your dad lives there?

[Caller]

Yes, sir.

[Dave Ramsey]

Oh, and what does he make?

[Caller]

It varies, but I'd say on a good month he's making about three to 4,000.

[Dave Ramsey]

And why have they not paid their taxes?

[Caller]

It was just a lot of infidelity throughout their marriage, you know, on all levels, including financial, just never being on the same page about things.

[Dave Ramsey]

So they don't have any money. I guess. You wouldn't have called me. You would have just paid the taxes? Yeah. Okay.

[Caller]

Yeah, well, my father, he. He has about 2,000 in his savings account, give or take. And. Yeah, but my mom definitely no savings like that.

[Dave Ramsey]

And, and you're in touch with her? You have the ability to get in touch with her?

[Caller]

Yes, yes, I do. Okay. All right.

[Dave Ramsey]

And what's the house worth?

[Caller]

I'm looking at this number here. Let's see if I see this correctly. Oh, wow. It says a judged value. 215,000.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay. What's that? What are you reading there?

[Caller]

This is the notice of sale.

[Dave Ramsey]

Oh. That had anything to do with reality. What do you think the house is actually worth? Dude.

[Caller]

I'm not sure. Probably at. Probably like, around 150. Okay. All right.

[Dave Ramsey]

And what is owed on it?

[Caller]

Nothing. The house is paid off. Oh, okay. All right. Wow.

[Dave Ramsey]

That'S really sad. So I would tell you to go to ramseysolutions.com and click on real estate trusted real estate agent. Get one of our trusted people and tell them what's going on and see if they have any knowledge of tax. Property tax in Texas that I don't have. There's a possibility you could apply for some kind of a thing. Take your dad's 2000 and maybe, you know, 2000amonth for the next four months or whatever and clear the thing. Right. There's a possibility they have some kind of a program for that. Or there's a possibility they give you these notices, and then it's a while before they actually do it. It's not really 30 days. I want you to get more knowledge than just the threat in the mailbox. And I don't know. I don't. I don't have the knowledge to give you.

[Caller]

Yes. Yes, sir. Well, I did. I spent, like, about two hours on the phone with these tax office people, and because they were on payment plans in the past, it's pretty much said that house will go to auction January 6th if it's not paid in full. Mm. Like I said, I wish I was calling.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yeah, and you don't. You don't have the money, and they don't have the money. So what's our option? There's two options. Neither one are good. Your dad can file a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, and that will stop the auction. Okay. And before I lost the house at auction, I would do that, but I really think that it might be a good idea for your dad just to sell the house. Your dad and mom sell the house now. Get an investor. Call one of our Ramsey trusted real estate agents, and let's sell the house and pay the tax before the auction. Okay. Because they're going to lose this house, and you guys don't have any money to stop them. And so, you know, you can go into Chapter 13 bankruptcy, but all we're doing there is kicking the can down the road because your parents are going to screw that up.

[Financial Expert/Co-host]

I'm curious, how many years of the property taxes? What's a year's Worth of property taxes on this house, do you know?

[Caller]

Well, it varies, but I think it goes all the way back to 2020. About five years worth.

[Financial Expert/Co-host]

Right. So here's the, this is kind of an outside the ball, outside the box idea here. But does your dad, between all the stuff they have, do they have $6,000 worth of stuff that you can sell quickly plus his two that gets you or wait, wait, wait, we got to get eight more. Sorry, my math was bad for a second. 8,000. Does he have $8,000 worth of stuff?

[Caller]

Yeah, I think so. And I, I, I have a, that's.

[Financial Expert/Co-host]

The quickest turnaround on this thing. I mean to be honest with you, if he really has $8,000 worth of stuff and what's his car, I would do that.

[Caller]

No, not really through his cars, but he's got a lot of. Because he's a welder, he's builds fences. So he has a lot of material steel here and.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yeah, get it sold.

[Caller]

Yeah, just kind. Yes, sir.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yeah, get it sold and get the money and go pay the tax.

[Financial Expert/Co-host]

That's it.

[Dave Ramsey]

But your dad's gonna have to get off his dad gum butt or he's going to lose his house and it's not fair that you have to do this for him. This is supposed to be a grown man. I mean this guy's what, 60 years old?

[Caller]

Yes sir, 62.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yeah. So maybe he ought to act like it. Hello. So, yeah, I don't really want you fixing this for him, but I, if he's got the assets, if he got a bunch of junk around there, he can take salvage or whatever and sell it and scratch up ten grand to go with his two or eight grand to go with his two grand. Get this thing paid. That's the answer. Other than that, yeah, you can file bankruptcy, but it's not going to work because it's going to crash if he catches it up. That's his only shot at making this work. Create your free every dollar budget today. The simplest way to budget for your life.