Jeffrey's Blog

Armenian Weddings and the art of throwing a GREAT party!

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 09:52:50 -0800

The DOW is down, the economy is tanking and consumer confidence is in the toilet. It seems that everywhere you look it is doom and gloom. But wait, what is that I got in the mail? It is an invitation to the wedding and reception of my good friend of 10 years John and his lovely bride to be Ida.

Last Saturday evening my wife (Mary) and I got dressed up and drove out to the San Fernando Valley to attend the wedding of John and Ida (Kulukian) Berejiklian. You can probably tell by the last names that these folks are Armenian. What you may not know is that it does not matter to these people what is going on with the economy, this was a day to CEL-E-BRATE and these people know how to PARTY!!!

The wedding was held in an intimate setting, an elegant Armenian church in the San Fernando Valley that featured lots of beautiful oak and artwork. John and Ida arrived in a huge Cadillac Escalade limo and everyone in the wedding party looked fantastic. It is their tradition that during the ceremony rings are exchanged in the beginning. Another tradition is that a couple of times during the ceremony, the bride and groom join their foreheads together. This signifies that the two are joining into one. The ceremony was done entirely in Armenian and was not too long for those of us that did not speak the language.

It was off to the reception, where the real party began. We gathered in the foyer while the final touches were being done to the banquet room were treated to hor d' voures and drinks. This lasted about 20 minutes until they opened the room for the crowd estimated at about 300.

Mary and I were seated at a table just off the dance floor that had a nice view of the room and with both an American couple and an Armenian couple that we had never met before. We all got along fabulously. On every table there was a bottle of Absolute Vodka and a bottle of Johnny Walker Black. There were also bottles of wine everywhere and an open bar.

Within minutes, waiters appeared out of nowhere carrying platter upon platter of amazing food. We counted and they brought 17 different huge platters of appetizers to our table. The Armenian gentleman, Vahe seated to my right, cautioned me to pace myself. He said that the Armenian reception food drill was just like being at a buffet, but that waiters bring you the food and that the food would not stop coming anytime soon. He also, kindly described to us what some of the food was that we were not familiar with.

After awhile, I got up from the table to walk around the room and see what else they had in store for us. In one of the corners, I found an area that had 12 different trays of cookies and a chocolate fountain that you could dip strawberries and marshmallows. Many of the children gathered in this area.

I returned to the food decadence to find that after all the appetizers, it was time to get down to the real business of eating. The main courses were starting to arrive. The first one featured beef and fish with rice and onions in the middle of the platter. About every 15 minutes, our waiter would bring another platter and this went on for a total of 6 different main courses. Along with the beef and pork, we were treated to more beef and pork and then fish and fowl. Anyone who has eaten with me knows I love to eat and I tried to heed my tablemate's advice of pacing myself. I had to stop at the 4^th platter and throw in the napkin in. I was done, I couldn't keep eating.

After the main courses, there was a platter of fruit served and then the wedding cake. Of course there was the tossing of the bouquet and the garter and lots and lots of both Armenian and American music to dance to. I was so happy to dance with my wife; it is something that we don't do often enough.

When we left around midnight, the party was still in full swing and probably lasted into the wee hours. These people know how to party! I thanked John and Ida for the wonderful experience we had enjoyed and also thanked her father, who I'd had the pleasure of speaking with before. I'm sure he had shelled out big bucks for this amazing event.

I shall remember this day for a long, long time. I laughed, I smiled, I ate, I danced, I helped celebrate my friend's new marriage and I forgot the financial troubles of our current market, if just for that day.

Next time that you're feeling not so hot, see if you can get yourself invited to a party like this, you won't regret it!

Election Day 2008

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:34:31 -0800

It seemed like it would never arrive...Here it is, Election Day 2008!

Can you believe it? Haven't we all been waiting for this day for 8 years or does it just feel like that?

Two weeks ago, I spent several hours going through my ballot, trying to decipher what choices to make. I am comfortable with my choices and have made no changes to my original selections.

I got up very early this morning to attempt to be the first one at my local polling place. I arrived at 6:01am in the rain only to learn that they don't open until 7:00am! Wow, I should have known that. I had planned this very carefully, or so I thought.

Since my office is 25 miles from my home and I had a couple of conference calls already scheduled, it wasn't an option for me to wait. I know that I can vote all the way up until 8:00pm and hope to be able to get back to the polling place by then. I really believe that my vote can make a difference and will do everything I can to get there in time. I hope you feel the same way, everyone's vote does count and it is a great privilege to have.

Here's what I really look forward to...

The end of the Bush era, the end of Obama and McCain telling us what they plan to do for our country, let's just get one of them in there and let them start working on the changes they are looking to make. I also look forward to the end of the recorded phone calls trying to sway me to vote a certain way, the end of the junk mail that clogs my P.O. Box and tries to sway me to vote a certain way, the end of the political emails from my friends, neighbors and family that assume I'm going to vote for the same things that they are, the end of people waving signs at me from street corners and the end of the signs placed here, there and everywhere.

I'm glad that today has finally arrived and will be even happier tomorrow when I know that it really is over. We have arrived at an historic day in our wonderful Country, get out and vote!

It's Fire Season Again!

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 22:54:12 -0700

I can't believe that a year has passed since my family and I were forced to evacuate our home in Silverado, CA. Last October, some idiot (or idiots, no arrests have ever been made) decided it might be fun to start a fire in three separate spots near the mouth of our canyon during fierce Santa Ana winds. It seems that most of California was on fire last October. There were terrible fires in Malibu, the San Diego area and many in the northern part of the State. In October 2007 there were 18 reported wildfires in California.

Silverado is a small community tucked in the Santa Ana Mountains, east of Orange. We have lived here for over 16 years and outside of the volunteer fire station catching on fire years ago, there never has been a fire in Silverado. In case of evacuation, there is only one way out, which means that we would have to evacuate towards where the fire started.

On Sunday, October 21, 2007, the "Santiago" fire was started. My wife, son and I watched the TV reports with much interest, yet I did not feel uncomfortable as the winds were blowing the blaze away from us. On Monday, as I drove out of the canyon headed toward my office, the fire was 3.5 miles away from our house (where it had started) and the winds were still blowing it away from us.

My wife called me in the late afternoon to let me know that mandatory evacuations had started and I may not be able to get home. The fire was burning out of control and homes were threatened. I tried to get home, but met up with a road block about 7 miles from home. I had nothing but the clothes I was wearing. The possessions of my whole life are in the house, memories of 50 years. Here is a short video to give you an idea of how massive this fire was: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yRaQqJ_vl4

My wife and son loaded clothes, pictures, the 3 cats, the dog and the rabbit into her car and left. My in-laws were gracious enough to take us in. We would not be allowed to go back home for 2 weeks.

We had news reports via TV and radio to update us at all hours. Twice a day, I called a friend of mine who is a volunteer firefighter and he had stayed to fight the fire. The phone calls ranged from "We're going to be OK" to "We're going to lose our homes today." It was truly an emotional roller coaster. We would go to "Camp Silverado" a makeshift hangout that was set up in the parking lot of an Albertsons and talk with friends and neighbors. This experience brought us all closer together.

Miraculously, we did not lose our home. The fire got as close as about ¼ mile from us. Fourteen homes were lost in Modjeska Canyon and some others were damaged. The fire burned over 28,000 acres. We were very fortunate.

We returned home 2 weeks after being evacuated and have received an enormous amount of education to help us in case it happens again.

We learned that for the next 5 years during rain storms, we may be subjected to mud slides and debris flow that could wipe out the whole canyon. Any time it rains, sandbags are made available for the whole community. We learned that we must have a defensible space around our homes to prevent loss of our home in case of fire. We have always been good about keeping the trees at least 10 feet away from our roof. Now we are supposed to keep all flammable bushes and shrubbery at least 100 feet from the house, a tough task for any of us. We learned that we shouldn't cut everything to the bare dirt, but have some native plants to keep the wind from blowing embers across the dirt. We learned that we should box in all eaves to prevent embers from blowing into the attic space which could start a fire. We learned that many of the homes in our area have wooden decks which are a hazard, that wooden siding should be replaced and we learned that we should have a firefighting gel at our disposal: http://www.northwestbarricade.com/news.aspx

Since it is fire season, get educated: http://www.firesafety.gov/ or http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/citizens/ Make sure that you have an evacuation plan. Make sure your whole family understands this plan. The plan should include escape route or routes. What needs to be taken and what can be left behind. Check with your homeowner's insurance agent to make sure that you're properly covered for any loss you may incur in the event of a fire. Take a home inventory: http://www.knowyourstuff.org/ or http://www.download.com/Computerize-Your-Assets/3000-2131_4-10407241.html?tag=mncol&cdlPid=10684204 and put a copy in a safe deposit box.

Take the right precautions so that your family and your home survive!

Inspiration is all around you #6

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:45:56 -0700

ENDURANCE - In order to find your full potential, you must first test your endurance.

Finding your full potential can cross a broad spectrum of definition. It can be anything from a physical achievement or accomplishment to testing your endurance in finding out if you survive this market.

When I climbed Mt. Whitney in 2002 (www.markormortgage.com/mtwhitney.html), it definitely tested my physical endurance. In the past year, this business has tested my emotional, mental, physical and financial endurance.

I trained for 10 months to make my journey to the top of the highest peak in the Contiguous United States. I have been in the business since 1996, have endured slow markets and survived just fine. This real estate market is testing the endurance of the even the most fit of us.

Nobody with a sane brain thought that home values would continue to rise at a break-neck pace forever. The market will always have peaks and valleys and history has taught us that values increase an average of 10% every year. The greater percentage of those who have a game plan to stay in their homes for the long term should be O.K.

I plan on staying the course and giving it all I have. Do you have the endurance to stay in the game until the market rebounds? Also, tell me how did you prepare for this market?

Inspiration is all around you #5

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:53:30 -0700

POSSIBILITIES - Life's only limitations are the ones we make.

What are my possibilities for today?

Is it possible to succeed?

Is it possible to fail?

Unfortunately, many people work in a "job" that I would describe as boring. It doesn't make them bad people; it's just not what I choose to do. They punch the time clock at 9...Maybe clock out and then back in at lunch and then back out again at 5.

In this business, we don't always know what the day holds for us. We don't have time clocks to punch, but we do make appointments. Those appointments are not always between 9 and 5 since a great number of the people we are trying to serve tend to work those hours. So, we sometimes get up early to meet with the 9 to 5'ers before they go to punch their time clocks, sometimes we meet them after work and sometimes we meet them on the weekends.

Some of us choose to work from home and some choose to work from an office. I used to work from home, but found myself too distracted. I somehow always found stuff to do around the house and then didn't think I was working hard enough.

Everyday is different. There are no constants. Some of us can choose to drive different ways to work, just to mix it up. We don't know what will happen today or tomorrow in our business or personal life, we only know that we need to be prepared to handle anything. I've been in this business long enough and had both good and bad things happen along the way...I'm prepared for most anything.

We are fiercely independent and get to make many choices on our own. Sometimes these choices help us to succeed and sometimes they lead to failure. We all get knocked down form time to time, but it is important for us to get right back up and keep fighting the good fight.

Do not place limitations on yourself. When you get knocked down, do not let yourself get down for too long. When someone tries to rain on your parade, tell them to buzz off. Remain independent, do not place limits on what you can accomplish and the possibilities will be much greater for success!

Inspiration is all around you #4

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 09:09:17 -0700

PURPOSE - A century from now it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, or how much money I had in the bank...But one hundred years from now the world may be a better place, because I was important in the life of a child.

Our society as a whole is caught up in having the nicest car, a big beautiful house and lots of money in the bank.

If you subscribe to today's inspiration, those things don't matter. Many of us have a nice car and a big beautiful house. If you look at the global economic condition, many of us no longer have lots of money in the bank. The Dow is down about 40% from its highest point. We are faced with a very serious liquidity crisis.

Do not panic! According to a news report I heard Friday night on the radio; in 2002 the Dow was down 38%. Almost every 5 or so years since the Dow has existed, it has dropped 35% to 38%. We have seen this movie before...

So, the market will return. It always does and oh by the way, back to our PURPOSE...It is important to make the world a better place by becoming important in the life of a child.

Since everyone reading this will be dead one hundred years from now (unless something incredible happens scientifically,) how many of us have thought of what kind of life and purpose our great-great-grandchildren have? It is very unlikely that they will know who we were except by pictures or maybe via some family heirlooms.

We tend to live in the "now." We always have and probably always will. Since that is the case, what kind of importance do you place on being involved in your children and/or grandchildren's lives? Do you volunteer in your community to help, assist or teach anything to children so that they have a chance to make the world a better place for their children and grandchildren?

Make the world a better place. Start being important in a child's life by participating in it now. It is too late once you are gone.

Inspiration is all around you #3

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 07:42:18 -0700

COURAGE - Courage comes from a reserve of mind more powerful than outside circumstances.

The word courage is something that needs to exist in all of us during this difficult market time. We need to dig deep and summon courage in an effort to survive.

Case in point... my Mother.

Mom was first diagnosed with cancer in 1994. It was a nasty cancer of the bile duct. This form of cancer is usually fatal. She tells a story of how 18 months after surgery, she was on an elevator, going to an appointment with her oncologist and her surgeon happened to be on the same elevator. He had to lean into the wall of the elevator and nearly fainted. He could not believe she was still alive.

In 2001, Mom was diagnosed with lung cancer. She and Dad had been smokers and Dad had died of lung cancer in 1998. She had surgery for that cancer and then was diagnosed in 2004 with her 2^nd lung cancer. Another surgery and more promises from the surgeon that "We got it all and she'll be fine." In September of 2006, the lung cancer returned and that is the cancer she is currently doing battle with.

Throughout her battles with cancer, she has shown a tremendous amount of courage and continually beat the odds. How many people have had cancer 4 times? Throughout her 14 year battle with this dreaded disease, she has had a tremendous amount of chemo treatments, radiation and anti-cancer prescription drugs.

Two days ago, everything changed...

My Mom, who has had the great privilege over the last 10 years to have traveled to (among many others) France (twice,) Belgium, Bahamas, Hawaii and countless States on the mainland and was a volunteer at the Iditarod dog sled race in Alaska for the past 3 years was hospitalized in the final stages of the cancer. She is so weakened by the disease that she can't walk on her own.

There is no option of surgery or cure at this point. God is telling her it is time to come home. Our hopes are that the team of medical professionals working on her can give her enough strength over the next couple of days so that she can be moved to my sister's house to receive hospice care.

Thursday she went to the hospital in very poor condition. She knew she was dying and admitted she was scared. Yesterday, she had been given some fresh blood, some drugs to make her comfortable and was eating fairly well. She looked and felt better and is showing the courage to accept her fate. She said "yesterday I was afraid of dying and today I'm in acceptance of it. I feel O.K. with it and am happy that my family is around me."

We don't know exactly how long she will be with us, but we do know that she has shown incredible courage. She is my beacon of courage and an inspiration to keep fighting.

This market has taken out many in our industry and before it hits the bottom it will take out many more. Do you have the courage to survive?

Inspiration is all around you #2

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:09:54 -0700

As I stated yesterday, I don't have to look too far to get inspiration. I have a set of framed lithos, each with their own inspiration phrase.

We are all currently challenged in this market...

CHALLENGE - The harder the (golf) course, the more rewarding the triumph.

For everyone out there that is a golfer, this is easy to relate to. I enjoy playing the most difficult golf courses available rather than dink it around on a marginal layout. I may not score as well, but when I have a good hole or hit an exceptional shot, I tend to remember it better than I would if I was playing a lesser challenge.

I met with a group of Real Estate professionals last night. Some I had worked with in the past and some that I have been introduced to over the years by mutual friends in the business. It seemed as if all of whom had enjoyed better times. The stories are the same ones that we all hear about, mostly about loss of income. Yet, despite the sadness of that, there were stories of recent success that we all reveled in.

The message I came away with was that although we weren't experiencing the highest of highs, we still cling to the "rewards" that we currently enjoy.

Do you enjoy a challenge?

Inspiration is all around you #1

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:54:18 -0700

If you want to be inspired, you need to open your mind. We are all gifted in many ways, but sometimes are minds are too closed to see the inspiration that is all around us.

I don't have to look far to get inspiration. I have inspirational signs all around my office. Let me share some of them with you.

You must have GOALS...

GOALS - A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.

If we don't get off our butts and experience the world, we will never take a journey. If we don't take journeys, we will live a very shallow existence. Of course you must prepare for the journey...

•1) Educate yourself, do research.

•2) Communicate with as many people as you can on a daily basis and let them know what you do for a living. Communication can be done in person, via phone, via email, etc.

•3) Smile. This will allow people to see inside you and learn to trust you.

Let me know, how do you find inspiration?

Will the bailout work? Housing is key!

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 19:55:33 -0700

The $700 Billion bailout became the $810 Billion bailout. So, what's $110 Billion between friends? Will banks resume lending? We can start the recovery right now, can't we?

Before that happens, home prices must stop falling. The excess inventory of REO homes must continue to cycle through. These actions would help consumer confidence and would send a signal to the banks that we have hit the bottom and it is safe to resume lending.

There are fewer home loan programs available for people that have a less than perfect scenario. We scour the loan market daily to find the few niches that still exist. Less loan programs mean that for the time being it will remain harder for people to qualify for the large inventory of homes that currently are choking the market.

Experts say that one in eight U.S. jobs depends on housing directly or indirectly. Whether it be Real Estate related, construction workers, loan officers and bank or broker employees. If we can get an upswing in home prices, that would boost the overall confidence and convince banks to lend again. Housing is what normally leads a stalled economy to a recovery.

Also, our country currently has an unemployment rate 6.1%. The number of unemployed people has risen to 9.5 Million. Economists predict that the unemployment number could rise as high as 7.5%, which would be the highest in 17 years. This is not a good sign. We need to have job growth because that translates into income growth which means people can spend more.

Here's one piece of good news; the bailout raises the federally insured deposit limit from $100,000 to $250,000. This should help out with the boost banks' reserves and help get things moving.

CASINO CAPITALISM

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:59:28 -0700

I tend to go back and forth between Google (my new choice) and YAHOO! (my old choice) for news and information throughout the day. This afternoon while perusing YAHOO! news I came across a story that used the term "CASINO CAPITALISM." I have never heard this term used before and find it to be very fitting for our current economic condition.

In an article that came out of Sao Paulo, Brazil, here is what the rest of the world is saying about the United States...

"The managers of big business took huge risks out of greed," said President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica "What happens in the United States will affect the entire world and, above all, small countries like ours.

"They spent the last three decades saying they needed to do our chores. They didn't," a grim-faced Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Tuesday.

Staunch U.S ally Columbian President Alvaro Uribe blasted the world's most powerful country for egging on uncontrolled financial speculation that he compared to a wild horse with no reins. "The whole world has financed the United States and I believe that they have a reciprocal debt with the planet."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on the U.S. lawmakers to pass a package this week, saying it was "preconditioned for creating new confidence on the markets and that is of incredibly great significance."

EU Commission spokesman Johannes Laitenberger said: "The United States must take responsibility in this situation, must show statesmanship for the sake of their own country and for the sake of the world."

And finally this from German lawmaker Martin Schultz, chairman of the Socialists in the EU assembly:
"The crisis underlines the excesses and uncertainties of a CASINO CAPITALISM that has only one logic -- lining your pockets. It also shows the bankruptcy of 'law of the jungle' capitalism that no longer invests in companies and job creation, but instead makes money out of money in a totally uncontrolled way."

It is apparent that the rest of the world is watching and is angry at the United States for our CASINO CAPITALISM. These are the same leaders of countries that we continue to "give" billions of dollars to every year. We (tax payers) support them. It is time for us to worry about ourselves. For generations we have propped up the rest of the world because we are the richest and most powerful nation in the world. Instead of being grateful for what we have given to them and how we have protected them, listen to how they cry. If everything was hunky-dory do you think we would hear these same people praising the United States and thanking us for all we do for them? Hell no, they'd all still be bitching at us!

We have a deep problem here on our home soil that needs to be fixed. Let's hope that it happens soon. The Senate has gone back to the drawing board to come up with a revised bail out plan that hopefully will pacify the House. We as tax payers will be paying for this for a long time to come. Let's hope they get it right this time, the rest of the world is watching and depending on it.

With TEAMWORK, anything is possble!!!

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:15:13 -0700

Today we funded a loan that died and came back alive more times than a cat with 9 lives.

We received a call from a panicked borrower in the afternoon of September 18. She had her loan with someone that didn't know how to get it closed on time. The borrower is in the business and recognized that she needed to have someone new on her side. She called and explained her dilemma to my business partner. The borrower and her husband were buying an investment property and it was a short sale. Since she is in our business, she needed to go stated income and it was a 75% loan-to-value.

Now everyone knows that there is no more stated/stated, but these folks had sufficient assets and a good credit score. They also had a great buyer's agent and fantastic title and escrow people. We had the right investor and the stars really had to align to get this deal done.

Here are just some of the reasons that funding this loan was a miracle:

•1) The loan servicer (ASC) required that the loan be closed one day before the end of the month.

•2) They also required that the funds be sent by check and not wired, which required a one day extension that they refused over and over to grant.

•3) We had to have the lender move most of the Prior-to-doc conditions to Prior-to-funding so we could get the deal signed.

•4) There was an independent appraisal review required and they determined that the appraisal was too high (even on a short sale.)

•5) A lengthy rebuttal was written to the appraisal review company to dispute their findings and they finally agreed with the rebuttal.

•6) An enormous amount of Title, Escrow and our conditions (PTF and PTD) had to be cleared in less than 48 hours.

•7) The loan had to fund, record and disperse all on the same day.

I deserve no credit at all. The credit is due to my business partner Lee who refused to give up on it. This loan funded today September 29!

The lesson here is that no matter how many times this loan seemed doomed, the collective team of individuals who worked on it refused to let it die. Dream big, nothing is impossible if all the players on the team understand and perform their individual rolls.

T-E-A-M = Together Everyone Achieves More!

STOP Giving Your Commissions Away - Only $39 per month and $449 per closed transaction

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:05:14 -0700

Geneva Real Estate & Investments is looking for Real Estate Agents
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We have a company website where agents can upload listings, search MLS, get market updates, have their contact information advertised and so much more!

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CALL 866-562-6565 TODAY TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY!!!

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4029 Westerly Place Suite 201-B
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Phone: 866-562-6565 Fax: 949-261-6545

Email: jeff@genevare.com Website: www.genevare.com

STOP GIVING YOUR COMMISSIONS AWAY!
Real Estate Broker - California Department of Real Estate #01849379

Keep your computer running smooth and fast

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 21:10:27 -0700

I read a blog on AR yesterday that mentioned that the AR community is very much into tech. That comment inspired me to write this blog entry on how we can keep our computers running smooth and fast.

This is for Windows users only. If you are a Mac user, good for you, click onto the next blog.

I run the following maintenance on my computers once a week. Depending on how many hours a day you put on your computer, you may be able to get away with performing these tasks as seldom as once a month or once every two weeks. Set yourself a calendar pop-up to remind you.

For Vista users, in the Start menu, click on Windows Update. For XP users, go to: http://update.windows.com Download all the applicable updates.

Next go to: http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor/ and download Spyware Doctor. You will pay about $30 for a one year subscription. Run this application to see if your computer is infected with any Spyware. If it is, the Spyware can easily be removed.

Next go to: http://www.ccleaner.com/ and download C Cleaner. This application is free and it does a great job of cleaning out the garbage that tends to collect on your computer.

Lastly, you'll want to run the Defragmentation that comes in Windows. From the Start menu, go to Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disc Defrag. This tool was explained to me many years ago with an east analogy. Windows is inherently sloppy and leaves pieces of files all over the hard drive. It is similar to a person going to a library and taking books of the orderly shelves and leaving them all over the library. Disk Defrag takes the pieces of the files and places them back where they belong which shortens the time needed to access the file the next time.

Don't forget to have an Anti-Virus program installed for emails. I use AVG, it is also free and you can get it here: http://www.avg.com/

Run these four steps; keep you Anti-Virus definitions up to date and for $30 per year you will keep your computer running great.

I'd be interested in hearing from others on how they keep their computers running smooth and fast.

Credit Score Calculation

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:03:59 -0700

Think of your credit score like you would a grade in school. A teacher calculates grades by taking scores from tests, homework, attendance and anything else they want to use, weighting each one according to importance in order to come up with a final single number (or letter) score. Your credit score is calculated in a very similar manner. Instead of using the scores from pop quizzes and reports you wrote, it uses the information in your credit report that has been reported by companies that you have credit accounts with.

The credit score number ranges from 350 to 850. The formula for exactly how the score is calculated is proprietary information and owned by Fair Isaac. However, enough information has been leaked over the years so that we have an approximate breakdown of how it is determined:

35% of the score is based on your payment history. This makes sense since one of the primary reasons a lender wants to see the score is to find out if (and how timely) you pay your bills. The score is affected by how many bills have been paid late, how many were sent out for collection, any bankruptcies, etc. When these things happened also comes into play. The more recent, the worse it will be for your overall score.

30% of the score is based on outstanding debt. How much do you owe on car or home loans? How many credit cards do you have that are at their credit limits? The more cards you have at their limits, the lower your score will be. The rule of thumb is to keep your card balances at 25% or less of their limits.

15% of the score is based on the length of time you've had credit. The longer you've had established credit, the better it is for your overall credit score. Why? Because more information about your past payment history gives a more accurate prediction of your future actions.

10% of the score is based on the number of inquiries on your report. If you've applied for a lot of credit cards or loans, you will have a lot of inquiries on your credit report. These are bad for your score because they indicate that you may be in some kind of financial trouble or may be taking on a lot of debt (even if you haven't used the cards or gotten the loans). The more recent these inquiries are, the worse for your credit score. FICO scores only count inquiries from the past year.

10% of the score is based on the types of credit you currently have. The number of loans and available credit from credit cards you have makes a difference. There is no magic number or combination of types of accounts that you shouldn't have. These actually come more into play if there isn't as much other information on your credit report on which to base the score.

I've found that a good credit mix is having a mortgage, a car loan and 3 credit cards or credit lines. If you have these 5 things, a 24 month or longer good payment history, 25% or lower balance on the credit cards and have no past issues of bankruptcy, foreclosure or repossession, chances are that your middle score will be 720 or above.

Loan Officer and Processor Training Class

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:05:45 -0700

Loan Officer/Processor Training School

LIVE: Loan Officer/Processor Training Class
with Home Study Mortgage Loan Brokering Course
that includes Certificate at Completion

A new class every month
3 consecutive Thursdays 6:00pm - 8:30pm
Pre-registration - Online - $259.00
http://www.accreditedschools.com/regllc.htm
or call 800-721-0710 for further info

Upcoming Class Schedule for 2008
Oct - 09	Nov - 06	Dec - 04
Oct - 16	Nov - 13	Dec - 11
Oct - 23	Nov - 20	Dec - 18

If you want to take this class, but can't attend live,
click on the link directly below to buy a video!

http://www.accreditedschools.com/lisi.htm

Curriculum

Learn how to properly complete a 1003 loan application
Learn what a loan officer really does
Learn prospecting techniques for new clients
Loan Marketing
Loan Qualifiers
Credit Evaluation
Forms
Free Job Placement
Reviewing Loan Application and Supporting Documentation for completeness and accuracy
Verifying and validating income, assets and liabilities
Opening Title and Escrow
Ordering Appraisal
Stacking and organizing files
Reviewing Appraisal Report and Title Prelim
Submit Loan to Underwriter
Follow up with Investor on loan conditions
Coordinating Doc Order and working with Loan Officer

Loan Officer/Processor Class Testimonials

"I've already recommended your class to other co-workers who want to take it. I am opening my own mortgage brokerage in a couple of months and will send all my new people to your course. You are AWESOME!"
Mr. K.H.

"This is a great course for loan officers and real estate agents wanting to improve their marketing tools."
Mr. R.V.

"Education is taught from an experienced and honest tutor. Very thorough, lively and interactive. The teacher is from within the industry and are very knowledgeable with all the material. Direct, to the point answers are provided to any questions posed by the students and he even talk about scenarios to give you real world experiences." Mrs. H.R.

"I have books that will teach you what you need to know to pass tests. Jeff teaches you everything you need to know to be a successful loan officer in the real world. Books are boring, Jeff is not!"
Ms. J.P.

"Yes" or "No" - What's it going to be?

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:24:57 -0700

I just don't understand it when somebody says they'll do something and then they don't do it. What twisted part of human nature is it that motivates people to do say or act like they are truly going to commit to do something and they are a no show, no call or do not commit. It happens in personal and business lives all over the world everyday. This etiquette rule is black and white. "Yes" means that you are committed 100% to being available and being on time and "No" means that you have no interest or no intention of showing up.

Some might call me old fashioned; the fact that I have manners, treat people with respect, do what I say I'm going to do and show up on time. I am by no means perfect. I am a flawed human being, as we all are. But, if I say I'm going to do something or be somewhere, I do everything in my power to be there and be on time.

It is mind boggling on a daily basis the way that others feel it is their right or duty to disobey this etiquette rule. If we schedule an appointment, show up. If we have a conference call, be on time. If you say you're going to email me or fax me something, do it! If you have no intention on following through, let me know. I have others associates I can go to and get treated with same respect I give to them.

It is OK to tell me "No." I been in sales over 20 years and I know how to handle rejection. I've heard "No" many times, but I've heard "Yes" enough times to succeed and thrive where many others have failed.

If you say "Yes" and you fail to show up or commit, you not only are letting someone down, you are showing them that you do not respect them. Show respect and get it back ten-fold. Be responsible for what you say you are going to do.

If you say "Yes," mean it!

Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs will soon be bank holding companies!

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:44:43 -0700

From the WSJ 09/22/2008: The Federal Reserve, in an attempt to prevent the crisis on Wall Street from infecting its two premier institutions, took the extraordinary measure on Sunday night of agreeing to convert investment banks Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. into traditional bank holding companies.

Merrill Lynch is already gone...does this mean the end of Wall Street as we know it?

Last night was the last game in historic Yankee Stadium...

Budweiser was recently sold to foreigners...

Virgin Group (UK based) is planning on offering mortgages in the U.S....

What the BLEEP is going on in our Country, the United States of America? It seems that the only things we can count on everyday, is waking up to more bad financial news, foreign countries taking advantage of our blunders and another day of uncertainty. Will the stock market go up or down today and by how many 100's of points?

Does the $700B plan signal the end of ALL of our troubles?

After throwing band-aids at the gun-shot wounds of our economy, it appears as if the Government is now taking a strategic approach to try and fix the mess we are in and it looks like we are in for a long term fix. Rome wasn't built in a day and we are not going to be out of this financial mess anytime soon.

For the foreseeable future, lenders need to return to the old tried and true guidelines that worked many years ago before the vernacular "sub-prime" entered into the picture. Let's go back and prove that we can make something work and slowly, yes very slowly after proving we can right the ship should we be allowed to offer lending programs that are outside the box. If there are still private and self-funded investors out there that want to lend on non-traditional home loan scenarios, the disclosures should be very detailed and signed multiple times so that people can't say that they weren't warned.

Agents - Where did the postcards go?

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:25:55 -0700

According to the California DRE website, as of August 2008, there were 540,735 licensed salespersons and brokers. According to the US Census Bureau, as of June 2007, the population of California is estimated at 37,700,000. Those statistics bear out that for roughly every 70 people in California there is one licensee to assist them. Obviously there are some licensees that are inactive, some that are not as successful as others and some that are on the mortgage side. So let's just say that for every 500 people there is a one successful agent to work with them. If my calculations are even remotely close, the competition is rough and agents must pull out all the stops when it comes to marketing to clients.

When the climate was more favorable, my business partner used to receive 15 to 20 postcards per week from agents working in his area. He currently receives one to two per week. Yes, business is down, but has it gone down 80% to 90%? Of course not! Come on agents, what happened to a very viable marketing tool?

When designing a postcard, there are basic guidelines to go by:
> Work with a postcard company that has a great track record and expertise in all market climates.
> Work on differentiating yourself from the crowd.
> Focus on how the listing can help your potential client, not how selling the home can put money in your pocket.
> What are you offering (besides service) that will make working with you a better experience for the potential buyer and/or seller.
> Consistently and constantly market. Do not stop after one or two mailings. Keep them coming.
> Choose and focus on a target. If you do not choose a target, you might as well throw them in the trash after you've paid for them.
> Keep records of where geographically your successes and failures are so that you can constantly tweak your mailing lists for greater success.

Yes, this is a tough market and agents that work the smartest will survive. Market smart and survive!

Your Processor should be the Loan Officer's best friend

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:26:55 -0700

Loan Officers and Processors can sometimes have an adversarial relationship. I've found the relationship can often be like dogs and cats. By nature, the Loan Officer is the dog and the Processor the cat. By that analogy, I mean that the Loan Officer is by nature carefree and often a little careless. The Processor is usually more refined and in control. The dynamics of the relationship are important to understand because one does not make a living without the other. I do not mean to pick on one or the other and I have performed both functions in the mortgage world for many years.

The Loan Officer must always remember, without the guiding hand of your Processor, your loan may not close. It is imperative to treat the Processor with kindness and respect. They've earned it by working on your sometimes sloppy files and your kindness will go a long way if you ever need a favor.

The mortgage application, along with proper disclosures, may contain 35 to 40 different documents and forms needed to close the loan. Loan Officer's need to follow these simple rules and they will prove that dogs and cats can indeed co-exist in the same office.

Complete the entire application. If you don't know how to complete it in its entirety, lower yourself and ask the processor to teach you how.
Provide all addresses, account numbers and all contact numbers of the borrowers.
If you are doing the interview in person or handwriting the application, please make it legible.
Make sure that all required disclosures are in the file. If you don't know which ones you need, ask your compliance liaison. The disclosures should all have the same loan amount, interest rate and terms and of course be dated properly.
If there are any credit problems or gaps in employment, write an LOE or get one from the borrower to explain these issues.
Be very clear on any other issues that this particular loan may have.
Note in the file which verifications need to be send out.
Communicate with your processor on all your files at least once a day. Keep a record of all conversations in your loan origination software.
If there is a problem with your loan, don't look for the processor to inform your borrower. You as the Loan Officer make more on the file than they do and this is your job.
Remember your Processor's birthday, anniversary and at of course at Christmas.

In today's marketplace, it is difficult to find qualified borrowers and more difficult than ever to close loans. By following these simple rules and the dog and cat will live in harmony and both will prosper.

Manage your time, don't let it manage you.

Jeffrey Markell (Markor Mortgage, Inc.) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:36:43 -0700

Most people in the Real Estate and Mortgage industry would be hard pressed to honestly say that they are still knocking it out of the park. Even though times are tough and we are all slower, it does not mean that we have all kinds of time on our hands. I own and operate my own shop and I find that I'm busier than ever, working 10 to 12 hour days and still leaving work on my desk that I come back to the next day. Many of my work hours are spent on finding and implementing new marketing strategies or joining a community site like Active Rain. Since I do both residential and commercial financing, I have to change brain channels quickly and efficiently. That being said, I have gone to a time management model that saves my butt every day. I block out certain hours of the day to accomplish certain tasks. I answer all voice mails and emails first thing in the morning. I then have pre-scheduled commercial related conference calls and then turn on the residential channel. I answer any realtor or loan officer related issues and then get back to any email, snail mail or voice mails that are critical by the end of most people's day. From 5pm to 7pm, I finish up any outstanding paperwork and get my schedule ready for the following day. Many of us are in survival mode. Plan and implement or you may find yourself back out on streets.