If Your Group needs a Speaker- Give me a holler - 04/30/12 02:53 PM
Here are some of the talks I have done recently for Service, Social, and Business Clubs. Contact me at dmjmmagic@aol.com if I can assist your group.     Fun With Magic-  I show the audience some simple magic tricks. I teach them a trick and someone gets the chance to win $1000 (not-- the chances are the same as if the Harlem Globe Trotters lose a game). Membership:   The International Brotherhood of Magicians, The Society of American Magicians, The Fellowship of Christian Magicians   http://www.drmoneymagic.com   ------------------------------------------------------------   Crazy Economy - a spoof talk  filled with magic about how I … (1 comments)

Can the National Mortgage Settlement help you? - 04/30/12 08:28 AM
The  information below is from http://www.nationalmortgagesettlement.com . If you have not been assisted by the HARP or HAMP programs there may be some relief here. Because of the complexity of the mortgage market and this agreement, which will be performed over a three-year period, borrowers will not immediately know if they are eligible for relief. Borrowers from states who did not sign the settlement will not be eligible for any of the relief directly to homeowners. Borrowers from Oklahoma will not be eligible for any of the relief directly to homeowners because Oklahoma elected not to join the settlement.
The settlement … (0 comments)

I can help you make more money - 04/28/12 07:05 AM
I can help you make more money.  I can show you how to change your thinking to focus on your goal and achieve it. Over many years I have done what I can teach. You can get started by simply reading and thinking about the blogs that I am writing for commissioned sales people and for small business owners.   If you are in sales go to http://www.salesmagicsuccess.com and click on the Follow Button. For those who own a small business go to http://www.smallbusinessexperience.net  and click on the Follow Button.   Better yet, Follow both. Sometimes the blogs are written and … (1 comments)

Should Fannie and Freddie be phased out ? - 04/27/12 09:11 AM
This is from the Heritage Foundation. I don't have an opinion yet except for the opinion that Fannie and Freddie have done a darn poor job. I will start to research this and see where it leads me...it is interesting.
____________
For the past several years, it’s not been an uncommon sight in Anytown, USA, to drive down the street and see home after home for sale after going through foreclosure. They are the still-lingering hangover from the housing crash that began in 2007. Though the true cause of what burst America’s housing bubble is still debated, two of the culprits … (1 comments)

Sales and Prices up in Bay Area- Down across nation - 04/26/12 08:38 AM
The Case Shiller Index reports that prices are down across the nation and we have a double dip. But prices and sales volume is up in Silicon Valley. The Case Shiller report shows that San Francisco is down 0.6%. I am not sure why San Jose, which is the 10th largest city in the nation is not one of the cities used to compile the report. The information below came from Mary Ann Azevedo of the Business Journal:In Santa Clara County there were 1,781 homes sold, up 7 percent from a year ago. The median price was $475,000, up 3.3 percent … (0 comments)

HARP 2.0 Grade- "F" - 04/25/12 03:23 PM
Is HARP 2.0 is bust?  I don't know how others are faring but so far almost all of our submissions have been denied.   We have one bank that guarantees "no overlays", etc and etc. But so far they have turned down every client we have sent. One customer has a credit score of over 800 and she has been paying additional principal to her loan each month- she was turned down.   Actually one customer was approved but with the condition that the home appraise for a certain amount; an amount of more than double what homes are selling for … (0 comments)

Approved...Signed...Turned-Down - 04/25/12 09:18 AM
How good is your pre-approval?   Yesterday a Realtor friend called me and she was in tears. She is representing the buyer and the buyer had signed the loan documents and everyone was waiting for funding. The bank told the buyers and sellers that "the loan is ready to fund." But they did not fund.   The title officer called the bank several times and never received return calls. Then she received this email. "Yesterday (name) sent you an email. UW will not approve this file. The file cannot go further. Please contact (name) with any questions."   The bank loan officer … (4 comments)

You are not a masseuse but you must have constant contact with your customers - 04/23/12 09:54 AM
When we opened Mortgage Magic in 1990 one of my first customers taught me a valuable lesson. Perhaps the most valuable lesson.   When I was interviewing him I asked who had done his last refinance loan and he told me. I was stunned because I knew the loan officer and knew that he was top notch; he always got his customer the best deal. So I asked why he had not gone back to that loan officer. The customer stated, "I don't know how to reach him."   Right then and there I made up my mind to never let … (0 comments)

Making the Most of Your Time - 04/22/12 04:52 PM
So frequently I hear people say "I don't have enough time to do that." That may be a true statement but I think for most of us it is really not time but choice.   The average American spends 2.7 hours per day watching TV. That is 18.90 hours each week. Of course those who have children, especially children under 6 years old spend considerable time providing  primary child care. We spend our time on things we must do and things we want to do. Those who are self employed spend a lot more time on things they must do. According … (1 comments)

Pricing Your Product - 04/21/12 07:54 AM
How do you price your product? Some price by what is considered normal or standard per industry standards. Some price by adding the cost to build a widget and adding a markup percentage.   I notice that a lot of people in service related businesses have difficulty in determining pricing, Some people continue to do business and develop a cash flow but constantly lose money because they under price.   If you are self employed and feel you are under pricing I want to encourage you to immediately increase your prices. Let me give you an excellent example.   Years ago … (2 comments)

Be Careful out There - 04/20/12 12:45 PM
I think it was the old TV show Hill Street Blues where the commander after talking to the policemen giving them updates said, "Be careful out there." The same is still true dealing with the banks. Here are three examples from yesterday.   "My clients were just declined an FHA loan from Wells Fargo after they got a Pre Approval." This was in the body of an email that was sent to me from a Realtor. It hit me as coincidental because just yesterday I saw the commercial for Wells Fargo stating that they can Pre Approval Buyers .......guess a pre-approval from Wells is … (1 comments)

Mortgage Loans - Too Many Rules - 04/20/12 09:40 AM
In the movie Amadeus the king said to Mozart, "Too many notes."   Even though the mortgage lending field has opened up a lot these past two years there are still "too many rules" and the rules change daily. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA are costing tax payers billions of dollars and to me that says Rules do not = good loans or good underwriting.   Years ago I used to tell my customers to not use common sense when they tried to figure out the bank underwriting. That was when the rules were so convoluted and confusing. Then we went … (1 comments)

A new blog site for small business owners - 04/19/12 08:59 AM
This site will be active on April 20th, 2012. http://www.smallbusinessexperience.net
The reason I am writing the new blog is explained below.
A friend gave me a motivational CD for business owners. It turned out that the CD was of no value to me at all and when I checked the market for CD's that would help my business I realized that there are almost none.   Seventy percent of businesses in America are small businesses and within those businesses are micro small businesses. An example is a small real estate office. The owner of the real estate company is a small … (0 comments)

I Believe - A Success Exercise that has done miracles for me - 04/19/12 07:39 AM
There are three areas that every sales person must be constantly improving; the sales attitude, product knowledge, and basic sales skills. These three aspects do not have to be in balance. I have seen people with a great attitude, a can-do attitude succeed even when their sales skills and product knowledge was weak.
 
I had the good fortune to study under Dr. Robert Scott, a minister at the First Church of Religious Science in San Jose years ago. Dr. Scott has long since passed away but I studied under his guidance for three years and one lesson stands out particularly … (3 comments)

Can You earn $100,000 a month (I THINK so) - 04/17/12 03:41 PM
The athletes, movie stars, and finance moguls sometimes earn more than $100 million dollars a year. Some TV personalities, Doctors, Attorneys and big business owners earn multi millions.   As a commissioned sales person, or a Realtor, or a loan officer can you make that kind of money? I don't think so but that could be my small thinking. But you could earn $100,000 in one month and for several months. I know you can do that because I have done it and it happened thru a mental approach.   Years ago I taught a class called Mental Magic and we … (1 comments)

Improved Unemployment Explained - 04/16/12 11:18 PM
Lately the Government has used the 'improved unemployment numbers' as an argument that the economy is improving. The dialogue below explains the unemployment rate better than any I have seen. It was written by Barry Levinson. The rate is decreasing but has unemployment really improved?   Abbott & Costello Take on the Real Unemployment Rate Director Barry Levinson imagines how the famous comedic duo might tackle unemployment statistics COSTELLO: Wait, I got a question for you. That means there're two ways to bring down the unemployment number? ABBOTT: Two ways is correct.
COSTELLO: Unemployment can go down if someone gets a … (3 comments)

How do you make your customers FEEL ? - 04/16/12 04:14 PM
 How do you make your customer feel? The answer to that question can determine your success or failure in sales.
 Last weekend I spend the weekend in a Time Share in southern California and we had the Presidential Penthouse. It was wonderful.......except. When we checked in we had to go across the room and visit with the concierge  to get our parking pass. He proceeded to tell us that we could get free trips to events around the area if we would do an "update". I explained to him that I had to leave at 9 AM sharp to leave in time … (0 comments)

You can't push a rope and you can't push a sale - 04/10/12 09:07 AM
As a magician I can do dozens of rope tricks with a single rope. But there is one thing I cannot do; I cannot push a rope. If I lay a 10 foot on the ground and push, the rope will bundle up and not go anywhere. I can pull a rope easily.   The same thing is true in sales. Normally when sales people say "I'm not a sales person" , what they mean is "I am not a pushy sales person." If you receive your income from a commission then you are a sales person. If you are a … (0 comments)

How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success......4 Stars - 04/09/12 10:34 AM
How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling  is a book that should be read and studied by every commissioned sales person. It was written in 1947 by Frank Bettger.   You may think when you begin to read the book; 1947? This is written by a former baseball player. What can I learn? Even though Frank uses his background as a basis for the book the fact that it was translated into eleven other languages is a clue that the book has universal sales value. The book was translated into French, Danish, German, Swedish, Spanish, Japanese, Dutch, British … (2 comments)

Movie Lines for Realtors, Mortgage Brokers and Commissioned Sales People - 04/07/12 01:17 PM
I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse." by a Listing Realtor who has 2 more days until listing agreement  expires
 "You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am"      Mortgage Broker who flunked the NMLS exam   "You can't handle the truth"      Mortgage Broker explaining the turn down to a customer with a 590 credit score   "I see dead people."    A Realtor at a Mortgage Brokers Convention   "What a dump."  Realtor's thoughts upon first seeing a property   "Gentlemen, you can't … (1 comments)