David's Blog

Real Value-Added Marketing

2008-08-23T04:31:54Z

I got this ad recently based on attending a convention for Mortgage Brokers. The objective of the ad is clearly two-fold: to mock others' marketing systems and to promote their own marketing system. I'm quite sure there are similar ads regularly sent to Realtors as well... just with a Realtor-specific message.

Automated Marketing to Your Entire Database of Clients

Customer-Specific Refinance Reports Available 24/7

Target Refi Rate Notification System (for you and your clients)

Free Banner Advertisements for Your Best Referral Partners

Give your clients what they really need . . . mortgage advice.

I don't think they "get it" when it comes to efficient and effective marketing.

They're right, to a degree: People who are looking to refinance/buy/sell aren't interested in our expertise in the kitchen, nor our sports conquests, or gardening skills... they want to know about price, features, and service as they relate to loans and homes.

However, let's go through a simple series of questions, shall we?

Question one: On any given day, what percentage of the population is looking to refinance/buy/sell?

Answer: An extremely small percentage.

This is true for most any product/service.

Don't believe me? Try this: The next time you're going to go out, bring some (extra) pens with you. Then try to convince every person you run into to buy one from you without first asking if they have a need for one. Most people, I would venture, will be seeking to get away from you as fast as possible.

Question two: How can we assure that those we know who become interested in refinancing/buying/selling will remember us positively?

Answer: By staying in touch with them without beating them over the head as maniacal Lenders/Realtors.

Question three: How can we most effectively do that?

Answer: Regular contact that includes both interesting/informative "day-to-day" stuff as well as industry-specific information.

Try the experiment with pens from above a second time. This time, if people aren't interested in your pen(s) but also don't immediately run away, keep the conversation only about your pens - never waver to anything else - not the weather, not health, not sports, etc. See how long you can keep them engaged while only talking about your pens. Again, I would venture that of those few who were originally willing to listen to you, none of them will stick around to hear you go on and on and on about pens.

Same thing applies to your industry.

You see, if all you talk about is Real Estate or Loans, most people will shut you off. Sure, they'll know you at least think you know everything about Real Estate or Loans, but will they really want to turn to you? Will they really trust you to care about them, as opposed to caring more about your profit or product or worse yet, your ego?

On the other hand, if you never talk about your expertise, and only share recipes, sports conquests, and garden or pet stories, how will they know you know anything about your industry?

The key is to find the right balance for the people in your sphere of influence and/or the people you want to have in your sphere of influence.

It's not about your family recipes. Neither is it only about rates/terms or bricks/boards. It's really about people and how to most effectively connect with them on an emotional level (where all buying decisions are ultimately made) while reminding them that you can and will conscientiously serve their Real Estate and/or Mortgage needs.

Coaches - Why do they (so often) miss on key points?

2008-07-31T14:47:30Z

I just finished listening to the first of five CDs that came highly recommended as a great way to (re)launch my mortgage business. They are recordings of someone who calls himself "The Coach" and brags about his decades of experience training, coaching and motivating thousands nationwide, creating "champions." Aside from being a training/coaching/motivational speaker, (I got to hear him speak at the FAMB convention recently - I probably should have blogged about that experience too... maybe soon...) he's also an author. He claims to really know the mortgage business, but there's no mention of practical experience brokering mortgages. It appears that all his experience is in studying and regurgitating what he's read and/or heard. Oh, and probably learning some of what didn't work for previous coaching clients - i.e. learning from his failures as a coach. His background is as an athlete and sports coach - there's no mention of any real estate, mortgage, or financial background.

No doubt, he's got lots of good (generic) advice. But certain things he said jumped out at me as flat out wrong. As a result, I have a hard time hearing much of the good stuff, which, even though it's pretty generic, is undoubtedly valuable.

Anyway, here in a nutshell is what I heard:

He's working on a new book about selling to "idiots."

First red flag! Yup, "idiot" was HIS word for difficult clients. That came out in the first 45 seconds of the recording. What a way to think about people.

Much better in my view: follow the advice of Todd Duncan or Joe Stumpf who both encourage finding better clients, ones who are right for your business, and not wasting your time with people who would be better served by others. There's no need to insult people by calling them "idiots." And there's no need to devalue your own business by stooping to insults nor selling to those who can't afford (or don't value) your services.

Enthusiasm is the foundation for success.

Isn't that the message from virtually all motivational speakers?

Attitude isn't everything, it's one thing. But it won't compensate for lack of skill or product knowledge. It just creates opportunities.

That's the message from all coaches who go beyond just motivation. And even purely motivational speakers wouldn't deny that - they'd just say that their expertise is in motivation, you (or your company) are responsible for developing skills and product knowledge. So this is kind of a "Duh!" comment by him.

Every 4 minutes in the US there's another millionaire created and 90% of those people make their money in something related to real estate.

I guess that would include him too - since he has created a business talking to mortgage brokers - even though he doesn't deal in mortgages nor real estate, and never has. Interesting factoid however.

The wider the gap between what you want and what you actually have, the more stress you have.

Duh!

Continuous improvement is the what he recommends.

Essentially: Baby steps. He either read about Deming or watched "What About Bob?"

If you increase your results you'll increase your income.

Duh!

You need to motivate your customers. Get them from "Hello" to "Where do I sign?"

Duh! If you can't move people from "Hello" to "Where do I sign?" you will, by definition, not be successful in sales.

There's no hype here.

Ha!

The tools here won't create results - it's what you do with them.

Duh!

Luck is all about showing up. If you want a lot, show up a lot. If you want a little, show up a little.

Sounds like a paraphrase of Samuel Goldwyn's quote, "The harder I work, the luckier I get."

30 minutes is all you can focus on one activity.

Longer than what FlyLady says. But in line with what Todd Duncan says.

Days get consumed by distractions. It takes about 7 minutes to recover from a distraction.

Hold this good thought for a bit... you'll see why soon...

Massive action in critical areas - 30 minutes at a time... will produce better, more prodictable results faster.

Predictable results come from a predictable pipeline.

Duh!

Choose the things to do that match your personality, style, and budget.

Duh! Well, maybe not "Duh!" Perhaps I should be applauding that he's not insisting on people blindly following him, and spending outrageous amounts of money on his products/programs to mold themselves into imitations of him.

How to increase your business right now:

1) Answer your telephone. Make it easier for your customers to talk to you.

He doesn't say it explicity, but what he's saying here is essentially: make it easy for people to interrupt/distract you more often. (Recall my comment to "hold this good thought" above? Here's where he negates it.)

Now, of course it's good to answer your phone. But you will be able to serve your clients better if you're free to ignore the phone for stretches of time.

Recently I was at a Broker's Open. One of the Brokers had a couple of interns with her. One of the Interns' phone rang several times... and the Broker started to get a bit peeved. She finally started asking (in a not-so-nice tone of voice), "Who is that?" The intern said it was just a friend who hadn't found a summer job yet. When I offered the thought that some people find it helpful to keep private numbers private (for family and friends) and client numbers just for clients, the Broker practically jumped on me. She said, "NO! You need to be available at all times for everybody. You never know when a good client will call. And you MUST answer the phone!" But then she pointed out that she screens her calls by checking the caller ID, and only answers those calls she recognizes as important.

Two things wrong with this:

a) If she wants her interns to keep their phone on, and available to everyone always, she is out of line getting upset when their phone rings.

b) With the phone ringing all the time, those you're with can't get (or keep) your full attention, and very well may not believe their needs are truly being heard, much less served.

I would much rather let people know when I'll be available and/or returning calls and have them believe I'm worth waiting for, than to be "available" all the time yet actually be screening calls and disrupting those I'm with. The former respects everyone. The latter disrespects everyone.

Record an outgoing message that says, "Hi, this is ____, it's a GREAT DAY to purchase or refinance!"

Not bad.

Don't follow that with "I'm away from my desk" because that's obvious. Instead say, "I'm with a customer." or "I'm at a closing."

If you're not at a closing, just say it anyway.

Whoa!!! At this point a bomb, not just a red flag, is going off in my head. If you'll lie to people about something as trivial as where you are when there's no real need to nor pressure to, what's to stop you from lying when you've got a really pressing motive to lie? (eg. When a lie will get you more income, but at their expense.) If you're honest in the little things, it's easier to be honest in the big things. It's all about habits. And reputation will follow.

This was not even 15 minutes into the recording and he's already recommending lying to people! And this is supposed to be great coaching for someone in the mortgage industry? This kind of coaching is part of the reason borrowers distrusted lenders. It may have been only a small part. But then again, it might have been a really big part. There's no way to measure that.

2) Make more contacts. Make ten contacts per day, out of which you'll get three appointments, leading to one closed loan. The amount of business is related to the number of appointments you have.

DUH! His theoretical numbers are great - and probably unique to him. (Others have variations in the ratios, but clearly everyone's got their own closing ratio.) But the point is, all sales positions require playing a numbers game - the more people you talk to, the more opportunities you have to close a sale. And the more skilled you are, and knowledgable you are about your product/service, the better your ratio will be. Duh!

3) Hang around better people. You'll need less of them.

Contrast this to the title of his upcoming book - selling to idiots. Sounds like a conflicted message. He encourages people to find better people here, but trains people to sell to "idiots" in his upcoming book.

Even if you're an employee, think like an owner.

Sounds like "Think Inc." or "You Inc."

As I said at the top... there's a lot of good generic information here, stuff that you've probably heard a time or two (if not a hundred times) before. But there are also a couple of bombshells that could destroy your reputation and credibility, not to mention relationships, if followed.

The trick is to identify and throw out the bad coaching, yet take the good and apply it without getting derailed by the bad, or your reaction to the bad.

Free Family Film Festival at Regal Cinemas - Only Two Weeks Left!

2008-07-24T10:16:28Z

All summer long, Regal Cinemas has been hosting this event in a variety of theaters throughout the country. Every Tuesday and Wednesday morning, parents can bring their kid(s) to Regal and watch a free showing of a G rated or PG rated film. The only downside to this is that these films are already pre-selected, so the choice is limited, but it's something you and your kid(s) can do.

For those of you interested in the East Orlando area, here's the remaining schedule for the theaters in Waterford Lakes, Oviedo Marketplace, and Winter Park Village:

Waterford Lakes:

07/29/2008-07/30/2008	Everyone's Hero (G)
	Evan Almighty (PG)
08/05/2008-08/06/2008	Charlotte's Web (G)
	Shrek The Third (PG)

Oviedo Marketplace:

07/29/2008-07/30/2008	Charlotte's Web (G)
	Shrek The Third (PG)
08/05/2008-08/06/2008	Pirates Who Don't Do Anything - Veggie Tales (G)
	Bee Movie (PG)

Winter Park Village:

07/29/2008-07/30/2008	Wallace And Gromit (G)
	Alvin And The Chipmunks (PG)
08/05/2008-08/06/2008	March Of The Penguins (G)
	Robots (PG)

These movies start at 10:00am on the dates shown above and doors open at 9:00am. It's on a first come, first served basis, and seating is limited. Also, be aware that there are a number of summer camps that bring busloads of kids to the theaters - so come early!!

Click on this link to see what movies they are showing through August 6. The link will bring you to the showings for Florida, but for other states, there is a simple pull-down just before you get to the details of the individual theaters.

If only foreign newspapers print it, the news must be good.

2008-07-09T16:33:37Z

Just saw this article about Good News in Iraq.

Strange thing... I don't recall hearing anything about it here in the US. But maybe I just don't spend enough time searching out stories like this.

Where were the headlines about battle victories? Where were the headlines about progress on the 18 benchmarks? Where were the headlines about the last of 550 tons of yellowcake (enough of the milled uranium oxide to make well over 100 nuclear bombs!) having been removed from Iraq? (I do recall hearing a lot about Saddam not having any WMDs and not seeking, much less getting, any yellowcake. I guess it all just suddenly and magically appeared!)

All we get now are reports of "major security operations" in Iraq, and battle losses in Afghanistan.

Here are a few highlights from the article:

"American and Iraqi forces are driving al Qaida in Iraq out of its last redoubt in the north of the country in the culmination of one of the most spectacular victories of the war on terror." (quote from Marie Colvin of the Times of London)

The victory is so complete that Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki said Saturday his government has defeated the terrorists in Iraq. Defeated. Past tense.

Major General Mark Hertling, who commands U.S. troops in northern Iraq, wouldn't go that far. But he told Ms. Colvin: "I think we're at the irreversible point."

In contrast to the Times of London's reporting:

The New York Times did run a story on the front page Monday about an "epic battle," but it was about a tennis match at Wimbledon.

About the yellowcake:

...on Saturday the last of 550 metric tons of yellowcake was shipped from Iraq to a firm in Canada.... enough to make 142 nuclear bombs.

Regarding re-enlistment:

On the Fourth of July, 1,215 U.S. servicemen and women re-enlisted in the largest re-enlistment ceremony ever, conducted by Gen. David Petraeus in one of Saddam's palaces in Baghdad.

And it noted that Petraeus, is an amazingly popular guy there in Iraq - drawing crowd bigger than other well-known mega-stars, and necessitating special arrangements for all the photo-op demands. (More amazing to me than his popularity is his ability and willingness to take all the time out to oblige the demands when he's supposedly (according to the opposition) losing this battle.)

Regarding progress:

When Democrats took control of Congress in 2007, they set 18 "benchmarks" to measure the security, political and economic progress. On July 2, in response to a request from a Democratic representative from North Carolina, the U.S. embassy reported the Iraqi government has met all but three.

Progress is even greater than the report indicated, because though the Iraqi parliament hasn't passed laws to share oil revenues or to disarm militias, the government is sharing oil revenues, and largely has disarmed the militas.

Don't Rock the Boat!?!

2008-07-08T06:05:07Z

A few days ago I was looking online to see if an old, very obscure LP was available in CD format. It was an album by the first Christian Punk Band - Ishmael United. (To the best of my knowledge they were the first, having put out their album "If You Can't Shout Saved" in 1979.) That ultimately led me to the website for the founder of the band, Ishmael Smale, who is now involved in children's ministry, and since April has been fighting Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

As I read through some of the stuff on his site, one thing jumped out at me - "Ish's Weekly Proverb" - and reminded me so much of C3 Church and what they're trying to do.

The proverb for the week was:

Sometimes in Church life we are warned to ‘not rock the boat'. That might be the time to get out of the boat and try walking on water!

A couple of years ago, the Pastor of the church that was to become C3, felt called to reach out into the surrounding community in a way that hadn't been tried before, at least not by that church. At the first suggestion of switching from Sunday School classes (they called them "Lifegroups", but they were really nothing more, nor less, than Sunday School classes) to Home-based studies, he got an overwhelming response of "NO!" (If they weren't in church, I suspect they might very well have said, "Hell NO!" Or maybe even used the "F-word" or the "S-word" for even more emphasis. But since it was on a Sunday and they were in Church, they cleaned up their language from the other 6 days a week.)

His response was, "Fine. We'll mothball that for a year - and spend that time teaching you the value of moving the more personal teaching, growth, interaction, and relationship building into homes. But we're going to make the change, because we need to be more effective in reaching those in our community who neither understand our church-culture, nor are willing to set foot inside a formal church building."

That started a huge uproar. And was the beginning of a large exodus. The funniest thing to me was to hear people say, "I hate change, so I'm going to leave" - particularly when they said it before any change had been enacted, and the proposed change was only going to affect one aspect of their church experience.

Which is a bigger change?

A) Moving from meeting in a Sunday School classroom to meeting in a Home, while still retaining all relationships, same familiar worship service and sanctuary, etc.

B) Cutting off all your relationships with everyone at Church, uprooting your family, moving all meetings to other places, etc.

Well, despite the uproar and mass exodus, the Pastor (and those in Leadership who saw God's leading in the new direction) went ahead with the change. They really rocked the boat.

But God called them to keep going... not just rock the boat, but get out of the boat to walk on water.

So, they made other changes. And then came the biggest change of all: they sold the church property, and moved into a movie theater. (Selling the property got the organization debt-free - what a concept for a church!)

And what happened? The story's still being written.

Among other things on the negative side: some of the disgruntled former-members banded together to file suit against the Pastor (presumably to get "their" church back); the Pastor received enough threats (including bullet casings on his doorstep) to have to hire body guards; the church's membership dropped from a peak of 1500-2000 down to about 500; LOTs of feelings were hurt,

Anything good happen?

Yup!

While the exodus was going on, there were record numbers of new visitors - most of whom had either never set foot in a church, or who hadn't been to church in years due to one (or more) causes for disillusionment; people started to open up about real issues (struggles with finances, relationships, addictions, etc.) instead of typical church stuff (what's the right color for church building carpeting, was so-and-so properly credited for their generous gift, did the Pastor slip up and offend someone over a petty matter, etc.), those who'd never (or rarely) been to church before became excited and interested in coming to church to learn and grow; God has been moving in hearts - anywhere from 10 to 20+ new baptisms every month for the past 8 months (starting just before the move to the theaters), and growth in attendance (back up to 600-700 weekly) and about 200 people volunteering on a weekly basis to help with everything from setup/teardown (it's still a working theater!), to greeting, to child care/security.

What's the next step? I don't know. But the hints I've heard make me excited to see what God's going to do next, and to see how he's going to use those in this church to impact their community for Christ. (After all, their name, "C3", doesn't stand for "Creating Constant Change" nor "Causing Continuing Conflict", rather, it stands for "Connecting the Community with Christ." And they seem to be living up to their real calling... even when it means rocking the boat, or getting out and trusting God to help them walk on water.)

Free East Orlando Benefit Concert - To provide clean water for a community in Africa

2008-07-04T13:01:06Z

There's not a better way to close out your July 4th weekend than with the Blood:Water Mission Benefit concert with Shane and Shane. The concert and everything but the food are FREE. Donations are encouraged to raise funds to provide clean water through Blood:Water Mission. Here's a flyer you can download and print to pass out to your friends and in the community.

WHERE: Avalon Park Bandshell (click here for directions)

WHEN: Gates open at 5:30pm, Concert begins at 6:30pm.

ACTIVITIES: Bounce Houses, carnival games, rock-climbing wall and much more!

FOOD: Barnies Coffee and Uncle Louie G's will be there offering food and drinks during the event.

WHAT TO BRING: Feel free to bring lawn chairs and blankets - there are no seats in the park.

Don't forget the reason for the concert - we're asking every to bring a generous gift for the benefit. Donations will be collected at the event, or you can give online through C3 Church by designating your contribution to "Africa - Well Project"

The first $3,000 will go toward a well. After that, they will cover the costs for the Activities. Then, any donations above and beyond that will go toward more wells.

This event is co-sponsored by C3 Church, Barnies Coffee & Tea, and Uncle Louie G's Italian Ice & Ice Cream.

Fireworks Safety

2008-07-04T12:29:20Z

Are you celebrating the 4th of July by lighting fireworks or seeing a fireworks show?

Having more than 10 years experience assisting a licensed Pyrotechnician, here are a few simple tips to help keep you and your family and friends safe.

1) Dress for the occasion. Wear non-flammable and non-meltable clothes. That means avoid synthetics like polyester, nylon, rayon, spandex, lycra, etc. You will do well to dress in clothes made of cotton, wool, leather, etc. So, cotton T-shirts, jeans, and leather sneakers are great. If you need to keep warm at night, don't put on a nylon windbreaker. Instead, go for either the leather or denim jacket.

2) Bring (and use!) earplugs - particularly if you're very close. What good is it to hear the first few blasts only to be left with ringing in your ears and an inability to talk without yelling to others?

3) Check all explosives before there are any sparks anywhere nearby. Look for any leaks of gunpowder, and tape them over with masking tape if you find any. The last thing you want is one to explode in an unpredictable way.

4) Mind your surroundings. Don't be lighting things up in areas where there is dry and/or flamable material around. Experience has proven it really does only take a spark to get a fire going... and soon all those around aren't just warmed up in its glowing - they're running for their lives! This applies to not only explosives, but sparklers as well.

5) If you're shooting fireworks, don't put any part of your body (at least, any part you'd like to keep) in the way of anything that has the possibility of shooting... especially if you've had a misfire or "dud." Those "duds" can suddenly fire without warning - 10, 15, 20, or more minutes after they were lit. Whatever is in their way when they explode is going to get hit... HARD! And if they're big enough, they'll take off a big part of your body. (I hope you don't need links to the articles or videos of people who lost digits, limbs, or other - even more critical - parts of their bodies through their own foolishness around fireworks.)

6) Wear a hat to protect your head. It's good to have protection from the sun during the day. But it's also good to have protection from falling pieces of fireworks on certain nights. Science has conclusively proven that what goes up, must come down - provided it doesn't break free of earth's gravity.

7) When handling explosives - carry them by the wick if possible. That way, if it somehow explodes in your hand, you'll only get a nasty burn across your palm or fingers, instead of having your hand or fingers blown off.

8) Don't light them if others are too near. Just because you are planning to run to safety, that doesn't give you license to endanger others.

And have a fun, safe 4th of July Celebration!

Why I've Never Wanted To Be (Or Be Described As) a "Salesman"

2008-06-23T14:50:25Z

I'm in sales. I don't like to say I'm in sales, but in actuality I sell... loan programs. What I like to say is that I'm a Consultant, because I do Consulatative Sales - I consult with people to find out what they want/need and what's driving them, then I Negotiate on their behalf for the best product/terms to meet their wants/needs and core values, and finally, I Oversee all the Transactional Details (and in the Mortgage industry there are LOTS of details!)

This past week someone in a meeting highly recommended a book that she was almost finished reading. It's called The Psychology of Sales Call Reluctance: Earning What You're Worth in Sales. She had her copy with her, pushed it across the table for me to see, and then told me to take it home and read it... she'd finish it later, when I was done with it.

A couple of evenings later I picked it up and started reading. The first chapter starts off by saying,

"The thick-skinned fearlessness expected in slaespeople is more fiction than fact. It turns out that many salespeople are struggling with a bone-shaking fear of prospecting. This fear tends to persist regardless of what they sell, how well they have been trained to sell it, or how much they personally believe in the product's worth."

That resonated with me. So I read on.

A couple of pages later I found this short passage that just made me laugh. (It's the real reason I'm blogging right now... it was too funny not to share.) - Emphasis is mine.

"In their promotional material, two psychologists selling sales selection tests to industry characterized the desireable candidate for a sales career with these words:

'... friendly and outgoing, but when you know him he is arrogant, conceited and not very interested in people . . . but when he begins to talk he can be a most persuasive, charming, convincing individual . . . he gains your confidence and makes you fell like the most imporant person in the world . . . but don't be fooled, he doesn't really like people . . . to him people are just objects to be twisted, shaped and manipulated.'

The picture which emerges is not one of innocent, winged figures, robed in dazzling white. It's more like mild retardates with probable criminal intent."

That last line made me laugh out loud. So that's what makes for a great Salesperson? They should be "mild retardates with probable criminal intent?"

Unfortunately, I've had the (dis)pleasure of working with a few people who come close in some regards to fitting that description. Yes, they did bring in some great sales figures. But those figures came at the price of company reputation and long-term relationships with clients. As soon as clients figured out they were being manipulated, they black-listed the company.

But I've never aspire to have those characteristics, nor be described in that way. I just value intelligence too highly - as necessary to provide wise counsel, and I value honesty, integrity, and looking out for my clients' best interest too much. Fortunately, it looks like many (most? hopefully ALL) of the mortgage salespeople who fit that profile have left the industry or are on their way out.

Advice For An Acquaintance

2008-06-20T19:16:06Z

I received an email from an acquaintance who is trying to sell her second (nicer) home, asking me if I had any suggestions. She said their home is listed for $50,000 less than what she and her husband have invested in it, but she's thinking if it doesn't sell in during the 3-month contract she has with their Realtor (who they really like), they might try to do a short sale.

She didn't say where this home is exactly, but she gave me enough information to look up their Realtor, and thereby look up the listing. What I discovered when looking at the listing and comparing it to other homes that had sold in that area, is that even at their listing price, it looks to be still significantly over-priced. (Matching the highest price-per-square-foot for any similar home sold there in the last 6 months would mean dropping the price about $65k. The lowest comparable home sold for $140k less.) But there are some extra's that might justify at least some of the discrepancy. So, I decided to take my research one step further before offering my suggestions... I called their Realtor.

The Realtor agreed - the house is way overpriced. But the couple is so nice, he decided to take the listing anyway, and hope that when it expires, he'll be able to convince them to drop the price down where it really needs to be in order to sell it. He suggested another $100,000 off the price would put it into the competitive range.

After talking with their Realtor at some length, I finally figured out what I would say - to help them help themselves, and also (hopefully) help their Realtor by providing an echo from an "out-of-town expert."

Here's what I wrote...

You asked for suggestions... and I do have a few. Please understand, these suggestions are given with the idea of trying to assure that a) your home sells as quickly as possible for the highest price possible and b) that it "stays sold" (that the Buyer's Lender will agree to loan money on the property and not balk at the price.) My only interest is in telling you the truth with integrity while offering my perspective as a Mortgage Consultant who's seen too many people in long-term financial "pain." Some of what I have to suggest will probably make a lot of sense and seem easy; most of it, I fear, will be more difficult to accept... mostly because it runs against natural inclinations. But, again, all of it is meant to get your home sold quickly and for the highest price possible. That said, here we go...

I looked up your Realtor online to find the actual listing and see what you're describing. It really does look beautiful. You've put a lot into it, and it shows. (I ended up calling him, and he talked about how nice you are and kept repeating how wonderfully you've maintained/staged your home. In my experience, it's quite unusual for a Realtor to keep mentioning how beautiful a home is, when s/he is talking with a Lender who has no vested interest in buying the home. Clearly he wasn't trying to sell me the home. Yet he brought up how exquisite you've made it, almost as if he can't get over it's beauty himself. It leads me to believe the pictures, as beautiful as they are, may not do it justice.)

You say it's listed at $50,000 below what you've spent on it. That made me ask, "Why?" I know the market is challenging. It's really challenging in some of the neighborhoods near us. (In fact, in one community, a family that a bit over a year ago spent $600,000 to buy their home is struggling to find anyone to buy it now... and they've got it listed for $280,000! Of course, their community has one extra (HUGE) challenge: the Army Corps of Engineers discovered, just after they'd bought their home, that the whole community was built on an old WWII Bombing Range, and so the Corps has spent most of the last year finding, digging up, and destroying old bomb shells and fragments. Hopefully your community doesn't have anything close to that challenging that you're up against!)

Anyway, I did a little more digging on my own and compiled a list of all the homes within about 3 miles of your home that have the same number of beds and baths, are within 500 square feet of the size of yours, and have sold in the last 6 months. (6 months is what most of the Lenders I work with have historically insisted their Appraisers use as the basis for determining the appraised value based on recent sales. Newer guidelines are holding it down to the last 3 months.) What I discovered, leads me to believe that even at $50k below your cost, the home might very well be overpriced for that market. Ouch!

Now, some of the things you've mentioned may offset the lower pricing of some of the homes that sold. The information I was able to gather doesn't go into some of the important details. For example:

Having a lake view would probably make it a bit more valuable than one without, but not as valuable as one that was lake-front.
Also, being fully furnished would add a little value, although that could decrease the desirability for a family that's trying to "move up" who already have all their own furniture. (Most of the time, because furniture is much harder to value, it's more beneficial to separate that from the purchase contract. Because if it's included, the furniture is usually listed in an addendum that declares it has no value and is just being offered as a convenience for the Seller. You may do better with the furniture, to offer it to some consignment shop. Or offer it as a separate list of items available outside of the home contract.)
And since it's newer, it's probably more valuable than one that was built several years before... but again, it wouldn't be as valuable as one just built. (Steve probably knows what's going on with new homes there. And can advise you on that.)

So, suggestion #1 would be to get an Appraiser to do a full appraisal of the value of the home. I would expect that would cost between $325 and $375. But it will give you confidence (and assure potential buyers) that the price is right... assuming that the appraisal comes in saying it's worth at least the price you're asking.

If the appraisal comes in lower than that, the only way you'll be able to sell it for that price is if someone either can buy it without borrowing (they can just write out a check for the full amount), or they are willing to pay the difference between what the Lender will loan them on the appraised value and what the agreed-upon sale price is. My guess, based on the information I gathered, is that the appraisal will more likely come in somewhere between $64k and $140k lower than what you're asking. But that's just my guess... I'm not a Realtor, nor Appraiser, nor is it my "neck of the woods" where I'm fairly familiar with what values are.

Suggestion #2 actually comes from a Realtor I regularly work with. And that is to take care of some of the details that create insecurity on the part of the Buyers, but which lead to a faster sale and give the Buyers confidence in their purchase. (Everyone buys based on emotions, but they need to find facts to logically back up their emotional decision and give them confidence that they made a good choice.) Some of those details would include: Get a full Home Inspection done by a Home Inspector. Get a Termite Inspection. And finally, get a Home Warranty (paid for at closing) to assure them that if they discover any problems with the house or any appliances within a year that they won't be out even more money. (This also makes sure that once it's sold, it's sold. And they won't be coming after you to get you to pay for any repairs or renovations in 6-9 months.)

Suggestion #3: offer a slightly higher Realtor commission to a) reward your Realtor for getting the home sold quickly (which will be true if he sells it within 3 months) and b) entice other Realtors to show your home before others of similar quality/price. (Yes, I know, it's using their own need and/or greed for money to your advantage.) I don't know what the average time on the market is for your area. For my area, it's somewhere in the range of about 140 days. That's just shy of 5 months for the average home to sell. Homes that Buyers think are priced too high are pushing that average out further; homes that Buyers think are priced very competitively are shortening that average. And with the higher percentage, both Realtors will be more inclined to keep the price higher, because the more the price drops, the more it costs them. My suggestion would be to offer 7% split down the middle between Realtor(s) representing the Sellers (you), and the Buyers. The extra 1% only costs at most 1% of the listed price, and could make all the difference in getting it sold quickly. (I try to live by the verse "A worker is worthy of his wages." What that means to me is that someone who can do a superior job is worth superior pay. Or put in common language, "You get what you pay for.")

Suggestion #4: Talk with your Realtor about dropping the price by some amount (maybe $5,000 to $10,000) every 2-3 weeks or every 7-10 showings (whichever is less) until an offer is generated.

Hopefully they'll take these suggestions to heart, and act on them. Especially the first one. (With that one, I expect they'll get a third "expert voice" assuring them that their Realtor really does know what he's doing, and they'll finally "get it" that the value of a home has little to nothing to do with how much one spends on it, and everything to do with how much Buyers in the market value it.)

And maybe some others can get good ideas from this. Realtors - some ideas for how you might approach this kind of difficult situation. Sellers - do a reality check on your expectations, and a few (possibly new) ideas of how to improve the sale-ability of your property.

Republican Mike Huckabee, former Presidential Candidate, put the squeeze on another Republican Candidate.

2008-06-09T12:18:54Z

Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor - turned Presidential candidate was at a lunch Saturday in NC when Robert Pittenger, a Republican candidate for the Lieutenant Governor's seat, began to choke on some food.

Huckabee came over to him and squeezed him with a Heimlich maneuver, dislodging the food and saving Pittenger's life.

Pittenger later said, "He called me in the car as I was driving home to make sure I was OK."

To see lots of articles about this check out Google's search results.

Getting back on purpose with The On-Purpose Person Workshop - Sign-up Deadline SOON!

2008-06-06T19:54:12Z

Here's an opportunity to discover your unique Purpose and learn how to align your decisions and activities with your Purpose.

Deadline to register is 2pm (EST) Monday, June 9th, 2008. It's only $295 for day-long workshop with the author of The On-Purpose Person and The On-Purpose Business.

Having been to one of these workshops before, I can confidently say it will be well worth the money and time.

For more details and a link to sign up go to On-Purpose Partners' online store.

Bus Stop

2008-05-26T11:31:05Z

Once there was a couple traveling on a bus in a mountainous area. Close to their destination they decided to get off a bit early and enjoy a short walk the rest of the way.

After the couple got off the bus, it proceeded on its route, but 100 feet later a huge boulder fell on the bus, crushing it and killing everybody on board.

Upon see this happen the couple said " We wish we were on that bus"

Why do you think they said that?

Think about it and then scroll down for the answer.

--------- Answer !!!! ---------

If the couple had remained on the bus instead of deciding to get off, the resulting time delay would have been avoided and the rock would have fallen after the bus had passed.

I read this and realized I'm too often in amongst those who lack perspective. Even though there was no way the couple could have foreseen what was going to happen to the bus, they still had a good perspective - being most concerned about helping and saving others. What a good reminder to consider others in life.

How Are You Doing?

2008-05-23T12:08:06Z

It's such a common question. Most people give common answers. "Fine." "Great!" "Good."

But are they really? And does the person asking really want the real answer? Or are they just asking the question as an alternate way of saying, "Hi!"

I've played with this a bit over the years. Sometimes answering in a way just to test the questioner to see if they really want to know the answer. How do I test? Simply by answering the question with a question: "Do you really want to know?"

The funny thing is, when I respond with that question, the most common answer is, "If it's that bad, then no. I don't want to know."

But I haven't said I'm doing good or bad! And usually, when I respond with that question, I'm really doing well. So well, in fact, that I'm having fun with my response to the common question. And it really is fun to watch people who get awakened from the hum-drum of asking mindless questions.

A second response I've tried recently is aimed more at myself. It's a reminder for me to always be grateful, to maintain the "attitude of gratitude" that others have suggested is good to keep. I confess, I've stolen this response from Dave Ramsey. But I really like it. Whenever someone asks, "How are you doing?" the always-grateful answer is, "Better than I deserve."

But this answer has its detractors too. Take my Mortgage Coach for example. She's a wonderful person, gives really good advice to move my sales and marketing systems forward, and is a real encouragement. But she has a different philosophy than me in some areas. One of those differences showed up the first time I answered her with "Better than I deserve."

Her response, "No! You deserve the best! You are a wonderful person. You have absolute integrity. And you really care about people. You deserve what you're getting if not more!"

We talked a bit about that, but I realized I wasn't going to change her perspective, and she wasn't going to change mine. And it wasn't worth wasting a coaching call over a greeting.

Let me be clear, I DON'T have a "Woe is me! I'm no better than a worm" attitude. I don't have a poor self-esteem. Rather, I have a healthy, balanced sense of my own self-worth. I recognize that I have many gifts and talents that God has given me, and it's my responsibility to use and develop them. However, I also recognize that I'm FAR from perfect. I make mistakes. Most of them are completely unintentional. Sometimes they are the result of risks I've taken that haven't worked out. And other times I just flat out do what I know to be the wrong thing, succumbing to temptation.

As a Christian, I believe that any time I fail to do exactly what God wants me to do, I have missed the mark He's set for me. That's what He calls "sin." And the appropriate punishment for sin, according to Him, is... death. (Puts a whole other perspective on "Change or Die"!) But He, in His mercy, has made the necessary arrangements such that I can avoid the punishment. So, quite literally, as I'm aware of my own failure to follow God perfectly, I'm also aware of His mercy, and therefore can genuinely, and very gratefully say I'm always doing "better than I deserve!" (I deserve to be dead, but look! Here I am, alive and well!)

Even if you don't fit in with the 78% of American's who claim to be followers of Christ, you can still use this second response... if you've ever "gotten away with" something, you too can justifiably say you're doing "better than you deserve."

I'd recommend trying it for at least a few days. See what kind of reactions you get. You may just surprise a few people and end up in a good conversation with them. (Might that help your business or transaction move forward in a positive direction?) See if it changes your own perspective and attitude. It's not likely to turn you negative, and if it does nothing or makes you more positive would you complain? What have you got to lose?

Change or Die

2008-05-22T10:37:23Z

What if you were given a choice: Change or Die.

For this exercise, imagine it's not just a rhetorical question, or some blown-up hyperbole from your boss or a motivational speaker or typical corporate dramatics. It's about real life and death... your life or death. What if a well-informed, trusted authority said you had to make difficult and lifelong changes in the way you think and behave? If you didn't, your time would end soon -- a lot sooner than it had to. Could you change when change really mattered? When it mattered most?

"Yes" you say?

Try again.

Yes?

You're probably deluding yourself.

You wouldn't change.

Don't believe it? You want odds?

Here are the odds, the scientifically studied odds: nine to one. That's nine to one against you. How do you like those odds?

I was reminded of this recently when listening to a talk by a motivational speaker. After the talk I did a little research online and found this article. Following are some highlights from the article interspersed with some of my comments. (All bolding is mine.)

We may know what needs to change, but we're incapable of changing.

One area that demonstrates this graphically is heathcare. Drs have known for years what needs to change, but the healthcare crisis demonstrates we are unwilling or unable to change.

Dr. Raphael "Ray" Levey, founder of the Global Medical Forum, an annual summit meeting of leaders from every constituency in the health system, told an audience not long ago, "A relatively small percentage of the population consumes the vast majority of the health-care budget for diseases that are very well known and by and large behavioral." That is, they're sick because of how they choose to live their lives, not because of environmental or genetic factors beyond their control. Continued Levey: "Even as far back as when I was in medical school" -- he enrolled at Harvard in 1955 -- "many articles demonstrated that 80% of the health-care budget was consumed by five behavioral issues." Levey didn't bother to name them, but you don't need to be an MD to guess what he was talking about: too much smoking, drinking, eating, and stress, and not enough exercise.

Then the knockout blow was delivered by Dr. Edward Miller, the dean of the medical school and CEO of the hospital at Johns Hopkins University. He turned the discussion to patients whose heart disease is so severe that they undergo bypass surgery, a traumatic and expensive procedure that can cost more than $100,000 if complications arise. About 600,000 people have bypasses every year in the United States, and 1.3 million heart patients have angioplasties -- all at a total cost of around $30 billion. The procedures temporarily relieve chest pains but rarely prevent heart attacks or prolong lives. Around half of the time, the bypass grafts clog up in a few years; the angioplasties, in a few months. The causes of this so-called restenosis are complex. It's sometimes a reaction to the trauma of the surgery itself. But many patients could avoid the return of pain and the need to repeat the surgery -- not to mention arrest the course of their disease before it kills them -- by switching to healthier lifestyles. Yet very few do. "If you look at people after coronary-artery bypass grafting two years later, 90% of them have not changed their lifestyle," Miller said. "And that's been studied over and over and over again. And so we're missing some link in there. Even though they know they have a very bad disease and they know they should change their lifestyle, for whatever reason, they can't."

What's true in the healthcare industry is true elsewhere as well. Just look at how many companies have gone into bankruptcy because they wouldn't or couldn't change.

We're seeing that in the Real Estate and Lending industries as well. Very few companies had their head so far in the sand that they didn't see this storm on the horizon - years ago. Yet, few companies were willing and/or able to change to weather, much less prosper, in the storm.

So, what's the solution? How do we avoid dying? How can we join the 10% who are willing/able to change? Is that possible?

Looking back to the healthcare industry, there is one person who has hit upon a plan that seems to be working: Dr. Dean Ornish, a professor of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco and founder of the Preventative Medicine Research Institute, in Sausalito, California. Ornish, like a few others, realizes the importance of going beyond the facts. "Providing health information is important but not always sufficient," he says. "We also need to bring in the psychological, emotional, and spiritual dimensions that are so often ignored." Ornish published studies in leading peer-reviewed scientific journals, showing that his holistic program, focused around a vegetarian diet with less than 10% of the calories from fat, can actually reverse heart disease without surgery or drugs. Still, the medical establishment remained skeptical that people could sustain the lifestyle changes. In 1993, Ornish persuaded Mutual of Omaha to pay for a trial. Researchers took 333 patients with severely clogged arteries. They helped them quit smoking and go on Ornish's diet. The patients attended twice-weekly group support sessions led by a psychologist and took instruction in meditation, relaxation, yoga, and aerobic exercise. The program lasted for only a year. But after three years, the study found, 77% of the patients had stuck with their lifestyle changes -- and safely avoided the bypass or angioplasty surgeries that they were eligible for under their insurance coverage. And Mutual of Omaha saved around $30,000 per patient.

Why does the Ornish program succeed while the conventional approach has failed? For starters, Ornish recasts the reasons for change. Doctors had been trying to motivate patients mainly with the fear of death, he says, and that simply wasn't working. For a few weeks after a heart attack, patients were scared enough to do whatever their doctors said. But death was just too frightening to think about, so their denial would return, and they'd go back to their old ways.

The patients lived the way they did as a day-to-day strategy for coping with their emotional troubles. "Telling people who are lonely and depressed that they're going to live longer if they quit smoking or change their diet and lifestyle is not that motivating," Ornish says. "Who wants to live longer when you're in chronic emotional pain?"

So instead of trying to motivate them with the "fear of dying," Ornish reframes the issue. He inspires a new vision of the "joy of living" -- convincing them they can feel better, not just live longer. That means enjoying the things that make daily life pleasurable, like making love or even taking long walks without the pain caused by their disease. "Joy is a more powerful motivator than fear," he says.

So, bringing this back to Real Estate and Lending, how can we, as Professionals change and help others change, when the alternative is lack of business, lack of income, and possibly bankruptcy for us, and continued renting, or losing their current home due to foreclosure, or possibly even bankruptcy for others?

I think the key is to recast the question. Instead of focusing on what might happen negatively, we need to focus on what the ultimate positive goals are, and clarify (and mentally rehearse) those goals. Sounds simplistic, and possibly even juvenile to "dream", but why is that any more simplistic and juvenile than mentally rehearsing everything that might go wrong? Neither has happened, except in our minds.

Just like a musician doesn't practice playing wrong notes, so we shouldn't mentally practice failing.

Figure out what the end is that you (or your clients) have in mind. Then begin with the end in mind, and keep the end in mind every step of the way.

I find it much easier to help others discover their real goals and realize them than to dig down inside myself to discover my own drives. That's where a coach/mentor can be particularly helpful.

Chico the "little boy" I feared.

2008-05-15T08:10:15Z

When I was about 7 years old, my family got a dog. My oldest brother, T, had just come back from a trip to Mexico so he suggested a spanish name for the dog: Chico. Chico, so he thought, meant "little boy", and it seemed like an ironically appropriate name for the dog.

Chico had a brother, but we only wanted one dog. And the brother was too smart - having figured out how to get out of a back yard that was fenced in with a 6 foot fence and no breaks nor holes under it. Chico couldn't get out. But his brother could, and somehow knew when he was being watched, because he'd only get out when they weren't watching - and that, often within seconds after they turned away.

We didn't want the trouble with police of having a dog that strayed through the neighborhood, so we left the brother behind.

Chico was quite lovable. He loved us, and we loved him. My brother, P, who's closest to me in age, got to claim Chico as "his" - feeding him, exercising him, and training him (as best he could) to "sit", "heel", "stay", etc. (One time in a competition, he was supposed to stay sitting while P went behind a wall for a few minutes. What Chico did, though, was stay sitting until P went behind the wall. Then he lay down. Then, just before the end of the behind-the-wall time, Chico went back to the sitting position. P was SOOO proud of him, until he learned of Chico's "deception." We all laughed.)

Anyway, Chico was a great pet.

But he wasn't perfect. There was only one person he really didn't like. (The best friend of my next-to-the-oldest brother, J.) And he loved to chase other dogs, and motorcycles, and 18-wheelers... even after he had one of the big-rigs' wheels run over his foot and take out a 1/2-inch chunk from one of his pads!

"Half-inch chunk!" you say? Oh yeah. Did I forget to mention that even though we called him "Chico" (little boy), he was anything but little. He was half St. Bernard, and half German Shepherd. Probably weighed close to 100 lbs. When he was in the house he could look over the edge of the kitchen table while still standing on all four legs. He was BIG! (Remember, I said his name was "ironic." I've sent a request to P to see if he has any pictures of Chico with me as a little kid. If I get a good one, I'll post it here.)

One day, when I was probably 8, I was walking hand-in-hand with my oldest sister, R, and one of the girls from across the street. I was on the left, and R was in the middle. We were trying to calmly catch either Chico or the neighbor-girl's dog. (Chico was chasing her dog.) We were concerned for the other dog, that if Chico caught it he might hurt it. But so far, they seemed to just be having fun.

They were running every which way throughout our front yard, into the street, and back again. They went tearing past us heading away, and then suddenly the other dog turned and headed straight toward us. At the last moment it dodged around me. But Chico was so close on its tail (and probably completely focused on its tail) that he didn't make the turn. He took me out at the legs, and didn't slow down in the least. I was face down in the grass, still holding on to R's hand. I was quite startled, but OK. But I learned: even though Chico was lovable, he was also to be feared because he was big, strong, and dumb.

So, why this long rambling story?

A few days ago there was a discussion about xenophobia versus racism. And as I thought about the difference between the two, this little story came to mind.

Xenophobia is the fear of people who are different. Racism is the hatred of people who are different, and traditionally has also included the connotation that one race is superior to another.

I in no way hated Chico, but I did fear him.

How far should you go for cheaper gas?

2008-05-07T13:28:37Z

As gas prices continue to climb, the need for the best priced gas climbs as well. So we're always on the lookout for cheaper gas. Some try to help by providing links to lists of the cheapest gas in our respective area. And that's really appreciated... especially by people who have to drive a lot, either as part of their job (like Realtors) or for other reasons (like parents with very-involved kids.)

But have you ever wondered how far it makes sense to drive in order to get that cheaper gas? What's "worth it"? If you can save 5 cents per gallon, is it worth driving across town? How about 3 miles?

Here's a little Excel worksheet I created to figure that out.

Just replace the following 4 figures (which compare the difference in price back in 2002) with your own:

The mileage you typically get in your vehicle (in the box labeled MPG - for Miles-Per-Gallon)
The average number of gallons you put in your tank (or the number of gallons you think you'll need for this fill-up.)
The price for the nearest gas station (leave off the .9 cents as that's already figured in)
The price for the cheaper gas station.

The worksheet will calculate how many miles out of your way you can drive before you get to the break-even point. If you have to drive further than that, you'll be spending more to get there than you'll save. (Remember, the total miles is the complete out-of-your-way trip you can drive. If you have to drive there and back look at the one-way miles. Any further and you'd be better off just buying from the nearby station.)

The higher the price per gallon, the less sense it makes to drive to save a few cents per gallon. Check it out for yourself!

(This also works for those who are used to dealing with the metric system - just replace the appropriate units of measure - Liters for Gallons and Kilometers for Miles.)

Upcoming Events in the Greater Orlando Area - April 9th - 13th

2008-04-09T11:22:09Z

Here are some of the upcoming events for the Greater Orlando Area - as reported by WMFE.

Wednesday, 4/9

Bay Two opens tonight at Mills Park that's a new gallery at Mills Avenue and Virginia in Orlando. The event starts at 7 and features art, music, and film.
http://www.eventsatmillspark.com/

These plays OPEN this week
THE MIRACLE WORKER at the Bay Street Theatre in Eustis
JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT at the Helen Stairs Theatre
THE DINING ROOM at the Little Theatre of New Smyrna Beach
CLUE, THE MUSICAL at Melbourne Civic Theatre
TARTUFFE by Seminole Community College

Thursday, 4/10

The Orlando Ballet School will present "Stars of Tomorrow", a program showcasing the school's emerging talent. Performances are Thursday at 7, Friday at 8 and Saturday at 2 and 8 at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center on North Orange Avenue
(407) 426-1739.

The UCF Guitar Series continues tonight at 8
http://music.ucf.edu/news_events.php

Friday, 4/11

Opening Reception Friday evening at Millenia Fine Art for painter Cicero Greathouse; his exhibit of work inspired by mandala art and Florida landscapes runs through the end of May
http://www.milleniafineart.com/cat/Orlando/The-Locations_441.aspx

And Empty Spaces Theatre presents a Becket Festival featuring 11 of Samual Beckett's short plays and Waiting for Godot. It runs April 11^th thru the 20^th plus there are free readings at locations around central florida,.
http://emptyspacestheatre.org/
Friday Nights at the Morse continues thru the end of this month tonight you can enjoy a gallery demonstration at the Morse Museum in Winter Park
http://www.morsemuseum.org/

Saturday, 4/12

The WMFE Open House Saturday from 10 until 3 there will be lots of activities for the whole family, including music performances by Stetson University's Barron String Quartet, the Apollo String Quartet from UCF, violinist Robert Kerr, The Four Aces Barbershop Quartet and a new recorder group called Consort Primavera. It's all right here at the WMFE studios on east colonial drive
http://www.wmfe.org/site/PageServer?pagename=support_openhouse
EQUIFEST is Saturday, April 12 from 10 to 5 at the Lake Helen Equestrian Center. The annual festival features champion horse demonstrations and an equine art show. It's held in conjunction with the annual Equus art exhibit at the Museum of Florida Art in DeLand
http://www.museumoffloridaart.com/.
Also on Saturday is the Taste of Oviedo from 10 until 6 - featuring local restaurants, arts & crafts and live entertainment.
http://www.tasteofoviedo.org/
Also - don't forget that The Great Public Art Challenge is coming up this afternoon from 2 to 4pm. The treasure hunt among downtown Orlando's public art offers prizes and it begins at the Orange County Administration Center on Rosaline Avenue
http://www.orangecountyfl.net/cmsdocs/dept/countyadmin/arts/greatpublicartchallengeflyer.pdf
The Space Coast Pops are performing Saturday at 2:30 at the Merritt Island First Baptist Church
321-632-7445
There's a lot of great music to enjoy this weekend. The Orlando Philharmonic performs tonight at 7 at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Oviedo and again on Monday at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center.
http://www.stlukes-oviedo.org/
http://www.orlandophil.org/
The Brevard Symphony Orchestra closes its season with a concert of Russian music tonight at the King Center in Melbourne. Plus you can meet music director Chris Confessore and musicians Sunday afternoon from 1:30 to 3:30 at the Barnes & Noble in Melbourne
http://www.brevardsymphony.com/
The Bach Festival presents Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2 tonight at 8 pm and again tomorrow at 3 in Knowles Chapel at Rollins College
http://www.bachfestivalflorida.org/

Sunday, 4/13

The Orlando Philharmonic's next Darden Family concert is tomorrow afternoon with the delightful BEETHOVEN LIVES UPSTAIRS, a story about a boy whose family has rented a room to the famous composer. Pre-concert Activities start at 2 and the concert is at 3 on Sunday.
http://www.orlandophil.org/
Central Florida Folk presents the eclectic music of Mountain Brew it's a free concert Sunday at 2:30 at Langford Park in Orlando
http://www.cffolk.org/
And The Imperial Symphony's annual cookie concert is Sunday at 3 at the Lakeland Center
http://www.imperialsymphony.org/schedule/details.asp?EventID=110

Orlando's Biggest Community Yard Sale - April 12th & 13th in Avalon Park

2008-04-08T16:56:42Z

Avalon Park is having a HUGE community yard sale this Saturday (April 12th) & Sunday (April 13th) from 8am until 2pm. There are 56 houses signed up at the moment, but probably many more will participate.

Here's a link to the official Avalon Park Community Yard Sale Website.

And here's a link to the map of all the participating yards. (It includes descriptions of the kinds of things you'll find at each home.)

Central Florida Film Fans: Film Festival Fun!

2008-03-29T06:48:31Z

March 28th through April 6th is the Florida Film Festival at the Enzian Theater in Maitland, the Regal Winter Park Village, and other related events happening around Orlando.

There are far too many films (160) to be listed here. So, for the complete schedule click here.

Chosen from approximately 1,400 submissions, the 160 films comprising this year's Festival represent works from more than 20 countries. If you enjoy watching premieres of the best in cutting-edge current cinema, this is the place to be!

What Do My Team and I DO?

2008-03-28T22:11:52Z

I've talked (probably too much) about who I am, now I want to share a bit about what I actually DO for a living.

I am a licensed Mortgage Broker, yet I prefer to refer to myself as a Mortgage Consultant. That's mostly because I find few people understand what a Broker is, and "Broker" isn't as descriptive of what I actually do.

I really do three things:

Consult, Negotiate, and Oversee Transactional Details of loans. So far, I've only worked on home loans. However our company is starting to expand into commercial loans for small to medium sized businesses. (As of right now, we are only licensed to help people with property here in Florida.)

I Consult with prospective clients - talking with them first about the details of their situation, looking at their complete financial picture - including all assets, income, debts, etc. - and then talking with them about their dreams, goals, and core values. As I get all the details I'm obviously getting to know them and what drives them. Then, combining what I've learned I start to make some suggestions of possible options that might work best for them. Sometimes their best option is to stay exactly where they are and continue doing what they're already doing. Sometimes their best option is to work on improving their current situation by paying down some existing debt or working a bit more to improve their income. In any of those cases, They benefit from knowing that buying or refinancing a home is not the wisest thing for them to do, given their current situation. And, while I get satisfaction from helping them in that way, I do not get paid for that service. The only time I get paid is if they fall into a third category - when their best option is to get a (new) mortgage to (better) fit their needs.

After the initial consultation, I Negotiate on their behalf. First with my team at First Financial of Central Florida. They have many many years of experience in this industry (approaching 100 years of combined experience) and are invaluable in terms of their knowledge of which Lenders to approach and also for creative ideas of little-known loan programs to fit particular niche market needs. Most often they'll confirm my advice, but sometimes they come up with a loan that I either haven't heard of or overlooked. And they're very helpful for tracking which Lenders are best at any given time for any given program. (Every Lender will have a slightly different rate on each of their programs. And the Lender with the best rate for any particular program will change, sometimes daily.) After confirming the best direction with my team, we then work together to negotiate with the Lender on behalf of our client to get the best rate and terms for our client's needs.

Finally, together with my team, I Oversee the Transactional Details of the loan. There are hundreds of pages of documents and a myriad of phone calls and conversations - with the Realtors, Appraiser, Processor, Title Insurance Agent, Hazard Insurance Agent, Mortgage Insurance Agent, Lender's Account Executive and Underwriter, and sometimes Contractors, Inspectors, etc. - that need to be handled to get all the details in, and lined up just right. We make sure "every i is dotted and every t is crossed."

Our goal at First Financial of Central Florida is to be the place to go to for mortgages here in central Florida where you know that we're not just honest, but truly above reproach in all our business dealings. We want our clients to have the confidence and trust in us that only comes from having no doubts about our integrity.

Do we lose some clients to unscrupulous mortgage companies who hide details or lead with loan offers that magically "change" at the closing table or just before? Undoubtedly. Our expectation is that those who have talked with us first and seen that we told them the truth - even though they thought they could do better elsewhere - will come back later to hear the truth the next time around. And while those other lenders are imploding, we're still here. I'm your honest, creative, service-oriented Mortgage Consultant for life... serving by realizing harmony.

Introducing myself - Part 3

2008-03-28T22:03:25Z

Quick recap: So far I've given you my standard introduction, which is, "I'm Dave Holzmann... your honest, creative, service-oriented Mortgage Consultant for Life - serving by realizing harmony." And I've gone into some of the detail about my Purpose Statement: "To the glory of God, I exist to serve by realizing harmony." Finally, I went back and talked a bit about how I see being "honest, creative, and service-oriented" fits in with my Purpose.

Now let's dig a little bit into what I mean by being a Consultant for Life.

First, why Consultant? Why not Salesman? What is the difference between a Consultant and a Salesperson?

A Salesperson, as I briefly mentioned in Part 2, is someone who is most interested in selling something - either a product or a service. Salespeople frequently make the mistake of having a particular product or service in mind that they want to push on a prospect and fail to ascertain whether that prospect is a) in the market for that particular kind of product/service, b) going to be best-served by that particular product/service, and c) most interested in the price or customer-service or quality associated with the product/service. I can't tell you how many times I've seen or heard a Salesperson say something like, "Have I got a DEAL for you!" before they've really talked with the prospective buyer. And what they mean by that is essentially, "My product/service is the cheapest. And if it's not, I'll make it the cheapest, or at least appear to be the cheapest." (It's that last part that most consumers are savvy to, and therefore very leery when they hear, "Have I got a DEAL for you!")

Do I sell? Absolutely. But not what will make me the most money or what is of most interest to me. No, I first seek to find out what's best for those I'm working with.

As a trusted Consultant, I first do what I can to understand my clients' current situation and long- and short-term needs and wants/desires. Then, and only then, can I effectively analyze and determine (with the help of my experienced and knowledgeable team) what will be in their best interest and make recommendations based on everything I've learned from them and what I know of the terms, conditions, benefits, and risks of the various loan programs available through the many Lenders we work with. In many cases the best advice is for them to not buy or refinance - they're doing well right where they are, or have more pressing needs that should be addressed first.

Finally, my goal is to do all this for Life.

I'm interested in improving lives, helping people experience Life, and ideally I can also do that for people for a life-time. If I can't improve lives, I don't want to continue doing what I'm doing - not in the short term, and certainly not for a life-time. As I'm able to help people experience Life I'm content to help them once or twice, and if I can continue to help them, and their friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers for a life-time, then so much the better! That's the difference between a life-sentence in jail and giving someone their Life back!

So, that's my introduction. Next blog entry I'll talk a bit about what my team and I actually do.

Introducing myself - Part 2

2008-03-28T22:00:04Z

Part 1 started with my "usual" introduction that I give when meeting people in business networking groups where I'm representing myself as a Mortgage Consultant: I'm David Holzmann... your honest, creative, service-oriented Mortgage Consultant for Life - serving by realizing harmony.

I left off Part 1 with a summary of the results of my research into the meaning of the words that seem to best describe my Purpose: To the glory of God I exist to serve by realizing harmony. (The key words there are: realizing and harmony, as those are the only two words that are unique to me and my Purpose.)

So, how do I see those two words combining and interacting and relating to various aspects of my life and in particular, my introduction?

I'm Honest.

Honesty is a requirement for true Harmony. Without it, the harmony is a false harmony which will sooner or later (usually sooner) fall apart.

Ideally, someone who claims to be honest should also have absolute integrity - being consistent in everything they say and do regardless of their circumstances or the company they're in. Someone who has absolute integrity is the same always - they don't have special times when they put on a show and other times when they "let their hair down." But I can't say I know anyone who holds to that ideal... including me. However, we all can strive for absolute integrity. And the closer we get to living integrous lives, the more peace we will all have.

Integrity is one of my highest personal core-values. Even though I still have room to grow there, it's something I hold dear. When I fail to live up to that standard it tears me up inside, and it's not uncommon for me to have serious internal battles when I have to deal with others who blatantly violate this core-value - especially when they have tried to deceive (or succeeded in deceiving) me or enticing me to violate my core-values. I have a much harder time forgiving myself than others for isolated lapses. (Yes, I'm a perfectionist - more severely with myself than others. Although others still sense my desire for everything to be perfect, and I've experienced their frustration when they think I'm as demanding of them as I am of myself even when I'm not.)

Integrity has become one of my "hot-buttons" as a result of a number of experiences. Without going into detail here and now, those experiences fall into two general categories: Home and Work.

At home (growing up) I had significant ongoing experiences of being deceived in order to get me to do things. I learned (over many many years) that I couldn't trust one particular family member despite his "reasoning", "justifications", protests, and tearful vows to change. He had studied all the communication and relationship "gurus" - but used the information and training to manipulate, not to build honest, trustworthy relationships. So his "friends" all think he's wonderful, charming, etc. And gush about how incredible it must have been to have him in my family. Incredible? Yes. Wonderful? Charming? No. They just haven't seen the manipulation... yet. And unless he allows them to get close enough, they're not likely to see the manipulation.

At work I've had several experiences over the years witnessing (and sometimes personally experiencing) deceptive tactics used in order to get a sale or push someone to take some action. And I've seen those tactics eventually come back to bite the companies. Sometimes it's resulted in the loss of a long-term client (got the short-term sale, making a "killing" but lost every sale ever after when the client realized they'd been had), the loss of reputation (similar to above, but losing not only the client who was "raped" but a whole bunch of other potential clients due to word spreading), or the loss of good employees (people who aren't willing to stick around to lie to people - they'd rather sleep at night knowing they've kept their own integrity intact than lose sleep worrying about when their lies will be found out.)

The 3 things that are most dear to me, in terms of things I value are: My relationship with God, My relationship with my wife, and My Integrity.

Despite what others say, in my opinion I'm far from perfect in any of those 3 things. But I'm always working on improving them. As soon as I think "I've arrived" I will have lost the humility and grounds for gratitude that I currently have. (That's why I have a hard time with one of my coaches who asks me how I'm doing and then objects when I respond, "Better than I deserve." She says, "NO! You deserve the best. You are an incredible person of integrity.") Just because my faults aren't obvious, that doesn't mean they don't exist. I know when I screw up, when I'm not 100% forthright in answering a question, when I'm not giving my best effort but "just enough" or a little more, when I don't have perfect self-discipline to always do what I know is the wise thing to do, etc. So I'll always have room to grow. And I want to always remember that, no matter how far I come or how good I get, there's always room for improvement and gratitude.

So, I'm honest - I tell the truth, admit when I make mistakes, and am always striving to have more and more integration between what I say and what I do both in public (which I'm pretty good at) and in private (where I sometimes struggle more than in public.) Any the more integrity I can show to myself and others, the more long-lasting harmony I can create.

I'm Creative.

Creativity has more to do with Realizing, but it also works well with Harmony.

Growing up I demonstrated creativity in musical terms. I'm a musician. My first "real" instrument was the Trombone. It wasn't my first choice of instrument, but it was my first "real" instrument. (Prior to learning to play the trombone, I had been taught the rudiments of playing a cheap plastic recorder, and I'd sung in childrens choirs.) I started playing trombone in 4th grade. Then I started to teach myself a bit of piano in 6th grade and guitar sometime around 10th or 11th grade. Later in college I picked up the electric bass. While learning those instruments I continued to sing in various choral groups both at church and in school.

When I was 13 I started to help out at church with "running" the sound system for the church services. The reason I put "running" in quotes is that I had very little control or freedom when I "ran" sound there. I was only allowed to touch 2 or 3 knobs to turn the volume of microphones up or down. (My training consisted of this short monologue: "When the Pastor gets to the pulpit, turn this knob to the pencil mark. NO MORE! And NO LESS! If it starts to squeal, turn it down just a hair. But DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING ELSE!!!") I kept helping out with sound systems, eventually moving to Florida to attend Full Sail to get an Associates degree in Recording Arts. Now I get to really run sound systems and share with others how they can be more effective in setting up and running sound systems. Often it takes extra creativity to work around circumstances - either because you don't have the ideal equipment, or the equipment you have fails, or the musicians you're working with have special needs.

For a little over a year now I've been priviledged to use my creativity in conjunction with my analytical and critical-thinking skills in the Mortgage industry. I get to help people understand both their current financial situation as well as what options are presently available to them and what they would have to do in order to open up more options. By working creatively with them I'm able to provide hope and help them get closer to the life they desire.

I'm Service-Oriented.

Service-Oriented means I'm more concerned with serving the needs of my clients than with making a sale. I'm genuinely concerned about others' needs. And I'm not interested in being a "Salesman" who does a "sales job" on people. I need to first find out what's of importance to those who have come to me before I can really serve their needs. As a result, I sometimes frustrate people because they'll ask a question that to them seems simple enough, but in reality can't be honestly answered without first getting into a lot more detail. (The most common question like that is, "What is the mortgage interest rate?" In order to answer that question honestly there's a whole bunch of other information that's necessary... including what kind of mortgage, the qualifications of the borrower, the details of the property, etc. And I like to take it at least one big step further - asking what is at the root, driving the need/desire for a mortgage.) I've found that most of those who get frustrated either aren't really all that interested, or they think they'd be best served by getting the cheapest-sounding loan available. But the cheapest-sounding loans are a huge part of the subprime-mortgage crisis we're now experiencing. I'd rather serve people who like me and trust me enough to spend the time and take the "risk" to share what's really behind their decisions to I can best serve their real long- and short-term needs. It's far more satisfying for both them and me.

I'll continue with Part 3 later... as this, once again, is getting long!