What I should be learning from Monoploy... - 09/28/07 07:36 AM
I love playing Monopoly, We have big framed prints of the Boardwalk and Park Place cards hanging at our house.  I rarely lost a game until I met my wife.  She wins every time we play!  Doesn't matter if we play classic Monopoly, or one of the many other versions of Monopoly we have like "Internet" or the Hockey version.  She wins every time.  It brings out my competitive streak in a major way.   She loves to rub it in, that Mr. Real Estate can't win.  Last week she pointed out a new version that has come out that is supposed … (4 comments)

Want to lower your home owners insurance premium? - 09/27/07 10:14 AM
Homeowners across the nation struggle with rising home owners insurance premiums.  Many are being dropped by their insurance company at renewal time just from where their house is located.  As a mortgage broker, clients will often ask for ideas on keeping your insurance premium as low as possible.  Here are some ideas we have heard will keep your premium lower.
Don’t file a claim for something small if you can help it.  Yes I know you have insurance to protect yourself, but just like car insurance once you have a claim you can face years of higher premiums.  Often paying more than the cost … (4 comments)

I just put in new windows, and a new roof... - 09/24/07 12:21 PM
Why didn't the value of my house go up because of that?  Welcome to the wild world of appraisals.
The appraisal process often baffles consumers.  As a part of any mortgage transaction the bank hires an independent person, an appraiser to let them know what the value of the property is.  That independent person completes an appraisal of the property and writes a report on one of many different standard forms.  This report will let the bank know what the house is worth, and will show how the appraiser came to that number based on comparable properties in the local market place.  … (4 comments)

Hey meet me in the elevator... - 09/22/07 09:56 PM
ActiveRain is a great place to network as we all know.  Meeting on line we get to see everyones online 30 second commercial, their profile.  But we don't get to hear how they describe their business in 30 seconds in the real world.
I'd like to share my 30 second commercial with everyone, get your thoughts on it, and hear what others have for their 30 second commercial.
Mine is, I'm Jon Sigler, the owner of HomePro Financial, LLC.  We are professionals for all your home financing needs. 
We're almost to our floor now, what is your elevator pitch? 
… (6 comments)

A reminder when working with investors - 09/22/07 09:38 PM
With everyone getting excited about FHA loans all over again, and a growing pool of foreclosures I think this is a timely reminder.
If a property is re-sold 90 days or fewer following the date of acquisition by the seller, the property is not eligible for a mortgage insured by FHA. FHA defines the seller’s date of acquisition as the date of settlement on the seller’s purchase of that property. The re-sale date is the date of execution of the sales contract by the buyer that will result in a mortgage to be insured by FHA.  This means the clock starts ticking … (5 comments)

How Many Realtors Can Change A Light? - 09/20/07 10:59 PM
A little play on the word, hopefully got your attention. 
"I Pledge to do my part to save energy and help reduce the risks of global climate change by replacing at least one light in my home with an ENERGY STAR qualified one"
It is a simple pledge, one that we can all do.  I've committed to changing one more light in my house (most of our bulbs are compact fluorescent already). This is a simple step all of us can take to save energy, save money on energy bills, and help fight global warming at the same time.Will you join me by taking … (6 comments)

Could you give up ActiveRain, or the internet for a week? - 09/20/07 11:03 AM
I'm not trying to get anyone to break of their addiction or tell them to stay away from the greatest site out there.  I know I need a 12 step program to help me here.  But I found a cool article today on how a surfing the web has become an obsession for a majority of American adults.  That many adults have given up on friends, and even "adult" activities to surf the web.
Turns out that out of the 1011 adults surveyed, just 15% would feel okay giving up the internet for a day or less, and a ful 80% said … (14 comments)

You need that in what format? - 09/20/07 08:09 AM
I found a web site today that I had to bookmark.  We have all had someone ask us for a file in this format or that format, but we have it in another format.  Maybe you have your logo in a .jpg and you need it in a .png format for that newspaper ad you are running.  Maybe you got a document in a .doc format at you can't open that at home as you only have Works, well convert all these files to the format you want or need at Zamzar.com
Want to convert that funny YouTube video so you can … (10 comments)

Did you ask these questions? Part 3 of 3 - 09/19/07 04:02 PM
So you have now turned the tables on the mortgage person.  You will quickly find the person you want and should work with.  Someone who will take good care of you, isn't in the business just to cram a loan through.  If they are willing to answer all these questions, sound intelligent, and honest, they very likely are, and would be a good choice to do your loan.  1. Can you outline the loan process to me?   What steps do I need to do?   2. What happens if my loan is not closed prior to the lock expiration? 3. I am putting 5 percent downpayment, … (0 comments)

Did you ask these questions? Part 2 of 3 - 09/19/07 08:39 AM
So now that we have started talking about asking questions of your broker on topics other than than just rate, let's keep expanding on that.  All mortgages are not created equally, that is what makes one a different price than another.  What questions should you ask to find out about different loans that are available?  And some questions to find out more about your lender him or her self.1. Is an adjustable rate mortgage a good idea for me?  Why is it or why is it not a good loan for me?1a. If it is an adjustable, when does it adjust? How much can the … (4 comments)

Did you ask these questions? Part 1 of 3 - 09/18/07 07:07 PM
"So what is your rate?" we have all heard that before.  "I just need to know your rate."
Customers don't know the questions to ask, so they think they should be asking what is your rate.  Rate isn't the only question they should be asking.  There are loads of questions that a customer should ask me a possible broker for their loan other than my rate.
So what are some good questions to ask me, other than my rate, becuse I won't answer that question for you until I know that the rate I quote you will apply to you and your situation?
1. … (4 comments)

Where did credit scores come from? A short history - 09/14/07 09:05 PM
Equifax the first of the 3 major credit reporting agencies opened for business in 1899.  In 1958 the Fair, Issac and Company started developing a credit scoring system.  The company was founded in 1956 by engineer Bill Fair and mathematician Earl Isaac, they change their name and become Fair Issac Corporation in 2003.  In 1975 they develop the first behavior scoring system to predict credit risk related to existing customers.  In 1981, "FICO" scores debut.  Something that is such a part of our lives today is just 26 years old!  Today there are many different scoring models, "FICO" scores are just … (11 comments)

End a couple of Windows annoying features - 09/13/07 07:17 AM
So I recently bought a new computer and have been configuring it like I want.  I found how to end a couple of features I find oh so annoying that I wish I know how to stop before.
The dreaded "reading layout".  You click to open a document that is attached in Outlook and it opens in a window that has no toolbars and is some crazy 2 page looking thing that has little resemblance to what the document really looks like.  This is the new default in Outllook, and is called the reading layout.  Solution in Microsoft Word, on the menu … (7 comments)

When did you find out? - 09/11/07 07:01 AM
We always remember when we heard, what we were doing, were we were.  When we heard the World Trade Center had been hit, when the Space Shuttle blew up, Regan was shot.
Where were you when you heard the Trade Center was hit?  How did you find out?  What did you do?
I was driving to work at the time, listening to the Howard Stern show.  Love him or hate him, he did offer some great coverage of the events that day with a great local perspective.  I was stunned when I heard, but it took most of the drive to the office … (8 comments)

Some Fun Firsts In Connecticut - 09/10/07 10:28 PM
Connecticut isn't the first state you think of when you think of cutting edge.  You will be surprised to find that Connecticut actually has been setting trends since it's first days.  Check out these firsts to come from Connecticut:
You won't want an over due book from back in 1656 — first municipal public library in America, a bequest to the town of New Haven.
The oldest newspaper in the country started publishing in 1764 — first newspaper, The Hartford Courant, published since October 29, 1764
How do you spell that? 1783 — first dictionary, published by Noah Webster.
Almost 200 years before … (0 comments)

Million Magnet Giveaway is for real! - 09/09/07 03:16 PM
I was visiting a Realtors office a month or so ago and saw a catalog for magnets on her desk.  I asked if I could look at it as they are something I've always wanted to send out to my past customers, but never done.  The catalog was from MagnetStreet.  I wrote down the name and checked out their web site when I got home that night.  Loads of cool different magnets from football schedules to business card like ones and just about everything I could think of in between.  They had a link on their home page for a Million … (0 comments)

The Truth About Bankruptcy - 09/08/07 07:24 AM
Some would make out bankruptcy to be an easy street to a new beginning. In reality Bankruptcy is a somewhat complex procedure, and even more so with the new bankruptcy laws that went in to effect last year, making it harder for people to abuse filing for Bankruptcy. Many people look at Bankruptcy as a “get out of jail free” card. That could not be any farther from the truth.
Let’s start with describing the two main types of consumer bankruptcies. One is “Chapter 7″, and one is referred to as “Chapter 13″, these reference their respective chapters of the bankruptcy … (0 comments)

I have errors on my credit report, now what? - 09/07/07 10:48 PM
You just found out that your credit report has an error on it.  You are not alone, many, many reports contain errors.  How do you fix this?  The first step is to write a letter to the credit bureau that has the incorrect information and ask that they investigate, and update your report accordingly.  You need to write to each bureau that has the incorrect information, writing to just one will only update that one report.
Your letter should look something like this:
Your name, address, social security number and date of birth at the top (they need this to positively … (0 comments)

The Five Factors of Credit Scoring - 09/07/07 10:26 PM
The exact recipie that makes a credit score is a tightly guarded secret for each of the credit bureaus, and they offer countless different score "models".  Each "model" will weigh each of the following slightly different.  Credit scores are generally comprised of the five factors below. Points are given or subtracted for each component, and the higher score the better. The factors are listed below in order of importance and generally accepted percentages which they factor into a credit score.
YOUR PAYMENT HISTORY − 35% IMPACTPaying bills on time and in full has the greatest positive impact of all on your … (2 comments)

Bristol, CT - 09/05/07 10:39 PM
Bristol is located in central Connecticut, approximately 20 miles west of Hartford.  According to 2000 Census, Bristol's  population is 60,062, and is the 11th. largest city in Connecticut.  It is approximately 26.8 square miles.   Bristol is steeped in both tradition and history. It was the nation's headquarters of the clock and watch industry, a leader in brass (hence the nickname "Bell City"), and a booming mill town which today is a stable residential community.  Bristol has beautiful landscaped parks,  as well as an architectural heritage (see the many homes on Federal Hill).  With this strong connection to the past, Bristol has one of the largest number of … (0 comments)