For Newbies Only: So Why Are We Blogging Anyhow? - 06/29/09 01:33 PM
I took a little heat last week about a post that complained about the HVCC appraisal process.  "Hey," said the email, "you didn't answer my comment."
Here's the reason for that:  (It took a little time for it to percolate in the old brain.)
I'm a newbie.  I've only been in the lending business since 2003.  My relative inexperience is one reason that I'm so active on Active Rain.  I learn from colleagues who have been at this for decades, and I appreciate them for their knowledge and willingness to share it with people like you and me.
Prior to April, … (18 comments)

Speechless Sunday: The Appalachian Trail... - 06/28/09 09:57 PM

I don't know that I've ever been moved to post for Speechless Sunday.  Sometimes, though, there truly is nothing to say... 
See the rest of the photos of these birds on my post:
Babies On The Golf Course at Santa Rita: Can You Identify Them?
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I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender. Call me if I can help you with a purchase or refi mortgage; (520) 349-9090
Photo copyright Mike in Tucson
… (24 comments)

Babies On The Golf Course at Santa Rita: Can You Identify Them? - 06/28/09 09:06 AM

Donte' Ormsby and I played 18 holes of golf yesterday at the Santa Rita Golf Course south of Tucson, AZ.  We had intended to play only nine holes, but you know how that goes.
These two young hawks were roosting in a pine tree on the 18th hole.  I have a few birding books, but try as I might, I haven't been able to identify them. 
I got a view of the back of the hawk when one flew into a sycamore tree.  The tail is barred, and it's underside has the same creamy yellow that you see on the … (18 comments)

Saturday Night Signoff: Dos Lagos Reflection at Dove Mountain, Marana, AZ - 06/27/09 11:53 PM

Sometimes the most peaceful view at sunset is found looking away from the sun.  That was the case this evening in Dove Mountain, Marana, AZ.
I hope your week was successful, and that you had a chance to vege just a little today.  Enjoy the view.
 ___________________
I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender. Call me if I can help you with a purchase or refi mortgage; (520) 349-9090
Photo copyright Mike in Tucson
… (12 comments)

Living In The Desert Is Cool. I'm Cereus! - 06/23/09 12:29 AM

The cactus doesn't attract one bit of attention...  until it blooms.  Google "night blooming cereus," and you'll find a community of ardent admirers of the plant, some utterly magnificent photographs, and reams and reams of print.
We're fortunate to see them in the wild here in Tucson.  This one bloomed along a riding trail in Catalina State Park, just north of Tucson, AZ, in the shadow of Pusch Ridge.
 ___________________
I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender. Call me if I can help you with a purchase or refi mortgage; (520) 349-9090
Photo copyright Mike in … (15 comments)

Tick Tock, Tick Tock... Inflation Will Make You Wish You Had Bought When Interest Rates Were At 6%. - 06/22/09 11:11 AM
June 10th, 2009 marked the highest yield for the 10 Year Treasury bond is the past eight months.  That yield was 3.9%.  What that means for the would-be homeowner is rising interest rates for a 30 year mortgage.  The average 30 year mortgage rate for the week ending June 18th was 5.625%.  That's wonderful from a historic perspective, but not so great for buyers who could have had an interest rate as low as 4.5% only two weeks earlier. 
Buyers are confused as go whether rates will come down again, and have decided to adopt a wait-and-see attitude.  That's not surprising, … (15 comments)

Silly Saturday Night Post: Cool! You've Got A Web Browser! - 06/20/09 11:37 PM

She turned 10 three days ago.  This morning my grand daughter and I drove to the Pusch Ridge Stables in Catalina State Park for her first ride.
The drive took 45 minutes, and on the way, she asked to see my Blackberry.  The next ten minutes were a monologue to no one in particular, emanating from the little one in the back seat.
"Cool!  You have a web browser!"  "I wonder if I can get to my email on Verizon.net?"  "Whoa!  That's fast."  "Let's see what other applications you have on this thing..."  "A bunch."  "Grandpa, did you know you … (28 comments)

Life in Arizona's Green Desert: Tucson Mountain Sanctuary & Tucson Estates II - 06/19/09 12:47 AM

The mountains that seems to be floating in the backround are the Santa Rita Mountains, part of the Coronado National Forest.  The Santa Ritas form the Tucson valley's southern boundary.  You're looking southeast with me from my vantage point along the David Yetman trail in the Tucson mountains.
In the photo above, the cities of Tucson and South Tucson lie to your left.  You wouldn't be able to see either city, however, or hear the sound of cars and trucks on Interstate 10, because the Tucson Mountains intervene (photo on right.)
Nestled in the foothills of the Tucson Mountains are … (10 comments)

Outdoor Art in Tucson: Singing Coyote - 06/18/09 01:01 AM

This steel coyote sings from his perch on a fencepost along open range west of Tucson, Arizona.  Whimsical art such as this is one of the joys of living in Tucson.  You'll see artwork in the most unlikely places. 
Stare at the coyote for too long, and the ears and nose seem to trade places.  One moment, he's howling at the sunset with his nose up.  The next, he's got his head down, mouth closed, and he's staring right at you.
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I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender. Call me if I can help you with … (25 comments)

Wildfire On A Sacred Mountain: Baboquivari, Southwest of Tucson, AZ (2 of 2) - 06/17/09 05:15 AM
The company is named "Ironwood Hotshots."  That's one of their crew trucks to the left, coming out of Brown Canyon with a crew of tired, hungry firefighters.
As of 7:00 this evening (Tuesday) the Elkhorn Fire has grown to 17,000 acres, and is 35% contained.
Approximately 215 firefighters have been deployed from around the state, according to a report by Judy Wood, spokesperson for the Arizona State Forestry Division.
The Baboquivari (bab-oh-kee-VAR'-ee) Peak Wilderness area is rugged mountainous terrain. Helicopters have been used today to start grass fires on the ridges, which then burn slowly downhill through the grass and underbrush. 
… (15 comments)

Wildfire On A Sacred Mountain: Baboquivari, Southwest of Tucson, AZ (1 of 2) - 06/15/09 12:31 AM


They're calling it the Elkhorn Fire.
What you can't see above (because it's directly behind that smoke plume) is the distinctive sharks' tooth shape of Baboquivari.  The mountain peak is sacred to the Tohono O'Odham Indian Nation.
You can see it more clearly in the photo on the right, at the very top of the photo.
The fire started yesterday, and is believed to have been caused by people. 
By seven last night, crews from as far north as Chandler, AZ were working out of a base camp near the entrance to the Elkhorn Ranch.
Last night, I drove … (25 comments)

Just Another Tasty Morsel - 06/12/09 11:45 PM

Photography allows the viewer to decend to a level of detail that's difficult to share in any other way.  Walking through our neighborhood, you might look over at this cactus from twenty or thirty feet and perhaps comment on the color of the flower. 
Close up, the magnificent structure of the petals, the stamens and the pistil becomes evident. 
Evidently not everyone is as impressed as I was.
A night visitor (javelina or mule deer) chowed down on this delectable morsel (above,) undoing all the reproductive work of my cactus, its flower and our honeybees. 
The cactus will have the … (26 comments)

Challenges Come in Many Forms: Closing a Loan in Central America - 06/12/09 06:22 AM
"It's always something," as Grandma used to say.  We're refinancing a home for clients, and the new appraisal process has been a nightmare for all concerned.  We got past that, however, and we're getting ready to draw docs for closing.
Things have taken weeks longer than expected with the new federally mandated blind appraisal process, and as of yesterday, my clients are on vacation in Belize, something they scheduled a year ago.
Never heard of Belize?  It used to be British Honduras.  I know, that probably doesn't help a lot either.  The little country is situated on the southeast side of … (15 comments)

One of AR's Good Guys - Mike in Tucson - 06/11/09 01:12 PM
Talk about tooting my own horn--reblogging Cynthia Tighlman's "thank you" for the brownies! 
Seriously, I want you all to know what a great job Send Out Cards does for me, and Cynthia's photo shows what a wonderful greeting card you can create for under one American dollar!  (Plus a stamp.)
I'd love to give you a personal Gift Account if you like.  Call me or email through AR.
Send Out Cards is to the greeting card industry what Netflix is to the movie rental business.  It's just a better way.
Mike in Tucson
Via Cynthia Tilghman, Realtor® Onslow County NC Home … (12 comments)

Nightfall in the Tucson Mountains: Blue Saguaro - 06/10/09 01:04 AM

Sunset tonight (June 9, 2009) was spectacular, first with yellows, then shades of orange and pink.  As the sun sank below the horizon, pinks deepened to impossible reds, and then it was over for another twenty four hours. 
Couples who had come to Gates Pass to watch the spectacle sat a little while longer, enjoying the moment with each other.  Two by two, they found their way off the mountain and back to the parking lot at the foot of the pass.  Lights came on, engines started up, and they left.
But the sky wasn't through showing off.  Tonight, my … (29 comments)

Networking Successfully: The Sonoran Desert Bald Chicken - 06/08/09 10:08 PM
That's a Sonoran Desert Bald Chicken. 
(I know.  When you think "bald" you think "eagle.")
Bald eagles get all the press--what my friend Colonel Carson calls "NatGeo moments." It's true; when was the last time you saw a bird like this one in National Geographic?
On the other hand, when was the last time you saw a fish-eating eagle reading a self-help book?
This particular Bald Chicken's a nearsighted hen.  Hens and roosters are easy to tell apart:  the rooster of the species has a much larger comb on it's head, and the wattles on each side of the rooster's neck … (15 comments)

Bookmark This Post For The Next Time You Think You Can't - 06/08/09 05:07 PM
My friend Kevin Wood lives and breathes golf.  He shared this video with me.  It's my pleasure to share it with you.  It's the most encouraging story I've encountered this year.
Block out ten minutes. Take the phone off the hook.  When it's over, bookmark it. 
Come back the next time your client bolts, and you feel like quitting the industry. 
Come back to it when that loan you were counting on is denied by the lender. 
Come back to it when your personal life takes an unexpected turn south. 
Come back to it when your broker announces that the … (21 comments)

Silly Saturday Night Post: Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place - 06/08/09 05:31 AM
Every once in awhile I'm lucky enough to get a photograph that perfectly illustrates the kind of predicament life can serve up.
This box turtle was doing just fine lumbering along in four wheel drive until she topped that last branch and ended up tail down between a rock and a hard place.
Box turtles are famous for pulling in their head and appendages and "clamming up."
This one didn't do that.  She seemed to know that she needed help from outside that pretty shell, and she just waited until I picked her up and set her down again.
Off she … (65 comments)

Networking Is Like Love: Leave Something to be Discovered - 06/03/09 05:08 AM


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The mind is such that it loves discovery.  Even in nature, things have a mystery and attraction when they're only partially revealed--the sun behind the mountains, the moon behind the blooming saguaro. 
"When can we get together again?" asks the mind.  "I think I'd like to know more."
You're familiar with how this works when courting.  (There's an old-fashioned term that needs reviving!)
Business networking relationships between REALTORS and Lenders take root in a similar fashion.  There's a tendency (especially for men, … (33 comments)

 
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Mike Jones

Mike Jones NMLS 223495

Tucson, AZ

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SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC (BK-0907366, NMLS 145171)

Address: 2840 E Skyline Dr, Suite #230, Tucson, AZ, 85718

Office Phone: (520) 344-6943

Cell Phone: (520) 349-9090

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