Tucson AZ Home Loan Info

Busy As A Bee In Tucson, Arizona

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:37:08 -0600

Sales are picking up in Tucson for single family homes under $240,000. AR REALTOR Kevin Wood had a buyer referred by a business source from our BNI Chapter. I stopped by Kevin's office (Realty Executives of Southern Arizona on Kolb) but Kevin hadn't yet arrived.

It was early morning, and I had my camera, so I looked for something to photograph.

This is the time of year we love best here in the Old Pueblo. Daytime high in the 80s, nights down in the 60s. Flowers are in bloom, and the entrance to Realty Executives sported these purple flowers.

One lonesome bee (it isn't a honeybee) was checking me out, hovering like a helicopter six or eight feet away, darting off, and then coming back to the same spot.

I'm thinking the infra-red autofocus was in a spectrum he could see, because each time I focused the camera on him, he did an about-face and showed me his backside. LOL

Still, I was happy with the result. The bees are busy, and so are REALTORS and lenders in Tucson, AZ.

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

photos copyright Mike in Tucson

1980 Business Card Photo Challenge... Who's Brave Enough?

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:56:20 -0600

My Darlin' says I have a lot of nerve posting this photo.

It's me. Thirty years ago in upstate New York...

Do you still have a business card photo from that ancient date?
Are you brave enough to endure the LMAO's?
Would ANYONE you know in the Rain be able to put your "today" photo together with your 1980 photo?

Oh, I know there are those out there who haven't changed the glamour photo on your business card in the last decade. Some of you are right here in Tucson, working for... Well, never mind. I'd only get in trouble.

Anyhow, those of you who were in diapers in 1980 needn't comment. Let's hear from those who were born before 1960.

Don't be shy. And please do upload a photo. Tell us where you were when it was taken. LOL!

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

Western Heritage Event: Arizona Cowboy Symposium, Sonoita, Arizona

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:21:49 -0600

The Arizona Cowboy Symposium, "a western heritage event that preserves the tradition, heritage and memories of the rural American West," is coming to the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds November 13-15, 2009.

Supporters of The Arizona Cowboy Symposium include Southwest Strings right here in Tucson, purveyor of quality instruments & accessories at exceptional prices, and Larrivee Guitars, beautifully crafted guitars endorsed by Doc Stovall.

If (like me) you're fortunate enough to attend, here's what awaits us:

30 Western Acts on 4 stages
Western Trade Show
Western Swing Dances Friday and Saturday nights at 7:00 p.m.
Antique Car Show
Chili Cookoff

The Mission

The mission of the Arizona Cowboy Symposium Association is to perpetuate and preserve the heritage and values of the Old West and the American Cowboy, by producing the Arizona Cowboy Symposium, a western heritage event, and any other event that promotes and preserves the tradition, heritage, and memories of the rural American West.

These events will bring to the public the art, music, prose and poetry of the American Cowboy and his legacy.

Through our endeavors [we will] establish and support the Brielle Boisvert Scholarship Fund for students who wish to continue their studies in music, literature or rural agricultural endeavors including, but not limited to, veterinarian science and ranch management and operation.

I expect to be there! I'm hoping to see you.

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, and I blog here on the Active Rain Real Estate Network just about every day.

I'm an internet-based mortgage lender who happens to reside in Tucson, Arizona. Read my blog, and get to know me. The internet allows me to perform at the highest level of trust and productivity for clients anywhere in the world.
At the moment, we're completing purchase loans in less than 30 days for US Citizens in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Click the Active Rain link below to see my guarantee of service.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC
a correspondent banker
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

Some Of My Favorite Cons Show Up on Halloween!

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:29:52 -0500

I opened escrow for one of my FSBO clients yesterday at Stewart Title & Trust of Tucson, 3131 East Broadway Blvd.

Imagine my surprise when I pulled into the parking lot and found that the inmates had taken over the facility!

I looked around to see if maybe Sherrif Joe Arpaio from Maricopa (the man of pink-underwear-for-inmates fame) had come to Pima County, but I didn't see him.

These two inmates were not in the least camera-shy. (Unusual for inmates...)

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

Desert Dwellers: Costa's Hummingbird At My Kitchen Window

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:18:49 -0500

Some mornings it's downright hard to go to work. This 3" male Costa's hummingbird can be pretty demanding, sitting on the tip of an Octopus Agave, glaring at the kitchen window, just waiting for his feeder to be filled.

That's not the expression of patience. He knows who's in charge, and it's not me.

Perhaps if I were shooting the photos with 35 mm film, I'd be more disciplined. After all, each shot with film costs money. That's the beauty of digital photography. I can keep on taking pictures as long as he will oblige by sticking around. Too bad that I have a day job as a mortgage guy...

But we funded a VA purchase today, and my borrowers enjoy birds too. They have a kitchen of their own now, with mountain views and as many as 20 different kinds of hummingbirds to attract.

Isn't life good!

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

Jersey Devil, Headless Horseman, Stalking Saguaro...

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:54:09 -0500

New Jersey has tales of the "Jersey Devil." New England's "Headless Horseman," from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, is famous for his pursuit of Ichabod Crane.

Our Halloween monster, the Stalking Saguaro of the Desert, wanders the edges of Tucson's desert, frequenting lonely stretches in search of little children wearing costumes and carrying pillowcases filled with candy...

Parents: Don't leave your children alone tonight near the desert's edge.

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

Side Effects of Blogging On Active Rain

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:01:45 -0500

"Put together a Bio and we'll feature & sell your photography." WOWSERS! A dream come true!

The Relationship: This is an Active Rain success story that started when a couple in Tennessee decided to relocate to Tucson.

My phone rang, and a woman asked about qualifying for a mortgage to purchase a home. Charissa had found me "on the internet." (Thanks, Active Rain. This is the only place she would have found me.) "I read your blog," she said, "and you seem like someone I can trust." (Thanks again, Active Rain.)

We accomplished Charissa's goal of prequalification, and during the process I asked if she had a REALTOR relationship in Tucson.

She did not, and was open to a referral. I referred her to (who else?) an Active Rainer! (Thanks for making me a value-added lender, Active Rain!)

Charissa's husband Lee, a furniture designer for more than 20 years, met the owner of BAKER'S FINE FURNISHINGS (2303 East Grant Road, Tucson, AZ) at a furniture show back east.

One thing led to another, and Lee accepted a design position at Tucson's premier furniture store, Baker's Fine Furnishings.

Long story short, Lee & Charissa are now Tucson homeowners and friends with both their REALTOR and their lender.

The Marketing: You Rainers are a most encouraging community of creative bloggers.

Joan Mirantz in NH has commented more than once that I've missed my calling. (I guess that's why I've never been asked to do a loan for one of her clients...)

Virginia's Lenn Harley has used at least two of my photos as the inspiration for her oil paintings. (So far, I haven't been able to get her to part with one.)

I put together a portfolio, framed five or six photos, and went to see Lee Goodrum, designer at Baker's Fine Furnishings. And there's the bio up top.

Moral of the story: It pays to use Active Rain as more than a platform for listings.

Interaction is the key to widening circles of influence in social media. The most unexpected blessings come about when we bloggers interact with one another on the Active Rain Real Estate Network!

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

photos copyright Mike in Tucson

Vacation Home Rentals: It Can Be Downright Spooky In The Desert At Night...

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:28:15 -0500

I looked out the sliding glass door, and these two eyes glowed at me out of the darkness.

Grab the camera.

Camera out of the case.

Flash on. ISO Sensitivity, 800.

The eyes disappeared, leaving only inky blackness. Had it left? Perhaps it only looked away?

Sneak the sliding door open quietly.

Step out on the ramada.

Camera on.

The eyes appeared again out of the darkness, immobile, fixed on me.

Zoom in on the subject. Flash!

This mule deer doe was munching on my neighbor's rosebush. She wasn't spooked by the flash nearly as much as I was spooked by those glowing eyes!

Tucson Estates 2 is perfect for a short term fall or winter vacation. Located up against Tucson Mountain Park's 140,000 acres of accessible wilderness, we are visited by the most magnificent desert dwellers.

Short term rental of furnished single family homes can be available for much less than the price of a resort, and hey... You already know someone in the neighborhood.

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, and I blog here on the Active Rain Real Estate Network just about every day.

I'm an internet based mortgage lender who happens to reside in Tucson, Arizona. Read my blog, and get to know me. The internet allows me to perform at the highest level of trust and productivity for clients anywhere in the world. At the moment, we're completing purchase loans in less than 30 days for US Citizens in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Click the Active Rain link below to see my guarantee of service.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC
a correspondent banker
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

For Newbies Only: You Can Do It!

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:43:28 -0500

You CAN do it! I did, and I was just as much a Newbie as you are now when I found the Active Rain Real Estate Network a couple of years ago. My first post found its way onto this site in July of 2007.

Since that time, I've blogged consistently, week in and week out, except for one month while my Darlin' was laid up. It's the consistency, more than anything else, that's taken me to the top of Arizona's 5,880 + bloggers in the Rain.

You CAN do it! What you can't do is give up. Someone I signed up told me they were quitting this week, after less than three months in the Rain. That made me think about my own experience with Active Rain.

It took four months of blogging before I got my first referral that turned into a closed transaction.
It took another three months before a second referral put money in my pocket.

By the end of my first year blogging on Active Rain, I noticed a change in my business.
People who would have never known me found me because I blog consistently on Active Rain.

Here's what I do: (1) I take a photo, and save it to my computer. When I run out of ideas on subject matter, my photo folder never lets me down. It gives me an idea. (2) I turn the idea into a story, and post it on Active Rain. (3) I answer my phone when it rings. (EDIT: Here's a perfect example.)

Here are a few stories about how that's working out:

March, 2008. My phone rang, and someone I had never met, whose REALTOR wanted him to get pre-approved with HER lender, was on the line. He was laughing, and he begged me not to hang up, because (he said) this wasn't a prank phone call. "I'm on the internet looking for a lender in Tucson, and everywhere I look, I'm finding you, and these stories you write." He hired me as his lender, and the home he bought had a contract price of $940,000.
September, 2008. My phone rang, and the woman on the other end had sold her home out of state and had taken a job in Tucson. She wanted to buy a home, and went to the internet to see who she wanted to use for the mortgage. "I found your blog, and you seem like someone I can trust." We pre-approved her, and referred her to a REALTOR who sends me business.
October, 2008. My phone rang. The person on the other end found me on the internet...
January, 2009. My first "out-of-town" REALTOR referral came about when the REALTOR called me and asked "Can you do loans outside of Tucson?" My response: "I can do loans out of the country!"

Half of my business now comes from first, second and third generation referrals that I can tie back to the Active Rain Real Estate Network members, and people who accidentally find my blog.

The key word, dear Newbie, is "consistently."

You can DO it! Blog consistently, and a wide audience will come to know you and trust you. Write what's on your heart. You don't have to write tutorials or really bright stuff. (I'm not all that bright.) I am, however, very competent at my job as a lender, and I'm trustworthy. You won't find the words "competent" and "trustworthy" in my posts, because saying so don't make it so. Trust takes time, and it comes from the reader, not from the blogger.

This post is getting wordy, so I'll quit.

One last takeaway? You CAN do it! Need help or encouragement? Email me. I'll find time for you.

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, and I blog here on the Active Rain Real Estate Network just about every day.

Click the Active Rain link below to see my guarantee of service.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC
a correspondent banker
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

Cougar. Mountain Lion. Tigre'. Whatever You Call Her, You're Going To Like This Zoo.

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:21:10 -0500

Cougar. Mountain Lion. Tigre'. The Indians I grew up with in Suriname, South America never saw one of these North American cats. The one they feared was the Jaguar. They called it "Kai Kwi."

Don't come to Tucson without visiting the Arizona - Sonora Desert Museum. It's one of the world's ten best zoos. This magnificent cat isn't cooped up in a 20 x 20 cage with a concrete floor. She's the beneficiary of some of the most forward thinking zookeepers on the planet.

My Darlin' and I live six miles from the "Desert Museum." Most of that six miles consists of Tucson Mountain Park (surrounding our little neighborhood of Tucson Estates II) and Saguaro National Park West.

Talk about blessed! Come visit, and let us share it with you. If you like it here, I know some great REALTORS, and we can talk about a mortgage... I'm good at that.

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, and I blog here on the Active Rain Real Estate Network just about every day.

Click the Active Rain link below to see my guarantee of service.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC
a correspondent banker
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

Change Coming for USDA Loan Approvals

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:11:41 -0500

There is a mandate coming down soon from the United States Department of Agriculture in regard to their Rural Development loans.

USDA loan approvals (whether direct or guaranteed) will require that the borrower meet the 29/41 debt ratios in order for the loan to be approved. There will be no exceptions.

The reason? USDA is 100% financing, and the default rate on these loans is increasing. People with higher debt ratios that 29/41 are by far the greatest percentage of these defaults.

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, and I blog here on the Active Rain Real Estate Network just about every day.

Click the Active Rain link below to see my guarantee of service.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC
a correspondent banker
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

Wordless Wednesday: Gila Woodpecker on Saguaro

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:18:43 -0500

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, and I blog here on the Active Rain Real Estate Network just about every day.

Click the Active Rain link below to see my guarantee of service.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC
a correspondent banker
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

Wordless Wednesday: Eat Here & Get Gas

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:54:10 -0500

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, and I blog here on the Active Rain Real Estate Network just about every day.

Click the Active Rain link below to see my guarantee of service.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC
a correspondent banker
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

White Dove of the Desert: San Xavier Mission, Tucson, AZ

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:30:47 -0500

It's called the White Dove of the desert. San Xavier del Bac Mission, just south of Tucson, Arizona is one of the oldest continuously used structures in the West. I believe it's the oldest continually used Catholic Church in the United States. Construction began in 1783, and the mission was completed in 1797.

This Sunday evening, Ginny and I drove to San Xavier del Bac at sunset to share its beauty with you. Thanks for stopping by; come back soon.

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

Silly Saturday Night Post: Halloween's Coming To the Desert...

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:03:11 -0500

The composition of the photo says "Halloween" to me. I was hiking in the desert this evening at sunset, and came upon this abandoned structure. The roof is gone, but most of the structure is still standing.

I shot several photos, and when I got back to the computer and downloaded them, this one stood out. Can ghosts and goblins be far away? I don't think so...

Thanks for stopping by; have a great weekend!

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

Bovine Seminar: First You've Got To Get Their Attention

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:19:06 -0500

The first rule for a successful seminar? Find out what your desired audience is interested in, and then place yourself squarely in their sights. It has to be all about THEM.

Darlin' and I were driving down the road on vacation in Canada when this wonderfully visual illustration presented itself. The bull was on one side of the road, and the heifers on the other.

You know me; I just had to stop and capture the moment with my camera. I stood in the middle of the road between the two audiences.

Edit: Village of Lions Head, Bruce Peninsula, Ontario, Canada

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

photos copyright Mike in Tucson

Ancient Bloggers: More On The Petroglyphs At Saguaro National Park West

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:01:22 -0500

I'm fascinated by these petroglyphs. So much so, in fact, that you may be getting bored with them if you're a long time reader of my blog. (This is the fourth or fifth post in the last month centered around these ancient drawings in stone.)

The Active Rain Real Estate Network facilitates communication between business people across North America. In a short span of time, we communicate across vast geographical divides, often more than 1,000 miles.

This rock represents just the opposite. In a limited geographical location, it communicates across aeons of time, perhaps more than 1,000 years.

There's something in the human soul that wants to communicate with others.

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

Another Tool In Your Blog Toolbox: Photoshop's Artistic Filters

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:44:37 -0500

An old mentor (now deceased) told me that images should engage the mind in order to make advertising memorable. I want my readers to remember Tucson, even if you've never been here.

For a millenium at least, indigenous people as well as johnny-come-latelys have watched the full moon rise over these granite boulders in what is now Saguaro National Park West.

To give the photo a sense of mystery, and to capture your imagination, I used Photoshop's Artistic Filters to manipulate the image. It's easy, and it's fun.

Look at that rising moon. Can't you hear the coyotes yipping and howling behind you? It seems as if there's not another person on the planet, and the stars that paint the Milky Way are so close you can touch them.

Fall and winter are two of Tucson's most inviting seasons. Plan to come visit and get away from the cold and the dreariness of more northern climes.

Call me; I'd love to be your tour guide to the most interesting place on earth.

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

Friday's Photo: A Living Statue In My Backyard!

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:32:18 -0500

My folks lived in Clavarack, New York for three decades. When I'd go visit them, I got used to seeing concrete statues of deer people had placed in their front yards.

I never understood the desire to do that. I'd much rather have my back yard graced by the presence of living, breathing statues from time to time.

This lady of the desert graced us with her presence this morning at 6:45 a.m.

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

Value Added For Your Home: Don Ross of Tucson, Arizona is an Artist In Steel

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:28:22 -0500

Don Ross is the owner of Designs In Steel, a Tucson company that designs, fabricates, and installs some of the coolest functional art you've ever seen.

Quiet, unassuming, and tremendously competent, he's just the kind of person you want to hire to create a blend of beauty and functionality for your home.

REALTORS are often asked what improvements add value to a home, and then the followup question: "What improvements will bring a return on my investment?" Don's creations are the answer to that second question.

Look at the double arched doors to the right. Created from native mesquite, Saguaro ribs, and steel, they are a thing of beauty in their own right. Set into an exterior courtyard wall, I have no doubt they will inspire comments from passers by. They "say" something exceptional about the home.

This Monday, Don will be installing custom railings for a local Tucson artist at her home. The design is a collaboration between Don and his client. He's invited me to come take pictures of the installation.

I'll share them with you if you don't tell any one. Be sure to stop back.

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

Looking Ahead: What Does The Rise In Gold Prices Mean For Your Real Estate Business?

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:31:01 -0500

What does the rise in gold prices mean for your real estate business?

You're a real estate agent. You've survived thus far in one of the most difficult periods in the real estate industry since the word REALTOR was trademarked back in 1950. Many of your colleagues have left the industry because they couldn't or didn't foresee the need to pare back expenses and find ways to continue to sell houses.

You're a survivor, and would have reason to be proud of that fact if only you had time to reflect. You don't, though, because this market eats up every second of your time, and you're scrambling to stay upright while the world you knew so well is shifting beneath your feet.

What does the rise in gold prices mean for your real estate business?

You don't have time to look at the commodities market. You're in real estate, after all. But that shift that's taking place requires your attention. Step back for a moment. Look at the bigger picture.

As the Federal Reserve prints more dollars, the value of those dollars declines. Supply and demand, just like the price of the homes you're selling. Increased supply of homes for sale (and the supply of bank owned homes continues to flood the market) means lower prices, and for the moment, interest rates are low too. You might be tempted to think that your business has actually hit a sweet spot. Avoid that temptation.

What does the rise in gold prices mean for your real estate business?

It means your business is about to change dramatically yet again, and perhaps sooner rather than later.

Gold futures hit a record high yesterday, briefly touching $1,049.70 an ounce. It's expected to go higher. And here's the takeaway: the price of gold forecasts inflation. It runs up before the inflation hits. In 1980, after a four year runup in the price of gold to more than $873, per ounce, inflation hit an annualized rate of nearly 15%. I remember it well, as I was a real estate developer at the time.

That 80's market took me bankrupt at age 41. One year prior, I had a net worth in real estate of $4 million, with debt of $1 million. I wasn't prepared.

Here's a list of the things I'm doing, courtesy of CrisisTimes.com, to make sure my business survives this next twelve months:

JOIN ME! We live in exciting times, and there's an abundance of opportunity.

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

photo courtesy flickr /andrew in coins

Speechless Sunday Sunset, Tucson, Arizona

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:05:01 -0500

This was this evening on my way home. It's a quiet drive up Gates Pass Road. And then, 10 minutes later...

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

Desert Critters: Pack Rats Will Nest In Your Car's Engine!

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:14:52 -0500

We denizens of the southwest often refer to ourselves as "Desert Rats." I didn't think much about that until this week, when I had to park my Explorer down the street because our homeowners association was resurfacing our streets.

The next morning I walked down to my car (parked next to an unimproved lot opening on to the desert,) opened the door, and turned the key.

Thump! Rattle! Shake! It seemed like the entire dashboard was vibrating. I turned off the AC, and the vibration stopped. Not good.

I rolled down the windows and went to my first appointment.

It turned out that a pack rat had decided to nest in my engine. Somehow, it had made its way into the duct work of the heater/air conditioner.

It had gotten trapped in the "squirrel cage," the air handler that moves the air. When I turned on the car, his goose was cooked.

24 hours elapsed before I could get to my friend, mechanic, and client Jim Canifax of Auto World of Tucson.

Jim's concern, as he took apart the motor and air handler under the dash, was "What sort of critter is trapped in there?"

He's removed live snakes from similar situations. Rattlesnakes!

Fortunately, this was just one dead pack rat. And oowwh, did it stink!

Auto World of Tucson

maps.google.com

2411 W Wetmore Rd
Tucson, AZ 85705-2018
(520) 888-3520
Get directions

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

Social Networking: The Joys of Being A Microcelebrity

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 06:02:42 -0500

For you night owls...

I haven't done much in the last four days on Active Rain, and yesterday I started receiving emails to my AR home page asking if everything is all right.

It is. Thanks for asking! Too much work, and not enough time to get it all done...

Your emails made me reflect about the concrete relationships that come about as a result of social networking, and what a joy it is to know that I'm missed by friends I have yet to meet.

That thought woke me up. (I try to listen to things that wake me up.)

'Nuff said. It's four in the morning, and I have to go back to bed.

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I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender. Pinal County, too.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know
with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

Money Magazine Rates Pinal County Arizona #1 In Job Growth for the Nation!

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:22:53 -0500

Pinal County, AZ is #1 in job growth for the nation, according to Money Magazine.

You never heard of Pinal County, AZ? Think again. You likely know something about Pinal County without having learned the name. It's the county just north of Tucson, and it's home to:

Bioshpere 2, the 3.5 acre glass-enclosed science research center in Oracle, AZ
Picacho Peak, site of the westerly-most battle of the Civil War back in 1862. The battle is re-enacted at Picacho Peak State Park every year in March.
Copper Creek, one of twenty ghost towns scattered around Pinal County that you can visit.
The Florence Coke Ovens. Florence is the county seat. The coke ovens have nothing to do with carbonated beverage or illegal drugs.

Pinal County has an Open Space & Trails Master Plan. Check it out. Approximately 50% of the county is comprised of:

State Trust Lands
National Forest
State & County Parks
Wilderness Area

Combine all that recreational potential with the fact that Money Magazine rates Pinal County #1 in job growth for the nation, and you just might want to dig a little deeper. Call me. I'm never too busy to talk with you.

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