Tucson AZ Home Loan Info

What's Working for Me? BNI, a Structured Environment for the Development & Exchange of Quality Business Referrals

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:36:49 -0500

This is a tough market. I want to know what works, and when I find that, I want to implement what I've found. In my BNI chapter, I've found Acres of Diamonds.

BNI (Business Networking International) offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and most importantly, business referrals.

I've been a BNI member in Tucson for more than three years. My fellow chapter members are my extended sales force. They know my business, they trust me, and they're confident that when they refer me, I'll make them look good by taking great care of their clients.

BNI's sole purpose is to provide a structured environment for the development and exchange of quality business referrals.

Tucson's Diamond Chapter meets from 7:00 a.m. until 8:30 every Thursday morning. Only one business person per category may join a chapter. Once you're a member, your competitors are locked out as long as you remain a member in good standing.

So who do we have in our BNI Diamond Chapter? These people have kept me in business with their referrals:

Our Residential Real Estate agent and Active Rain blogger, Kevin Wood.
Our Home Inspector, Patrick Dunleavy.
Our Title & Escrow Officer, Karen Batiste.
Our Loan Officer (yours truly)
Our Automotive Salesperson, Robert Boettcher.
Our Legal Services Provider, Eugene Carter.
Our Real Estate Appraiser, Kent Maas.
Our Telecommunications Products Salesperson, Rick McGee.
Our Automotive Repair Genius, Dawson Peck.
Our Promotional Products Business Owner, Bob Schoolman.
Our Health and Wellness Guru, Pat Shafer.
Our Property & Casualty Insurance Agent, David Wilson.
Our Financial Advisor/Consultant, Ben Goldberg.

We're still growing our chapter. Referrals start reaching critical mass at around 20 members. We are looking to fill the following categories immediately:

An Estate Planning/Trust Attorney
A Family Law Attorney
A Business Coach
A Graphic Designer
A Business/Commercial Insurance Agent
A Web Designer
A Certified Public Accountant
A Life Insurance Agent
and if you don't see your category listed, and you're serious about growing your business through referrals, we'll add your business category!

Notice that many of the categories in this referral network correspond directly with Active Rain member types. Just as has happened with the growth of the Active Rain Real Estate Network, the growth of a BNI referral chapter takes on a life of its own when it reaches critical mass. This can work for you in your community!

As with Active Rain, you will have people who are dynamic and goal driven, and others who start, blog a little, complain that it didn't work, and lose interest. They go off to find the next silver bullet. If you live in Tucson, and you're the former, I'm interested in having a cup of coffee. Call me.

The BNI Diamond Chapter meets Thursdays from 7 to 8:30am at:
The Comfort Inn & Suites
7007 E. Tanque Verde Road, Tucson, AZ 85715
Click here for directions

Call me--Mike Jones--at (520) 349-9090 for an introduction.

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

Two Intra-Day Price Improvements!

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:22:30 -0500

The market was down pretty significantly today, but that's not all that drove the price of bonds up, and interest rates down!

The 10 year bond, which started the day at 4.12%, ended the day at 4% even. Twelve basis points is a significant move.

Some of our lenders improved loan pricing twice today! Why did that happen? There was a lot of money betting the other way, and people were scrambling to cover their positions and cut their losses.

Long story short? Better mortgage pricing in the short term. Don't expect it to last.

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

chart courtesy of Bloomberg.com

Philadelphia Fed Governor Plosser: "Rates Going Up As Housing Prices Go Down"

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:16:03 -0500

It would seem counter-intuitive. Housing prices are falling, but interest rates have to go up.

Charles Plosser, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank, expressed his concerns about broad based inflation. He sees the current low discount rate as an accomodation to a political situation which is not really a banking concern, and wants to raise interest rates to stave off inflation.

He's not the first to express a concern that politics is creeping into the Federal Reserve System.

The article on the right was published in the year 1922, less than eight years after the formation of the Federal Reserve System.

"Recently, members of congress have been endeavoring to inject politics into it by efforts to control its discount rate..."

It makes for interesting reading.

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

article copyright the New York Times

Mortgage Lenders and REALTORS: Hang Tough. There's Blue Sky Above.

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:42:50 -0500

Stormy skies are the norm in Tucson, Arizona right now. It happens every year during the monsoon season. The streets and washes flood, and a few idiots decide to risk driving through the water, even though common sense tells them not to. Signs tell them to turn around. In they go, confident that their car will successfully navigate the rushing water.

The ones that die try to stay in the car under the mistaken belief that somehow they can control the floating vehicle.

It's a tragedy that happens every year, regardless of laws passed and public education via the media. Some years are worse than others.

The real estate market is a little bit like our monsoon season. It has its ups and downs, and there's no doubt some pain and tragedy associated the cycle. Folks who made bad decisions are finding that the consequences were not at all what they expected.

That's unfortunate (in the dictionary sense of that often misused word.)

Hang tough! It will turn around soon enough, and there's blue sky above.

Before you hammer me about being unfeeling, please know that I was foreclosed and bankrupt during the cycle that occured in the late 80's and early 90's. I understand the consequences of biting off more than I can chew.

"Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing, that we see, too late, the one that is opening." A.G. Bell

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

REALTOR Toolbox: Maximum Seller Buy Down Explained

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:40:12 -0500

Ann Heitland (Flagstaff, AZ) asked a question a few days ago about the meaning of "maximum seller buy down," and I answered in a comment on her blog post.

I'd like to give the topic wider exposure; you'll be a hero to your sellers if you can offer them this often-overlooked qualifying tool for potential buyers.

Here's what I said:

The seller can contribute towards the buyer's purchase. The maximum amount the seller can contribute is 6% of the purchase price (or of the appraised value, whichever is less.) This contribution can be used in several ways, one of which is the subject of Ann's post. Ways all or part of this money can be used:

Seller Buy Down of the Buyer's Interest Rate: The seller may pay the lending institution discount points (each point is 1% of the mortgage loan amount) in order to buy down the buyer's interest rate. This is a much more attractive way of qualifying the buyer than dumping the sales price!

Consider the following scenario:

Purchase Price: $250,000 (this would buy a double wide in Flagstaff, I think, but this is just for demonstration purposes)

Downpayment: 20%, or $50,000.

Conventional Conforming Loan Amount: $200,000. at today's rate of 6.25%, 30 years fixed.

Payment (P/I): $1,231.43

Maximum Buydown Rate: 5.75% fixed, 30 years (SunTrust Bank, today's (7/14) rate sheet, at a cost of 1.716%, or $3,432.)

Payment at the buydown rate (P/I): $1,167.15

Let's say that this amount ($1,168) is the maximum payment the buyer can qualify for, and say further that the buyer really wants this house. The cost to the seller is $3,432.

Dropping the price to qualify the buyer: If the seller wasn't aware that he/she could buy down the mortgage for the borrower, and the seller is willing to drop the purchase price to the point where the buyer's payment (80% mortgage, 20% downpayment) reaches $1,168, the sales price would have to drop by $12,500. in order to get the mortgage payment down to this level. Your commission would drop considerably too!

Another way a willing seller can gift money to make the transaction work:

FHA: There is a required 3% contribution by the buyer. Seller can gift this money through a DPA (downpayment assistance) program such as Nehemiah or Ameridream. If the seller gifts the maximum amount allowed (6%) the other three percent will pay for all, or nearly all of the buyer's closing costs. FHA used to prohibit certain fees being paid by the seller, but that has all changed, and the sole prohibition has to do with a certain fee (tax service fee) that is never over $75.00.

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

"Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing, that we see, too late, the one that is opening." A.G. Bell

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:57:28 -0500

Wachovia is suspending its whosale lending, according to an article on Bloomberg today.

Should I worry as a mortgage broker? Nope!

It was a busy day, full of marketing for the month of August, and it wasn't until my Account Exec from Vertice (American Mortgage Network before Wachovia bought it) broadcast an email saying that the subsidiary is not in trouble, that I began to wonder. Shakespeare's line was "Methinks thee protesteth too much."

Vertice won't be far behind. The conventional banking wisdom is shifting towards the view that mortgage brokers are unnecessary. That's my prediction. Am I worried? Nope!

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

Saturday Night in the Desert: Cactus Moon Rising

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 23:43:11 -0500

It's late on Saturday night, and I'm finishing up my Active Rain week.

This almost full moon was rising over Bren, (one of the named peaks in the Tucson Mountain range,) Wednesday evening when it caught my eye.

I was on my way home from work, and for most of the drive up to Gates Pass, the moon was hidden.

Just as I reached the desert floor on the west side of the pass, I looked over my shoulder, and there she was.

Countless love poems have been written, and songs too, about the moon.

Have a great day tomorrow, and I'll be seeing you in the Rain!

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

What Me Worry? You'll Kick Yourself Next Year if You Don't Buy Your Home Now. Here's Why...

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 23:07:51 -0500

Now THAT's a worried look. Mom's holding her more than two feet away, but little India (born 2/29) is clearly concerned. I wonder if those long pointy things remind her of her pediatrician? She puts me in mind of most homebuyers in the current real estate market.

Today's news trumpets the highest rate of inflation for commodities in 27 years.

Citigroup said Friday that home prices could continue to fall for another two years.

And yet I'll make a prediction: If you're wanting to buy a home, and you don't do it before the Presidential Election, you'll kick yourself next year.

Here's why:

1. Interest Rates for home purchases (conventional conforming rates) are still near historic lows, but they will NOT stay there.

2. The Federal Reserve will be forced to raise interest rates to bolster the weak dollar and put the brakes on inflation. This will happen before the end of the year, and once rates start climbing, they won't plateau until 30 year fixed rates reach 8%.

Look at the numbers for a $300,000 purchase today with an 80% mortgage ($240,000) at 6.5%:

Monthly Payment (P/I): $1,517.
Interest over the life of the loan: $306,107

Let's say you wait until next February, and Citibank is right. The same house might be purchased for $275,000. Interest rates, though, are at 7.5%. The 80% mortgage is only $220,000, however!

Monthly Payment (P/I): $1,538.
Interest over the life of the loan: $333,778

The downside risk of buying a home today in a falling market is mitigated by the still-available low interest rates fixed for 30 years. The risk of waiting for the market to bottom is that inflation and higher interest rates will make that same house less affordable even at a lower price.

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

photo copyright Aaron Johnson

Think of Your Network Development as Deep Roots for Tough Times

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:01:47 -0500

Monsoon season brings life to the desert regions of the southwest, and the resulting color is nothing short of spectacular.

I don't water this particular plant in my back yard. It greens up some during the winter rains, but then goes dormant in the triple digit temperatures of June. You would swear the plant had died.

One or two rainstorms into July, it sprouts green. Encouraged by several more days with thunderstorms, the plant once again thrives, bursting with reds, yellows and oranges.

The flowers are decorated with the flash of tiny hummingbirds making themselves fat on nectar. It's a metaphor for our real-estate related businesses. Put down deep roots, and you'll survive the downturns. Expand your root system, and when the good times come back, you'll not only be a spectacular success, you'll provide new life for the businesses around you that have come to depend on your success.

Who do you know in business in Tucson who needs a little encouragement? Send them my way.

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

The Recipe for Success? Implement First. Refine Later.

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:36:43 -0500

WOW! Are you getting weary in your business? Thinking of slowing up on the blogging thing because it takes so much time? Here's a shot of adrenalin!

Dana Lim, agent with Allstate here in Tucson, joined Active Rain yesterday. She and I talked about the exceptional value of visibility through the blogging model set up by Active Rain, and she got it! Like nearly 100,000 people before her, Dana joined the Active Rain Real Estate Network.

Unlike the vast majority, she implemented before she had all her ducks in a row.

This afternoon, just one day old on AR, Dana is the #1 Featured Insurance Broker / Agent in Tucson, Arizona. Expand the window to Pima County, and Dana is # 1 there as well. By this time next month, she'll be #1 in the State of Arizona.

Teaching is where I started my career. Every once in a blue moon, a student will come along whose work makes the teacher reassess their curriculum.

In sales, whether we're talking Real Estate, Lending, Insurance or any other commission driven occupation, there's no substitute for implementation. Here's my definition of implementation: Do it. Do it now. Keep what works for you. Then improve, refine, and do it again.

Dana is one of those rare people who actually does this. She's the student who made me stop and look at myself today, and reassess my own business.

Today, Dana Lim signed up two new Rainers. One is a Loan Officer, and the other is a REALTOR. She gave them my cellphone number and told them to call me if they had questions because she might not have the answer. (She knows I'll help.)

DANA GETS IT!

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

Two New AR Recruits in One Day! Say Hi to Dana Lim of Tucson, AZ

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:07:36 -0500

This has been an enjoyable day in the RAIN! I've had the privelege of introducing two new members, both of whom have posted their very first time on Active Rain.

Dana is an experienced blogger, and you'll enjoy her outside blog. You'll need to go over there to get the link, but believe me, you'll be glad you did.

Dana is an Allstate agent, but her real love is educating foster families for the Humane Society.

Please click here to read her first post and welcome Dana to our awesome community of Real Estate bloggers.

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

We Just Keep Getting More Californians in Tucson. This One's a Winner!

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:35:53 -0500

I refer business to an Allstate Agency in my building, and stopped up to talk with one of the agents I work with.

While I was there, I met Kellie Pillors, whose picture doesn't do her justice! She is a whirlwind of smiling energy, and we hit it off immediately.

Kellie is a REALTOR from Los Angeles, and has chosen to make her home here in Tucson.

She's just signed up with Active Rain, and I'm happy to be able to introduce her to you. Please go make her welcome!

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

Home, Home on the Ridge. Tucson, Arizona

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:59:16 -0500

Driving up towards Gates Pass along Gates Pass Road, you might never know that this home sits there.

It's perched on the ridge of the Tucson Mountains, overlooking the valley to the west, and Tucson to the east.

I've never been to the home; access is from the eastern flank of the Tucson Mountains, and it's gated.

But I look at it each time I drive Kinney Road to Gates Pass Road, on my way over the pass to Tucson.

It has to be the most spectacular location for a home in all of Tucson. Sitting as high as it does on the west side of the city, it sees the sunrise before anyone in the east valley below has that pleasure. And last thing at night, it watches the glow of sunset long after the west valley is draped in the shadows of dusk.

Here's a closer view. The Saguaro is pointing up to its lofty location. One of these days, I want to see this home for myself.

Who knows? Maybe the owner will read my blog post and call me.

Stranger things have happened.

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

Live Venomous Critters at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum in Tucson, AZ (2 of 2)

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:41:34 -0500

Your REALTOR may or may not inform you about our desert critters here in Tucson. We live in a neighborhood called Tucson Estates II, and it is surrounded by Tucson Mountain Park, which in turn abuts Saguaro National Park West, in the Tucson Mountains on Tucson's western flank. Just down Kinney road a couple of miles from us is the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum. Google it. It's fantastic.

It doesn't look like it from this photo, but docent making the presentation to an audience of better than 200 people last Saturday night is holding this rattlesnake four feet from his body. If you ask me, that's not enough distance.

I don't think I was the only one in the audience wondering what critter nailed him under the eye, but no one asked. The black and white stripes on the tail just before the rattle identify this as a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. It's four feet long. The longest verified in modern times was just a little more than seven feet long.

Rattlesnakes come in 18 different varieties in Arizona, according to our friend. They're all venomous. And venom doesn't stop with the rattlers. Not even with the snakes. This lizard below is one of two venomous lizards found in Arizona. It's the Gila (hee-la) Monster.

They're not very fast. One and one-half miles per hour is top speed. But when they bite you, they hang on for dear life until they calm down. They're not calm unless they're on terra firma. There's the problem.

One man walked into the ER at St. Mary's hospital here in Tucson with a Gila Monster firmly attached to his chest. Somehow he thought it would be cool if he picked it up and put it in his shirt. I can imagine him saying to his buddy: "Here, hold my beer and don't spill it." "Okay, get a picture of this!" He survived.

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

Live Venomous Critters at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum in Tucson, AZ (1 of 2)

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:21:39 -0500

Saturday night entertainment. My Darlin' and I were on the very front row. My choice. She's a saint. The venue was an auditorium at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum, just down Kinney Road from our neighborhood, Tucson Estates II.

The two speakers for the evening came walking down the auditorium aisle carrying boxes with holes in the sides and padlocks on the top. The tops are painted bright red. They house desert creatures who can put a hurting on you if you're not careful.

To give you an idea about the size of the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake here, consider that the folding table is 48" side to side.

The Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum is one of my favorite places on earth. They don't just display animals. They educate us about them. Nothing that I thought I knew about treating snakebite turned out to be true. None of it! And I thought I knew a thing or two.

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

Xeriscaping: Think of it as Green Gardening

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:05:55 -0500

This lovely cactus is located on a side of my house (west) which has almost no windows.

I planted it to enhance someone else's view. Our neighbors had invited us for dinner, and I happened to stand at their kitchen window, which looks across their yard at my blank west wall. The view had nothing to recommend it.

My Darlin' and neighbor Donna were talking on the ramada, while Dick and I were making coffee.

"Donna," I called, "your neighbors haven't given you much to look at from your kitchen window. I'll have to see what I can do about that."

That's how this little xeriscape garden came to be. The desert is not devoid of either color or beauty. Here's proof!

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

Tucson's Jim Hogan Is Invited to Sing for President Bush!

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:17:48 -0500

Jim won't like this photo, but that's him on the right, practicing one of his numbers with the rest of us. Jim's a phenomenal lyricist and singer.

He called me this morning to let me know that he's been invited along with some others (none pictured here) to sing for President George Bush when he comes to Tucson soon.

The president will be helping raise funds for Tim Bee, who's running for congress.

Jim didn't say anything about tag-alongs, so I'll have to see what's going on on KVOA-TV, Channel 4.

We're pretty proud!

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

Active Rain Blogging Visibility Lands Me a Spot on KVOA.com, KVOA News 4, Tucson

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:25:15 -0500

Back in March I wrote a post titled Mike in Tucson Becomes the "Comment Nazi," Gives Orders to Brave Commenters. LOL It's members only, so if you can't see the post, sign up and come on back.) This was my point:

We need to MAKE the news, and stop reacting to it. Your local paper likely has a section for local news. In the Arizona Daily Star, it's called TUCSON & REGION. It's the section that is most likely to be looking for content.

Find that section, read the articles, and make it a point to get to know the reporters who are writing there. Just like your blog, they need interesting content. Who better than Active Rain's Army of bloggers?

My Active Rain blog attracted the attention of a staff member at KVOA Channel 4 TV. Long story short, Mike in Tucson is now a featured contributor on KVOA.com's home page under the heading "Your Money."

Thank you, Active Rain, readers, bloggers, and especially to each of you who subscribe to my blog!

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Tucson Architecture: Benedictine Sanctuary (2 of 2)

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:01:36 -0500

The Roman Catholic Church is responsible for some of the most beautiful architecture in the southwest. It started with Father Kino in the late 1700s, and the San Xavier Mission.

The Benedictine Sanctuary on Country Club Road fits right into a later chapter of Tucson's history, and to my mind, is just as distinctive.

South of Speedway, it lies on the boundary of the Sam Hughes neighborhood.

I've never stopped in, though I pass it nearly every day.

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

Tucson Architecture: Benedictine Sanctuary (1 of 2)

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:49:57 -0500

Driving home from the office tonight, I had to pull over, get out, and snap a photo of the architecture that graces Country Club Road in Tucson.

The setting sun painted the Benedictine Sanctuary tower, and created the beginnings of a rainbow in the background.

I stayed for 15 minutes, hoping to capture a full-blown rainbow, but it never materialized.

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

Going Green: Living With Nature in the Sonoran Desert

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:53:28 -0500

The Arizona-Sonoran Desert is my home, and it's the home of one of our favorite desert plants.

It's called Ocotillo, and its long, thin stems studded with thorns make it the perfect poor man's fencing material.

The interesting thing is that when the cut end touches the ground, the Ocotillo sends out roots, and establishes itself once more as a living plant.

Ocotillo becomes a living fence!

Now that's what I call "going green!"

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

Free Is Good: Hold a Seminar at your Local Library

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:35:30 -0500

It wasn't my idea, but I'm glad to piggyback on it.

An appraiser here in Tucson held a seminar for loan officers on a non-lending topic. I got an invitation, and showed up at 6:30.

I haven't been to a public library for ages. Imagine my surprise when I found out that use of the meeting room (they have several) is free to members.

I joined up! Free is good anytime, but right now, free is fantastic!

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

July 4th in Tucson: Thank God and Our Armed Services for Freedom

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:26:25 -0500

A fleet of airships sits silent in the desert tonight, waiting to be deployed for duty as needed.

On this Independence day, I'm thankful for the freedom I enjoy as a citizen of the United States of America.

That's it. Thank you, God, and thank you to each and every service member wherever you are this evening. God bless you. God bless America.

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

Mike in Tucson's Monsoon Gift Offer!

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:22:44 -0500

Doesn't this cast a different light on the phrase "Active Rain?" This is my favorite time of year in Tucson, Arizona.

Clouds build and boil, the sky darkens, lightning flashes across the sky, and the desert soaks up the precious rain!

I thought I'd share my favorite (so far) cloud photo with you.

If you'd like a printed photo, email me through Active Rain with your snail mail address, and I'll send you a 5x7 glossy. First class mail! (Why? Because you're here reading, and the rest of them aren't!) I appreciate my readers!

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.

photo copyright Mike in Tucson

REALTORS: Do You Participate in Your Town Government?

Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:20:26 -0500

Local government, and the decisions they make, go a long way toward making a home salable. Here's a perfect example from Oro Valley, a town near Tucson, Arizona.

This bench (banco) would make a fine addition to any million dollar home in the Sonoran Desert.

It's a bus stop!

The town fathers of Oro Valley were thinking beyond utilitarian when they okayed this project.

The high wall behind the bench shades the people waiting to catch the bus. The water fountain provides a drink of cool water on a hot day.

Think of the last bus stop you saw in your town. Does it hold a candle to this? I'd love to see more Active Rainers running for local office. Who better than you to make your home town attractive to home buyers?

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.

Think of me as your local expert.