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mortgage lender: Collecting Moonbeams in the Tucson Mountains - 03/10/09 11:59 PM
I was walking late this evening as the moon rose over Cat Mountain. At first, it's bright white orb was all I could see. Then, as the moon climbed higher in the sky, inky black cloud edges caught the silver moonbeams, making the invisible visible. The beauty of the cloud structure was there all the time; I just couldn't see it.
There are lessons to be learned when we least expect to find them, if only we will stop quietly once in awhile to look up. (Tuition is free.)
I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.Think of … (22 comments)
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mortgage lender: It's Time For Some Campaigning! LOL - 08/28/08 02:12 PM
I don't know about you, but I'm dog tired of this political season. Seems like the season has dragged on for two years or so. So... Enjoy a little Jib Jab!
Make your own at www.jibjab.com
I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.Think of me as your politico. Or not. LOL
… (14 comments)
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mortgage lender: Saturday Night in the Desert: It's All in the Perspective - 07/26/08 11:52 PM
No Photoshopping here.
No trick photography.
No outside help from another human being.
Can you guess how this photo was taken? The photographer had no outside help, nor was anyone else within a quarter mile of him.
This photograph has captured my imagination this week. It's a self portrait!
How in the world did he get this shot?
I know, but I'm not telling (yet.)
I want to see the world from God's perspective. That's what the photo reminds me of when I think of my own life.
Am I doing the right thing? Am I making a difference?
When you … (78 comments)
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mortgage lender: Tucson's Version of the Hot Dog: Sonoran! - 05/10/08 11:55 PM
"So," I asked little Galilea at my favorite roadside hot dog stand here in the Tucson Mountains, "Do you run the business while your Daddy makes the hot dogs?"
"No," she grinned. "Actually, I pretty much don't do anything." Not true. She's the salesperson. Galilea claps her hands and smiles when cars pull up. You can't ignore her, and you will buy one or two sonoran style hot dogs.
If you're reading this from Chicago, you're pretty smug about Italian Beef Chicago Style. You have reason to be--Chicago style hot dogs used to be my favorite when I was National Sales … (16 comments)
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mortgage lender: Local Expresso Entrepreneurs Battle Starbucks and Thrive - 05/10/08 11:37 PM
Starbucks Coffee is getting gray around the temples. It's beginning to show its age, so to speak.
Once the local Starbucks stores reached the saturation point, we began to see Starbucks kiosks in the local grocery chains.
How big can you get before you've saturated your market?
New competitors with great coffee, magnificent customer service, and well-planned business models are beginning to sprout in Tucson.
I'm drawn to the newcomers. They're what Starbucks used to be--friendly and customer focused.
Starbucks is beginning to suffer from the WalMart syndrome.
I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender.Think of me as … (9 comments)
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mortgage lender: Long Skinny House Update 1. Spec Home in Tucson 170' Long, 9' Wide - 05/10/08 10:01 AM
Motorhomes (with their slide-out rooms and awnings) are wider than this Tucson, AZ spec house!
Back in January 2008, I wrote a post about this unique home when it was first under construction. Here's the link: Long Skinny House. 170' long. 9' wide.
What you see here on the left of the photo is the carport. Half the car will be under roof in the shade (from noon on) the the other half will be at the mercy of the elements.
The builder is working under Tucson'sl aid back "mañana" type of scheduling. The first listing agent has been canned after about six months, and the new … (19 comments)
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mortgage lender: Mortgage Pricing Is Out of Whack! - 03/10/08 10:38 PM
This was a devastating day for the stock markets, so I expected to see the rate (yield) on the 10 year bond fall. I wasn't disappointed. Take a look at where the market ended the day, courtesy of Bloomberg.
I'm going to pick on one of my favorite lenders, SunTrust, although every bank is looking to fatten their coffers just like Suntrust is doing today. Over on your left is their pricing for Monday, March 10, 2008. It came out early in the day.
For the past week and a half, every time the bond market hiccuped, banks re-priced. Immediately. Some banks repriced … (17 comments)
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mortgage lender: Countrywide's Portfolio of Loans is the Ugly Duckling... - 03/03/08 08:52 PM
...with little hope of becoming a beautiful swan. While companies like AmNet (American Mortgage Network) were busy originating 100% loans in the form of 80/20s and Pick-a-Pays, it was Countrywide who was buying and servicing the loans.
That portfolio, a beautiful swan in 2005, has become the industry's biggest ugly duckling. Late payments on option ARMs, according to today's Wall Street Journal, are increasing in the lender's portfolio, as are mortgage lates in conventional A-paper loans and subprime loans in the portfolio.
According to it's annual filing with the SEC, Countrywide said that 71% of it's borrowers with Option ARM mortgages were making the minimal (less … (24 comments)
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mortgage lender: Tucson Arizona Relocation Package - 02/29/08 02:45 PM
Please think of me as your preferred mortgage lender and Relocation Consultant. I'll work closely with you and your real estate agent or REALTOR. Not many people have the privelege of knowing a town like I know Tucson.
You see, in a previous life as National Sales Manager for an international manufacturing company based in Moorestown, NJ, I was given the following marching orders:
We want you to move out west when you take this position. Where you move is up to you. Choose a city west of the Mississippi in North America, with access to a major airport, and we'll pay … (23 comments)
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mortgage lender: Pool Safety for Infants and Toddlers: Infant Swimming Resource - 02/28/08 03:21 PM
Some time ago, I attended a funeral for a 5 year old who drowned while visiting family in Manahawkin, NJ. It was one of the most difficult things I've ever experienced, and the tragedy is that it didn't have to happen. Look at this amazing video of 11 month old Miles, and you may want to rethink the closing gift you'll give to your next client who buys a house with a pool.
The infant you just saw, little Miles, was trained by an ISR certified instructor. He's now four years old. Click here to see the rest of his story.
If you're relocating … (11 comments)
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mortgage lender: If You're Walking Through Hell, Don't Stop. - 02/24/08 04:46 AM
From a distance of only ten feet, entrance to the courtyard beyond seemed a formidable task. Impossible.A fools errand, this. The high sunwashed adobe wall and the great iron throw-bolt seemed to say "go away."
I almost did just that. No one, after all, was expecting me, and see? The gate is barred, padlocked. I nearly turned away.
The journey had been long, the day hot, and I was tired. Now I was discouraged as well. Yet I took another step forward, toward the locked gate, and saw that it was not locked at all. With ease, I slid the bolt and entered my intended destination, thankful … (38 comments)
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mortgage lender: Inside NAR Political Contributions: A Major Shift From Right to Left? - 02/18/08 12:08 AM
The 3rd largest contributor to political campaigns (per http://www.opensecrets.org/) is the National Association of REALTORS®. Since the 1996 election cycle, NAR contributions to Democrat candidates have increased in every cycle. This cycle, it's exponential. For the first time in a long time, giving to Dems will surpass 50%.
Here are the numbers.
Granted, we are still relatively early in this cycle, and the numbers could even out, but I'll bet they don't.
I wonder if it has something to do with the real estate bust?
I don't have an answer, but contributions/NAR support seems to be on hold until we have a clear choice of candidates. … (31 comments)
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mortgage lender: "Daddy, Make Him Stop!" Why Uncle Sam Isn't the Answer in a Free Market - 02/15/08 12:55 PM
Where is uncle Sam? Why isn't he watching this [short sales] and have control on it? Why allow the lending institution to do whatever they feel like giving crazy mortgages or short sales why is it up to them?
This question was posted by a young woman (a real estate agent) bemoaning the effect of short sales on property values in her neck of the woods. Since liberty is a lot higher on my flagpole than property values, I'd like to answer her question.
Uncle Sam doesn't have control because we don't want him to be our Daddy. He's not any smarter than Uncle Kim in North Korea, … (85 comments)
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mortgage lender: Yes I Can! Inspiration from Patrick Henry Hughes - 02/15/08 12:22 PM
I get discouraged from time to time. Don't you? A client's home underappraised last week, and the loan was denied. I let discouragement creep in. I didn't stop at the denial, however, and found a way to get it done. I was pretty proud of myself.
And then I met Patrick Henry Hughes and his extraordinary Dad by way of an email. How blessed I am to have made his acquaintance. It puts my little problems in a different perspective. Are you discouraged with some part of your real estate life? Is your mortgage business running in the red from month to month like mine?
Then please … (7 comments)
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mortgage lender: Late Night Rain: Who's Minding the Store? - 01/30/08 04:28 AM
2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 30, 2008: While 68,657 of you are asleep in your beds, 25 of us are cruising your blogs, looking for inspiration, encouragement, insight, and laughs. 12 are insane enough to have clicked the little button that lets others see when we're online. (For Newbies, it's under Settings on your home page.)
Here's what I found: (and if you can't read a post from my list, it's Members Only. Active Rain is free. Just join up!)
Inspiration: Judi Barrett, (OK) wrote The Way That We Treat People Has Nothing … (32 comments)
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mortgage lender: For My Newbie Friend, Kevin Wood, Listing Agent and Active Rain Member - 01/21/08 11:15 PM
This is for Kevin Wood, (Active Rain Newbie,) and Jeff Turner, two people who need to do business together. The listing in the Real Estate Show I've created below is Kevin's; I lifted his photos off MLS and created it for him, with his permission.
IMHO, Real Estate Shows is just fantastic. Active Rain's Jeff Turner (respres) is the genius behind it. Jeff gives Active Rain members a $25. discount. I'm trying to get Kevin to do two things:
Get serious about Active Rain blogging, (since I'm the guy who invited him, LOL) andSign up for Real Estate Shows. Central Tucson w / … (22 comments)
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mortgage lender: Broken Priority: When "Free and Clear" Isn't Good Enough for the Bank - 01/20/08 06:55 AM
The retired couple sitting in my office were incredulous. They had:
photos, architect drawn plans, and a loan denial letter from a local bank. "We own the property free and clear," said the husband. "We bought it as is, and we also bought the rights to the plans."
He was a builder from out of state who knew a good deal when he saw one. The couple had paid $95,000 for one acre of property with a partially built home.
The work that had been completed to date was sound. (My photo illustrates the situation; this is not their home.)
"I don't understand … (33 comments)
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mortgage lender: Sign of the Times: Plead My Case for Fraud - 01/19/08 06:34 AM
High visibility, low cost per view. Intersections are a great place to advertise.
The usual fare is a cardboard box advertising a yard sale. This wasn't your usual sign. This one got my attention.
Target market: A good lawyer. Incentive to call? Up to half a million dollars if you win the case.
What will you bet that the lawsuit advertised in this busy Tucson, AZ intersection involves real estate? I didn't call, so I don't know.
But if it does, the list of defendentants likely includes a realty company, a real estate agent, a mortgage company, and a loan officer. More than ever, the real estate … (37 comments)
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mortgage lender: Rent! You Can Always Buy Later for Less! - 01/14/08 10:19 AM
I'm going out on a limb here. I was just watching NBC's Today show, and the talking head was being interviewed about the wisdom of renting versus buying.
"Much better to rent right now than to buy," he said. "The price of housing is still going down. It will cost you less to rent the same house than to buy it, and you'll be able to buy it in the future for less than today's price." He's dead wrong!
As a buyer, please know that there are problems with the talking head's assessment.
You can't rent from month to month, waiting for just … (39 comments)
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mortgage lender: Got History? Put Some Steam In Real Estate - 01/02/08 11:31 PM
It says CASE on the left hand side of the boiler. Don't call it a tractor. The Case company called it a Steam Traction Machine.
This one was made somewhere between 1892 and 1920. The owner could have told me, but he wasn't home.
I took the photo in Lower Bank, NJ, across the street from a little white church my Darlin' and I visited with her parents.
The Traction Machine ran on steam, and could burn coal, wood and straw. By 1920, you could add a modification which would let it burn oil.
Depending on the model, these behemoths weighed in around 20,000 pounds before … (17 comments)
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Mike Jones
Mike Jones NMLS 223495
Tucson,
AZ
More about me…
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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