How do you define trust?

Webster says: Reliance, faith.  Custody.  Monopolistic combination...

Trust plays such an important role in every aspect of our lives.

I rely on my gut - OFTEN... if it ties itself up in a knot - it is my trust radar going off. It has served me well over the years in both business and life. It is a safe bet that our clients have their own radar/barometer they rely on as well.

In our industry we are typically dealing with the largest single transaction in our clients lives. There are few places where trust would be more important from a business point of view. I believe this is the major reason that the number one reason a client chooses a Loan officer, or a Realtor is "Referral"  That trust aspect is a priceless piece of our business, you cant make it. You can only Earn it.

How do we earn trust?  Our reputations, the single most important and valuable piece of our business. Every client should be treated as family. Treated the way we personally would expect to be treated.  How often have you had a bad experience when shopping for a service?  Have you returned to be bitten again?  I hope not! Any business needs to prove they deserve trust, and that is not hard to do on the easy deal.  How you handle the difficult deal is what will make or break you.

I personally feel my reputation is more important than any single transaction... The word "NO" is one of the simplest words in the English language, yet many sales people are scared to use it.  It is OK to say NO... People deserve the truth, and will appreciate the truth.

Every client is a long term relationship. Managing expectations, keeping the lines of communication open, returning calls with both good and bad news PROMPTLY... This is just the tip of the iceberg to building trust. If you say you will call, CALL.  If you say you can do something, you better do it! It is also important to remember that it is OK to say: I don't know.. We cant know everything, but part of being a professional is admitting that and knowing who to call or where to find the information.. PROVIDING you remember to call back once you find the answer.  I have even called back saying: I still don't have the answer, my go-to guy/gal is in a meeting, so it is going to take more time than anticipated.  That is so much better than a knee jerk WRONG answer!

Balance in life is everything, so never burn that bridge.. Keep that reputation sparkling at home as well, our family is more important than anything else yet we often take them for granted. If my wife reads this she will quickly remind me that I have been guilty of this, and if you are reading this Sue- I promise to try harder at home as well!

How does trust factor into your business and personal life?

This post is a submission to the ActiveRain / Adobe EchoSign Trust Contest. I could possibly win a prize. You can find out about the contest by clicking here

Have a great week!

Rob

Robert Rauf

Mortgage Loan Originator

NMLS ID# 248937

http://robertrauf.remn.com/Default.aspx or my blog: http://activerain.com/blogs/rrauf

(732)557-6920 x102

RRauf@REMN.com

Since 1987 I have been helping my clients fulfill their dream of home ownership!

Real Estate Mortgage Network Inc.

 Real Estate Mortgage Network, Inc. is located at 16 Madison Avenue, Building 2 Suite 2D Toms River, NJ 08753. NMLS #6521. New Jersey Licensed Lender and Mortgage Banker #L041053. Visit www.REMN.com for more information.

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Summer with her Poodle Cousins at Christmas..

Rob

Robert Rauf

Mortgage Loan Originator

NMLS ID# 248937

http://robertrauf.remn.com/Default.aspx or my blog: http://activerain.com/blogs/rrauf

(732)557-6920 x102

RRauf@REMN.com

Since 1987 I have been helping my clients fulfill their dream of home ownership!

Real Estate Mortgage Network Inc.

 Real Estate Mortgage Network, Inc. is located at 16 Madison Avenue, Building 2 Suite 2D Toms River, NJ 08753. NMLS #6521. New Jersey Licensed Lender and Mortgage Banker #L041053. Visit www.REMN.com for more information.

NJ Mortgages, New Jersey Mortgages, Mortgages in NJ, mortgage in New Jersey, Mortgages in New Jersey, Toms River NJ 08753, Toms River NJ 08755, Brick NJ 08723, Brick NJ 08724 Mortgages in Ocean County NJ, Mortgages in Monmouth County NJ, Jackson NJ 08527, Howell NJ 07731

FNMA 30-yr 3.5 closed the 2011 near the highest price of the year. For the last week of the year, Mortgage Backed Security prices improved 29/32.  Incredibly, Friday's 3.5% MBS commanded a higher price than a 4.5% MBS did at the end of 2010.  This price improvement reflects an environment with low inflation and strong demand, with the demand coming from the Fed and a global investor shift into safer assets.

The chart above doesn't have the last quarter of the year, which will be a touch lower.

Rates are near all times low right now, and while I don't anticipate a big swing up in the near term, it is a pretty safe bet that we will see rates higher in the near future, and we probably will not see any significant drop from here.

While investors sought the safety of US government guaranteed assets like Treasury bonds and MBS, US stocks were not hurt, with the S&P up slightly and the Dow up almost 6% for 2011.

Rob

Robert Rauf

Mortgage Loan Originator

NMLS ID# 248937

http://robertrauf.remn.com/Default.aspx or my blog: http://activerain.com/blogs/rrauf

(732)557-6920 x102

RRauf@REMN.com

Since 1987 I have been helping my clients fulfill their dream of home ownership!

Real Estate Mortgage Network Inc.

 Real Estate Mortgage Network, Inc. is located at 16 Madison Avenue, Building 2 Suite 2D Toms River, NJ 08753. NMLS #6521. New Jersey Licensed Lender and Mortgage Banker #L041053. Visit www.REMN.com for more information.

NJ Mortgages, New Jersey Mortgages, Mortgages in NJ, mortgage in New Jersey, Mortgages in New Jersey, Toms River NJ 08753, Toms River NJ 08755, Brick NJ 08723, Brick NJ 08724 Mortgages in Ocean County NJ, Mortgages in Monmouth County NJ, Jackson NJ 08527, Howell NJ 07731

BUSINESS TIP OF THE WEEK

Now is a good time to think about setting goals. The key is to make those goals concrete--as specific as you can with a time frame for when you want to achieve them. Starting of the New Year with a road map to follow is never a bad thing!

Also: Over the next few weeks; Let's not forget to spend some quality time with our families and significant others, remembering to thank them for their support over the year. Without them none of us would be able to succeed in our business!

Here is a link to this week's Inside Lending Newsletter.

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! 

(or insert the holiday of your choosing here, I just hate the generic PC Happy Holidays!)

Rob

Robert Rauf

Mortgage Loan Originator

NMLS ID# 248937

www.RobertRaufHomeLoans.com or my blog: http://activerain.com/blogs/rrauf

(732)557-6920 x102

RRauf@REMN.com

Since 1987 I have been helping my clients fulfill their dream of home ownership!

Real Estate Mortgage Network Inc.

 Real Estate Mortgage Network, Inc. is located at 16 Madison Avenue, Building 2 Suite 2D Toms River, NJ 08753. NMLS #6521. New Jersey Licensed Lender and Mortgage Banker #L041053. Visit www.REMN.com for more information.

NJ Mortgages, New Jersey Mortgages, Mortgages in NJ, mortgage in New Jersey, Mortgages in New Jersey, Toms River NJ 08753, Toms River NJ 08755, Brick NJ 08723, Brick NJ 08724 Mortgages in Ocean County NJ, Mortgages in Monmouth County NJ, Jackson NJ 08527, Howell NJ 07731

Have a great week!

Rob

Robert Rauf

Mortgage Loan Originator

NMLS ID# 248937

www.RobertRaufHomeLoans.com or my blog: http://activerain.com/blogs/rrauf

(732)557-6920 x102

RRauf@REMN.com

Since 1987 I have been helping my clients fulfill their dream of home ownership!

Real Estate Mortgage Network Inc.

 Real Estate Mortgage Network, Inc. is located at 16 Madison Avenue, Building 2 Suite 2D Toms River, NJ 08753. NMLS #6521. New Jersey Licensed Lender and Mortgage Banker #L041053. Visit www.REMN.com for more information.

NJ Mortgages, New Jersey Mortgages, Mortgages in NJ, mortgage in New Jersey, Mortgages in New Jersey, Toms River NJ 08753, Toms River NJ 08755, Brick NJ 08723, Brick NJ 08724 Mortgages in Ocean County NJ, Mortgages in Monmouth County NJ, Jackson NJ 08527, Howell NJ 07731

Have a great week!

Rob

Robert Rauf

Mortgage Loan Originator

NMLS ID# 248937

www.RobertRaufHomeLoans.com or my blog: http://activerain.com/blogs/rrauf

(732)557-6920 x102

RRauf@REMN.com

Since 1987 I have been helping my clients fulfill their dream of home ownership!

Real Estate Mortgage Network Inc.

 Real Estate Mortgage Network, Inc. is located at 16 Madison Avenue, Building 2 Suite 2D Toms River, NJ 08753. NMLS #6521. New Jersey Licensed Lender and Mortgage Banker #L041053. Visit www.REMN.com for more information.

NJ Mortgages, New Jersey Mortgages, Mortgages in NJ, mortgage in New Jersey, Mortgages in New Jersey, Toms River NJ 08753, Toms River NJ 08755, Brick NJ 08723, Brick NJ 08724 Mortgages in Ocean County NJ, Mortgages in Monmouth County NJ, Jackson NJ 08527, Howell NJ 07731

"One who is a master of patience is master of everything else."

--George Savile (1633–1695), English statesman, writer and politician

Have a great week!

Rob

Robert Rauf

Mortgage Loan Originator

NMLS ID# 248937

www.RobertRaufHomeLoans.com or my blog: http://activerain.com/blogs/rrauf

(732)557-6920 x102

RRauf@REMN.com

Since 1987 I have been helping my clients fulfill their dream of home ownership!

Real Estate Mortgage Network Inc.

 Real Estate Mortgage Network, Inc. is located at 16 Madison Avenue, Building 2 Suite 2D Toms River, NJ 08753. NMLS #6521. New Jersey Licensed Lender and Mortgage Banker #L041053. Visit www.REMN.com for more information.

NJ Mortgages, New Jersey Mortgages, Mortgages in NJ, mortgage in New Jersey, Mortgages in New Jersey, Toms River NJ 08753, Toms River NJ 08755, Brick NJ 08723, Brick NJ 08724 Mortgages in Ocean County NJ, Mortgages in Monmouth County NJ, Jackson NJ 08527, Howell NJ 07731

Yesterday FNMA announced the changes to the HARP program which are designed to help underwater homeowners refinance their mortgages into today's lower rates. In typical government fashion, they also announced that the changes will not take place until March 2012!!! (We still are awaiting word from Freddie.)

Here are a few of the highlights

• No maximum LTV for fixed-rate mortgages with terms up to 30 years
• 105% for fixed-rate loans with terms greater than 30 years up to 40 years
• 105% for ARMs with initial fixed periods greater than or equal to five years and terms up to 40 years (as permitted by the ARM plan)
• Improved pricing for the various loan programs

There still are likely to be some overlays to the above, but it appears to be a step in the right direction and it certainly has the potential to help many home owners.

More details to come as they become available...

As always, give me a call with any questions.

Rob

Robert Rauf

Mortgage Loan Originator

NMLS ID# 248937

www.RobertRaufHomeLoans.com or my blog: http://activerain.com/blogs/rrauf

(732)557-6920 x102

RRauf@REMN.com

Since 1987 I have been helping my clients fulfill their dream of home ownership!

Real Estate Mortgage Network Inc.

 Real Estate Mortgage Network, Inc. is located at 16 Madison Avenue, Building 2 Suite 2D Toms River, NJ 08753. NMLS #6521. New Jersey Licensed Lender and Mortgage Banker #L041053. Visit www.REMN.com for more information.

NJ Mortgages, New Jersey Mortgages, Mortgages in NJ, mortgage in New Jersey, Mortgages in New Jersey, Toms River NJ 08753, Toms River NJ 08755, Brick NJ 08723, Brick NJ 08724 Mortgages in Ocean County NJ, Mortgages in Monmouth County NJ, Jackson NJ 08527, Howell NJ 07731

We all remember him from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", and many do not know that Ben is actually an Economist..

"It all will come your way, once you understand that you have to make it come your way, by your own exertions."

--Ben Stein

Pretty fitting for our world, Don't you think?

Have a great week!

Rob

Robert Rauf

Mortgage Loan Originator

NMLS ID# 248937

www.RobertRaufHomeLoans.com or my blog: http://activerain.com/blogs/rrauf

(732)557-6920 x102

RRauf@REMN.com

Since 1987 I have been helping my clients fulfill their dream of home ownership!

Real Estate Mortgage Network Inc.

 Real Estate Mortgage Network, Inc. is located at 16 Madison Avenue, Building 2 Suite 2D Toms River, NJ 08753. NMLS #6521. New Jersey Licensed Lender and Mortgage Banker #L041053. Visit www.REMN.com for more information.

NJ Mortgages, New Jersey Mortgages, Mortgages in NJ, mortgage in New Jersey, Mortgages in New Jersey, Toms River NJ 08753, Toms River NJ 08755, Brick NJ 08723, Brick NJ 08724 Mortgages in Ocean County NJ, Mortgages in Monmouth County NJ, Jackson NJ 08527, Howell NJ 07731

Don't forget to Fall Back!

Remember to move your clocks back one hour on Sunday, November 6th at 2:00 a.m.

Have a great week!

Rob

Robert Rauf

Mortgage Loan Originator

NMLS ID# 248937

www.RobertRaufHomeLoans.com or my blog: http://activerain.com/blogs/rrauf

(732)557-6920 x102

RRauf@REMN.com

Since 1987 I have been helping my clients fulfill their dream of home ownership!

Real Estate Mortgage Network Inc.

 Real Estate Mortgage Network, Inc. is located at 16 Madison Avenue, Building 2 Suite 2D Toms River, NJ 08753. NMLS #6521. New Jersey Licensed Lender and Mortgage Banker #L041053. Visit www.REMN.com for more information.

NJ Mortgages, New Jersey Mortgages, Mortgages in NJ, mortgage in New Jersey, Mortgages in New Jersey, Toms River NJ 08753, Toms River NJ 08755, Brick NJ 08723, Brick NJ 08724 Mortgages in Ocean County NJ, Mortgages in Monmouth County NJ, Jackson NJ 08527, Howell NJ 07731