Tucson AZ Home Loan Info

Fixer Upper? Old Stone Ruins South of Picacho Peak, Arizona

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:27:57 -0600

These old stone ruins surely have a story to tell, but they're not talking. I was exploring west of the Santa Cruz River yesterday afternoon when I came upon them.

Standing all alone in the desert southwest of Picacho Peak, they are built of the volcanic rock that was the areas most abundant building resource a century ago. Most of the lintels are gone, but a few remain. The walls of the interior were plastered white, and the home must have been something to see in it's heyday.

The cresote bushes in the front yard may be as old as a thousand years, but that's another story. (Google creosote bushes if you're interested.)

That's Picacho Peak in the midground of the photo. It's the site of the most westerly battle of the Civil War. I wish you could have come along for the hike. Maybe next time. Call me.

___________________

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 2009

But It's A Dry Heat...

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:45:24 -0600

I got lost, at least sort of... My friend Howard gave me directions to a new (for me) site for petroglyphs, and I took Black Friday away from the malls, and all to myself. I went exploring.

I never did find the petroglyphs; I missed the turnoff. But I'd never been down this road, and the photo ops just kept coming!

But it's a dry heat...

I found an open vertical mine shaft miles out in the desert, and this unusual rock on the desert floor nearby. My imagination saw it as the manifestation of the old miner, long dead and gone. Dead of thirst...

The tuft of grass at the top gave him a wig, and I couldn't help thinking of the Sons of the Pioneers singing "Cool, Clear Water..."

Mine shafts like this (open, deep and dangerous) are not unusual in southern Arizona. Some are filled in, but many, like this one, are just as they were the day some miner abandoned them in his search for richer ore.

I guess I was in less danger than I would have been spending black Friday at the mall. At least my wallet was in less danger...

___________________

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

Major Issues Logging In to Active Rain on Thanksgiving?

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:50:54 -0600

At first I thought that Active Rain was doing a major upgrade, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Maybe 166,000 of us were all trying to wish each other Happy Thanksgiving at the same time, and we brought the servers down. Whatever the case, I was thinking about you, and giving Thanks for Active Rain nonetheless.

Today (Black Friday) will find me out on the Ironwood National Monument, photographing petroglyphs, and (perhaps?) some 800 year old pottery shards.

I'm thankful for YOU!

___________________

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 National Park Service

Sold to the Winning Bid: $583,000! (Oh, Crap! What Do I Do Now?)

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:32:54 -0600

What can you buy for $583,000?

How about an abandoned 88,000 seat sports stadium in Detroit?

That's what the Pontiac Silverdome, former home to the Detroit Lions, just went for at bid to Canadian real estate firm Triple Properties, Inc.

The price per seat is less than the cost of a hot dog and soda at a football game. Not a bad price if you have deep enough pockets.

Fred Leeb, the City's emergency financial planner, is quoted as saying "The Silverdome will now be in the hands of professionals who can devote their time to transform this high-profile property into a vital asset instead of enabling it to continue to languish as an empty facility..." That would be true if the buyer had deep pockets and a plan. Neither is the case, apparently.

I can imagine that 57 year old Andreas Apostolopoulos of Toronto may be having a bad case of buyer's remorse, having put up a quarter of a million dollars of his own money for a property whose annual maintenance costs exceed $1.5 million.

The buyer admits that he didn't expect to be the winning bid. Oh, crap! What do I do now?"

Stay tuned.

___________________

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

Graeme Hunt Design: A Tribute to My Friend John Winter

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:02:50 -0600

Life is shorter than we imagine it to be. Cherish your friends, and let them know they're special to you.

This visual tribute to my friend John Winter was created by Graeme Hunt, native Arizonan (raised in Flagstaff) and fiance to the light of John's life, his daughter Trish Winter.

Graeme is unusually talented, and John would have loved this plug for Graeme's business, Graeme Hunt Design.

This is a business card Graeme designed for a local Tucson REALTOR, Zach MacDonald.

We at Active Rain are all about promoting our Real Estate and lending businesses, so click the link (above) and see what Graeme Hunt can do for you. My friend John would have wanted it that way.

___________________

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

Speechless Sunday: Saguaro National Park Rainbow

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:11:19 -0600

___________________

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 living 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 outside Tucson who have internet access. 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

His Name Is John Winter. He Was My Client. He Became My Friend.

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:56:55 -0600

His name is John Winter. John was referred to me by another client in 2006. He was raised in New York, and I was a Jersey kid growing up, and we just hit it off. Some clients become friends. John was one of those.

John's daughter Trish (light of his life, and his only Tucson relative) emailed me Sunday afternoon to say that her Dad had died in his sleep on Saturday night.

Not possible! I had seen him Tuesday night for a couple of hours at a job search function, and he was excited about the possibility of a position with Asarco Mines Railroad Division. (John was an absolute genius with things mechanical, and that had come to the attention of Asarco's HR department.)

The new moon was bright as he said goodbye to me, mounted his big BMW motorcycle, and headed on home. I remember standing still in the parking lot, listening to the beautiful sound of that powerful BMW engine as it faded into the distance.

Memorial:

This morning as I write this post, (with thanks to John's sister Holly) there are two books on my desk next to me. Both were John's. One is John's address book, and I put it to good use yesterday afternoon. The other is his New Testament, and I'll have the privilege of reading from that this morning at his memorial service. (Please click that link.)

John's Address Book:

I spent the day yesterday calling people I don't know because they were in John's address book, inviting them to his memorial service. If you were special to John in some way, your name was in that address book. Clients, Real Estate agents, loan officers, friends, family, suppliers, even a contact at Barrett - Jackson, the classic car auction company. (John has a 1951 Dodge Woody.)

"You don't know me," I said, "but we both know John Winter." "Your name's written in his address book, along with your phone number. I'm calling to invite you to attend his memorial service tomorrow. We'd like to fill the room in John's memory for his daughter and family who are coming in from out of state."

John's New Testament:

I'll have the privilege in a couple of hours to read from the second book at John's memorial service. John's namesake is the Apostle John, who wrote in his gospel "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

You wouldn't peg my friend John as the stereotype the media has plastered on the Christian faith he held.

(Actually, I think it's safe to say that nothing about John Winter was stereotypical. Neither will be his memorial service, after which everyone will be invited next-door to the Bashful Bandit bar for a Tequila Toast to John.)

But a conversation we had one day while we were remodeling his kitchen stays with me. 9/11 hit him like a ton of bricks, especially as New York is John's hometown. We talked about the difference between two world views, one of which says "God wants you to die" and the other which says "God died for you, and wants you to live."

My friend John Winter held that second world view, as do I, and I expect to see him again.

EDIT: By 10:00 this morning, the chapel was half full. Tucson is a laid back town, so we didn't start on time. We waited another 15 minutes, and by the time we started remembering John in our stories, the room was full, and people were standing in the back.

From the Book of Numbers in the Old Testament: "The Lord bless you, and keep you. The Lord cause His face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace."

___________________

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

Arizona's Gift: The Capitol Christmas Tree For 2009

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:47:53 -0600

Arizona's gift to the nation, the 2009 Capitol Christmas Tree, stopped this weekend in Oro Valley, Arizona.

Oro Valley is one of Arizona's newest success stories, with wide streets, beautiful subdivisions and shopping centers that eclipse most of what quiet old Tucson has to offer.

The tree, 65 feet tall, will be trucked to the White House, where it will be put on display shortly after Thanksgiving.

People came from all over to put their signatures on the side of the vehicle. This little guy, seven years old, didn't have a pen, but my Darlin' took care of that.

I had to get in on the act, and I made sure Active Rain got to go along for the ride. It's faint, but it's there!

When the tree is set up and tricked out with lights and decorations for Christmas in our nation's capitol, I'm expecting that one of you Active Rainers in the DC area will take a photo or two and post on your blog about Arizona's Gift, the Capitol Christmas Tree for 2009.

My New Years Resolution: Can We Make This Transaction FUN?!

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:55:42 -0600

Volkswagen has gotten my attention with their "fun theory."

Fun theory? Aren't we all supposed to be working?

We're still going to get the work done. The difference is finding ways to make the work enjoyable. Make the transaction FUN!

So check these out:

___________________

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

Sunset Over South Tucson, AZ

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:07:40 -0600

___________________

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 outside Tucson who have internet access. 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

REALTOR Cheatsheet: $8,000 Homebuyer Tax Credit Extended & Expanded

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:56:22 -0600

REALTORS: HERE'S THE SKINNY ON THE $8,000 / $6,500 TAX CREDIT FOR HOMEBUYERS.

$8,000. Tax Credit Legislation Extended and Modified

Until the new legislation was signed into law, first time homebuyers could apply for and receive a tax credit in the amount of $8,000. when they purchased a home before the sunset date of November 30, 2009.

The new legislation, signed into law by President Obama on Friday, November 6, 2009

extends that date until April 30, 2010 for civilians, and to April 30, 2011 for certain military buyers.
increases the income limits so that millions more can qualify for the tax credit, and
enacts a reduced tax credit of $6,500 for move-up buyers who are not first time homebuyers.

Extended Timeframe

The existing sunset date established by the Housing & Economic Recovery Act of 2008 has been extended to April 30, 2010 for most buyers.

Qualifying members of the military who served outside the borders of the United States at any time during the period from 1/1/2009 to 4/30/2010 will have an extra year to apply for the tax credit.

Increased Income Limits

The earlier legislation put caps on income for single buyers at $95,000. Married buyers filing jointly capped out at $170,000.

The new legislation allows single wage earners to make up to $145,000, and married couples can earn up to $245,000.

NEW: $6,500 Tax Credit for Move-up Buyers

The new legislation provides a tax credit incentive for people who are not first time homebuyers. (A first time homebuyer is defined as one who has not owned a home in the last 36 months.) You may qualify for this $6,500 tax credit if you owned and lived in your home for five consecutive years out of the past eight.

Who does that help? Let’s say you sold your home in 2008. You’re not a first time homebuyer, but if you meet the “five of eight” criteria, you can buy a move-up home and still qualify for the $6,500 tax credit. Check with your tax professional for advice on your particular situation.

NOTE: Additional Requirements

There are other rules of eligibility in the legislation. (This list is not exhaustive, so you’ll want to check with your tax professional.)

You can’t buy the home from a relative.
You must be 18 or older
You cannot be claimed by any other taxpayer as a dependent
If you’ve sold a home, and that sale affects your eligibility, you must included the settlement statement (HUD-1) with your tax return.
Most buyers (check with your tax professional) must live in the home for a minimum of three years or face a government demand for repayment.

Originally published on InvestmentRealEstateCorner.com by Mike in Tucson

___________________

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

A Hard Look At Reality: When Has The Federal Deficit Been This High?

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:20:36 -0600

A picture graph is worth 1,000 pages of congressional lawmaking.

The chart on the left was compiled by Bloomberg, and shows the budget surplus / deficit as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product.

I came across this chart this morning, and mentally did an overlay of historical events. That led me to wonder what a longer historical perspective would show.

Deficits since the Civil War

I found the most interesting and interactive website to help me with this. The chart below shows the Federal Deficit as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product since 1860. You'll want to note some significant events that have taken place in our nation since that time, and overlay the events on the chart.

The American Civil War

1861 to 1865

US Involvement in World War I

1917 to 1919

US Involvement in World War II

1941 to 1945

The First Gulf War

1990 to 1991

The Iraq War

2003 - 2009

And that leads me to wonder this: To what event will history attribute that blue spike on the right, a deficit never equaled except in a time of world war?

Back to that first chart...

From the TARP bill to the current legislation passed over the weekend under the heading "health care reform," it's apparent that none of the elected representatives we voted into office take the time to READ, EVALUATE, and UNDERSTAND the legislation they enact into law.

"There wasn't time," I've heard lawmakers say on CNN, "the crisis was so great that we had to act..."

I beg to differ.

You can't run your real estate business like that.
You can't operate your household like that.
We ought not to let our representatives run our country like that.

The Voter Revolution

2009 to ...

___________________

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.

Sunstreet Mortgage is a correspondent bank.

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

Arizona Real Estate Roots: Roadside Geology Class

Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:09:01 -0600

They're not making any more real estate. How many times have you heard that from an agent who's trying to sell you some?

Actually, it's not true.

Planet earth is living, moving, folding in on itself, and constantly re-creating the stuff we call real estate. (Then again, our lifetime is less than the blink of an eye on that geologic time scale, so you might want to act on that purchase you've been contemplating before someone else snaps it up.)

A dozen of us got together on Saturday morning to take a
"roadside geology" trip to Winkleman, Arizona. Two of our number, Dave Young and Keith Long, are geologists.

That's the Gila River on the left. Over eons, it has cut through what is now Arizona, exposing strata of rock to our view.

On the west side of the river is this man-made vertical cut through the same rock strata, made by the Road Department when they built Rt. 77 through Winkleman.

The photo at the top, and the one on the lower left, show "concretions" made of rock, embedded within a solid rock matrix.

These particular concretions are located along the side of the road, north of the town of Winkleman. Pretty cool, isn't it?

You won't see these gems from Interstate 10 at 65 MPH.

Next time you visit Arizona, don't be in a hurry to get to your resort destination. Get off our Interstate Highway system and spend some time on the back roads.

What you see will make you want to stay and explore.

___________________

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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