Northwest Indiana Loan Guy Online

Are You a Victim of Stealth Inflation?

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:37:47 -0500

Are you familiar with the term "Stealth Inflation"? It's kinda like raising the prices on something without anyone really noticing.

For instance, say you love a particular brand of peanut butter and always buy the 16 oz jar for $3.49 (I'm just making up numbers here, so stay with me). The next time you buy your favorite peanut butter, it is still $3.49, but the jar contains only 14 oz. To make it worse, the company got sneaky and is using the same size jar, but the bottom is now concave so it holds less without being obvious about it.

Chances are, you may not have noticed as they do it over time. If you have, congratulations. My personal favorite (hint of sarcasm intentional) is that my soap now looks like someone has been whittling out the middle of the bar. The price has not gone down, but I get fewer uses from the soap.

Would a mortgage company do this? Sure... why not?

To read the rest of the story, please visit the Northwest Indiana Loan Guy blog

Scott Swinford, your Northwest Indiana Loan Guy

Your source for Indiana FHA loans, Indiana FHA 203(k) Streamline loans, Indiana USDA Rural Development loans, and much more.

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Mortgage Rates Dropping in Northwest Indiana

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:05:39 -0500

I found the following in an Associated Press article on March 18, 2009. Let’s look at it and break it down a little….

WASHINGTON - If you’ve got a good job, solid credit and your home’s value hasn’t fallen dramatically, you’re likely to benefit from the Federal Reserve’s extraordinary action Wednesday to help drive mortgage rates to historic lows and revive the U.S. housing market.

The Fed’s plan to buy up to $300 billion of long-term government bonds and $750 billion in additional mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, should benefit many — but not all — borrowers.

It’s likely to produce a big drop in mortgage rates. Analysts expect rates will fall 0.25 to 0.5 percentage points as soon as Thursday.

***************

If you have a good job, solid credit and your home’s value hasn’t fallen dramatically…..

Unfortunately, a lot of people are not so lucky with the increasing unemployment numbers and financial hardships that many are going through. Even the value of the home, once thought to always increase at various rates, has fallen due to local foreclosures, among other things.

The Fed’s plan… should benefit many - but not all - borrowers.

For those in foreclosure, it may be too late. For those who have faithfully been paying their mortgage, but have delinquent credit cards and other obligations may have (will have) poor credit scores that could prevent a refinance.

Analysts expect rates will fall 0.25 to 0.5 percentage points as soon as Thursday.

On Wednesday, as I write this, the rates have decreased anywhere from .125% to .25% during the day. It would be foolish to think that the lenders would allow rates to drop too low. I say this for two reasons…

If you would like to read the rest of the story, visit the Northwest Indiana Loan Guy blog

Scott Swinford, your Northwest Indiana Loan Guy

Your source for Indiana FHA loans, Indiana FHA 203(k) Streamline loans, Indiana USDA Rural Development loans, and much more.

Credit Issues? Not an issue for us! Visit www.usccraonline.com and register to get $300 in FREE gasoline.

Random Thoughts About Why Renters Should be Buying NOW!

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:32:22 -0600

Ever since I though about moving out from under Mom and Dad's roof, I had the notion to purchase a house instead of rent. Probably all those horror stories from others about bad landlords. Of course, I don't recall the storytellers having intimate information; mostly it was hearsay. That's OK!

Now that I own a few rental homes, I like to think that I am a good landlord and take care of my clients. Of course, I ask that they take care of my house, but it's a two-way street. I can certainly see why some people like to rent and, as a mortgage planner, why others have to rent.

During a discussion the other day about interest rates and home prices, it occurred to me that there really may not be a better time to convert renters to buyers if possible. Here are my top four reasons in no particular order. Tell me what you think...

1. Mortgage rates are at near 35 year lows. Although I do not advocate shopping by rate along, this is really frosting on the cake. Even with good rates, an estimated 60% of potential homebuyers are sidelined due to credit issues. Fortunately, this is something I can help with. Visit my site at www.usccraonline.com and tell me what you think.

2. Home prices are still low. We are still in a buyers market and the buyer has a lot of options, including asking for the seller to pay their closing costs. While FHA will still allow 6% towards closing costs and prepaids, etc., they do require a downpayment of 3.5% currently. This can be either gifted from a family member or gotten from a secured loan or a loan from a family member.

3. The government has just given first time homebuyers an (up to) $8,000 tax credit. For full details, click here. The good news is that if you have not owned a home in greater than three years, you are now a first time homebuyer. Here's an idea.... get a loan for the downpayment, close before November 30, 2009, and then file an amended return or wait to file on your 2009 taxes for the credit and pay back the loan. Disclaimer: I am neither a CPA nor an attorney... consult yours first.

4. This may be one we are not talking about much, but we will. As more and more people unfortunately lose their homes to foreclosure, they will have to live somewhere. Combine the law of supply and demand with mini monopolies, and you will start to see rent increase. While those post foreclosure may have to pay the inflated costs, those that have been renting can now buy those same homes that were given up and get great deals. What about having that first time homebuyer purchase a bank-owned or HUD home and be able to borrow up to $35,000 to fix it up. How far will that and a tax credit check go for someone who has been renting????

As you can see, and please comment on, this is a great time to get the renters off the fence and into a home of their own. If you need some other suggestions, please contact me. If you are a Realtor in Indiana, let's talk about how we can work together to get more people into homes of their own.

Scott Swinford, your Northwest Indiana Loan Guy

Your source for Indiana FHA loans, Indiana FHA 203(k) Streamline loans, Indiana USDA Rural Development loans, and much more.

Credit Issues? Not an issue for us! Visit www.usccraonline.com and register to get $300 in FREE gasoline.

If You Don't Have a CLUE, You Need to get a CLUE

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:05:30 -0600

In the past, I have written about the big three credit bureaus… Trans Union, Experian and Equifax. While there are several others, I would like to introduce you to a fourth; ChoicePoint.

ChoicePoint is the company that produces the CLUE reports (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) that the insurance companies use to determine your risk, and therefore your rates, for your homeowners and auto insurance.

Much like the credit reporting bureaus, ChoicePoint gets it’s information from the insurance companies. If you file an auto or homeowner’s claim, the nature of the claim and the amount paid is reported to and stored by ChoicePoint. It is then sold to other insurance companies who use the information to determine your rates (and whether or not they will insure you).

Click here to view the rest of the story and get your FREE report.

Scott

Your best source for Indiana FHA loans, Indiana USDA Rural Development loans and Indiana 203(k) Streamline loans.

Chasing the American Dream

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:07:36 -0600

Owning a home is the American Dream!

I was searching online the other day and came across a great little article written by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It states that they want all Americans to manage their money and have the option of preparing for homeownership.

So do I.

They list five “Key” steps to take to when preparing to purchase a home. You can remember them because the acronym is “OWNER”.

Here are the five steps with a brief description of each.

If you would like to read the entire article, visit the Northwest Indiana Loan Guy's Blog!

Scott

Your first and last stop for Indiana FHA loans, Indiana FHA 203(k) Streamline loans, Indiana USDA Rural Development loans, and Indiana VA loans.

I Wish You Could.....

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 11:17:18 -0600

As most of you do not know, I was a firefighter / paramedic in my “former life”. In 1999, I had shoulder surgery because of an accident in an ambulance that essentially ended my career on the streets.

Lately, I have had several people ask about my time on the departments and some of the calls that I had been on. All in all, I have worked with a lot of great people and have been fortunate to save quite a few lives, some I can even take credit for. If you don’t believe in God, please help me explain some of the things I have witnessed…..

I just found this poem that I had seen long ago.If you have ever wondered what it's like to do the job, visit my Northwest Indiana Loan Guy blog.

Scott

Are "FREE" Credit Reports Really Free?

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:37:56 -0600

Yes! And no! It just depends on what "free" site you get it from.

You can go to annualcreditreport.com to get a free copy of your credit report from each of the three bureaus once a year. The positive thing is that you do not have to get them all at one time; you can order one every 4 months and be able to check the accuracy of your reports year-round at no charge.

There are other reasons to use this service. First, it is monitored by the Federal Trade Commission and mandated by the government to ensure that everyone has access to their credit report. Second, it really is free of charge and there are no strings attached.

The only negative to this service is that you.....

Visit my blog at www.nwihomeloan.com to view the rest of the article.

Scott

Your preferred lender for Indiana FHA, Indiana USDA, and Indiana VA loans.

Could you use $300 in FREE gasoline? Visit my newly updated Credit Restoration site for details of this shameless bribe!

Are There Really Errors on My Credit Report?

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 22:17:01 -0500

(Another slected entry from a previous post on a different blog)

You betcha.... In the 2004 report "Mistakes Do Happen: A Look At Errors In Consumer Credit Reports" published by the National Association of State PIRGs, it was noted that 79% of credit reports surveyed contained "either serious errors or mistakes of some kind". 79% of ALL credit reports contain errors in case you just glanced over that part! Additionally, here is what they found.....

25% of the reports contained serious errors that could result in the denial of credit, such as false delinquencies or accounts that did not belong to the consumer;
54% contained personal demographic information that was misspelled, long outdated, belonged to a stranger, or was otherwise incorrect;
22% of the credit reports listed the same mortgage or loan twice;
8% (almost) were missing major credit, loan, mortgage or other consumer accounts that demonstrate the creditworthiness of the consumer;
30% contained credit accounts that had been closed by the consumer but remained listed as open.

To view the rest of this article, please visit the Northwest Indiana Loan Guy blog.

Scott Your preferred lender for USDA, FHA, VA and conventional loans in Indiana. Poor credit? No problem...we can help!

Another Tool for the Landlord

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:46:30 -0500

My blogs are not about selling anything, but when a great product comes along, I feel the need to share it.

Don Conrad, an up-and-coming guru in the investment real estate circles, has just released a great new idea called the Tenant Reference Manual. In a nutshell, if you are a landlord, you need to be giving your tenants some type of reference book, if for no other reason than to avoid irritating calls at 3:00 a.m. The more important reason may be to alleviate issues that might arise and lead to legal battles.

Why not empower the tenants to take care of the home, maintain things such as smoke and CO detectors, as well as prepare them for the unexpected like fire extinguisher use.

For a very low cost alternative to creating your own 60 page manual, click here and read more about it. To paraphrase that credit card commercial, Don't Rent a Home Without It.

Scott

Your Northwest Indiana lender of choice

What is on Your Credit Report?

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:18:30 -0500

This is a repost of one of my popular blog posts from earlier this year (and well before I had any idea how to blog on AR).

It is from my website titled "What is a Good Credit Score" and explains what information can be found (and not found) on a standard credit report.

Hope you enjoy it. If so, I have several other old posts that I will repost on my blog.

Click here to see What is on Your Credit Report.

Scott

Your preferred lender for USDA, FHA, VA and conventional loans in Indiana. Poor credit? No problem...we can help!

What is Going on With These Interest Rates? I'll Tell You!

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:24:55 -0500

For the past couple weeks, interest rates have been headed in the wrong direction....up!

While there are a few things that play a part of it, I place the blame on..........

Click here to get the whole sad story in a way you can explain it.

Scott

Your Indiana lender for life!

You Just Gotta Do It

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:00:30 -0500

With all the great tools and websites available to us in the mortgage and real estate industries, it would be easy to sit around and think that if we throw enough money at them, the clients will flock to us.

How many times have you heard someone say they had the magic solution to get more business? All you have to do is _______ (fill in the blank). It could be subscribing to a website, buying a product, sending out hi-tech done-for-you newsletters, etc. We can sit at our desks all day and ponder the solution.

Well, I have the answer to all your problems (picture guy at the county fair selling pots and pans).

All you need to do is.... click here!

Scott

Your choice for Northwest Indiana mortgage loans. Credit an issue? Not for us! We can help.

I Quit My Job Seven Times Last Week!

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:48:40 -0500

Well... I did. And, truth be told, six times already this week, including twice before noon today.

But I keep coming back because of.......... YOU. Seriously!

I am generally a happy person. Even happy-go-lucky if you will. I have always looked at the half empty glass glad that I got something, and hoping I was able to share with someone who needed the other half. Lately though, it's been hard. Really hard.

I think a lot of my problem is that I like to know what is going on around me, especially what's happening in the financial sectors lately.

Here are some current news headlines that are posted as I type this......

Stocks tumble on recession fears

Retail sales see biggest decline in three years

Fed sees economy sinking deeper into rut

Dow closes down more than 700

I keep wondering what I would do if I did quit this job for real.

The vast majority of my adult life has been dedicated to saving lives, but I can't do that anymore (the way I want) due to the shoulder injury that ended that career in the first place.

There's always retail, but go up a few lines...... So now I need to take a long, hard look at what I have going for me in this industry. Why should I stay and what do I have to contribute.

I mean, the number of people in this industry is down about 60% compared to just a couple years ago, why not be just another statistic.

It all keeps coming down to YOU! Here's why I'm staying.....

To read the rest of this thought provoking article, visit your Indiana FHA Lender of Choice.

Scott

The best source for Indiana FHA loans, Indiana USDA loans, Indiana VA loans and, of course, Indiana investor loans.

Is less-than-perfect credit an issue for you? Not for us! Click here to get more information and get your FREE copy of our report "10 Myths of Credit Repair" that could save you thousands of dollars.

100% Financing Still Available

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:51:04 -0500

It seems like many are still mourning the demise of the Down Payment Assistance programs. Although there is some voodoo still going on in an attempt to resurrect them, so far it hasn't happened and the odds don't look so good. Being that the default rate was 4x higher with the program vs. the buyer putting down just 3% of their own money, it seems this is not a good time to stir that pot.

However, in my area, I have access to what could be a better program. There is NO downpayment required, NO mortgage insurance required and the loan is fixed for 30 years at competitive rates.

Let me introduce you to: The USDA Rural Development Guaranteed Rural Housing Loan!

To read the rest of the article and get lots more information, click here to visit the Northwest Indiana Loan Guy.

Scott

The best source for Indiana FHA loans, Indiana USDA loans, Indiana VA loans and, of course, Indiana investor loans. Is less-than-perfect credit an issue for you? Not for us! Click here to get more information and get your FREE copy of our report "10 Myths of Credit Repair" that could save you thousands of dollars.

What is Not in YOUR Pocket?

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:08:41 -0500

If you carry credit cards, the answer may be "your cash"!

Although it's no secret that the use of credit has been detrimental to the consumer's pocketbooks, what generally is a secret is the way the credit card companies slowly extract that cash from your pocket while making you feel good about it.

Case in point:.....

To read the rest of the article, click here to visit the Northwest Indiana Loan Guy.

Scott

The best source for Indiana FHA loans, Indiana USDA loans, Indiana VA loans and, of course, Indiana investor loans.

Is less-than-perfect credit an issue for you? Not for us! Click here to get more information and get your FREE copy of our report "10 Myths of Credit Repair" that could save you thousands of dollars.

Positive Spin on the Negative News

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 22:13:43 -0500

MSNBC posted an article online today called "A Rising Tide of 'Underwater' Homeowners". For some reason, this just toasts my buns. Why can we not be positive? Upbeat? Happy? Thankful? I could go on....

I really think that the media, not just MSNBC, but all the media, is only capable of printing news that makes people depressed and negative. I seriously wonder if they get a percentage cut from the antidepressants that the pharmaceutical companies make...

If I were a station owner, I would host a "Happy Channel". Something with children and puppies and flowers and rainbows and....

To read the rest of this thought provoking article, visit your Indiana FHA Lender of Choice.

Scott

The best source for Indiana FHA loans, Indiana USDA loans, Indiana VA loans and, of course, Indiana investor loans.

Is less-than-perfect credit an issue for you? Not for us! Click here to get more information and get your FREE copy of our report "10 Myths of Credit Repair" that could save you thousands of dollars.

Could You Use an Extra $512 a Month?

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:08:06 -0500

I haven't really spent too much time talking about credit restoration on this site (yet), but now is a great opportunity.

The Motley Fool ran an article last week talking about the effects of poor credit. I suggest you read it (the link is at the bottom so you read this article first....). The point of the article is that poor credit costs a lot of money due to higher interest rates and other rates such as insurance, etc.

The point of THIS article is that credit restoration pays. Follow me here... if poor credit costs you money and improving your credit saves you money, then credit restoration must be an investment rather than a debt.

To read the rest of the blog and learn how we can help improve your credit, visit us at the Northwest Indiana Loan Guy's blog.

Scott

The best source for Indiana FHA loans, Indiana USDA loans, Indiana VA loans and, of course, Indiana investor loans.

Is less-than-perfect credit an issue for you? Not for us! Click here to get more information and get your FREE copy of our report "10 Myths of Credit Repair" that could save you thousands of dollars.

Dearly Beloved, We are Gathered Here Today

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:15:54 -0500

to pay our last respects to the local real estate market. It was a friend while it was here, but we abused it. We only showed it our love when it was good, but when it stumbled a little, we turned our backs.

If we could only see it one more time. We could say we're sorry for all the bad things we have said about it in the last year and...............

To read the rest of the article, click here to visit the Northwest Indiana Loan Guy.

Scott

The best source for Indiana FHA loans, Indiana USDA loans, Indiana VA loans and, of course, Indiana investor loans.

Is less-than-perfect credit an issue for you? Not for us! Click here to get more information and get your FREE copy of our report "10 Myths of Credit Repair" that could save you thousands of dollars.

Gripes From a Fellow Loan Originator

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:54:51 -0500

I received an email the other day from a friend of mine who is a loan originator also. She was very frustrated because of a couple dealings with real estate agents in the last several weeks and wanted A) Advice B) To vent C) All of the above. Being a smart guy (it took me a while to learn), I provided only B. Sometimes they really don’t want the advice, just to vent. That however is a topic for another day.

To summarize, she is tired of Realtors wanting to control every aspect of the transaction, up to and including checking up on the loan process every other day. While I am choosing my words carefully here, she seems to think they are overbearing, egotistical, obnoxious, etc. Certainly she has not had a positive experience with these agents in particular. In one particular case, the agent set up a closing date that was only a couple weeks away; before my friend even had the signed purchase agreement. There was almost no way this could close in that amount of time given the average turn-around from the lenders. This even assumes that the lender finds NO issues (fat chance) and that the entire package is approved right away. She even told my friend that her (the agent’s) preferred LO could close the loan in two weeks.

She even felt that the agent was trying to steal her client to give to another LO. What do you do? Even if this was someone I didn’t know, I would be concerned that this would not be a very positive experience for anyone involved.

Although I didn’t say anything at the time, here are my thoughts…..

Click here to read the rest of the story on the Northwest Indiana Loan Guy site!

Scott

Your Northwest Indian Loan Guy! Credit issues? Help is just a click away!

I'm Gonna Let You in on a Little Secret

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:09:22 -0500

I am getting coached. Yes, actually paying someone to make me accountable for what I do during the day and how I choose to to increase my business.

There, I said it. It's off my chest. I feel better now that everyone knows and I'm not hiding it anymore.

And you know what? I love it. We have accountablity and coaching calls 5 nights a week (for 9 weeks) and we have to tell the group what we have done in terms of contacts, applications, etc. that day. It's amazing how a little fun competition with others added to the fear of humiliation will make you become accountable to yourself and help increase business.

Just for fun, I sent my accountability partner a birthday card. I was pretty sure it was NOT his birthday which makes it a little more unexpected. I just congratulated him on how well he has been doing and the great numbers he is posting. And, although he is a Florida mortgage planner, reminded him that I am his go to guy for mortgages in Indiana.

I really did it just for fun, knowing it would surprise him. What he did surprised me even more....

Click here to see Chris in action.

If you are a loan originator and are interested in the program I am currently involved in, please email for details. I will tell you that in all frankness, I have ripped the coaches off horribly. While we are only at the end of the second week, I have gotten my money's worth 10x over.

We are in a crazy real estate environment right now and it's tough for a lot of people. Keep your heads up, eyes and ears open, and do whatever it takes to hang in there (legally and morally of course). It's gonna get better and we're gonna have some stories to tell our kids and grandkids!

Scott

Your Northwest Indian Loan Guy! Credit issues? Help is just a click away!

Landing on Your Feet

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 23:40:01 -0500

There are some great bloggers here on AR. The ones who can put emotion in the way they write and make you feel a certain way. I usually wish I could write that well. Use big words and catchy phrases. Sometimes I can't even think of a good verb. Yes, I envy them!

But not today.

See, today I read several posts that make me feel bad for the writers. I'm sure they didn't intend to bring ME down, but they did.

One is a Realtor that is having such a difficult time that she cannot afford to fix the oven or the dishwasher.

Another, who seems to be doing a little better, came back from vacation and found out the company her husband worked for over the last 30+ years was sold.

Others just talk about how tough things are in the real estate field right now.

I wish I had some great words of wisdom to impart on my friends in real estate, but it's tough. The book "When Bad Things Happen to Good People" comes to mind, but it's not about real estate per se.

"The Lord never gives you more than you can handle". Says who? Do I get to decide or does He?

"Just keep your nose to the grindstone." I assume that is not to be taken literally. Heck, I'm not even sure I know what grindstone is.

Here is my theory. I'm gonna do what needs to be done to succeed. Since the directions are not printed on the inside, you have to think outside the box. If you are playing with the 2007 playbook, you're gonna get killed.

One of the best books I have ever read is Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich". I have to read it over and over, as I get something new from it each time I read it. I was even lucky enough to attend multiple classes at the Napoleon Hill World Learning Center. Just the energy given off by 100+ people who are thinking the same way and come together for the programs was amazing. Every time I went, something great happened to me. (Come to think of it, I need to go again!)

I have but one criticism of the book. It really should be called "Think, ACT, and Grow Rich"! Sitting around thinking about what you are "going" to do will get you nowhere.

Here is one of my favorite messages, compliments of the Napoleon Hill Learning Center....

FAITH IS A COMBINATION OF THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS.

When you apply your faith in yourself, your faith in your fellow man, and your faith in God, the result is a positive course of action that when persistently followed will almost always lead to success. When you believe in your ideas and in your abilities, and you trust in the Infinite Intelligence of the universe, you know that your thoughts and deeds will ultimately lead to a successful conclusion. You cannot fail.

YOU CANNOT FAIL. Believe in yourself and make each day a new opportunity to prove to yourself that you are successful. You will get through this and land on your feet!

Scott

Scott Swinford, CMPS

www.nwiloanguy.com- First home, next home or refinance... I'm your Trusted Advisor

www.usccraonline.com - Credit issues causing you problems. Help is just a phone call away.

I Met Dan Kennedy

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 22:54:45 -0500

OK... I'm a geek sometimes. I'll admit it.

For those who do not know who Dan Kennedy is, he's probably one of the best marketers in the world (in my humble opinion). He has written multiple books on sales, business, management and marketing. I have read most of his books and have applied his theories with success. Of course, I probably could have done the same with others books, but I like Dan's wit and sarcasm enough to want to implement his ideas; the key word being IMPLEMENT!

Anyway, he was on a four city in four days tour and I saw him on day two in Chicago. Yes, the geek in me was required to get his autograph and a picture. Being that the tour was sponsored by Infusion Software, he spoke mainly about following up with your clients and how many sales persons in all kinds of industries just plain don't follow up. Too bad, as it is often less expensive to keep an existing client than it is to get a new one.

The program, in a nutshell, was how to market to your clients and prospects effectively enough to get them to buy and continue to buy from you. They talk about putting them in "the funnel" and sending them email, letters, postcards, packages, etc. until they give in and buy. I have to agree with what he said 100%. However, my issue is as follows:

What is the best way to get the suspect to raise their hand to become a prospect? Once we have identified that Joe Blo is interested in what we do / sell / offer, we can market to him. But how to we find Joe and what do we need to do to make him raise his hand and show interest?

How about those of you in the real estate and other fields give your best tip on how to get leads? Just one good tip, something you do and works, not something you read in a book and think it sounds good. Also, it needs to be free or very inexpensive: not "I spend $50 each to purchase leads". Although I will agree that spending $200 for each lead that buys is a good investment, that defeats my idea here.

So let's have it. Your one best idea for generating leads. I think we can get some great ideas here.....

Scott

PS. Here's one of mine. Check out www.fix-my-poor-credit.com and tell me what you think. I tried something a little different, but I don't know if it's the "right thing".

Four Walls and a Beagle Named Wrigley

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:21:43 -0500

I have a home office. Perhaps you do also.

I have a Beagle named Wrigley. Perhaps you do also.

Neither one has been very productive lately. The walls don't talk and the dog just makes funny noises during his REM sleep.

I think it has worn off on me!

For those of you that don't know, I have worked exclusively out of a home office for the past several years. Since signing on with a new company a couple weeks ago and having a nice office with actual people around, I have found that it really can increase my productivity.

Not that I was bad or slacking off, as I was spending a minimum of 10-12 hours a day in the office (I'll address that later), but without others around, it's too easy to operate at less than 100%. I think I really need the activity around me and others doing something to keep me going. Although I don't like crowds, I need activity around me when I work.

Here's my other problem. I spend too much time in the home office working. If I had to get dressed and drive 20 minutes just to check email or work on a project, I would probably just put it off and play with the kids, but since I just have to walk down 12 stairs, it's far too easy. I feel that I "owe" it to the family to work a lot so they can have what they need and want, but lately it seems like they want me. I guess like any addiction, me spending a lot of time in the home office will be a hard one to break.

As I write this, it's 3:15 pm on a Saturday. It's about 90 degrees outside and the family is in the pool. What am I doing???????

Anyone else have this problem?

Good News and Bad News

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:21:43 -0500

First, the bad news. The company that I have been with for the last several years will be closing it's door soon. Due to the changes in the mortgage market, not having the ability to write FHA loans was the straw that broke the camel's back. It can be tough for a small shop to survive with all the overhead, so as a wise business decision, my former broker is pursuing a new business venture in the real estate industry. I know that he will do well.

The good (great) news is that I accepted a position with Mortgage Professional Group in Valparaiso, IN. Although I have "officially" only been there a little over a week, the other LOs and processors are great and the business model fits what I am wanting to do and where I want to go with my career. Plus, I still have the home office, but now have a very nice office in a building where I can continue to do FTHB and Healthy Credit Seminars on a regular basis. They will be starting as soon as I get settled in.

As always, I am looking for aggressive, forward thinking real estate agents to join my team. If you are local and you believe in old-fashioned values and customer service, but like using new technology such as call capture and the internet (and everything in between), let's talk.

I am still a Senior Account Executive for US Consumer Credit Restoration Association and am using the attorney facilitated credit restoration as a way to get those clients that have previously turned-down for a mortgage into a home of their own regardless of past credit problems. There is no hocus-pocus involved and it's not an overnight fix, but the clients who will stick with the system are seeing a 120+ point increase in about 6 months. If you are a Realtor or another lender who would like to close another X loans a year (you pick the number) by requalifying your previous turn-downs, give me a call.

I would also like to thank everyone who emailed or called to wish me luck with my new company. I really appreciate all the positive support.

Have a great week!

Scott

PS. If you work for a title company or RE agency that would like to sponsor a seminar or workshop, please give me a call at 219-548-9994. Working as a team, we can help our clients more than the sum of our individual parts.

Short Sale RE Agents Needed

Scott Swinford (Mortgage Professional Group, Inc.) — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:11:45 -0500

Hi there,

I hope this is a good place to post.....

I am looking for real estate agents / lenders / others that are very familiar with short sales. Although I am in Indiana, I would like to speak with a few from other states in case there are differences throughout the country.

I am working on a new program to help save the homewowner's credit worthiness after a short sale, but would like to get some additional input from agents or others who do this on a regular basis.

If you reply with an email address or phone number, I will respond just as soon as I can.

Thank you very much in advance.

Scott