Because I am in the trenches of mortgage madness daily, let me just tell it like it is: Getting a mortgage these days is NOT A PLEASANT THING.

Why is this? Because quite honestly, BANKS ARE NOT A PLEASANT THING.

They are woefully understaffed:"get in line, we'll get to you when we get to you" is the prevailing mentality.

Banking reps (that used to help brokers) are either a thing of the past, or answer e-mail questions with 3 words or less. No one answers their phone anymore, and staying on hold for an hour is the norm (for some major banks).

They look at every loan as a potential foreclosure, and every property as a depreciating asset that will immediately plummet in value.

They look at brokers with an eye of suspicion, and impose guidelines that either insult borrowers or make no sense.

Everyone is frustrated as this trickles down through the real estate industry.

We try to sheild our clients from the worst of it, but it becomes more and more difficult to accomplish.

We try to make the the ride pleasant (which most of us believe is a big part of our job). But accomplishing this becomes nearly impossible.

The ride takes too long. (Buyers grow weary. They want out of the car. "What is taking so long? Are we there yet?")

The ride has a million speed bumps. (Yes, you can get over speed bumps,  but it sure is a bumpy ride and they sure do slow you down. "Excuse me, I am getting car sick. Could you pull over?")

There are  unexpected roadblocks, dead ends, and detours. (Sometimes this may kill the journey, but mostly you just re-route and lose even more time. "Hey idiot driver, didn't you mapquest this before we started?")

All of this and the clock ticks. The lock ticks.

When I have "THE TALK" with a new client at the beginning of the mortgage process, it always starts out like this: "Please DO NOT take this process personally, because you are about to embark on a journey that will be insulting, frustrating, and challenging." 

At which point the guy with the 803 credit score and the 25% cash down payment throws his head back... and laughs.

Does this "TALK" do any good? No. They still take it personally. 

And so do I (sometimes). I tell myself, "snap out of it".

The roads may be rough and the job may not be as much fun.

But here's my philosophy: The world needs the steady influence of experienced drivers more than it ever did before.

That, and barf bags in the back seat.

Written By Janet Guilbault, Mortgage Banker/Broker Based Out of the San Francisco Bay Area

Okay, I know as real estate agents the last thing you want to do is ENCOURAGE FSBO's (or encourage a fee that is less than your standard commission).

So even if there ARE ways to pay a real estate agent in a FSBO transaction, you wouldn't want to blab about it. "Hey, Mr. Seller, why don't you try to sell it yourself for a little while and call me if you get a live one?"

It might encourage MORE people to sell their own house without a Realtor.

But isn't that a little like not giving out condoms to teenagers because that would encourage them to have sex?

Maybe the world should admit teenagers have sex and there will be buyers and sellers that come together without a real estate agent.

After being the mortgage broker for 2 "for sale by owner" transactions, I have a brand new appreciation for real estate agents. I also wish there was a simple and cost effective way for FSBO's to buy the services required to complete these transactions.

I don't want to be the (poor) substitute for 2 Realtors in a FSBO transaction.  I am the mortgage broker.

It is hard enough to get the loan approved, much less handle a dual agency transaction with all the drama of low appraisals, move in issues, inspection issues, contract revisions, re-negotiations, melt downs, near divorces, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.!!!! 

Damn, you guys sure earn your money. Didn't I just read an ActiveRain blog that stated this "Finding the house is the easy part"?

Amen.

Buyer and seller may have muddled through to the point of coming together on price, but after that the train of thought goes something like this:

"Well what do we do now?"

"I dunno. We need a contract, don't ya think?"

"Nah, what do we need that for? But I do need a loan. Maybe I should find a mortgage person???"

"Hey! Those mortgage people know all about paperwork and stuff. Let's go see the mortgage person!"

And thus, the mortgage person (as the only real estate professional in the transaction) becomes Realtor By Default.

Maybe it is time to offer limited services to FSBO's with a different pricing model. Openly. Willingly. So everyone knows about it.

Instead we let them muddle through with a little help from the mortgage person, and a little help from the title company. This nearly always results in something LESS than a satisfactory transaction (not to mention depriving Realtors of much needed business).

Is it because stepping outside of the traditional pricing model is just too scary? Oh ye of little faith. People NEED Realtors. HA! Let them try to do it by themselves and you will see a whole new appreciation for Realtors.

Maybe it is time to EMBRACE the people who choose to find buyers for their real estate. Guess what? With the Internet it is only going to get easier and easier for sellers to find their own buyers. These people are going to seek out a different pricing model than "seller pays X percent" to list house.

When will we, as an industry, stop labeling people who want to sell themselves with the unflattering term "Fizz-bows"?  When will we realize they are just another potential customer who desperately needs the services of a real estate agent?

When we stop being afraid that asking buyers to pay instead of sellers just might be a good idea.

Written by Janet Guilbault, Mortgage Banker/Broker Based Out of the San Francisco Bay Area

Question: Why do celebrities die young? Why do they morph from fresh and beautiful to warped and paranoid?

Answer: Celebrity messes with your mind.

I can still remember my father's lecture to me about "celebrity" when I was young. He framed it around Marilyn Monroe's untimely death at age 36.

His point? Stardom prevented her from finding happiness in her life.

Before that, I had the same impression as most young girls: to be rich, famous, and beautiful would be life's highest achievement.

Ah, to have such a wise father. It is a blessing, for sure.

Being a celebrity is the classic love-hate loop that addicts.  You love what you hate. You hate you love.

Your self worth is forever compromised. After all, what are you without the circus that surrounds you? It defines you. It makes you rich. It means you are famous. The more you love the fame, the more you hate it.

Like most addictions, there is a steep price. You lose your anonymity. Sometimes, like Michael Jackson, you lose your entire childhood. You sacrifice a private life for a public life. You can never go back and find what it is you lost.

You just keep trying.

My daughter, who lives in West L.A., often frequents the same Starbucks as Brittany Spears. She hates it when Brittany arrives, along with 25 maniacs snapping pictures, people screaming, and vehicles screeching.

Imagine how Brittany feels. Every day. Each time.

But the steepest price of all is this: Who knows if anyone would love you if you weren't "the celebrity"?

Is it giving up the privacy that is so dangerous? Or is it giving up this: the  knowledge that there are people who will love you no matter what?

And what happens when your celebrity starts to fade? Is it possible to kick the addiction?

Often it is not. It is why there are drugs, craziness, and a true lack of "aging with grace". It is why there are too many marriages. Or no marriages. Or messed up kids. Or obsessions. Or suicides. Or even accidents (like Princess Diana).

And while a life of celebrity may not kill, let's just say it is a high mileage kind of lifestyle.

Would I rather be a 2005 gas guzzling Black Mercedes (with chrome wheels) driven 175k miles, that has been crashed over and over? A car that no one wants anymore? (but oh, what glamorous places that car has been!)

Or would I rather be a 1998 Lexus with 35,000 miles? Sleek, maintained to perfection and always garaged? Used to go out to dinner with friends, buy veggies at the farmer's market, and for weekend trips to the wine country?

I would rather be the Lexus, ready for my next 100,000 miles of life.

Because there are people to see. And places to go.

Written by Janet Guilbault, Mortgage Banker/Broker based out of the San Francisco Bay Area

First time home buyers: Are you still at the computer, doing endless "research" on how to snag the $8000 TAX CREDIT for buying a house this year? 

Does the November 30th deadline seem like a million years away as you think about fireworks (not turkey leftovers)?

First time home buyers: Get your butts in gear. NOW.

This is the wrong time to claim you only get motivated when a deadline looms.

This is the wrong time to tell everyone you are a "last minute kinda person" who pulls an all nighter when you have a term paper, and shops for Christmas presents on December 24th.

Here's why: Buying a house takes longer than you think. There are 8000 reasons you DO NOT want to miss this deadline.

Let's back things up. Do you think OTHER first time home buyers might wait until the last minute? Lenders could very likely experience an overwhelming amount of applications this fall.

With applications already taking 45 days, it could easily take 60 days to close your loan. Or more. Lenders are already ridicuously understaffed.

This means you will need to be in contract no later than the end of September.

If you have not already done so, you will need to accomplish this during the months of July, August and September:

1. Find a Mortgage person
   
2. Find a Real Estate Agent
   
3. Find a House
4. Make an Offer, negotiate terms. Find another house if first offer is rejected. Get new offer accepted.
   
5. Get financing completed and loan closed.

Some likely time lines and what to expect:

1.  Apply for a mortgage.  Provide the required documents and ask for a pre-approval. This will uncover any glitches standing in the way of your approval. This will make certain you have the right amount of funds in your account, or lined up as a gift. This will let you know your price range before you begin shopping for a house. This will let the Realtor know you have done your homework and are serious. ESTIMATED TIME REQUIRED: 1-2 weeks

2.  Figure out where you want to live and find a Realtor.  Look for a Realtor that knows the neighborhood where you would like to buy. Communicate openly and be on the same page if you are buying with another person.  ESTIMATED  TIME REQUIRED: 2-3 weeks

3.  Shop for a house with your Realtor.  ESTIMATED TIME LINE: 3-4 weeks.

4.  Make an offer, negotiate terms, get in contract. Ask your Realtor about timing before making an offer on a short sale or a lender owned property.  ESTIMATED TIME LINE: 1-2 weeks or more...depending on how many offers it will take to get a house. Market could become highly competitive as the deadline looms.

5.  Secure financing with lender, and close the loan. Inspections and appraisal will occur during the time as well. ESTIMATED TIME LINE: 6 weeks to 8 weeks

Worst case estimated time line: 19 weeks.

Weeks until November 30th? 22 weeks, beginning next week.

Can you do this in less time? Yes you can.

Just like when you gave your Mom that lame ceramic unicorn for Christmas (purchased in a panic on Christmas Eve, thrown in an obviously used gift bag, then sneakily placed under the Christmas tree minutes before gift opening).

Written by Janet Guilbault, Mortgage Banker/Broker Based Out of the San Francisco Bay Area

Is a real estate commission just a slush fund to benefit clients? Some people think so.

There it sits, a whole lot of money, and everyone pretty much knows how much.

They know how badly you want to get the deal closed. They know this money only comes to you once the deal is closed. Can they resist asking demanding blackmailing negotiating for some of your money?

Sometimes, they can't.

But instead of negotiating with the client, how often do you negotiate with yourself when you are asked to CUT your commission?

 What was going on in your mind the last time you cut your commission? Did you use one of these excuses to give some of your commission away?

1. This is going to be a really easy deal that won't require very much of my time.
2. This guy says he will be sending me his cousin Larry next month.
   
3. I feel sorry for these folks, they have been through so much.
4. This is a really impressive client to have so I need to make sure he goes with me.
5. He says he'll go elsewhere if I refuse to cut my commission.
   
6. The deal will fall apart if I don't kick in some commission to pay for ____________. (fill in the blank)
   
7. I need this deal to impress the guy who referred him to me.
8. They're family!
9. I've already had a good month, this is just the icing
10. It's easier to just not fight it and give in.

In all of the cases above, you are negotiating with YOURSELF, not your client.

You are probably not winning at these negotiations very often. In this market, where opportunities to make money are few and far between, do we adopt the attitude that SOME commission is better than the risk of losing all of the commission? 

Do we operate from FEAR? Or from CONFIDENCE?

Is it just too easy for you, the commissioned salesperson, to give away money that you don't even yet have?

Or do we see these demands for what they really are in most cases: A sort of test administered by the client that quickly morphs into an irrational fear on our part?

When in this position, I like to remember this saying which I learned in the car business:

A LOUSY SALESPERSON CUTS THEIR COMMISSION.

Once you cut your commission the client automatically assumes you were OVERCHARGING him the first time.

If you devalue your service by cutting the commission, so will your client. You have lost some of their respect right along with some of your money.

And I remain convinced that a large percentage of people do not expect you to cut your commission.

Maybe they just want to know this: Are you a lousy salesperson? Or one who believes you are worth every penny of the commission?

Written by Janet Guilbault, Mortgage Banker/Broker based out of the San Francisco Bay Area

This was easy to predict: There is already an effort in Congress to extend the $8000 tax credit for first time buyers (which expires Nov. 30, 2009) to buyers of ALL houses in 2010. 

There will be some form of rebate in the year 2010 because the real estate industry will continue to languish, and Washington will continue to tamper with our industry.

Since Washington is not willing to wait for the economy to "right" itself, please don't be surprised when our industry must "pay the piper" for extracting all the buyers out of the market years before they were planning to buy.

Any veteran of the auto industry (myself included) can explain to you why INCENTIVES (called REBATES in the auto universe) become ADDICTIVE to both buyers and sellers. And why it disrupts the natural rhythm of an economy trying to heal itself.

The idea behind incentives is this: Have a firm end date so that every buyer will rush out with a "last chance" mentality to buy. Keep it a big secret if you intend to extend or enhance the incentive.

And it always works like a charm.

If rebate ENDS on November 30, you have pulled buyers who WOULD have bought in December, January, and beyond.

Will this happen to first time buyers at the end of 2009? Yes it will. And it will clog what is already a strained mortgage industry now operating at far beyond capacity.

The problem with incentives is this: Business dies for the next few months.  And rehab is never fun.

Then the inevitable: LIGHT BULB! Let's offer another rebate because, jeepers, if it worked last time, it'll work again this time.

And the cycle continues...

Why is this kind of ECONOMIC ADDICTION bad for the industry? Because:

1. Buyers become addicted, incentives lose their impact. Buyers come to expect incentives and will not even consider a purchase without some sort of rebate
2. Sellers become addicted because they need continual rebates to keep buyers in the market.
3. Incentives distort the real value of what is being purchased.
   
4. Incentives place an additional burden on buyers to constantly monitor how much "funny money" entitlement is attached to the purchase.
5. Incentives are actually a bonanza for the tax man because incentives keep prices higher (higher property tax for real estate, higher sales tax for autos)
   
6. Just like taxes, incentives are used to manipulate buyer behavior instead of allowing the free market allocate resources.
   
7. Incentives invite fraud. Let's just be honest. How many people out there (who are not really first time buyers) are going to figure out a way to cash in? That's what always happens when the Feds dish out free money...much of it goes to fraud and monitoring fraud.
   
8. No one wants to live through the rehab. What happens when they turn off the faucet and there are no more incentives? Can you say major pain as the market "adjusts" to reality?
   

Unless all of the inventory out there somehow disappears, there will be hell to pay when the music stops. 

Will real estate tax incentives turn into a permanent addiction ( like exists in the auto industry?) Would you rather have natural healing? Or a short high, deteriorating health, and a painful  rehab?

Bank on this: There will be a major push to extend the housing tax credit later this year.

That may not be a good thing.

Written by Janet Guilbault, Mortgage Banker/Broker based out of the San Francisco Bay Area

They say you can't be too rich and you can't be too thin. But can an appraisal be too high?

I am fighting my first HVCC appraisal issue, so please don't laugh when I tell you my problem: The appraisal is TOO HIGH.

The appraisal came in $65,000 OVER the contract price.

With every single mortgage person and Realtor out there complaining about values coming in TOO LOW, I was too embarrassed to even mention this appraisal to my co-workers.

The lender refused to underwrite the file.

Why? They would like me to amend the contract so the buyer pays $65,000 dollars MORE for the property. This way, appraisal will match contract.

NO PROBLEM! I know I would be absolutely thrilled to pieces if someone told me I would need to pay $65,000 more than my negotiated price for the house as a condition of getting a LOAN.

Or, more realistically, would I feel like slugging my mortgage broker?

Before HVCC came along (in April), I called 2 appraisers to ask about the value of this property. We USED to be able to do such questionable, underhanded things, you know.

Both appraisers warned me the value would be LOWER than the $500,000 selling price. Still, seller and buyer were happy with the price, so we forged ahead, KNOWING that since transaction rolled into May, we would be subject to HVCC.

Why wouldn't lender be HAPPY to have an even LOWER loan to value?

Since a mother is selling to a son (we call this a non arms length transaction), lender will not allow anything but a "true market value". Naturally, lender has assumed it is being sold under market.

Wait, they didn't NEED to assume. Appraiser wrote this right on the appraisal.

LOAN BUSTER!!!!!

Funny thing, seller thought she was getting top dollar, not that she was discounting it (because it was being sold to her son). Son was happy since house had been valued much higher last year, figured market had "bottomed out" and he could finally afford to buy it.

Never mind that LENDERS are selling their own REO properties at under market values EACH and EVERY day, and approving loans to buy them.

Mother and son? Not allowed.

What else is wrong with this picture?

1. Lock is ticking with a 4.75% rate that cannot be replicated...will need a costly extension because of this delay
   
2. Buyer must pay another $500 if he wants to get another appraisal and change lenders....then risk that it comes in at  the wrong value...and pay the new higher rates. 
   
3. Buyer not qualified for a higher loan, does not have the extra down payment
4. Buyer would need to pay higher taxes to buy at higher price
5. Bank is not taking into consideration price is lower as a result of no real estate commission.
6. Let Mom "gift" him the extra $65,000? Easier said than done. Another can of worms awaits.
   
7. "Janet, don't play Realtor and let them sort this through themselves"? Here's the truth: Right now, I really wish there was a great Realtor involved.

My thanks to ActiveRain members  Brian Brady, Laurie Manny, and Harrison Long, who all helped me gather comps from Orange County to offically challenge the appraisal.

Written by Janet Guilbault, Mortgage Banker/Broker based out of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Test question: What do the following 3 situations have in common? Your answer can only be one word.

1. An increasing number of frustrated Realtors posting on ActiveRain about late closings and bashing complaining about mortgage people
2. Frustrated customers at dealerships who cannot get the cars/trucks they want. 
3. I have been waiting for 2 weeks for Home Depot to deliver wood to rebuild a deck (when they told us it would take 2 days)

Mortgage people suck  (too many words)

Car dealers suck  (still too many words)

The service at Home Depot sucks (Nope)

The answer is CAPACITY, as in "so many people have been fired or laid off that there's nobody left to do the work." 

1. Banks are overwhelmed and ridiculously understaffed
2. Car companies have closed plants and vastly reduced the number of vehicles that are being built. There are no cars in the pipeline!
3. Home Depot can't seem to find drivers to deliver our wood. They fired all of theirs and now contract this out.

When CAPACITY issues abound in the economy, the level of service invariably drops. You cannot deliver the same level of service without the PEOPLE TO PROVIDE IT.

Now, what does all of this mean to you as a Realtor? By the time capacity issues trickle down to you, all you see is a problem with your sale. And the potential for the deal to fall apart. And your blood pressure going up.

Never mind that closing a loan takes far more time and a far greater skill level than before. Never mind that banks are over the top when it comes to proving income, jobs, and assets. Never mind because hopefully you already knew this.

But it appears to me that mortgage people are being held to a standard that is not taking into consideration the STATE OF THE MORTGAGE INDUSTRY:

1. TURMOIL (from short sales, modifications, and foreclosures)
2. TRANSITION (from mergers and layoffs)
3. OVER-STIMULATION (from low rates and tax incentives)

You think your mortgage person is wasting time?

Did you know extending a lock on a $500,000 loan with Wells Fargo costs $150 a day? Do you know who pays for that most of the time? Borrower (Rare) Realtor (In what life?) Mortgage Person (Bingo!)

Did you know it takes 9 business days of waiting just to get the underwriter at Wells to LOOK at your file? And that's because it is a purchase. A refi takes 21 business days.

So, you say, send the loan elsewhere. You're a broker.  

But guess what? The banks with the best rates have the slowest turn times since all the mortgage brokers pig-pile on those banks and lock loans there.

It will PAY to keep this in mind as we head into the the last half of 2009:

1. This is not going to get better. Buyers will be flooding into the market before the end of the year to take advantage of the tax credit. Lots of people still need to refi. More foreclosures on the horizon.
2. Get in tune with what is going on and write longer contracts. 
3. Ditto for contingencies.
4. Seek out skilled mortgage people. Be pro-active. Not reactive when they don't meet your standards.
5. We have not abandoned you because of refinances. Purchases always take priority for banks and for mortgage people.
6. Your mortgage person has no control over the appraisal with new HVCC rules.
7. Who said it wouldn't be stressful? Expect delays as banks pile on last minute conditions.
8. Do not cause your client to believe the mortgage person is the enemy.
9. You are the Realtor. Do not try to be the mortgage person. Or the boss of the mortgage person.
10. You are not the customer. The test is not whether you are satisfied with the mortgage person. The test is if the client is satisfied with the transaction when you hand him the keys to his new home.

Written by Janet Guilbault, Mortgage Banker/Broker based out of the San Francisco Bay Area.

I married into a family with 3 proud generations of General Motors execs.

Yep, GM was the "family business", and everyone was obsessed by cars. I didn't think I was, but still....

Was I first attracted to the man I would eventually marry because of all his wonderful qualities? Or the little red Corvette that he drove? 

Oh, but it was a glam job. He got new cars every 3 months to drive. I got a new car every year. Whatever I wanted.

I once got "detained" in Mississippi for driving a bright yellow Camaro, missing an important college final as a result.  

Could these guys give me a ticket for just being too damn flashy for that small town ? (ok, I might have been driving 5 miles over the limit, but why didn't they just write the ticket and let me go?)

GM threw lavish parties and awarded trips to Hawaii as perks. There were benefits to die for. Completely unheard of by today's standards. We used to call them Generous Motors.

But there was a dark side to life with GM. We were transferred to a different state every 18 months, which is nothing short of pure torture in my mind. Your life is always unfinished, your friends are always temporary.

That fact alone finally killed what had started as a very successful real estate career. I caved into my husband's ambition, but never to the corporate life. 

GM reeked of corporate politics. Hard to wrap your head around if you come from a real estate background where what you earn is determined exactly by what you produce. How many times have you driven your boss' wife to the airport because you wanted to get some brownie points? UGH.

The worst thing? The thing that caused him to quit? Ironically, something the government forced GM to do: Their "racial quota" was completely askew (in the 80's). They were a company of all white guys, and very few women or minorities (although my husband's GRANDMOTHER was employed at GM).

GM could only hire and promote minorities to fix this, and it became obvious it would take years to satisfy the quota. If you were a young ambitious white guy? You were going nowhere fast.

That, and this: Eventually, you had to move to Detroit. My apologies to everyone from Michigan.....I just did not want to move to Detroit (where hubby was born).

With the help of my father, my husband bought his own car company in California. We sold our house without a Realtor (had to! No longer had GM paying the commission!), picked up our lives, our 3 babies and 2 cats, and headed back to California.

Everyone thought we had lost our minds to give up so much.

Gave up the house on the hill with 6 white columns for the stucco rancher with only 3 apricot trees as landscaping. Suddenly had to pay our own benefits and drive used cars. Gone was the salary, the trips, the perks, and the lavish lifestyle that accompanies being a corporate executive.

Sold all of our GM stock to finance the new company and fix the rancher (at over fifty bucks a share).

Was it worth it? At times, we wondered.

Still, there is something very sad about the demise of what once was.

And never will be again.

Written by Janet Guilbault, Mortgage Banker/Broker based out of the San Francisco Bay Area

I have a favorite number these days. It is "4".

When your car gets 40 miles per gallon and the rate on your mortgage starts with a "4", what does that make you?

1. Clean?
2. Green?
3. Lean?
4. Serene?
5. All of the above?

I know what it makes me. Someone people want to talk to. I am a mortgage broker who also owns a car company.

Not that anyone LIKES shuffling through the the 500 documents required to refinance a house these days.

Or wedging yourself into something smaller than your refrigerator and pretending to like it.

But we need to feel good somehow. We need to cut costs somehow. And so we reach out.

Ring!!!! Hello? "Hi Janet, remember me?"

I already know what's coming. They want to join Club 4.

"Please order me up some "historically" low mortgage money. By the way, what kind of car is considered "green"?

You know the media has finally penetrated the consciousness of the American consumer when they call you up and use the word "historical" and "green".

In case you haven't noticed, the car business is imploding. I heard Oprah gave everyone on her show a Chrysler....dealership.

You may have heard this: You can't drive your house to work but you can sleep in your car.

Please, someone show me how to sleep in one of these cars. And I am a petite 5'4" woman who sleeps in the fetal position.

I would rather figure out how to work from home!

Are people reacting offensively by reaching out to cut costs? Or defensively by protecting themselves from the certainty that RATES will go up, and GAS PRICES will go up?

Either way, this much I know:

1. Half the fun of joining Club 4 is feeling good about yourself (yes, we are concerned about saving the planet) 
   
2. Americans don't REALLY want to drive those itty bitty boxes. They stop selling every time gas prices drop.
3. Americans don't REALLY need 4% rates to entice them to buy. What they need is the belief property will appreciate in value.
   

How many people out there would gladly pay 6% for mortgage money?

If only they would qualify? If only they had equity? If only they thought the value of the property would go up?

How many people out there would drive an SUV?

If only they could justify it and not be embarrassed? If only they could stockpile gas when it is $2.25 a gallon instead of being held hostage by those numbers posted on the pump?

How many people would relax and just go with the flow?

If only they weren't afraid of losing their job and being taxed into oblivion?

Written by Janet Guilbault, Mortgage Banker/Broker Based Out of the San Francisco Bay Area