tucson mortgage: Please Welcome My Friend Brad Duecker, Old Pueblo Appraisals, to Active Rain! - 10/09/08 02:46 PM
Brad Duecker (pronounced DEE-KER) hates to make cold calls. Don't we all! But he contacted me by email yesterday through Active Rain, and I called him. (I don't mind cold calling.)
Brad and I set an appointment for this morning first thing at my office, and by the time we were … (13 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Unintended Consequences: Globally Coordinated Rate Cut Raises Mortgage Rates - 10/08/08 09:41 AM
That's the DOW performance this morning there on the left. News of the globally coordinated cut in interest rates initially propelled the market higher, only to see them fall again. That's usually good for lenders, agents and buyers of real estate.
Lower market, lower mortgage rates. Right? Not this time. The banks … (12 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Global Rate Cuts? What Rate Would Make You Jump In and Buy Real Estate? - 10/07/08 12:20 AM
October 6th, 10:00 p.m. I'm reading the financial blogs. Not the screaming fluff, but blogs with gravitas. (Thought that word was going away, did you? Ha!) Bloomberg. Fox Business News.
They're speculating that the $850 Billion spending spree by our Congress won't do the job, and that globally, interest rates are … (8 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Silly Saturday Post with a Lesson: Let Yourself Be Three Again! - 10/04/08 11:49 PM
Grandpa learned a lesson the other night at the boardwalk with 1/10th of the clan of grandkids. Little Darlin' just turned three, and she was sooo excited to visit the boardwalk with "Grandpa Oso."
Grandpa Oso was pretty excited himself. None of the little ones live in Arizona, and this was … (19 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Buying an Investment Property? No One Is Willing to Sell You Mortgage Insurance - 10/03/08 08:00 PM
The REALTOR called me from a cruise ship. Our pre-qualified borrower--who has been waiting months for the market to fit his budget--finally decided to make the plunge and purchase a rental property in Tucson.
His FICO score is 780. The buyer is a W-2 employee with more than 16 years on … (11 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Please Welcome My Friend Mike Carsten to Active Rain! - 10/01/08 01:25 PM
Mike Carsten is almost a native of Tucson, having moved here from Toledo, Ohio seventeen years ago. (Please leave a comment, and then click the link to go comment on Mike's blog.)
Mike is a captain in the Tucson Fire Department, and I've just hired him as a loan officer in … (26 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: I am brand new to Active Rain - 10/01/08 12:54 PM
I'm a captain in the Tucson Fire Department, and I am the newest loan officer in Mike Jones' office. I grew up in Toledo, Ohio and have been living in Tucson for the past 17 years. I guess that makes me almost a native.
I am looking forward to meeting new … (5 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Housing Crisis: The Owl, The Dove & the Hummingbird - 09/30/08 05:49 PM
This Western Screech Owl has taken up residence on my back ramada (porch to the snowbirds) much to the consternation of a female Mourning Dove, which had built its nest of sticks on top of the Saguaro "boot."
The boot (usually found inside a Saguaro Cactus) is the owl's preferred nesting site, … (31 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Credit Bailout Bill Contains Fingerprint Provision - 09/27/08 06:18 AM
With all the hoopla, crisis intervention talk, and chest beating in the media about the proposed Federal bailout bill, few have noticed that there's a provision in the bill to fingerprint loan officers.
Maybe they already do this in your state. I'd like to know. Arizona at present doesn't even license … (22 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: WaMu Fails. Bailout Talks On the Ropes. What Does It Mean to My Business Today? - 09/26/08 05:47 AM
The problem with big wrecks, apart from the very real consequences for the immediate participants, is that everyone else stops what they're doing to gawk. They stop thinking about the task at hand.
This spectacular accident happened in Alberta, Canada when the driver of the semi took his eyes off the … (18 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Banker vs Broker: There is a difference. - 09/19/08 01:39 AM
It is way past my bedtime and here I am writing a little post. I have been fortunate enough to have multiple files in underwriting this week but due to circumstances beyond my control, I brokered one of these deals out. I'll run down my experience with both files starting with … (2 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Please Welcome My Friend Cheryle Gonzales to Active Rain! - 09/17/08 07:33 PM
Okay, the other Tucson mortgage guy invited her to the Rain, but I helped her write her first post so that you can go comment and make her welcome. (Glad to pick up after you, Paul... LOL)
Cheryle is another Stewart Title person, and an escrow officer. You'll find that photo … (26 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Make Sure You Stand Out From the Crowd! - 09/16/08 11:52 PM
Someone spent a lot of money on this beautiful remodel of an existing commercial building.
As I came around the corner from Speedway onto Country Club, I was struck by the lack of visibility of the FARMERS letters under the distinctive logo.
You can't read it from 75 yards away! The … (6 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Buying A Home Soon? Be Prepared... - 09/16/08 06:33 AM
September 16: You know that yesterday's stock market plunge means cheaper rates today on a 30 year fixed rate mortgage. You're right!
You decided last night that you're going to jump in right now and take advantage of the combination of low real estate prices and cheap money. Good move!
Be … (17 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Another New Member from a Title Company! Please Welcome Kimberly Keegan of Stewart Title - 09/15/08 07:33 PM
Two Kimberly's in one day! I'm please to introduce you to my newest AR Inductee.
Kimberly Keegan represents Stewart Title here in Tucson. I told her about Brad Andersohn's fantastic success with Active Rain, and she signed up immediately. Brad, move over! LOL
Please click the link above, make Kimberly welcome, … (23 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Please Welcome My Friend Kimberly Marohn of Tucson, Arizona - 09/15/08 03:25 PM
Actually, I'm just doing this because Kim's husband Jonathan is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (near and dear to my culinary heart) and I'm trying to get in her good graces. LOL
Kim is a REALTOR in Tucson, mom to two little ones, ages 2 and 4, and … (16 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Lehman Brothers? Merrill Lynch? Mom & Pop? Who Would You Bet On? - 09/15/08 12:17 AM
Size and longevity are no guarantee of continued success.
Lehman Brothers has been in existence for nearly a century and a half. Merrill Lynch would have reached the century mark in six short years, had the bull survived.
That saguaro on the left likely lived for more than a century, … (14 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: First Magnus: Soon to reopen as Stonewater Mortgage - 09/14/08 04:34 PM
I just came from the website for Stonewater Mortgage, the latest creation of the folks that brought us First Magnus and Charter Funding. In the same building they were headquartered out of as F.M. I don't know the former owners of Charter, but I have friends that do and speak very highly … (2 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: I-10 Expansion Update in Tucson, AZ: Who Makes These Signs? - 09/12/08 10:50 PM
We're more than halfway to the finish point. The I-10 expansion through Tucson is gathering steam, so to speak...
They've narrowed some of the lanes to 11 feet, and some fool thought that it would be good to put up this sign. Locals call this section the tunnel.
The lanes to … (7 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Location, Location, Location! Gate's Pass at Sunset, Tucson, Arizona - 09/11/08 06:29 AM
There's something about a spectacular sunset that draws us. Each evening, just before sunset, people from all over the world gather less than a mile from my home in the Tucson Mountains to witness some of the most glorious sunsets on the planet. The spot is called Gate's Pass.
Here's a … (23 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Want To Make Money In Real Estate? Act While Others Are Pondering. - 09/10/08 07:30 PM
John Morgan commented on one of my posts about buying down the interest rate to qualify your buyer:
"You are right that a lot more money can be saved with a better mortgage than trying to wait for the lowest price. And, from my experience 30 years of real estate, it's … (18 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Life's A Risk Worth Taking: The Dangers of Nesting - 09/09/08 06:28 AM
At first glance, all is right in this mother's world. Can you see the fledgling burrowing under her to get out of the desert sun?
A closer look shows that her nest has been built among cactus spines so sharp that hypodermic needles are dull by comparison!
Just a slight brush … (13 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: The Crestate Saguaro Cactus: One of Natures Magnificent Oddities - 09/09/08 06:00 AM
It only happens in one of every 200,000 plants.
The saguaro cactus usually grows straight and tall, adding branching arms starting at age 75 or so. It will likely live to age 200.
The tip of the main stem and of each arm is a single point of growth, but somehow … (8 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Improve Your Sales Results Right Now! The Picture In Your Mind Becomes the Story of Your Life - 09/03/08 08:30 AM
"The pictures in your mind becomes the stories of your life."Cody Bateman
I've been a National Sales Manager for OPEX Corporation, an international manufacturing company based in Moorestown, NJ, so I bring something to the table.
Here's how it works:
(1) What you think shapes the words you say, and … (24 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Attraction is Nature's Marketing Program. Take Notes! - 09/01/08 12:43 AM
Look at these two photos. How can you fail to respond by taking a closer look?
Bees and other pollinators feel the same way. The end result is success for the plant in the form of fruit.
"By their fruit, you will know them."Jesus of Nazareth
(If Jesus of Nazareth isn't … (34 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Saturday Night in the Desert: It's Raining! - 08/30/08 11:05 PM
It's raining! We love the rain here in the desert southwest.
The monsoons are not over yet! We may have another week or two before the weather pattern changes again.
I camped out during the storm and took photo after photo with my little digital camera.
I must have taken 70 frames.
… (19 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Free (Did I Say Free?) Real Estate Motivational Seminar - 08/30/08 04:33 AM
I frequent cemetaries. They're more educational than seminars, and the tuition is free. I like free.
Don't you wonder what dreams lie buried here?
Young Mr. Lemon of Aberdeen, Scotland lies beneath this headstone in a grave in Tucson, Arizona. He was 29 when his life was cut short. How that … (19 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: First AR lead (*)- 4 weeks almost to the day - 08/28/08 06:55 PM
You never know what will put you over the top. I got my 1st AR lead today from a local agent who is also active with AR. I had met the agent a few times previously through my time spent visiting with agents at open houses. I put the asterisk in … (5 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Apology To Fred Adler: "When I Mess Up, I 'Fess Up" - 08/25/08 11:08 AM
I made the appointment and blew it. When Fred called to say he was going to be a few minutes late, I hadn't left the house yet.
"Fred," I said, "I'm behind the 8-Ball; I live west of the Tucson Mountains, and it's going to take 45 minutes to get there. … (17 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Tucson Artist Tom Murray Captures the Essence of the Southwestern Sky (Part 2) - 08/24/08 11:38 PM
Tom Murray is my favorite artist in the medium of oils. It's not just his tecnical ability; it's his subject matter. I love the cloud formations in my Arizona skies.
We saw something similar to this cloud formation from our back yard in Tucson Estates II on Friday night.
You'll find … (13 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Why Mortgage Rates Won't/Can't Go Down: Huge GSEs Are Trying to Unload Debt - 08/23/08 11:39 PM
Government Sponsored Entities hold five trillion dollars in Mortgage Backed Securities, and they're all in trouble. Fannie and Freddy hold only one third of these. They can no longer move the markets.
Lou Barnes, mortgage broker and columnist, wrote an article this week entitled "Fannie-Freddie deathwatch begins". It's worth your time. … (14 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Tucson Artist Tom Murray Captures the Essence of the Southwestern Sky - 08/20/08 05:19 AM
Arizona skies are awesome. So is painter Tom Murray. I've never seen clouds captured on canvas with such realism and painterly beauty.
I first met Tom at Jane Hamilton Fine Art in Tucson on River Road near Campbell.
That's where you'll find original paintings like the one you see featured here.
… (22 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: 2000 personal contacts in the next 12 months...how would you get there? - 08/16/08 11:11 PM
As a mortgage person not affiliated with a real estate company, I feel like I have to outwork all of the folks with the "in-house" jobs. How am I going to do it? Network, meet and greet and repeat. I am working on my formula to meet 2000 people in my … (10 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: This Week It's "Mike in Salt Lake City" - 08/12/08 10:01 PM
If there's anything I'm passionate about, it's capturing life with photos.
When I found out I could take my own photos, add captions and/or thought bubbles, I signed up for a service called Send Out Cards.
This week I'm visiting their plant here in SLC, which I expect will remind me … (20 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Southern AZ golf course review (#1 in a series) - 08/11/08 03:52 PM
Being a loan officer by day and an avid golfer the rest of the time, I thought I would review my first golf course in Southern Arizona. On Sunday morning, I played Saddlebrook Ranch for about the 10th time and for $25, I thought it was well worth it. I am … (2 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Unique Little Property in Tucson Begs for Unique Buyer! - 08/09/08 10:50 PM
This must be 70 years old; it hasn't been a service station for a long time.
I drive by it often. It sits on a corner in a residential part of the older town of Tucson, near downtown.
What could it become?
An ice cream shop?
A flower shop?
____________________
You … (22 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: "Success Is Where Preparation Meets Opportunity" Zig Ziglar - 08/07/08 11:02 AM
This quote from Zig Ziglar is framed in my office.
I don't know if you're like me, but I'll admit to loving success, while struggling with the discipline required to prepare for that success.
Success
exciting
necessary
builds on itself
attracts others
results driven
Preparation
boring
tedious
necessary
builds on … (59 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Kiss A Frog, Just In Case... - 08/05/08 03:45 PM
You just never know. People meet you, you exchange business cards, and if you're anything like me, you never throw them out.
I ought to get rid of the old cards, but I feel like I may be throwing away a frog that I ought to have kissed, (metaphorically speaking.)
I'm going … (25 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Please Welcome My Friend David Kuiper To ActiveRain - 08/04/08 04:24 PM
Hey everybody... please welcome David Kuiper to the ActiveRain Community. David is a leader in the mortgage world, an inspiration to other originators and a pretty nice guy and someone to know in Michigan.
I first saw David on the big stage in Las Vegas teaching an outstanding session regarding … (2 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Active Rain "Dance Card": Meet with a Rainer in Your Area Today - 08/04/08 09:16 AM
At 9:00, I have an appointment to meet for coffee at Starbucks with Paul Dunn, a loan officer in Tucson. We've gotten to know each other through our Active Rain blogs, and I'm looking forward to meeting him. Paul has made himself expert on FHA loans, a great niche in this … (24 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Please Welcome My Friend Brenda Edmontson to Active Rain! - 08/02/08 02:27 PM
Brenda and I had coffee this morning with a dozen other people who use a company called Send Out Cards to manage our database of contacts. I showed her a card I had sent to Calie Waterhouse in Phoenix, and it said something about Active Rain.
Brenda had never heard of … (14 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Get your buyers "off of the fence". - 08/02/08 10:59 AM
We hear a lot of "I am waiting for the market to hit bottom". Isn't this ironic as our clients were so eager to buy as the market was going crazy? I think we all recognize that prices have come down substantially in the last 18 months, so why is there … (6 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: What Networking formula works best ? from an Active Rain Newbie - 08/01/08 10:30 AM
To start this off, obviously, different things are going to work for different people. 18 months into the business, but a 30 year resident of Tucson, I am working hard at shoring up my network. So here are of few of the directions I have gone and I am going. I … (4 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Is it time to buy my first investment property? - 07/31/08 01:59 PM
As "insiders" of the real estate market, we all have seen or heard about some of the fantastic deals that are turning up in this volatile market. Our first instinct is to try to find one of these deals for ourselves. That is where the conundrum comes in. As commission sales … (3 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Want More Referrals? Grow Your Local Active Rain Community - 07/30/08 07:46 AM
Visually, this graphic immediately makes you want to leave and go somewhere else in the Rain. It really does, doesn't it?
As of 5:00 this morning, Tucson, AZ has 322 Active Rain members. 89 of those have no photo on their Profile Page. Just this blue-gray atavar.
I looked through the … (32 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Initiation to Blogging: Please Welcome My Friend Debbie Bachel - 07/30/08 12:00 AM
Debbie's (left) agency is just upstairs from my office, and it's a pleasure to refer business to her. That's because Debbie goes the extra mile for my clients, and is more interested in what's good for the client than what's in it for her.
Vicki Altadonna of Tucson (right) can take the … (10 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Saturday Night in the Desert: It's All in the Perspective - 07/26/08 11:52 PM
No Photoshopping here.
No trick photography.
No outside help from another human being.
Can you guess how this photo was taken? The photographer had no outside help, nor was anyone else within a quarter mile of him.
This photograph has captured my imagination this week. It's a self portrait!
How in … (78 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Blogging 101: How To Generate Interest in Your Blog - 07/26/08 11:27 PM
The baby is not quite four months old. (A.R. Grandpa Duane, this is India.) Everything is interesting and new, but nothing holds her attention for very long.
Nothing until this train.
Our kids came to visit from Denver, and we had spent the better part of a day hiking in the … (24 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Two Intra-Day Price Improvements! - 07/24/08 04:22 PM
The market was down pretty significantly today, but that's not all that drove the price of bonds up, and interest rates down!
The 10 year bond, which started the day at 4.12%, ended the day at 4% even. Twelve basis points is a significant move.
Some of our lenders improved loan … (11 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Philadelphia Fed Governor Plosser: "Rates Going Up As Housing Prices Go Down" - 07/24/08 01:16 PM
It would seem counter-intuitive. Housing prices are falling, but interest rates have to go up.
Charles Plosser, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank, expressed his concerns about broad based inflation. He sees the current low discount rate as an accomodation to a political situation which is not really a … (10 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Mortgage Lenders and REALTORS: Hang Tough. There's Blue Sky Above. - 07/23/08 07:42 AM
Stormy skies are the norm in Tucson, Arizona right now. It happens every year during the monsoon season. The streets and washes flood, and a few idiots decide to risk driving through the water, even though common sense tells them not to. Signs tell them to turn around. In they go, … (32 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: REALTOR Toolbox: Maximum Seller Buy Down Explained - 07/22/08 01:40 AM
Ann Heitland (Flagstaff, AZ) asked a question a few days ago about the meaning of "maximum seller buy down," and I answered in a comment on her blog post.
I'd like to give the topic wider exposure; you'll be a hero to your sellers if you can offer them this often-overlooked … (18 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: "Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing, that we see, too late, the one that is opening." A.G. Bell - 07/21/08 10:57 PM
Wachovia is suspending its whosale lending, according to an article on Bloomberg today.
Should I worry as a mortgage broker? Nope!
It was a busy day, full of marketing for the month of August, and it wasn't until my Account Exec from Vertice (American Mortgage Network before Wachovia bought it) broadcast … (10 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Saturday Night in the Desert: Cactus Moon Rising - 07/19/08 11:43 PM
It's late on Saturday night, and I'm finishing up my Active Rain week.
This almost full moon was rising over Bren, (one of the named peaks in the Tucson Mountain range,) Wednesday evening when it caught my eye.
I was on my way home from work, and for most of the … (15 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: What Me Worry? You'll Kick Yourself Next Year if You Don't Buy Your Home Now. Here's Why... - 07/19/08 11:07 PM
Now THAT's a worried look. Mom's holding her more than two feet away, but little India (born 2/29) is clearly concerned. I wonder if those long pointy things remind her of her pediatrician? She puts me in mind of most homebuyers in the current real estate market.
Today's news trumpets the … (18 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Think of Your Network Development as Deep Roots for Tough Times - 07/18/08 12:01 AM
Monsoon season brings life to the desert regions of the southwest, and the resulting color is nothing short of spectacular.
I don't water this particular plant in my back yard. It greens up some during the winter rains, but then goes dormant in the triple digit temperatures of June. You would … (19 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: The Recipe for Success? Implement First. Refine Later. - 07/17/08 05:36 PM
WOW! Are you getting weary in your business? Thinking of slowing up on the blogging thing because it takes so much time? Here's a shot of adrenalin!
Dana Lim, agent with Allstate here in Tucson, joined Active Rain yesterday. She and I talked about the exceptional value of visibility through the … (17 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Two New AR Recruits in One Day! Say Hi to Dana Lim of Tucson, AZ - 07/16/08 06:07 PM
This has been an enjoyable day in the RAIN! I've had the privelege of introducing two new members, both of whom have posted their very first time on Active Rain.
Dana is an experienced blogger, and you'll enjoy her outside blog. You'll need to go over there to get the link, … (19 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: We Just Keep Getting More Californians in Tucson. This One's a Winner! - 07/16/08 02:35 PM
I refer business to an Allstate Agency in my building, and stopped up to talk with one of the agents I work with.
While I was there, I met Kellie Pillors, whose picture doesn't do her justice! She is a whirlwind of smiling energy, and we hit it off immediately.
Kellie … (14 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Home, Home on the Ridge. Tucson, Arizona - 07/15/08 10:59 PM
Driving up towards Gates Pass along Gates Pass Road, you might never know that this home sits there.
It's perched on the ridge of the Tucson Mountains, overlooking the valley to the west, and Tucson to the east.
I've never been to the home; access is from the eastern flank of … (15 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Live Venomous Critters at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum in Tucson, AZ (2 of 2) - 07/15/08 12:41 AM
Your REALTOR may or may not inform you about our desert critters here in Tucson. We live in a neighborhood called Tucson Estates II, and it is surrounded by Tucson Mountain Park, which in turn abuts Saguaro National Park West, in the Tucson Mountains on Tucson's western flank. Just down Kinney … (26 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Live Venomous Critters at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum in Tucson, AZ (1 of 2) - 07/15/08 12:21 AM
Saturday night entertainment. My Darlin' and I were on the very front row. My choice. She's a saint. The venue was an auditorium at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum, just down Kinney Road from our neighborhood, Tucson Estates II.
The two speakers for the evening came walking down the auditorium aisle … (5 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Xeriscaping: Think of it as Green Gardening - 07/11/08 11:05 PM
This lovely cactus is located on a side of my house (west) which has almost no windows.
I planted it to enhance someone else's view. Our neighbors had invited us for dinner, and I happened to stand at their kitchen window, which looks across their yard at my blank west wall. The … (10 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Tucson's Jim Hogan Is Invited to Sing for President Bush! - 07/11/08 12:17 AM
Jim won't like this photo, but that's him on the right, practicing one of his numbers with the rest of us. Jim's a phenomenal lyricist and singer.
He called me this morning to let me know that he's been invited along with some others (none pictured here) to sing for President … (10 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Active Rain Blogging Visibility Lands Me a Spot on KVOA.com, KVOA News 4, Tucson - 07/08/08 11:25 PM
Back in March I wrote a post titled Mike in Tucson Becomes the "Comment Nazi," Gives Orders to Brave Commenters. LOL It's members only, so if you can't see the post, sign up and come on back.) This was my point:
We need to MAKE the news, and stop reacting to it. Your … (51 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Tucson Architecture: Benedictine Sanctuary (2 of 2) - 07/07/08 11:01 PM
The Roman Catholic Church is responsible for some of the most beautiful architecture in the southwest. It started with Father Kino in the late 1700s, and the San Xavier Mission.
The Benedictine Sanctuary on Country Club Road fits right into a later chapter of Tucson's history, and to my mind, is … (20 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Tucson Architecture: Benedictine Sanctuary (1 of 2) - 07/07/08 10:49 PM
Driving home from the office tonight, I had to pull over, get out, and snap a photo of the architecture that graces Country Club Road in Tucson.
The setting sun painted the Benedictine Sanctuary tower, and created the beginnings of a rainbow in the background.
I stayed for 15 minutes, hoping … (16 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Going Green: Living With Nature in the Sonoran Desert - 07/06/08 11:53 PM
The Arizona-Sonoran Desert is my home, and it's the home of one of our favorite desert plants.
It's called Ocotillo, and its long, thin stems studded with thorns make it the perfect poor man's fencing material.
The interesting thing is that when the cut end touches the ground, the Ocotillo … (11 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Free Is Good: Hold a Seminar at your Local Library - 07/04/08 11:35 PM
It wasn't my idea, but I'm glad to piggyback on it.
An appraiser here in Tucson held a seminar for loan officers on a non-lending topic. I got an invitation, and showed up at 6:30.
I haven't been to a public library for ages. Imagine my surprise when I found out … (19 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: July 4th in Tucson: Thank God and Our Armed Services for Freedom - 07/04/08 11:26 PM
A fleet of airships sits silent in the desert tonight, waiting to be deployed for duty as needed.
On this Independence day, I'm thankful for the freedom I enjoy as a citizen of the United States of America.
That's it. Thank you, God, and thank you to each and every service … (14 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Mike in Tucson's Monsoon Gift Offer! - 07/03/08 12:22 AM
Doesn't this cast a different light on the phrase "Active Rain?" This is my favorite time of year in Tucson, Arizona.
Clouds build and boil, the sky darkens, lightning flashes across the sky, and the desert soaks up the precious rain!
I thought I'd share my favorite (so far) cloud photo … (31 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: REALTORS: Do You Participate in Your Town Government? - 07/02/08 11:20 AM
Local government, and the decisions they make, go a long way toward making a home salable. Here's a perfect example from Oro Valley, a town near Tucson, Arizona.
This bench (banco) would make a fine addition to any million dollar home in the Sonoran Desert.
It's a bus stop!
The … (24 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Please Welcome My Friend Robin Chlad - 06/27/08 06:55 PM
Robin is an agent with Realty Executives. She joined AR yesterday, and has already signed up her first Rainer! Please click on her photo to go to her Active Rain blog and make her feel welcome.
Robin makes these cool hand-thrown, hand painted southwestern candle covers. The little ones are about … (35 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: You Should Worry If Dad Says He's Getting a Reverse Mortgage - 06/14/08 07:18 AM
Many big banks and mortgage companies are pushing reverse mortgages right now. Countrywide and others are offering classes to loan officers on how to sell (what to say, and what to avoid saying) this product to seniors. In the first article of its kind that I've read, someone articulated what I've been telling … (51 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: If I Stand Real Still, No One Will Notice Me - 06/12/08 06:45 PM
It's unbelieveable that my friend the Colonel was able to get so close that he could take this photo without a telephoto lens.
The doe didn't bolt, confident that if only she stayed very still, she wouldn't be seen; the brush is an effective visual barrier.
Sometimes I feel like the … (29 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Yes, I Still Do Mortgages... - 06/11/08 11:44 PM
Someone emailed me, asking where I find the time to take all my photos, and write blogs on AR. "Do you still do mortgages?" was the question at the end.
Everything in life is a balance. We need to work enough to make ends meet, keep food on the table, and … (13 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Capture Life! Always Have Your Camera Nearby. - 06/09/08 12:26 AM
This has been a great day; I hope yours was, too.
My Mom used to call Sunday "the Lord's Day," and it certainly was today.
Our church meets in a high school gym in the shadow of the Pusch Ridge escarpment, a granite outcropping that defines the westerly boundry of the … (31 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: More Photos from the Memorial Day Hike in the Santa Catalina Mountains, Tucson, Arizona - 06/06/08 11:20 PM
In case you missed it, go back, and move your cursor over each photograph to see a description of the photo. God's creation is just fantastic! In case you haven't yet joined the Active Rain Group Active Rain Fit Club, now would be a good time to click … (25 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Memorial Day Hike: Mt. Lemmon Summit to Catalina State Park (Part 4) - 06/05/08 07:57 PM
If I could have paid to have a helicopter pick me up and fly me out, I would have given it serious con-sideration.
The only way out (other than walking) would have been rescue by mules, and that would have made the newspaper!
My legs weren't obeying my mental commands, and … (19 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Memorial Day Hike: Mt. Lemmon Summit to Catalina State Park (Part 3) - 06/04/08 12:03 PM
My friend Eleanor Thorne commented on the last segment "Were you crazy?" To which I freely admit that sometimes, I am. This was one of those times.
Six or seven miles into the hike, we came to one of the really steep parts. The trail was a series of switchbacks, taking us back … (14 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Memorial Day Hike: Mt. Lemmon Summit to Catalina State Park (Part 2) - 06/02/08 10:24 PM
(If you're starting with this post, you might want to check out Part One first: Memorial Day Hike Down Mt. Lemmon to Catalina State Park, Tucson, Arizona.)
Someone commented on the first part of this story that they don't think of Arizona as being cold. That depends on elevation. Friends hiked … (18 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Memorial Day Hike Down Mt. Lemmon to Catalina State Park, Tucson, Arizona (Part 1) - 06/02/08 12:18 AM
There was snow cover on top; the Friday before Memorial Day, the road to Mt. Lemmon from Tucson has been closed because of snow for a time, and it still lingered at 9,250'. Five of us drove to the summit, and spent all day hiking down to Catalina State Park, 13 … (18 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: From Ann Arbor to Tucson: The Housing Crisis is Behind Us. Says Who? - 05/22/08 09:33 PM
Missy Caulk in Ann Arbor posted a link to an opinion piece written in the Wall Street Journal on May 6th. Title: The Housing Crisis Is Over. WSJ may not agree (yet) with the article. They buried it on page A23.
As interesting to me as the article is its author. He's Cyril … (14 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Little Walnuts Walking on Sticks. A Gambel's Quail in my Geranium Pot. - 05/21/08 11:54 PM
We've never seen the mother sit on the nest, and it wasn't until there were four or five eggs that we noticed them at all.
Gambel's Quail are among my favorite visitors to our backyard in the Arizona Sonoran Desert. The male and the female … (39 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Interest Rates: This Morning (First Thing) Will Be a Good Time to Lock - 05/21/08 05:01 AM
IMHO, today will be a good day to lock an interest rate on your purchase if you do it first thing this morning. The US stock market was down nearly 200 points yesterday. Asia followed while you were eating dinner yesterday on the east coast, with a drop of more than … (6 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Looking Back at the Good Old Days? Better Keep an Eye On the Road Ahead. - 05/20/08 11:44 PM
Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear.
No, they're not.
Despite what you see in the rear view mirror, the good old days are not coming back.
I don't have the NAR statistics on the average age of REALTORS, but I'm betting that my generation comprises more than … (21 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: CHEAP GAS Sells Real Estate! - 05/19/08 11:20 PM
You're going to want to move to Tucson, AZ!
The LOWEST GAS PRICES in the nation. Combine that with our ourstanding golf, great resorts, forever views, magnificent sunsets... Did I mention gas prices are the LOWEST in the nation?!
The Mars expedition will be manned from its headquarters at the University … (20 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Unique Chalet Graces Madera Canyon Near Green Valley, Arizona - 05/17/08 11:37 PM
Everything this man builds, from the tiniest birdhouse to an exquisite B&B in the Coronado National Forest, speaks to his love of wood and craftsmanship.
Take Exit 63 on Interstate 19, and go east. Follow the signs for Madera Canyon, and you'll find this little gift shop and chalet nestled against … (13 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Silly Saturday Post: Woody Woodpecker Trashes Home in Madera Canyon, AZ - 05/17/08 10:07 PM
I loved Woody Woodpecker when I was a kid! That's before I knew he really did things like this!
The Acorn Woodpecker really works at his craft. Wikipedia says the bird is a "larder hoarder." Say THAT three time fast! I was hiking in Madera Canyon this morning and took this … (18 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Birding in Tucson, AZ: Madera Canyon and the Elegant Trogon - 05/17/08 08:00 PM
I've read about the Elegant Trogon, a magnificent bird that makes its way north of the border when springtime arrives in Tucson. I've seen one in the Coronado National Forest. Until today, though, I had never photographed a Trogon.
Dave Young, who ramrodded our birder outing, is a retired geologist. He's … (17 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Looking For A Sign? The End Is Near. - 05/16/08 05:47 AM
Real estate slumps start slowly, gain momentum, and feed on themselves like a tornado. Panic sets in. Prices drop. Bottom feeders are vilified for profiting from the distress of fellow human beings.
Suddenly (it seems in retrospect) the worst is behind us. Bottom feeders are praised for "speeding up the recovery … (19 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: News Flash: Chase Dumps Home Equity Line of Credit Business - 05/15/08 06:50 PM
I just received an email from my Chase Account Executive regarding Home Equity Lines of Credit. Chase is getting out of that business. Here's what the email announced:
Unfortunately, given the market conditions Chase Home Finance has made the decision toeliminate the Home Equity Channel. Effective end of day Friday May … (12 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Unique Mailbox on Soldier Trail in Tucson, AZ: a Mailbox Series Update - 05/15/08 05:01 AM
Chris Griffith, an Active Rain giant and successful REALTOR in Bonita Springs, Florida, is a gem! Newbies would do well to subscribe to her blog, both for content and ideas.
Chris's post The Mailbox Series - First Time Poster's Welcome caught my eye tonight.
Real estate bloggers here in the Rain often … (21 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Baxter Black Country: Red Tail Hawks Nesting in Benson, AZ - 05/14/08 10:31 PM
The speedometer was pegged at 50 mph, and I was heading down SR 90 towards Karchner Caverns in Benson, AZ. Talk radio was blaring. Hannity, I think. (I'm a right wing nut case, raised in a Latin American country where the Minister of Finance was castrated in public during the 60's. Wouldn't that … (20 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Active Rain Referral: Loan Needed for Manufactured HOME Purchase - 05/14/08 12:09 AM
If there's a sector of the real estate industry that suffers from insecurity, it has to be the Mobile Home. Tin Can, Twister Bait, and many other epithets are flung at this sector. Some REALTORS and Agents alike turn up their noses. Today, Bank of America told a potential client that … (12 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: I-10 Expansion Half Finished in Tucson - 05/11/08 11:28 PM
We call it "the Tunnel." It's a section of Interstate 10 through Tucson's downtown, from Prince Road to the Interstate 19 interchange.
The tunnel funnels traffic past the construction area where our interstate is being widened to accomodate our growth as a city.
The lanes through the Tunnel have been narrowed … (13 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Tucson's Version of the Hot Dog: Sonoran! - 05/10/08 11:55 PM
"So," I asked little Galilea at my favorite roadside hot dog stand here in the Tucson Mountains, "Do you run the business while your Daddy makes the hot dogs?"
"No," she grinned. "Actually, I pretty much don't do anything." Not true. She's the salesperson. Galilea claps her hands and smiles when … (16 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Local Expresso Entrepreneurs Battle Starbucks and Thrive - 05/10/08 11:37 PM
Starbucks Coffee is getting gray around the temples. It's beginning to show its age, so to speak.
Once the local Starbucks stores reached the saturation point, we began to see Starbucks kiosks in the local grocery chains.
How big can you get before you've saturated your market?
New competitors with great … (9 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Long Skinny House Update 1. Spec Home in Tucson 170' Long, 9' Wide - 05/10/08 10:01 AM
Motorhomes (with their slide-out rooms and awnings) are wider than this Tucson, AZ spec house!
Back in January 2008, I wrote a post about this unique home when it was first under construction. Here's the link: Long Skinny House. 170' long. 9' wide.
What you see here on the left of … (19 comments)
|
tucson mortgage: Highway Visibility: Yesteryear's Real Estate "Hook" - 05/07/08 11:42 PM
Minnesota has its Paul Bunyan and the Blue Ox. Small towns across the country have the 15' tall lumberjack holding out a tractor tire. This huge bug was a new one for me.
We were in Colorado Springs last year for our daughter's wedding, and I had some free time.
One of … (23 comments)
|
