Whatever you may have thought about mortgage posts, chances are, you didn't expect them to have much in the way of panache. With very few exceptions, I thought the same thing. Until I was inspired recently by a post by Jason Sardi - the never boring Mortgage Stud of ActiveRain - to issue a challenge to anyone willing to break the mold on this typically dry topic. And let me tell you, we were astounded by the creativity and genuinely useful information that came out of these terrific entries. There was nothing easy about arriving at our three winners.
Entries were judged in three categories: Creativity and Originality of Content, Actual Mortgage Information, and Lay-out and Staging.
I am excited to present the winners of the Mortgage Creative Writing Challenge!
1st Place for 1000 points, a pretty Gold Star and a Localism Feature
is awarded to
Janet Guilbault
for
CONGRATULATIONS to Janet for telling it like it is in a way that absolutely everyone can understand. She cleverly relates the perils of getting our mortgages cheap and on the run. If you haven't been reading Janet's blog, you've definitely been missing out. Her analogies are consistently on target and her writing is eloquent and understated.
2nd Place for 750 well-deserved points
is awarded to
Joey Asterbaum
for
A most entertaining and original presentation of mortgage information in a format that will stick in your head for days! Go ahead and turn it up... I dare ya! Congratulations Joey! This was out of the box if a mortgage post ever was!
3rd Place for 500 points
is awarded to
Brian Brady
for
The man in braces, Mr. Brian Brady, shows us how to obtain a smart mortgage and what NOT to wear in his clever and fashionable piece about what to consider when obtaining a mortgage.
CONGRATULATIONS WINNERS!
By unanimous agreement, the judges hereby award a well-deserved Honorable Mention to Mike Mueller for his very original and beautiful series of 17 Mortgage Haiku's, Zen and the Art of Mortgage Haiku. He accomplished the very purpose of this contest by achieving notice in two publications, The San Jose Mercury News and Redfin Blog. Mike, the spirit and enthusiasm you showed for this writing challenge is deeply appreciated!
And for sheer comedy, we wish to recognize Bill Engleman for his witty and downright hilarious post,The Mortgage Market and Pop Culture
Finally, a nod goes out to Angelina Jolie for her unexpected guest appearance in two of the entries. Sorry - no Angie pics on my post!
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Thank you to all who met this challenge with your wonderful entries. Please don't miss a single one!
In no particular order...
mortgage creative writing challenge: A Tale of the Seven Dwarfs from Snow "Mortgage" White's perspective - 03/31/08 11:14 AM
While we all know that life is no fairytale, we often proceed through our decisions with the proverbial rose colored glasses. With each less than the best decision that we make, there needs to be one who comes in and handles the messes left behind. Sometimes it is our spouse, sometimes, ...
mortgage creative writing challenge: Mortgage Creative Writing Challenge : What a consumer should know first.... - 03/30/08 06:48 PM
mortgage creative writing challenge: So You Want a Mortgage........ - 03/28/08 12:53 PM
YOU WANT MONEY?
Well, it's not as simple as it would appear. More so today, than ever before you'll need a mortgage professional to guide you from the point of application. Through the programs you may (or may not) qualify for and the documentation you'll need to supply. To the actual closing ...
mortgage creative writing challenge: The Real Estate Gods Are Laughing - 03/29/08 11:43 PM
I have often wondered why it is we believe we can "own" real estate. Somewhere, there are Real Estate Gods, and they are laughing their heads off. They know the truth: we don't own real estate. It owns us.
Saying you own real estate is like saying you own your child. You nurture...
mortgage creative writing challenge: The pros and cons of a mortgage broker - 03/29/08 09:42 AM
I work for a mortgage broker but I am going to give you an insight into the difference between a bank and a mortgage broker.
A bank usually has different loan programs and rates for all of those programs. Many banks have a set rate for each particular program. A few banks allow ...
mortgage creative writing challenge: A Consumers View on Things - 03/27/08 05:37 PM
I've been watching as the housing and mortgage industry has been in "crisis" It has brought a few questions to mind that I'd like to ask.
I feel as if Andy Rooney is my muse.
If there are "Prime" loans and "Sub-Prime" loans, why would anyone loan to a person or persons ...
mortgage creative writing challenge: Refinancing, bank, and the crazy rules - 03/28/08 10:26 AM
Well I have another great story to tell about how crazy lenders are getting with their rules. The lenders, and banks are not making many exceptions any more and sticking to the rules no matter how stupid they are.
The mortgage loan is for a Metro Detroit home in Grosse Pointe which is ...
mortgage creative writing challenge: Views From The FBIs Padded Room - 03/27/08 03:30 PM
I've tried writting ths 5 times for Jason Sardi and Jennifer Bukaty's Creative Writing Challenge. Not as cool as Joey Aszterbaum, Joe Adams or Mike Mueller - as it's not not fiction and it's not a funny subject - but the people who targeted us for fraud (over 3 million dollars) were DEFINATELY Creative! ...
mortgage creative writing challenge: I Want to Buy a Home. Where Do I Go From Here? - Part 2 - 03/27/08 09:05 AM
From the Desk of Don Draughn, Mortgage Professional
Website: http://ahfmortgage.elliemae.net/ddraughn
In Part One of this series, we looked at how important it is to Find Out What is on Your Credit Report. Once you know what is there, you can either move to the next step - obtaining mortgage pre-approval or working on ...
mortgage creative writing challenge: An old book and an old man in the Mortgage business - 03/26/08 10:08 AM
Call NOW and for only $199.95 we will send you this wonderful blog called "Welcome to Mortgage Terms for Dummies", otherwise known as plain talk. With this handy dandy reference guide you can be talking like a mortgage geek within hours. Amaze and stun your Realtor friends when you toss out ...
mortgage creative writing challenge: Daytona Beach Homebuyer's Financing Advice From Your Real Estate Professional! - 03/26/08 08:32 AM
Life seems to roll by faster...faster than ever before, heck microwaves and computers sometimes are not fast enough. Because our lives move so rapidly we sometime make quick decisions and in the long run end up costing us our time, energy and money. It's those occasions where you wish that you ...
mortgage creative writing challenge: I Want to Buy a Home. Where Do I Go From Here? - Part 1 - 03/26/08 08:27 AM
From the Desk of Don Draughn, Mortgage Professional
Website: http://ahfmortgage.elliemae.net/ddraughn
Alright, you've decided you want to purchase your first home and you find yourself asking this question, "Where do I go from here?" This post is Part One of an eight part series to give you the direction you need to get on ...
mortgage creative writing challenge: The History of the subprime implosion.......... - 03/22/08 07:39 AM
After a long week, I decided to take a break and watch a mindless DVD. I took one of my favorites from the shelf and popped it in. "The history of the world...part I" was my selection. It was typical Mel Brooks humor. Fact delightfully spun from a different perspective. After ...
mortgage creative writing challenge: Ask The Underwriter: Appraisal Review Part 1 - 02/11/08 12:49 PM
Appraisals are under UNDER ATTACK! Okay, I may be exaggerating but I've been blog searching for the last week and I think I can probably get a few high fives when I say they are being scrutinized!
As an Underwriter I understand why my fellow underwriter is asking for the extra comps, comments ...
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Entries were judged in three categories: Creativity and Originality of Content, Actual Mortgage Information, and Lay-out and Staging.
Our five judges were Myself,
Jason Sardi,
Bill Archambault,
Marc Grossman and guest appearance by
Andrew Lenza.
A hearty thanks to each of them for their hard work and thoughtful consideration of each entry!
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And yep! Engleman is a scream! I swear, that Capt. Kirk impression is absolutely PERFECT!!! 
Good job, judges! I'm really liking Janet's writing. She is so talented. I have to go check out Joey, but I'm removing any beverages from around my computer in case he gets me to bust a mortgage move. I will be checking out more of these because financing is the top of my "learn more about this" list.