Hey Folks!
Just trying to get back into the swing of things (Doctors says no to golf this year) on a keyboard. Now I have a great reason for all my spelling and grammar errors.
Anyway, I am helping (or he is helping me) William, the younger of the two put his socks and shoes on. Hint, if you're looking for a challenge try it with one hand. So I am half way done (you see, I put on one sock, then one shoe) and William is yelling "no Daddy, two feet, two feet." I then look at him a little strange (this happens often with a two-year old) then ask myself, "what is he yelling about?"
Of course, it is the way I do it. Now you're asking yourself "why do I do it that way?"
I think back (OK, I am aging myself) to the T.V. show "All in the Family." While I do not remember the episode I remember the part were Archie (Carroll O'Conner) and Mike (Rob Reiner) are going at it like about putting shoes on. Archie yells at Meathead to put both socks then shoes (Archie is going on and on about if the house was on fire and if you only had time to put on your socks and had to go outside your feet would be warm). Mike then says that if you only had time to do half he would be the wiser since the ground would be wet due to fire trucks, he then could then hoop on one foot while Archie would have wet socks. Then it hits me. I have been doing it that way since I have seen the show.
What does this mean to us as mortgage brokers and real estate professionals? For some maybe nothing, for others maybe a big reality check.
Remember back when you were new in the business. Plenty of energy and hope for great things in your new career; I remember sitting in the Indiana education class so many new mortgage brokers wanted to get into the business. During those first few weeks I learned so much and developed a game plan to help Hoosier Households with their mortgage needs. Now I look back and question if I am stilling doing what I did then. This is what I have learned:
•·My goal has not changed. My goal is to help folks in Indiana with their mortgage needs when buying and refinancing a home
•·My vision has not changed. My vision is to help folks with a high degree of honesty and integrity.
•·My daily work plan has changed. When first joining a mortgage company I discovered after a few months that my goal and vision was not a match with the company (since closed).
•·My relationship with Sagamore Home Mortgage has changed. While always working to help clients the challenges with lenders and programs have forced us to adapt. As I look around the company many were unable to change and have since gone to other companies.
•·My relationship with my clients has changed. This has not been by my doing but the general tone of the client. When first in the business I would take telephone calls with folks trying to do crazy things to today's calls of helping clients improve their position or save their home.
I have read that about 20% of folks working in the mortgage business a year ago are now gone (over 100,000 jobs). While some have been victims I would say that most learned something when they entered this business and have either refused or were unable to change. Now I am not saying that all we learned is bad (it is not), all I am saying is that if we continue to do things (this also goes for the way a real estate agent views a mortgage broker or the way a mortgage broker views a real estate agent) the way we did when we first did get in the business we may soon be out of business.
Now I am not sure of the air date of the "All in the Family" episode I watched. The show was broadcast from 1971 - 1979, all these years later while many things in my life has changed I still put on one sock then one shoe and I am sure that I will always continue (in my mind it makes sense) but I don't put on the same socks or shoes. So when you look at your business and do not like what you see, look back and see if you need to change a few things. I have and I did and I will become stronger because of it.
Sometimes we just need to look at all of the things us mortgage brokers can do:
•·Mortgages for good credit = YES
•·Mortgages for bad credit = YES
•·JUMBO mortgages = YES
•·Construction mortgages = YES
•·Land mortgages = YES
•·Adjustable Rate mortgages = YES
•·Stated Income mortgages = YES
•·Second Home mortgages = YES
•·Investment mortgages = YES
•·Negative Am mortgage (option arm) = YES
•·FHA mortgages = YES
•·VA mortgages = YES
•·Second mortgages = YES
•·HELOC's = YES
•·100% purchase mortgage = YES
•·Mortgage refinance = YES
•·Mortgage for Debt Consolidation = YES
Now I am not saying that everyone will qualify or that it is a good mortgage to get (right now rates are better for fixed rate vs. adjustable rate mortgages). The programs are still available if folks want them.
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