port charlotte: Are you ready? Here Comes the SNOWBIRDS! - 10/12/09 01:12 AM
I tried to get a good definition of "Snowbirds," you know something colorful or entertaining, but alas I failed, they were all kinda boring. So I thought why are they called snowbirds, it's not like they fly here. From what I can tell most of them arrive by car. Maybe we should call them;
SnowTurtles!
You've seen they way they drive.
"It's over there George," says Alice, as she points accross the 3 lane roadway.
No blinker necessary, George makes a hard right into the parking lot. Many of the other drivers, admiring his skill, join in giving him the … (10 comments)

port charlotte: What does HMDA (Home Mortgage Disclosure Act) really tell us. - 10/07/09 01:59 AM
Have you ever heard of the FFIEC?
That would be, drum roll please,  The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council   
Now that sounds like a truly bureaucratic organization doesn't it?
They are an interagency body empowered to prescibe uniform principles, standards, and report forms for the federal examination of financial institutions by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, The FDIC, and others.I got that from their website. Pretty much anybody who's anybody. I've got to admit that I'll now sleep better knowing that they're on the job.
In their September release they made available HMDA data from over 14.2 … (2 comments)

port charlotte: Do ALL Buyers Need Tax Returns? - 10/05/09 03:13 AM
Actually  YES!!!  they do.
Here's Why.
On almost every file an underwriter is pulling a copy of the borrowers tax returns by using the 4506.
The 4506 is a form signed at the application, by an applicant, which allows an underwriter or investor to pull tax records.
The loan officer would best serve everyone in the transaction by acquiring the information up front.
There can be information on the returns which can cause the buyer to be turned down!
My personal Favorite: Unreimbursed Expenses!
These are expenses which a normal W2 employee may be writing off. They are legitimate expenses which … (10 comments)

port charlotte: President OBama Please Help, Ban Cash Buyers, Now! - 10/01/09 06:03 AM
Mr. President,
We need your help! Please make this a priority. We need you to get legislation passed which will ban cash buyers, unless of course no one else wants to buy the property.
Think about it;
First, you're telling everyone how bad things are and here's all these investors running around, with all this cash, buying real estate. Personally, I think this is bad for your image, and you know it's never too soon to think about your reelection. That alone should be reason enough to get started on the ban.
Also, your neighborhood revitalization programs, where cities and other … (2 comments)

port charlotte: TOO much CASH coming to Cape Coral, Florida !!!!! - 10/01/09 02:20 AM
I keep reading about the perpetuation of DOOM & GLOOM, so I gotta tell you I've got a BIG problem! You see I'm a mortgage loan officer in the Cape Coral area and there's just toooooo many CASH buyers coming into the area.
Let me make this perfectly clear!
Tooooo much $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
I was speaking with one of my favorite Realtors at a closing the other day. I asked him about how I could earn a greater portion of his business. He told me that out of 70 sides this year 63 were $$$$$. There it is again. Just too much … (12 comments)

port charlotte: (RAIN) Power of the People! - 09/28/09 02:35 AM
Reminds me of John Lennon;  "Power to the People," I can hear the music and John singing in my head. For some of you, you are just not old enough to remember John singing this. At that time, it was a protest type song.
Well in today's world Active Rain has given the power to the people and well, you all are using it quite nicely.
Stop for just one minute and think about what we've got here.
The WE that I'm talking about is all 160,289 members. That's today's count and you know that, without fail, tomorrow there'll be more … (7 comments)

port charlotte: It Ain't a Done Deal, Till it's a Done Deal!!! - 09/22/09 02:34 AM
Once upon a time, in a very far off land (Dover, NH) there was a very young and enthusiastic Loan Officer (me) who was introducing the marketplace, made of of mostly Realtors, to what was referred to as secondary market loans. Back then Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac were not the household words that they are today. The Realtors had been used to dealing almost exclusively with the local banks and had to adjust to the abundance of paperwork that the young loan officer requested. And ooooooooo the paperwork the underwriters wanted, and the questions they asked. They had to be kidding, right? But … (5 comments)

port charlotte: "RAIN POWER!" It's AWESOME!!!!! - 09/18/09 01:18 AM
Okay, I've read the posts about the power of Active Rain and the google juice, well as they say a picture is worth a thousand words. So, if you've never done this before, Google yourself!
If you've been an active Active Rain blogger than you're going to loooooove the exposure that you and your business are receiving. If you haven't been then you are missing out;
BIG TIME!!!
If you haven't been than take this challenge.
START!
Write 3-5 thoughtful, insightful blogs each week for the next 3-4 weeks and then;
Google yourself!
If you're not smiling at the results I'll be … (79 comments)

port charlotte: Beware! of TOXIC Behavior, It's Everywhere! - 09/17/09 02:31 AM
WARNING, WARNING!!!
TOXIC BEHAVIOR is hazardous to your Success!
Toxic behavior by definiton would be a behavior that was/is poisonous.
Boy, that doesn't sound good to me!
Where will you find this you may ask? so that you may avoid it.
Well first, you really need to check out the mirror and see if you find any in there. If you do I suggest a strong window/glass cleaner to see if you can clean it up. You need to do this right away, don't wait, this is important.
Next, spend some time listening to yourself during the day and evaluate what … (2 comments)

port charlotte: A New Sales Technique: Try Answering Your Phone! - 09/15/09 01:18 AM
I've read a few blogs recently about returning phone calls. It made me think about the good olde days, you know, before voice mail.
Oh, how did we ever survive?
So what I'd like you to do right now is stop for a few minutes and think about how you feel when you're calling someone, it's an important phone call, there's 3 or 4 rings and then;
THE MESSAGE!
That's right, you never had a chance, right into voice mail.
Okay, how do you feel about that?
Is it safe to say that you wish a real live human being had … (12 comments)

port charlotte: Another One of Those, Oh No, OH YES! - 09/10/09 02:18 AM
Every year just like clockwork here it comes. It's time for another birthday. For me it's also a time for reflection and I'd like to share a few thoughts.
On Friday I'll be 75, oops there's that dyslexia thing, I'll really only be 57. As you get older you're allowed to make more oops'.
I use to think, oh no! another birthday, but then about 2 years ago I went shopping at BJ's and decided to have a heart attack. Forty days, and 3 stents later, I was very happy to walk out and see the light of day. If you've lived through … (8 comments)

port charlotte: Let's Hear it for Port Charlotte, FLA! - 09/09/09 05:34 AM
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!
I hope God doesn't strike me down for using CNN as a source, but in my own defense, it does state that the article comes from the editors of Money Magazine, if that's any better. But so what about the source, this is extremely positive news about Southwest Florida, so I'm going with it.
Here it is, entitled;
25 Best Places To Retire
Thinking about your post-work home? You'll get huge bang for your buck-plus lots of other perks-in these towns.
So whose mentioned first in the article? A little hint-look up to the top of the page.
PORT CHARLOTTE, FLORIDA!!!!!
… (1 comments)

port charlotte: Slowing Down the Mortgage Process - 09/09/09 12:39 AM
Okay, I've had enough, actually more than enough.
HVCC was tolerable, although ridiculous and unneeded. Let's make sure that we keep those low life loan officers and processors away from the appraisers so that they can do their job.
If this is such a vital requirement why is it not an FHA or a USDA/RD requirement.
It case it's not obvious these are both govern(mental) organizations.
Now, along comes  MDIA.  The Mortgage Disclosure Improvement Act.
Someone needs to show me what it IMPROVES!
Most of this act centers around the TIL, one of the worst and misunderstood documents in my … (6 comments)

port charlotte: Change that 'TUDE - 09/07/09 02:24 AM
Some blogs are just fun! They generate constructive and intelligent comments, and they make us think. Also, I confess to being
"Mr. Positive"
at least most of the time.
Every now and then someone wants to point out
"the reality of the situation"
Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease, no not that! You know it's going to be such a bummer.
Okay;
reality;  the quality or state of being actual or true, the state of the world as it really is, rather than as you might want it to be.
One of the definitions actually went on further to state as an example, "business men have … (6 comments)

port charlotte: The Coulda, Shoulda Club of 2009! - 09/05/09 02:52 AM
You don't even need to sign up to be a member!
What a great deal! 
This is an incredible Club!
So how do I join? Just repeat after me.
I COULDA bought that property for $10,000 less back in January!
I SHOULDA made that offer instead of waiting!
Okay, you're in. It's just that easy.
Recently in Cape Coral Florida the local rag published some numbers stating that on the average prices had increased about 11% over the first six months.
Remember all the experts who stated that the bottom had hit over the last 2 years. Well here's … (48 comments)

port charlotte: "What's the Rate?" - 08/26/09 03:53 AM
Why is this the first question that potential customers ask? Actually it's quite simple. In most cases they don't know what else to ask.
This use to be a fairly easy question to answer. I'd really only need some basic information such as primary residence or investment property, FHA or VA, etc. Well that's all changed.
In today's marketplace a wholesale or correspondent lender better be pretty sharp when trying to quote an accurate rate and actually it's nearly impossible with the initial phone call. If you are not a loan officer and/or haven't seen what the pricing sheet looks like … (2 comments)

port charlotte: Introducing "the Worry Free Mortgage" - 12/17/08 02:33 AM
The "Worry Free Mortgage" sounds pretty good, but can there really be such a thing?
Well, I'll let you decide, and remember nothing's perfect, so be nice.
What makes it "worry free" you may ask?
Good Question!
It's basically a first time homebuyers program, but remember in the mortgage business we're kinda funny as what we consider a "first time homebuyer." And since it's most often offered in conjunction with FHA financing we can say that pretty much any one who qualifies for an FHA loan will qualify for the program with a few exceptions. Also FHA is not the … (2 comments)

port charlotte: The Bailout-Truly ABSURD!!! - 10/04/08 02:08 AM
Webster's
absurd;    ridiculous
That's a good fit to describe the bailout.
I'd just like to share a few Tasty Tibits from CNNMoney's "Special Report,"
Bailout:Will it Work?
Just my opinion, but we should have known THIS before we passed a $700 Billion piece of legislation, don't you think?
Get this;
"Financial institutions have become paralyzed with fear and though they have plenty of cash on hand, they have been hoarding it."
This comment makes me very angry. Haven't the media outlets been reporting that the banks were going to fail and they were all broke. Now it's they have "plenty of … (8 comments)

port charlotte: Forced to Listen!!! - 09/30/08 02:08 AM
If the elections weren't so close the bailout would have passed. There's little doubt in my mind.
Fortune reports that calls to Congressional offices are running overwhelmingly against the bailout plan.
Because of the upcoming elections our elected reperesentatives were;
Forced to Listen!
That's if they would like to continue to be our representatives.
I was especially entertained by the whinning of Barney Frank. That would be the Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. Congressman Frank has bailed us out previously twice that I can recall. We have FHA secure, a plan that didn't/doesn't work, and our new improved FHA bailout … (9 comments)

port charlotte: Hey Sec Paulson, WHO'S gettin the Dough??? - 09/28/08 03:52 AM
Okay, you've gotta know. You hopefully didn't just pull this number, 700 Bil, out of thin air, or did you?
So who gets what? How about a little breakdown. Let's just start with the top 5.
You know, like 5 Bil to ______?
25 Bil to _______?
Share this info with us please.
We'd like to see if any of this is payback for previous loyalties or favors.
You know a little somethin before you and Georgie leave office.
So give us a breakdown, okay.
Because, well because;
It's OUR $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
By the way, I pity the poor sucker, I mean candidate, … (7 comments)

 


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