Simon Smart's (simonsmart) Blog

As a transplanted Scotsman, I was reading the BBC news this morning when I came across an article about a beautiful, rural fisherman's cottage which was recently put up for sale in Kent, on the English coast. Think rustic, think peaceful, think fresh air and the sound of gulls. If you are having ...

I just got back from a training session for volunteer Crisis Intervention Officers with the Pima County District Attorney Victim Witness Unit. One of the most essential skills for dealing with crime victims who are in crisis is being a good listener - part of the job is to bring those victims out...

I recently had the pleasure of attending a great presentation from a senior person at HUD's outreach program at the Tucson Association of Realtors. The goal of the program is to educate realtors and lenders about how the FHA works, and how it benefits the community. There was a lot of great infor...

Recently a number of realtors and home builders I have been talking with have told me that they did not know there was a such thing as a VA Jumbo Loan. In fact, there may be some loan officers who don't know about it, and tell their borrowers that they have to take a straight jumbo loan if they a...

This was such a valuable and important point from my colleague Jane Pettinnen here at Sunstreet Mortgage that I wanted to reblog it. Jane has been in the industry for 30 years (should I tell her I just turned thirty?) and is a font of knowledge on lending.     You need to monitor your credit thre...

Back when I lived in London, and before that Japan, people didn't keep a lot of pets. The normal dog in a Japanese home fits conventiently in a handbag. Not here in Arizona I guess, where lots of space, both inside and out, is perfect for large families and their pet collections which sometimes b...