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Are You a Donkey or a Moose?

By
Mortgage and Lending with Guaranteed Rate NMLS# 2611 NMLS #208860

donkey No, this is not a question about which political party you favor.  It is a question I'd like you to consider.  I was jogging on the treadmill in the gym this morning burning off some holiday grease and I saw this news blurb come on about a moose that fell through the ice.  Rescuers did some fancy manipulations with ropes and they were able to free the moose from the frigid waters.  Moments later the newscaster mentioned that the moose returned to the same hole in the ice and died a few hours later.  Pretty depressing, but hey, it's the news.

On the drive home, I thought of another story I remembered about a donkey that was past its prime.  The farmer who owned the donkey figured he'd put the old donkey out of its misery and throw him in a dried out well he had on the property.  He'd solve two problems at once by filling the old well and getting rid of the donkey.  He lowered the donkey into the well and began throwing shovels of dirt down the hole.  A few hours later, the farmer heard a strange noise and looked into the well to see the old donkey shake itself off and proceed to climb out of the shallow well.

If I would've read just the question in the title on someone else's blog, I may have wanted to be a moose.  Stronger, bigger, nice antlers.  A little more respect in the animal kingdom.  But comparing the two animals in the blurbs above, I'm going with the donkey option.

In this real estate market, we have to keep kicking.  We can't keep crawling into the same holes and expect positive results.  Sales down?  Keep kicking.  Lenders changing their guidlines?  Keep kicking.  Appraisals killing deals?  Keep kicking.  The media continuing to give us bad press?  Keep kicking.  Shake it off and eventually, yes, eventually, we will climb out of this well.  Can I get an eeee-awwww?

Show All Comments Sort:
.... ...
.... - Mauldin, SC
From one donkey to another, keep kicking Mike!
Jan 15, 2008 01:22 AM
Mike Tullio
Guaranteed Rate NMLS# 2611 - Sarasota, FL
VP of Mortgage Lending
Jim.  Thanks for the pat on the (jack)ass.  I'm alive and kicking and glad to hear you are too!
Jan 15, 2008 01:24 AM
Rosario Lewis
DDR Realty - Newburgh, NY
GRI, SRES - DDR Realty - Orange County, NY
Great blog! I'm particularly partial to donkeys. I owned one a few years back, so I can vouch for their steadfast nature. 
Jan 15, 2008 01:25 AM
Mike Tullio
Guaranteed Rate NMLS# 2611 - Sarasota, FL
VP of Mortgage Lending
Rosario.  Love that word, steadfast.  Performing the right actions without seeing the immediate results.  Not a bad course of action right now.  Thanks for the post.
Jan 15, 2008 01:39 AM
Richard Sweum
1st Security Bank - Everett, WA
Persistence, continually planting, continually calling.  This national market will come back.
Jan 15, 2008 01:50 AM
Mike Tullio
Guaranteed Rate NMLS# 2611 - Sarasota, FL
VP of Mortgage Lending
Hey Rich.  Great words choices.  Funny thing about the moose is that it needed others to help it out of its mess.  It then came to expect the help and when it didn't come, it was pretty devestating.  We've got to be the one doing things like you said.
Jan 15, 2008 01:56 AM
Mike Tullio
Guaranteed Rate NMLS# 2611 - Sarasota, FL
VP of Mortgage Lending

Glad to hear you're a donkey too Shawna!  Always enjoy reading your blog so thanks for stopping by mine!

Jan 15, 2008 04:40 AM
Jim Skal
Victorian Finance, LLC - Pittsburgh, PA
MOOOOOOOOOO... oh.... ummmm.... I thought it wa..... never mind.  I always got those things confused.  I'm kickin, scratchin, clawin, sawin, whackin, smackin, crackin, crankin, grabbin, scrappin, grapplin, but not gropin, hopin, smoten, rock n rollin!  brother!
Jan 15, 2008 06:58 AM
M A
Boston, MA

Mike,

Even though you may be the big guy with the antlers, sometimes it takes a real ass to show you the light.

Jan 15, 2008 07:08 AM
Keith Hoffman
1st Advantage Mortgage - Lombard, IL
1st Advantage Mortgage - Residential Mortgage Specialist

EEEE-AAWWWW!

From one Jackass to another...Keep Kicking!

Jan 15, 2008 07:26 AM
Mike Tullio
Guaranteed Rate NMLS# 2611 - Sarasota, FL
VP of Mortgage Lending

Jim.  Sounds like you were singing a Tom Petty song or doing a very bad Vanilla Ice imitation.  Joking.  Seriously, mortgage brokering is all about verbs now, isn't it?  Thanks for checking in raging bull.

Martin.  I really did my best to avoid the ass wordplay.  You had to go there.

Keith.  You're the man!  Thanks for the words of encouragement.  A Hee-Haw shout out to you too!

Jan 15, 2008 07:39 AM
James Hershiser
RELC, Inc. - East Irvine, CA
Loan Officer for RELC, Inc.

EEEEE-AAWWWW!   EEEE-AWWWW!

Persistence Pays.  It's that simple.

 

Jan 15, 2008 08:18 AM
Mike Tullio
Guaranteed Rate NMLS# 2611 - Sarasota, FL
VP of Mortgage Lending
James.  A double eee-awww!  Wow.  Being a loan officer, I know you're feeling me.  I'm working on two deals that looked delightful before the lender whacked my appraisals with a meat mallet.  Still, there's gotta be someone else who will do these loans, and I WILL find them.
Jan 15, 2008 08:23 AM
James Hershiser
RELC, Inc. - East Irvine, CA
Loan Officer for RELC, Inc.

Absolutely, Mike.  I work with over 250 different lenders for a mortgage broker, so if one does not do it, I just go to the next one...it is frustrating when a deal gets pulled out from under you, but you just have to dust yourself off and get it done.

My mantra: persistence pays!

 

 

Jan 15, 2008 08:34 AM
Mike Tullio
Guaranteed Rate NMLS# 2611 - Sarasota, FL
VP of Mortgage Lending
Wow James.  That is an army of lenders.  I'll have to start hitting you up with my scenarios.  Are you licensed in all 50 states?
Jan 15, 2008 08:40 AM
James Hershiser
RELC, Inc. - East Irvine, CA
Loan Officer for RELC, Inc.
Not all of them: we can do business in 44 states.  Contact me for more info, Mike! 
Jan 15, 2008 08:56 AM
Dan Forbes
Bradenton, FL

Mike, I'm kicking like crazy!! 

This is an excellent post.  Good writing.

Jan 15, 2008 09:23 PM
M A
Boston, MA
I know.... I know... I tried to fight it..... but it just came out!
Jan 15, 2008 10:30 PM
Mike Tullio
Guaranteed Rate NMLS# 2611 - Sarasota, FL
VP of Mortgage Lending

Dan.  Thanks for the kind words, and more importantly, for the kicks!

Martin.  Understandable.  Sometimes it's just too easy.  Someone opens the door and you just HAVE to walk in.

Jan 16, 2008 12:47 AM
Libby Cousins
Extraordinary Processing - Spokane, WA
Contract Mortgage Processor, licensed in WA
Great analogy Mike and I would choose to be the donkey as well!  I just had to let you know that living about 15 miles from Loon Lake where the poor moose fell in, it was pretty big news. The moose did trot off into the woods and survive! (At least according to the news footage and papers!) Great blog though!
Jan 16, 2008 05:52 PM