Real Estate Financing...

Thanks to Mr. Matthew Blum, I've been striken with a look into me once again.  In retrospect, I should of ignored it all and kept very private about little old me.  But I haven't, and I won't.  So, here it goes:

My Family Owned A Beer Distributor In Clarion, Pennsylvania -  I recall fondly lifting 175lb kegs as a 130lb boy.  I never had to join a Frat, I always knew where the Party was...

I Love Animals - Kittens, Cats, Puppies, Dogs, Monkey's, & a whole lot of shaking going on.  Let's face it folks, to err is human, to sleep next to you is a friend.  I love Animals! But I hate Snakes.  I respect them, fear them, but freaking hate them.  Oh, to be a snake...

Physical Pain is Nothing - I admire those who would dish out plenty of it.  I admire more those who could take it.  I could always take it, and I rarely batted an eye. 

That's that.  Enough is enough.  I'm a tired man so I will stop here.  I apologize to Mr. Blum for not going into more depth...yet I am here for the sizzle...not the snake.

I Hate Snakes!

*Updated*  I forgot to call on an individual I would like to write a MEME.  I call on one.   How about you Mr. Rob Robinson ............?

For those that don't know my routine, if I'm missing at some point, I'll tell you where to find me.  More than likely it will be at Stahley's right down the road.  Heck, I live next door to their grandmother.  To the Stahley Family, at this point, I'm probably considered a part of their family.  I visit there quite often, I often joke that I should have Stock Options in the place.  Seriously though, where are my Stock Options:-)?

It is my personal hang-out, not my family's.  They live in Raleigh, NC and even if they lived here, they wouldn't like it as much as me.  Stahley's is located on 1826 Hanover Avenue here in Allentown, Pa.  It came to be my hang-out because I'm a wallflower & bar-fly loner...and I don't do the Drinking And Driving Thing.  Two blocks away, I can do Cartwheels there and a back hand-spring to reach my front step to my door after a brisk little walk.  I like that. 

Now, as far as what I do there...ahhhhh, well this I'm going to catch some flack for.  And not just because I ended a sentence with the word 'for'.  I drink there.  And up until this evening, I played the Adam's Family Pinball Machine there.  Ironically, when I arrived there this fine eve, I found that they had took the Adam's Family Pinball Machine away:-(  I guess the plethora of quarters I had lost in that vault had convinced them to buy a new machine. 

Back to Stahley's though, great food at an economically sound price.  Sure, the drinks are cheap as is the food, yet I dare somebody to find better bar food in the Lehigh Valley.  I only know of one place that could compete...What impressed me most before I became the staunch 'Regular' around those parts is that Mr. Stahley had started that joint from the basement.  Now, he makes a nice dime.  So does most of the family because of it.  Now, about those Stock Options???

  I had a pretty close friend of mine point out something this evening that stuck.  They said, "Jason, I know you are passionate about your career and what you do and why you do it, but your true passion doesn't seem to be Real Estate?"  "Uh oh, there goes that referral source," so I thought.  I inquired as deeply as I could to what he meant.  And so, being that friend, he told me straight up.  "Jason, your passion is writing, in any form, about any subject, you just happened to find a place where you can mix the two.  But, you love to write and are relatively decent at it, so when you feel like you want to write, Just Do It."  For the record, I don't own a pair of Nike sneakers so you can throw the endorsement angle out the window right now. 

I agree.  I feel I sometimes get caught up in writing and forget about the very industry I am damn passionate about....Real Estate.  I tend to dive into Politics, Philosphy, Psychology, & anything else that avoids the very numbers, facts, figures, & related issues and education that encompasses my role as an Industry Professional. 

So, I must make amends.  But how?  When I write, if I write, it is something I write off the cuff and throw it out there....maybe it will touch a nerve or the imagination along the way.  Maybe it will stick.  Yet, am I doing an injustice by not focusing primarily on what I do, how I do it, & why it's done?  I look around and see Brian Brady, Jeff Belonger, Karen George, Jason Price, David Podgursky, William Archambault Jr., Ann Guy, Steven Shewell, Mark Flanders,  George Souto, Janet Guilbault, Matthew Blum, Nima Rezvan, and a whole host of others and wonder where I stack up.  That is some heavy company friends....

Part of me wants to earn enough capital to make an All-Star Team and conquer the Mortgage World.  Then again, part of me respects the fact that a guy like Scott Geary helped bring me to the dance and I like the fact that there is competent competition.  So, when I write, whether about Real Estate or World Peace, my peers are out there watching and waiting.  My guess is they are mainly just doing their own thing though.  Clients are just wanting to find the guy or gal who they trust enough, respect enough, and perhaps can identify with enough, who will bring their best interests to a head.

I'll admit it now.  I have a passion for writing in general.  Real Estate doesn't take Second Precedence but whatever is on my mind is what I'll throw against that Proverbial Wall.  I watch my peers, read my peers, learn from my peers, yet don't concentrate too heavily on what they are doing.  There are only so many hours in a day, I have to look out for what I am doing.  If it sticks, it sticks.  I'm good at what I do...but damn it to all hell I love to write about anything.  As far as my peers go, I have mucho respect for the ones listed above and the ones not even a part of this forum who do good & ethical business.  That said, I'm intimidated in no way by nobody.  Their knowledge and experience can only enhance my own.  The only question then remains...one of garnering knowledge and insight.  Do you read outside your Profession?  So do I....

I just spent the better part of a two hours reading every post I've ever written on this forum.  I clicked on every link I provided and read the majority of comments contributed.  It's a no-brainer, I have too much time on my hands.  But it got me to thinking about the nature of my particular contribution to this forum.  Hey man, some of those posts were inspirational, some were educational, some were emotional, some were pseudo-intellectual, and some were down right lousy and/or boring.  I have learned to write for me, not an audience, it's the truest way to get yourself across via written word.  And if I don't like or am not impressed by me, well, that's not good.  So what does this have to do with Real Estate as I and We know it?

"Everything" is my answer.  We have a forum that is ever-growing in popularity and exposure to The World.  Let me say that again, "To The World!"  What we write, when we write, why we write, and how we write, is a large dollop of what is going to be digested as how others see our industry and those of us who work inside of it.  There are many great writers here.  There are many lousy writers here.  There are many who are great writers and lousy at their chosen profession.  There are many who are lousy writers who are fantastic at their chosen profession.  And I'll bet there are a precious few who have the best of both worlds going on!?!  In any case, it is very important that we never forget who reads us, who counts on us, who scrutinizes us every step of the way.  Rightfully so, I may add.  We are the ones the community has no choice but to count on to provide their dream.  That dream is home ownership.  That dream is to be as confident in us as they would be the surgeon operating on their brain.  Are you a professional at what you do?  Maybe, but there is never that 'too late' point to become a better one.

I have made mistakes in my life and my profession.  As I *sigh*, I will eventually do so down the road all over again.  I strive for perfection, yet know I'm human so I error.  At least that is the excuse I call my own.  My parents are visiting me and my humble abode for the first time for the next two days, and I have to and want to look them in their very eyes and know I'm the best of the best at what I do...realizing there is always going to be somebody or something better.  Yet, I prefer to look at Papa & Momma's little boy as one who never said quit, who always gave more than he was given.  I looked at Papa & Momma tonight and inherently knew that I could give a whole hell of a lot more.  I have the answers, I just need to find the questions.

And as far as this Real Estate Community, quality is king.  Quality will always be King...Keep on posting!

Every once in awhile, you witness something that makes you step back and take a real hard look at what you are doing....in every aspect of life.  Marlene Bridges was, to my knowledge, the first to bring this story to the attention of this community.  I heard about it originally from a young man and friend I work with by the name of Geoff Fritz.  Greatness, like inspiration, is an awe-inspiring and somewhat relative terminology to use when defining anything.  Until, of course, you look it in its very eyes.  Then, is when you step back and wonder....could I ever be what I dreamed I could become?

Sometimes this so-called greatness & inspiration is thrust upon you.  Maybe you've even been born into it.  Perhaps, it found you by accident, or you, it.  And in some cases, that dream was led by you and fueled by so many others around you that helped your persistence to refuse to let it go.  No matter the particular situation or circumstance, with all the bad that goes on in every aspect of life as we know it...it's nice to see something like this.The Face of a Peasant, The Voice of a God.

I hate reality shows as I've always thought if it is on television, it's fake in some regard.   Reality Shows are the ultimate oxymoron, or at least pre-conceived and thought out.  Then, I saw this.  My first reaction was, "Damn, that is great T.V."  Unfortunately for yours truly, I haven't stopped watching it since.  It is a rare occassion that I cry or have the hairs on my arms rise up because I see something so extraordinary that life seems so freaking fantastic.  Mr. Paul helped do that. My cynical self thought that this was an inspired and creative storyline that was ingenious, but not live reality as we live it and believe it to be at the hands of "Reality T.V."  Regardless, every Damn day I have listened to this since.  It makes me weep with joy, my soul stand on end.  Whether this is one of the more clever ruses on television, or one of those moments in life you'd have a hard time replacing, I have a new hero.  And it's not Simon, it's Paul!

Check This Out

I got an email earlier today that asked if I would step up to the plate and write this week's review.  Let me echo many of those who have already done these in saying, "It's not an easy task."

None the less, it was thrust upon me so I will offer my take.  I chose 10 posts by 10 individuals (I'm a top-ten type of Guy:-)  I should mention that writing posts about mortgages isn't one of the easier things to do.  To make a post insightful, entertaining, well-written, easy-to-read, and chalk full of useful information from the mortgage side of things is a rather hefty task.  Luckily, we have a lot of knowledgeable people and good writers who excel at these variables.  Here's a glimpse at a few of those contributors:

Renting vs Buying -- Knowing your loan options -- Part 3 of 3  by Jeff Belonger - I will tell you this, Jeff's knowledge of this business is very impressive.  It was hard to chose which of his series to include here, but you can check them all out via this post.  Jeff's way with words and neat pictures make his posts a fun read to boot!

Drive Through Mortgage's (would you like fries with that) by Matthew Blum - This was an enjoyable post and hits the nail on the head.  Consumers & Mortgage Professionals outside the 'loop' of the lending side of things should take heed.

My Community Loan Program Changes by George Souto -  Talk about an inside into what is going on in lending, George's perspective and posts are a guaranteed must read if you want to know more about the mortgage industry.  This was short, concise, and powerfully informative.

Neg Am Disclosures - a little too late? by Mike Mueller -  This is a very controversial and much talked about subject.  Good offer here by Mike into what is being done about it...and why it may be too late.

A Dangerous Precedent: If Houses Were Financed Like Cars by Janet Guilbault -  I came across this post several times.  This was one of my favorite posts of the bunch and I've read a lot of Janet's posts in the past week or two.  She has some great offerings & insight and I've become a big fan of her writing style.  This I would say is a Must Read for Mortgage Professionals & Consumers alike!

A Realtor Got My LSR, But It Wasn't From Me by Jacob Morales - This guy, in my mind, is one of the Diamonds in The Rough around here.  He's an excellent writer with a ton of ideas and insight on all aspects of lending.  He also has the enviable ability to take experiences and turn them into a great read. 

Quit Waiting! by John Caylor - John's post was actually pointed out to me by a friend and I loved it.  Indeed, the philosopher inside me thought we could all learn a lot by these words.

National Licensure of Mortgage Originators Is a Must- I Don't Want to Work Hard  by Brian Brady - As long as he's actively contributing, I'm not sure you could have a Mortgage Week In Review without Mr. Brady.  This one confused some, but created a nice little discussion that in the end I hope makes you think about what your feelings on the issue really are.

Reverse Mortgage and Health Care - Is This How Our Parents Should Live? by Art Blanchet - Interesting take on another very popular topic of discussion amongst the Mortgage Profession, Reverse Mortgages.  Art ties this in with Health Care in a very riveting commentary that may have been overlooked by many us.  Check it out, I think you may be interested in what you read.

How To Generate Leads With Craigslist. by Jeremy Redlinger - Ahhhh, what we all are searching for.....LEADS! Jeremy's approach generated a lot of response and if you still aren't utilizing Craigslist in your marketing efforts, read this post and implement it as a part of your business plan right about now.

There you have it, I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.  These guys & gals are full of insight and are good reads, thank you to each and every one of them for their contribution to the Active-Rain Community.

Thank you to David A. Podgursky for letting me do this.

Well, I have this great stretch of land for sale over yonder that you can turn-around and sell for extreme profits.  Speaking of which, I have this great e-book that you can download for $5.95 and it will pave the path to riches beyond your wildest dreams.  Or, we can just deal with reality.

I'm not sure about others here, but I'm darn sure about myself.  I don't work for a Non-Profit Organization, I don't have that luxury.  In fact, we strive to actually profit off of the services we provide and time we put in at my respective firm.  Yeah, I know, crazy concept.

The statement has been posed before, "I want the lowest rate and no fees, what can you do for me?"  Well, I can inform & educate you to the best of my ability, but if you want a loan for free, call somebody else.

It's probably been discussed, debated, denounced, dissected and displayed how we make money on my side of the business...Financing To Buy or Refinance A Home.  If you've missed it, let me clue you in on how we try to pay our bills.

As a Mortgage Broker here in Pennsylvania, I make money two ways.  Either I charge a fee on the Good Faith Estimate I provide you, which itemizes all costs of the transaction and/or I get paid by the investor to charge a certain rate.  It turns out that what I make tends to be a % of whatever loan amount I'm financing.  Sometimes, that's 2% to my firm, sometimes 4%, sometimes it's only 1% or a flat fee.  Everything in commission based services is negotiable, but my time is not.  It's the only thing I have going for me in this great big world.  I've been granted time....just not sure how much.  I'm not the cheapest around and I will never, ever, strive to be that.  I'm not the most expensive, I'm darn sure not to strive to be that either.  What is my time worth?  As much as yours I guess.  I work hard, I work smart.  You probably work hard and smart as well, we should be paid accordingly.

I don't blame consumers for the often mentioned question of No Point/Lowest Rate Mortgages.  Well, I don't blame them alone.  I want the best deal as well in whatever transaction I enter.  It's what they've been taught.  Is it the smartest question they can ask, heck no.  As a matter of fact, when I field the phone call and that is the question, I know it is typically not the 'Smart' consumer who starts with that question.  Typically, it is just the opposite.  Yet, that's what they've been taught.  1, 2, 3, Jump!  Pavlovian dogs to a sometimes distorted way of borrowing money to buy or refinance their home.

My Point Mr. & Mrs. Consumer is simply this.  Not only ask the why's you have the right to know, ask the how's as well.  Let us educate your wants, fulfill your needs, & understand the process thru & thru.  Do I have the lowest rate, yeah, sometimes I indeed do.  Do I have the lowest fees, nope, but I'm fair and full of disclosure.  Surprises should be saved for Birthdays.

 John Lennon was brilliant in my fading eyes.  Jim Morrison reminds me how crazy this all can be and how our system truly lies.  Life is, at times, a mystery.  I am here, I read and I see.  Active-Rain's mystery is whatever you want it to be, but I ask for something different.  Something special, something stable & sound.   I don't want to sound like I'm waxing profound...but give me a break.  Give me different, send me that something so profound....

My addictive personality has become addicted to a forum...Active-Rain to be exact.   My sorrow rests in that I can't possibly comprehend and identify all the good that is out there.   I can't comprend all the bad either, though it is easier to identify.  I'm addicted, Now what?

Tomorrow I go back to work, as if I ever stopped working.   Tomorrow I live, as if I ever stopped living. In both cases, I'm thankful, AR gives me the forum to write what I want to write. To digest what I want to digest.

I don't want to sound morbid, but when I was a child it was easier to communicate with the Gods...it was easier to call the people I came across Heroes!   But, they're not.  They are simply figments of an often=time curious imagination. 

To date, I wanted and still want to strive for that one word, that one sentence, that one paragrah, that explains and understands our existence in full.  I haven't found it or wrote it...

I'm Addicted, but the Addicted die.  I don't mind dying, but I do mind what I'm dying about.   I will die when I want too and do business come manana!

Now what?  Go get it, because "it" doesn't typically find you.

Well, if I had an original thought today, it would die of loneliness.  Many have posted their subscribed-to list, here's mine.  One note, you may find that I don't just subscribe to the really good stuff...but the really bad stuff as well.  If you have a pecking order in your brain, you should be able to decipher the difference.  It should also be pointed out that I just started to subscribe to other's blogs recently, so there is a lot of individuals not on here who I read with sometimes reckless abandon.  I also subscribe to my own post, which is ridiculous, but reminds me to not forget about myself:-)

Blog Subscriptions:

Show: Most Subscribed | Most Subscribed (week) | My Subscriptions

	Sarah's Hurricane, WV Real Estate Blog Sarah Cooper, Realtor, Hurricane, WV - Hurricane, WV Last Post: 06/17/07 06:30 AM          Posts: 171
	Saving Money TodayRod Tinsley - Denver, CO Last Post: 06/17/07 06:21 AM          Posts: 108
	Clearwater Florida Real Estate, Beach Homes and CondosCyndee Haydon: Clearwater Real Estate ~ Clearwater Beach Condos & Homes - Clearwater, FL Last Post: 06/16/07 11:01 PM          Posts: 85
	Mortgage Knowledge at its BEST!!!! (Jeff Belonger)Jeff Belonger -- The FHA Expert.com - Cherry Hill, NJ Last Post: 06/16/07 10:48 PM          Posts: 191
	Real Estate Financing, The Insider's Insight On MortgageJason Sardi - Allentown, PA Last Post: 06/16/07 08:45 PM          Posts: 115
	Turner's Perspective Jeff Turner - Santa Clarita, CA Last Post: 06/16/07 07:49 PM          Posts: 129
	Broker Bryant's Real Estate RamblingsBryant Tutas - Poinciana, FL Last Post: 06/16/07 04:39 PM          Posts: 260
	Idaho Real Estate >> ID Real Estate SpecialistGeorge Tallabas - ID Real Estate - Nampa, ID Last Post: 06/16/07 03:37 PM          Posts: 129
	Matthew J Blum PalmBeachGardensHomeLoans.comMatthew J Blum PalmBeachGardensHomeLoans.com - Palm Beach Gardens, FL Last Post: 06/16/07 02:58 PM          Posts: 115
	Home Loans & Stuff >> The Arizona Home Loan Lady Karen George - AZ Home Loans - Chandler, AZ Last Post: 06/16/07 12:41 PM          Posts: 91
	America's Most Opinionated Mortgage BrokerBrian Brady - San Diego, CA Last Post: 06/16/07 11:45 AM          Posts: 267
	Rich's Real Estate RamblingsRich Schiffer - Swarthmore, PA Last Post: 06/16/07 08:03 AM          Posts: 137
	Rich's Thoughts on ThingsRich Kruse - Columbus, OH Last Post: 06/16/07 06:45 AM          Posts: 218
	Tisza's BlogTisza Major-Posner - Claremont, CA Last Post: 06/16/07 02:15 AM          Posts: 91
	The Official ActiveRain BlogActiveRain Real Estate Network - Bellevue, WA Last Post: 06/15/07 05:06 PM          Posts: 173
	Blogging the truth about mortgages Ann Guy - Allentown, PA Last Post: 06/15/07 03:44 PM          Posts: 105
	William's BlogWilliam Johnson GRI CRS e-PRO - San Diego, CA Last Post: 06/15/07 11:05 AM          Posts: 90
	Reala Staging: Rants & RavingsCraig Schiller (Real Estaging) - Chicago, IL Last Post: 06/15/07 09:26 AM          Posts: 159
	Rob Robinson Blogs Rob Robinson- Lehigh Valley PA - Allentown, PA Last Post: 06/14/07 02:44 PM          Posts: 137
	Nick the Florida Real Estate Appraiser & Realtor® - South Florida Real Estate Professional at your service. Nick M.-Realtor®-Appraiser in West Palm- South Florida Real Estate Appraiser - - West Palm Beach, FL Last Post: 06/07/07 03:52 PM          Posts: 81
	Denver Real Estate & Relocation Kristal Kraft ~ Denver Real Estate - Denver, CO Last Post: 06/05/07 01:24 AM          Posts: 409

  If you want a masterpiece, this reminds me of why our existence will have a legacy no matter what happens.  Harry Chapin had a moment of brilliance.

Maybe, just maybe, I'll be worthy of the title of 'Dad' somewhere down the line.  My father means the world to me, as does my brother Justin & my mother Elaine.  When I was at my lowest, they were there.  When I was at my highest, they were there as well.  If I called right now, my money & soul are certain I'll never be alone...even though that's what I like to be.

Shortly after entering the mortgage industry, I visited Raleigh, NC to visit my folks.  They knew I was struggling in Capitalistic America, they probably knew I was on the verge of financial deprivation, but I remember the conversation clearly.  They had just did a streamline refinance through their local bank and wanted me to go over their paperwork to make sure it was fit for what they were looking to do.  Looking back, at the time, they probably were just trying to make me feel like I was important...trying to support the son who had a hell of a time at one time, supporting himself.

Don't get me wrong, my family & extended family, have more issues than your rather typical morning paper.  Yet, every darn time we get together...I will at one moment in time separate myself from the pack and ball my eyes out.  Not out of sadness or despair, but because I miss them....even when they are right there.  I miss them all.  And my father hasn't always been a hero to me.  I haven't always agreed with him or his ways and I never will, but Mike Sardi remains a hero, an inspiration, to me, Now.  Not only because he is my father, but because I miss him so much and his love has been wise, yet unconditional.

I know you aren't a huge fan of Mr. Morrison Dad but I've always loved the following Poem:

Artist: Doors, The
Song Title: Severed Garden

wow, im sick of doubt
live in the light of certain south, cruel bindings
the servants have the power
dogmen and their mean women
pulling poor blankets over our assailers

i'm sick of dour faces staring at me from the tv tower
i want roses in my garden bower, dig?
royal babies, rubies, must now replace aborted strangers in the mud
these mutants blood meal for the plant that's ploughed

they are waiting to take us into the severed garden
you know how pale and wanton, thrillful comes death
in the strange hour
unannounced, unplanned for
like a scary over-friendly guest you've brought to bed

death makes angels of us all and gives us wings
where we had shoulders smooth as ravens' claws

no more money, no more fancy dress
this other kingdom seems by far the best
until its other jaw reveals incest
and loose obedience to a vegetable law

i will not go
prefer a feast of friends to the giant family -The End-

You are my friend, the best I could ever want to have.  In my book, you are a living angel and I will love you no matter what.  You are my father and I know I didn't pick you and you didn't pick me, but if I had a choice...I would pick you to be my Dad any day of the freaking week.  Someday I hope to be a Dad too, I just need to make sure I'm worthy of such...