Real Estate Financing...

People amaze me.  While I'm sure there are certain things about my existence that boggles those that surround me, I'm also quite sure that there are individuals out there whose lives live in graves.  And all they choose to carry is a shovel.

I got a call from a gentlemen who had applied for a mortgage a year and a half back.  If I were to describe his credit and financial situation at that point, it would be with one word......ATROCIOUS!!!  Charge-offs, Delinquencies, and the Mother of all Mothers for first time home-buyers...Two Judgements from Two Separate Apartment Complexes where he had lived prior to deciding he wanted to buy a home.  The balances on those judgements were still outstanding.  Being the Master of the Obvious, I explained in no uncertain terms, we/HE had some work to do.

Following up with him and trying to guide him the best I could, I called him every 6 weeks to see how things were going.  Things weren't changing at a rapid pace, it was a slow & sure process...as it can sometimes be.  Then, I didn't hear from him for awhile.  I left a few messages and never heard back, I thought perhaps he faded away.

Then I get a call last night, he's on line 2.....I answer and we shoot the manure for a bit.  He then goes on to tell me how much he trusts and values the direction I've given him, the No B.S. honesty that I hit him with from day one.  I thought, WOW, I appreciate clients like this.  I have no problem working with them for years, if necessary, to put them in a position to fulfill one of their dreams, albeit a financial one in this case.

And then comes the good stuff......the 'Curiosity Du Jour' that comes with not getting good news when looking for it.  He tells me that he just spoke to a Mortgage Company who can get him a loan to buy a home!  All he needs is 5% down!!  As far as the judgements from the Apartment Complexes for back-due rent, no worries, they don't show up on credit!!!   There are a plethora of other variables that make this an absolute clusterfreak of a scenario to currently work with.  He called for my opinion, I gave it to him...and I didn't mince words.  Luckily this client, whose curiosity was peeked, figured that they were blowing smoke.  He called me to make sure, I validated his concern.  We'll see what transpires...

This brought to mind a couple of things about this business that I've been wrestling with:

1)  I've wanted, for the longest time, to pick and choose my client base.  Yet, I like to be of assistance to people, no matter their situation and status.  I figure, that's my job.  While it's easy to be the champion to those with perfect credit and money in the bank, there's a large population out there who doesn't fit that mold.  They need help and guidance as well.  So, as long as they are willing to work with me, have a sense of loyalty and respect for my time...I will continue to champion their cause as well.

2)  We LOVE Good News!  It's so wonderful to hear.  Yet, and I hate to bring this out into the Great Wide Open....sometimes the reality of situations isn't so good.  Sometimes, you can't get what you want without working very hard to get to that point.  Sometimes, you never do get what you want.  For everybody out there who may be reading these words, "If you want somebody to tell you what you want to hear, find another soul.  I'm not your guy.  I deliver news, Good or Bad, quickly and with guidance." 

You've got to work together to make sure things don't fall apart.  And throw the lip service out the freaking window! 

I like reading the past.  I like studying it, watching it, and trying to understand it.  For all those who gripe that I don't write about Mortgage Stuff enough, I promise the next one has everything to do with the business I'm in.  Yet, for now, bear with me.  This post has nothing to do with Real Estate at all....or does it?  I don't know, I don't need glasses but I can't see at all.

Looking back, I've been very freaking lucky.  I've been lucky enough to have a wealth of staunch supporters on this forum that grew to read me....and I, them.  The support has been phenomenal and as I look back, I can't help but to look ahead.  I owe this place and you people a lot.  You owe me nothing.  Hmmmm, Friday's are usually my nights to be bad.  How about I just be me?  Good or Bad, I'm a soul stirring in the winds....

Jason Sardi isn't Dead.....He's more Alive than ever before!!!  It's a Waterfall of Surreal Proportions!!!!!

Oh, whoops, I teased that this may be about Real Estate in the toss up of things.  I have a house that I own, I'm a Mortgage Broker, I make loans.  Does that count as talking about Real Estate?

I will be writing a post soon that outlines the worst blogs I've ever written, in hopes of making sure the 'Newbies' don't get disgruntled.  Count this as one of the lousy posts, my crappy contributions.  Yet, I thank all of you for your support.  You're like the BRA I never wore....

Sarah Cooper called me out!  Can you believe it?  Little old me, this Mortgage Broker in Allentown, Pennsylvania...so innocent and so good?  She said I was wrong.  The freaking nerve!  Ok, my SEO quota fulfilled and sarcastic self aside, my turn to retort to Active-Rain's Sweet Little Sarah.

I made mention in a recent post of something that has been on my mind since I was potty trained.  Yes, I was 15 years old and wanted to find that one sentence, one paragraph, that explains the seemingly unexplainable.  I wanted to find that something that explained life, and I wanted it to be real, sincere, and all encompassing in its concise state.  I wanted it to be, well, Perfect.

It exists, this perfection I seek.  Though, I haven't found or written that one sentence or paragraph...it's out there.  Perfection exists, if even only one moment in the measurement of our reality called time.

Let's think about this.  Well, I'll think about it, you can just read or unsubscribe to my blog.  Have you witnessed Perfection?  I have.  It's attainable, very much so, if even one solitary second in our lives.

• In Our Profession, Real Estate, many of you may have experienced what I have been lucky enough to live.  That transaction that from soup to nuts, from start to finish, went perfectly.  Sometimes it takes a little bit of luck and always takes a whole lot of care and competence, but it exists...
• The World of Sports is a great example.  How often has an athlete in their chosen sport, raced that perfect race, played that perfect game, lived that perfect season?  It happens, just not much.
• And never forget that perfect song for the moment, that perfect answer to a question, that perfect irony to a situation.  We are surrounded by perfection, we just don't live it enough.

Sure, we are fallible.  We are human.  We make more mistakes than O.J. Simpson on a bad batch of crack cocaine, well, maybe not that many.  The point is, it is there for our taking.  That sentence will surface.  That paragraph will be written.  Perhaps they (the unannounced spirits we seek), are awaiting our very end to this very journey.

Cooper, we probably have more agreement on this than a lack there of.  Then again, I strongly believe in the power of words, the power of our mind (especially the large % we don't use for whatever reason).  Life can be explained and summed up Perfectly, I'm sure of that.  It just will never be lived that way...I'm sure of that as well.

I've never read Douglas Adams, he's probably never read me.  42?  I always liked 13....

Tolstoy didn't do it, Shakespeare didn't do it.  Morrison, Lennon, Blake, Fitzgerald, Sallinger, Dickinson, King, etc...probably never did it. 

I will find that sentence, bring to light that paragraph, and when I do...it will explain the whole freaking thing called life.  Or, I'll just sit back and be Perfectly Imperfect and write every once in awhile...

As far as two words.....Good Night:-)

                                                              This Should Fit The Bill

Every once in awhile, in a daze where the moon is blue and my mind renders no immediate thought, a title of a post comes to mind and I have no clue of what the context may be about.  So, off the cuff and raw/uncut as I can be....this would be one of those times.

I told my sweet and even-tempered co-worker Ann Guy that I want to write about something that has never been written about on this forum.  At the same time, I wanted to make sure it fits the parameters of what Active-Rain is all about.  I can honestly say I've read thousands of blogs and will do so ongoing, but rarely does one catch my eye as being off-the-charts fantastic.

The featured posts are for the most part, very good.  The posts with a large amount of commentary & comments tend to be interesting and thought provoking.   And as the nature of the beast would have it, a lot of very good stuff gets unnoticed.  Yet, I get bored easily.  Especially if unchallenged and reading the same old crap over & over & over again.  I want something different, something unique, something special that will challenge my world and awake my thoughts.  Then, I thought about it.  It's not so much what you write (though subject matter remains key to a large extent), it is how you write it.  I'm not looking for Shakespeare or King, but I am looking for those who make their posts fun to read.

Don't get me wrong, there are an abundance of talented writers & knowledgeable professionals here.  I just want to push the envelope to some degree.  Now, that may mean writing Hard-Core Real Estate Stuff, Consumer-Oriented Material, a better way to garner attention to your writing...or maybe even trying to conquer or at least have a stranglehold on Google...

I've said it before and will say it again.  I will always look for those words, that sentence, that paragraph, that explains it all.  While I will never find it, the search is freaking on!

I love the fact that Active-Rain has reached the point where more than 50,000 people share whatever they have to contribute.  And posts & contributions, no matter how mundane, will continue to be churned out in great numbers.  It's not what you write, it's how you write.

We all have a role, in life & this forum.  While I'd love to sit and chastise those who write what I perceive as crap, is it?  The contributions are many and as long as we all share what we got, the wheels will spin and we will move forward.  Folks, to some extent, we are a team.  I may not read you, like you, know you, or have a clue that you even exist...same goes for your perception of me.  But, if you give me YOU in what your write, I don't give a flying rat's beady arse how bad your grammar or spelling may be, how misconstrued your facts might be, you gave you.  This forum is better for it.

With every post, the wheels spin.  Yet, the highway is long...we have a long drive ahead.  Keep on blogging, contributing, and whether the stuff you post has been posted or talked about before, it comes from you.  That, in my estimation, is very important.  That is what makes this different and very real.  The wheels go round and we aren't driving, but I'm very sure we can be contributing passengers along the way.

When I began my journey into Real Estate, there was a chance that I not only was to switch careers, but to change my living situation.  Actually, that wasn't a chance, that was a necessity.  At that time, the building I was living in, a very historic one at that, was being shut down by the city of Allentown.  My natural reaction was to see if I could stand a chance of being able to buy a home.  I just wanted a place to freaking live.  It was peculiar really, my income was fine at the time, my credit was impeccable, and I had money in the bank....just in case.  When I started with First Choice Equity Group Inc, one of my first initiatives was to pre-approve myself for a Mortgage, so I had a place to live.  I was pre-approved in a jiffy, I was deemed a more than adequate borrower.  I never went through with it though, I had to move....and fast.  Thus, my living arrangements became somewhat complicated over the next few years.

The jump was made from the Restaurant Industry into the Real Estate Industry.  Then, the proverbial fudge hit the fan for little old me.  Honestly, even though the industry was at a financial high, I was at a personal low.  My income suffered, my credit tanked, my personal well being was in jeopardy at times.  I was in a place I never was before....financial disarray.

It was around that time that I suddenly became encompassed with money, wanting to make it one less worry in life.  I guess when you get collection calls on your cell phone at closings, reality sinks in.  I had a goal.  I was so far away from buying a house at that point....but I wanted to make sure I was back at that point sooner rather than later.  I won't go into the details of my existence, but I will tell you how I got there (To Be Able To Buy A Home All Over Again).

Common sense in life, and Real Estate, is key.  I worked on 3 factors and 3 factors alone.

• My income.  In my industry, the commission-based one, you make money by closing loans.  If you don't close loans, you don't make money.  It was a no-brainer, I had to close loans....so I did.  I worked my pale white behind off to do so.
• I had to establish stability, in my own eyes and the lenders.  I had just entered an industry where the turn-over rate is rather large, so I had to make sure my job & income were stable for me.  The lender/bank wants to know that as well, that there is stability in your capitalistic life. Over 2 years later, I proved myself to me and eventually them.
• I had to wrestle the demons, cure the ills of my credit's past.  I paid off things, I paid things up to date, and I paid my rent by check on-time all the time.

These simple steps helped, yet weren't the be all-end all.  There was one more thing I needed to make sure I was to become not only a homeowner, but a quality one.  I needed money in the freaking bank.  After all, say what you want and will about these 0 Money Out of Pocket deals, once you own it, you freaking own it.  If anything goes wrong, you are the one paying for it.  So, in case of an emergency of any sorts, I wanted to make sure I had money in the bank to deal with whatever situation Murphy's Law presented.

For would be or current homeowners out there, there is one key to home ownership beyond not being Mortgage Poor or Equity lacking, it's called reserves.  Have money in the bank, you never do know. 

Uh-Oh, I almost forgot, silly freaking me, I've been accused of being knocked around via the skull but perhaps I should just explain.  I almost forgot where I am, where I came from, and the very music Bob Carney would appreciate.  Click Me Now!

Here you go....... 

Thanks to the sister I never had, once again I am writing one of these MEME things.  Ironically, I do believe that the introduction to writing these little portraits of your life was the very stimulus of why and how I came to write as personal as I do.  Heck, I could write about Mortgages all day long and posts to Localism that concentrate on Allentown, Pennsylvania and the surrounding Lehigh Valley.  But those who know MEME, know that would be a shortcut to thinking of sorts.  Enough of the preliminary bells and whistles, she wants to know....I feel obliged to tell....

• My Lifestyle is a tad bit strange - I drink (alcohol) too much, I smoke (cigarettes) too much.  Those are no-brainers.  What you may not know is that I work out regularly (Rocky IV Style) and eat pretty healthy.  I even moisturize:-)  I cook and clean and if you entered my little bachelor's pad, you would probably never guess a single guy lived here.  I sleep strange hours and prefer being alone.  I will probably die the same way I was born, somewhat of an anomaly.

• I have my own ideas on Mortgage Lending - I have learned enough and lived it enough to know what are good practices in lending money and what are not.  While I will probably never be a financial guru (not my style), I would love to manage a portfolio of loans.  I won't go in depth into the parameters I seek out, but I will say that I manage other people's finances much better and more efficient than you'd ever think I could.

• There are a lot of people I would like to meet (Dead or Alive)-  That list includes: Warren Buffet, Dhali Llama, Donny Deutshe, Marlon Brando, Mary Magdalon, Donald Trump, Kurt Angle, The guy who wears the half shirt holding the "will work for food" sign I drive by everyday on my way to work, Anne Frank, Joel Olsteen, Pat Robertson's make-up artist, Jimi Hendrix, A Mail Order Russian Bride, Woody Allen, Mother Teresa, Jim Morrison, Jesus Christ, John Lennon, Anyone who admits liking Luther Vandross, Emily Dickinson, Andre The Giant, The Ratpack,Larry Bird, The CEO of Victoria's Secret, Victoria's Secret, George Carlin, Ruben "Hurricane" Carter, The Goof who filed the lawsuit against McDonald's for that coffee incident, Howard Hughes, Brian "F'N" Pillman, Tupac Shakur, Marilyn Monroe, Mick Foley, Bill Mahr, Andy Kaufman, The Fathers of the Constitution, A Dead Person, Winston Churchill, Dante, Aristotle, William Dafoe, Socrates, William Blake, Jeffrey Ross, Bruce Lee, That agent of the girl who does the Tampax Commercial, Robin Williams, Edgar Allan Poe, ..........Mom, Dad,& Justin again cause it is all about blood...and even a guy named Micky...I ain't talking Rocky...no particular order.

• My style of blogging doesn't surprise those who know me- I've saw many a style here and there, of how people write, of how people blog.  There are 'Commercial' styles, 'Tech' styles, 'Hard-Core Real Estate' styles, and on and on and freaking on.  My style is simple, I hope to have none.  I write Raw & Uncut almost 100% of the time.  That means a few different things, one of which is that it tends to never get boring.  That said, it also means I will strike out often.  It's not pretty, it's often times crap.  Sometimes, it even gets me in trouble.  Yet, my style, is me.  So, it works.  Even if it didn't, I'd hope to never change.

• The Greatest Pain I've Ever Known- That is simple.  I love being alone, I guess maybe because I've got accustom to it.  The greatest pain I've ever known is not one of the mind, the body, or the spirit, it is of the heart.  Love is a term thrown around loosely throughout our world, but in my mind I know only one.  While a part of me would like to live the 'Hugh Heffner Life'....in the end, it's not me.  I believe in True Love, I believe in a Soul-Mate, I believe in the missing piece to the puzzle of my soul.  I know you are out there, maybe you'll find me this time around.

I tag the first 3 people that actually read this to write their own MEME.

Night, Night:-)

Who would ever thought of the impact that the Internet would have on both our social and business lives way back when?  Shoot, that last sentence makes me sound old....not that there is anything wrong with that:-)  Yet here I sit, this guy in Allentown, Pennsylvania.  I am a guy, who because of the Internet, has friends and associates all across the land.  Active-Rain played a huge part in developing that to an even greater scale.  Here I am, with friends in Florida, Maryland, West Virginia, California, Arizona, and I can't forget my friends over in Nigeria who selflessly want to deposit large sums of money in my bank account once every 2 days.  All of this made me think of something this morning and once again, just a moment ago.  If and when the opportunity presents itself, would I want to do business with these people...minus those feisty spammers in Nigeria?

When I started out in Mortgage Lending, I was asked if I had any family or friends who I could make loans too.  Well, most of my family was out of state and most of my friends had trouble paying rent in between bar bills, so of course I had to start the hard way.  I had to start from scratch.

There were two schools of thought on this that I witnessed.  One was that you should never do business with family and/or friends because if God forbid something goes wrong, it could sabotage that relationship indefinitely.  This school of thought was ignited further when I was informed of a very true, if not totally disturbing reality, in the lending business.  That reality is you can do everything right on a transaction and the loan still may not close.  After all, there are so many variables in each individual transaction that are out of our control.  Even if it isn't remotely my fault, who do you think they'll blame?

The other school of thought was kind of my own.  While I didn't have the opportunity at that time to make loans to friends or family, I always thought in the back of my mind, "Who else would I trust to look out for their best interests?"  Now, after 6+ years in the business, I've probably made over 20 loans to friends and family.  Not one went bad, there's a little luck involved with everything.

Fast forward to now.  Fast forward to this particular forum.  If you are anything like me, which may be dangerous if you are:-)...you've gotten to know and become rather close to a lot of people all over the country through Active-Rain.  While I haven't formally met the majority of them, I do wonder if I would do business with them or them with me?

To begin with, we have an on-line reputation to uphold.  If anything were to go wrong, whispers and emails may go flying and all of a sudden the once sought after 'You' becomes an incompetent person.  Not good!  I mean, come on, the majority of us try to put our best foot forward and who out there in cyber-land wants to point out their mistakes and flaws in front of what can potentially be over 45,000 people, not to mention the consumer?

The other thing is, perhaps the fear of a tarnished relationship creeps into your mind because of a business relationship gone astray.  Money is a powerful thing, especially when you deem another the reason it didn't enter your respective checking account.  Your social standing drops, once friends now become indifferent wallflowers at best...and all you came here for was a bit of business exposure and then became engulfed in a social network where a lot of the people who liked and respected you....think your professional existence is a cynical hoot.

These thoughts raced through my head, faster than I could possibly type.  Would I do business with My Active-Rain Friends?  You are darn right I would!  I've gotten to know the person behind the professional.  I've gotten to know the care behind the competence.  Might they make a mistake in a transaction we are involved in, maybe?  I've had squabbles with my friends, my best friends, before.  I've had those differences in life, and sometimes business, and plan on having them again.  However, I can't put a price on trust and there is nobody I'd rather do business with, mistakes and such, than with the guy or gal I can trust.

*The following is an entry from the Mortgage side of things into the First ActiveRain -- Buyer Challenge ).  There have been some wonderful contributions from some very talented Realtors out there.  I was asked to throw in what financing options potential buyers had.  Here we go.*

Tom & Michelle,

It was a pleasure speaking with you today about the financing options available to you in your desire in buying a home here in historic Allentown, Pennsylvania.  I want to first thank you both for the chance to earn your business, as you were referred to me by Colleen Kulikowski.  I also want to applaud you in your decision to work with Colleen, as my experience with her has been nothing short of outstanding.  She will prove to be a valuable individual to help you find a home that will meet your short term needs and long term aspirations.

I wanted to take this time to briefly summarize a couple of the options we discussed today for your Home Financing Needs.  As we went over your application and the supportive documentation I will need from your end, I also wanted to help summarize what we spoke about in terms of financing options.  When we spoke, you expressed that you wanted to be in close proximity to an elementary school so that your two young children could have the option of walking to school.  That also led to a conversation pertaining to the present and possible plans down the road.  Since you're looking to buy a home in the $400,000 price range and you are able to put $90,000 down, you will be able to avoid the infamous PMI we spoke about.  You talked about maybe selling the home and downsizing in 7-10 years when your children went off to college.  I wanted to reiterate the options we spoke about earlier that seemed to be of the most interest to your situation now and desires down the road:

30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage (Fixed Rate for the life of the loan)

A more traditional route that has been taken by many individuals and families whom aren't sure of what the future may hold.  Heck, who is?  While there are many products that prove to be invaluable financial tools for your future, there is a comfortability factor within this product that should not be ignored. 

   PROS

• Your principle & interest payment will never change.  You will know what payment to expect now and 12 years from now should you decide to not sell your home or change your Mortgage situation.
• Rates are typically lower than other products (Interest Only & 40-Year Loans) so you can be sure that you'll be provided the lowest rate the market has to offer, without add-ons for more exotic and sometimes financially savvy loan products.

    CONS

• You will be making the full payment, principle and interest, every month as long as you choose to keep the loan.  This won't allow the ability to get a lower monthly payment that can free up money for other financial endeavors and future goals.
• There is no flexibility within this product, here's your payment, that's it.  Without flexibility, your financial future is somewhat limited.

Conforming Fixed 10/20 IO  (This is a conforming fixed loan 30 year where the first 10 years are interest only)

The loan will be re-casted after the first 10 years.  So if you pay only the interest for the first 10 years, the whole balance will now be due on a 20 year term.    Hopefully you pay a little more than just the interest so the payment won't be so high on the remaining 20 years.

    PROS

• This is an excellent financial tool to give you a very low monthly payment, allowing you to free up money to save up for your children's college tuition and to stock away for retirement.
• The payment is fixed for 10 years, which fits nicely into the time frame that you may want to explore downsizing to a smaller home when your children go off to college

     CONS

• There is typically an add-on to the interest rate for this option, so you'll be paying a slightly higher rate than you would on a run of the mill 30-year fixed rate mortgage.
• It could turn out that you choose to stay put, even when your kids go off to school.  We spoke about this possibility and why it may be detrimental to your financial situation when the loan is re-casted after the 10 years is up.  We spoke about the Sleep Principal, a very human & valid element, in any financial decision.

As you folks discuss some of the pros and cons I laid out, I will continue to educate you about the process, the products, and give feedback as needed.  I will continue to work closely with Colleen to make sure your transition to the Lehigh Valley and Allentown area is smooth and informed.  I look forward to speaking with you further in the next few days and moving forward accordingly.

Regards,

Jason Sardi

First Choice Equity Group Inc.

Mortgage Consultant

610-439-2166 ext. 229

jsardi@fcegi.com

The original idea for the very first post came on a drive home one Friday night from work.  So, what better way to introduce my take on some of the greatest contributors here, than on another Friday evening.  This is my take and personal opinion.  So, without further rambling, here we go:

Karen George- This gal rose like a Phoenix with some of the most informational, well-written, & timely blogs around.  Her SEO genius was apparent and caught on right away.  Very quickly, she became one of the most subscribed to people on Active-Rain and rightfully so.  She still churns out some great stuff and has also became one the most inspirational people I've ever had the pleasure to stumble across.  Do yourself a favor, if you aren't familiar with Karen, get familiar.  She's the Google Queen!

Lola Audu -  I don't throw around the term 'brilliant' often, but I dare say Lola fits the bill.  Reading her stuff is an epiphany in the making each time.  She tops it by probably defining what we should all strive for around this great big forum, trust.  I would have no hesitation in referring a client her way.  She encompasses and defines everything that is good in our chosen profession.  While I've never met or spoken with Lola, I trust her as if I had known her for years.  Her contributions are and will continue to be among the best.

Brad Andersohn - This guy is right up there with Jeff Turner in my book, as far as an Internet Guru.  And if you want to learn or evolve in your blogging abilities, look no further than this guy.  He is relevant, timely, an easy read, yet you can soak up bundles of information.  Those are some hard variables to perfect, he's got it down to a proverbial science.  He's pretty witty to boot.  All in all, Brad's pretty fly for a Title Guy.

Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman - Her voice, if you've had the pleasure to read her, is that of an angel.  Not only is she one of the best 'pure' writers we have here, her professionalism reeks of integrity & kindness.  If I could tag one person as the 'Mother Teresa' of Active-Rain as far as wisdom & kindness, it's Sally.  I personally love Sis, there, I said it!  Someday, I would love to own a vacation home in Hawaii.  Take a guess on who I am going to call......and when Sally answers, I'll say "WOOHOO!"

Neal 'The Real Deal' Bloom -  Neal strikes me as the type of guy to tell it like it is.  Neal strikes me as the type of guy that's not afraid to deliver bad news promptly.  Neal strikes me as a guy I would love to sit down and have a beer with and hope to the high heavens no chap would try to start a 'Bar Fight' with us.  Not to worry though, Neal also strikes me as the type of guy who is more of a lover than a fighter.  He has passion for his chosen trade and his contributions to this forum can't be denied.  Like him, love him, or none of the above, a spade is a spade.  He's a vital part of the puzzle that makes Active-Rain so great.

Kristal Kraft - In my original post on this topic, most people agreed with many of my selections.  Yet, there were some chanting a name I wasn't too familiar with.  One that wasn't mentioned in my original post. That name was Kristal Kraft.  Well heck, if they are willing to throw her name out there, I've got to see what I may have been missing.  Then, I saw this.  Few posts compete with what I read in that post.  It was parsimonious and enthralling.  I started to read her and she was very Active here for a long time.  How Active?  How does 420 posts grab you?  I want to see more of Kristal on the rain these days, we could learn from people like her.

Laurie Manny- Did you see her user-name?  It is ibqueenie.  You are darn right she is.  If you are looking for the first woman President of our Country, forget Hillary, ELECT MANNY!  She protrudes strength and smarts.  If you want the very best Hard-Core Real Estate writer on Active-Rain, Laurie defines it.  At the end of a long work-day, I drive home and define my day by answering the following question.  Would Laurie Manny have hired me today?  I'm not sure anyone deserves/demands more respect than her. 

Colleen Kulikowski-  I will tell you what, if Manny gets to be the next president, Colleen would make one heck of a Vice-President.  Her contribution here is phenomenal, to say the least.  The contests and direction she lays out for the 'Newbies' here makes her damn near irreplaceable.  I talked about trust earlier with Lola Audu, I feel the same about Colleen.  Trust is rarely given, as it should be earned.  If you come into contact with Colleen, I have very strong feelings that you'll trust her because she earns it every day of her life. 

Janet Guilbault - In case you are pretty active on this forum and have been hiding under a rock, this gal is probably one of the best pure writer's around.  Period.  While her knowledge of the Mortgage side of things is evident, her writing ability is off the charts, and I'm particularly picky in that regard.  I believe her to be vastly under-rated in many regards, she's a great example of what is right on the Mortgage side of things.  Janet makes me proud to do what I do for a living, she makes me proud every time she lays her fingers on that keyboard.

Chris Elizabeth Griffith - Holy Cowbell Batman!  She encompasses it all.  She's got the beauty, the brains, a very good writer, and the kind of wit that will set the world on fire.  Sardi predicts that in about 5 years if you look up the word 'influential' in the dictionary, a picture of this gal will be the definition.  Chris has all the tools & talent in the world, and if you notice, there is soft side underneath it all.  I genuinely believe her to be a good person and probably could give Manny a run for her money for The Next President of the United States.  Active-Rain is a better place because of Chris Elizabeth Griffith, there I said it!

And on a final note, there have been many posts that have turned into series.  You know, part 12 of 84 and such.  Well, if I were to pick a series to include in the Active-Rain Hall of Fame, it's really a no-brainer friends.  In case you don't know, now you will, I introduce you to the CARNAC!!!

Ironically, I had a conversation with a client with whom I closed a loan for about 10 months ago that led to this post.  The irony is that Jo-Anne Smith proposed that I write something about honesty and the mortgage business.  If you believe in the popular press...The Media, honesty and mortgage people go together about as well together as Peanut Butter & Tomato Sandwiches if you aren't pregnant.  But there is some semblance of truth in it all, I hate that.  Today, I made a phone call that belittled what I do for a living.  I am a Mortgage Broker in Allentown, Pennsylvania.  My name is Jason Sardi.  Now that I've fulfilled my SEO quota for the month, let's be real!  I'll start.

10 months ago I made a mortgage to a young dame in a lease w/option to buy transaction.  I was crystal 'freaking' clear when we closed the loan, wait at least a year with ontime Mortgage Payments and I'll get you a more appealing rate and deal.  I worked about a year and half before to get her to the point to even get her into being a homeowner.  Guess what?  I followed up with her ever month and a half and when I called her today, the kitty litter had hit the fan in her life.

It seems somebody called her and promised the world, only to give her a bad case of reality in the end.  If any living being promises me the world, I pounce on their existence.  Nobody can offer what they don't own and I haven't met somebody who owns this green earth.  Nobody, and I do mean nobody owns that, to my knowledge.   They 'convinced' her that she could refinance out of a higher rate loan into a lower rate and she could get a little cash to boot.  You'd have to talk to this lady to understand that she isn't the easiest person to deal with, she talks at the speed of R2D2 on a heavy dose of speed.  I've closed loans for people who make $500,000+ a year and less than $50,000....she was one of the latter.  They convinced her, shocking, I know, that they could give her a great rate and close fast.  Now, she's behind on her mortgage and what they told her is bullsh&^T.

Her credit was ravaged with inquiries, I won't name the company, and I asked her a pretty basic question.  "Why didn't you call me?  Why, after I left messages and sent you a few market updates via mail, didn't you reach out...just to make sure?"  Her answer, "They had better news and things to say than you."

I laugh, I cry, I so want to inquire...so I did.  I asked a question I often ask in that situation, "So, how'd that work out for you?"   It didn't, her credit is shot.  She even bought a new car and that payment was about $100.00 less than her mortgage payment.  Smart move, my dear.  You should listen to me, I actually know what I'm talking about.

The guy she was dealing with was fired. The firm never followed up.  In the end, she had a horrible experience.  My conclusion is relatively simple.  Shame on her for believing the hype, for not coming to me, I told her exactly that.  Mortgages and Money aren't rocket science people!  The next time you see the chance to buy a home for $150,000 with a $450.00 principle and interest payment, run very fast and call me....

The next time somebody promises you the world, make sure they are indeed...God!