Steve Hall

Hi there Active Rain Community,

I am currently in the process of rebuilding the Affinity Mortgage website, actually I'm roughly 90% finished with the project. Along with the main Affinity site, I've been contracted to produce and maintain 10-12 other websites/blogs in the real estate arena.

While I would love to have the creativity and knowledge to personally produce material for each of these ventures, I think I'm going to need some help. What I'm looking for are 10-15 guest contributors, real estate professionals from any area that write and promote their own blogs. What I will do is re-blog your articles, with byline and links back to your site of course, in one of my "featured blogs" or "featured contributors" areas. I'm also always on the lookout for industry experts for audio and video interviews, so if you feel you fit into that description don't hestitate to contact me.

If you'd like to wait and see the actual web design of the first project, AffinityMortgage.com, I can understand that; but I would like some folks to be considering whether they could use the additional exposure.

If this is something that you would like to be involved in, either contact me through AR or you can email me directly at steve@affinitymortgage.com.

I'm definately looking forward to getting all of these projects online, and the guest contributor relationships that develop.

Best of luck,

Steve

As difficult as it may be to stay cool and collected when debt collectors hound you, knowing what to expect when dealing with these agencies will help you formulate a plan and lessen the chance of being taken advantage of.

Ten Rules for Handling Collection Agencies

1. Realize that credit collection agents are usually working on commissions. This is a JOB to them and the more they get you to pay, the larger their paycheck. They will be persistent, so be prepared.

2. Don't argue with the agent, because you will lose. This is what the do all day, every day and they have heard every excuse in the book. They are prepared with an answer to everything. State your case but don't argue.

3. It usually doesn't help to ask to speak to someone's boss. In this case, talking to the supervisor normally won't help (in fact it could be worse). Remember, he ended up with his job because he was good at what he did and was able to squeeze every dime out of past consumers who had disputes.

4. Never give information out over the telephone to a collection agency. This includes your driver's license number, social security number, debit card numbers, check numbers, credit card numbers, or bank account numbers. They should already have this information.

5. Use a money order or certified funds to make all payments. Make a copy of it and staple it to the bill.

6. Keep records of everything (including dates of phone calls and what was said), and make sure that anything sent through the mail has a return receipt.

7. Make sure you get written confirmation of any deals or negotiated payoffs. Make sure you have something that says the collection has been satisfied, and always ask them to remove the item entirely from your credit report. They can do this, and very often will to settle the debt.

8. Never take their first offer when negotiating a lower payment as they will always call back with a better offer.

9. Use powerful sentences like, "This is all I can afford to pay," rather than "This is all I am going to pay." This is a much better negotiation tactic when you are trying to lower the payoff with the collection agent.

10. When repairing your credit, it is a good rule to keep copies of all your credit reports. That way you can track the process of what has been repaired and make sure that what you negotiated is coming to pass.

While it would be impossible to include everything there is to know about dealing with collection agents, these 10 tips will almost always result in more money in your pocket and less in theirs.

The big risk of identity theft comes with the benefits of high technology and faster communication methods to provide information. As criminals have found new ways to steal and manipulate someone's information for their own use the number of white-collar crimes has greatly increased.

Most people are perfect candidates for identity theft, as they are not always cautious with their personal information, and gaining access to your identity has become much easier. Identity theft does not only happen to those who are too trusting and naive; anyone can find himself or herself victimized and it can lead to serious financial difficulties, even bankruptcy.

How can you protect yourself from being victimized?

Here are some of the most common ways in which thieves get access to your information. After reading this, you may realize that you have often participated in behaviors that increase your vulnerability to identity theft.

1. Phishing - a popular and effective method for stealing identities. Phishing occurs by anyone that contacts you through email to "verify" specific information related to your credit card, Paypal or bank account. Banks, and most credit card companies, will NEVER contact you over the phone or via email in order to get information about your account. They know that this is very risky.

PayPal, a subsidiary of e-Bay, is the only credit company that sends personal information via email. Still, millions of spam emails flood your inbox daily seeking this most vital information; and too often this information is handed over freely by people who believe this spam is a legitimate request.

Often, a person phishing for your information will use the tactic of telling you that you are the lucky winner of a prize. More than likely they will be super excited for you and they are very pushy about offering you the phony prize. Once you reach that level, they ask you for a bank account number to wire your winnings into. It's easy to give your prize to a thief by providing them with the proper information. Incredibly, this still works and people have not gotten wise to it yet.

2. Online hackers - if you are a regular on the Internet, you have likely learned more than a couple ways to protect yourself from hackers. This trend is still growing in popularity today; even though there have been advancements to computer protection, many consumers just do not apply them. You need to install firewall and virus software on all of your computers. Even a mediocre hacker can get into very secure sites, so accessing a personal computer that is running a basic Windows program is a walk in the park. If you keep important documents including your credit card or bank account information unsecured on your computer, they cannot be guaranteed as safe.

3. Credit card offers - The more credit card offers you receive, the more chance you have of being a victim. The only thing credit card companies are in business for is profit. Although they may offer protection so that they can collect a monthly fee they are not likely to give you total fraud protection. Once a credit card company receives an application containing your personal information, they will check your credit, process the application and send you the approved card shortly thereafter. It is quite simple for anyone with your personal information to request a card in your name.

You can search the web for phrases such as "opt out of credit card offers" to find reliable sources that will help you opt out of credit card offers. It can be done permanently or even part time. The "lock" icon helps you secure your information online, it indicates that the information you are supplying them with will be encrypted and protected.

Click here for the full article.

If you would like to become even more terrified of super-hackers, watch this episode of the CNBC series American Greed. The story of Max Butler, an Idaho native and super-hacker who became the "Mafia Don of the Digital Underground."

Determining the truth about reverse mortgages is not easy. You need to be educated on the program so that you can make the best decision for your personal situation. Basically, if you get a reverse mortgage you will be getting a loan that will allow you to have a monthly income coming in, or a large lump sum at once, or a credit line. You can get any combination of these things as well. If you have an existing loan, it will be paid off. So you will not have a house payment. The monthly income you receive from the reverse mortgage is guaranteed and you will receive it as long as you remain living in the home. Regardless of the length of your life, your debt can never be more than the worth of your home.

I have presented the 5 most commonly repeated facts and myths below to help you further understand the benefits and ease reverse mortgages will bring.

MYTH 1: The reverse mortgage lender owns your home.

FACT: In fact, you will continue to be the home's owner and to hold its deed. There aren't any penalties when selling, paying off, or refinancing your home.

MYTH 2: Qualification is difficult.

FACT: You only need to be 62 years of age an own your own home. You don't need a lot of credit or a qualifying income for this.

MYTH 3: The fees associated with closing are much higher than they are for other loans.

FACT: Actually, the closing costs are very much the same as any other home loan and you will be aware of the fees prior to closing when you receive a Good-Faith Estimate. You can also choose to finance the costs with your reverse mortgage loan. The only other cost involved may be for an appraisal in advance of closing. Often, this is the only fee you will have to pay before closing.

MYTH 4: This will affect your taxes and social security in a negative way.

FACT: The earnings you obtain from your reverse mortgage will not become an issue with Social Security benefits or income tax.

MYTH 5: There can be problems with the payment.

FACT: You will ONLY be required to pay the loan if you decide to leave the house or if it is sold. If your spouse dies then you will still be able to remain living in the house and vice versa and also the living spouse will continue to receive the exact payment amount each month. If you have any heirs, they will be presented with the opportunity to pay off the loan with any other assets or they can opt to refinance so that all the remaining equity will become theirs.

Gather all of the specs, when investigating a reverse mortgage loan. Keep in mind that there are other types of mortgage loan solutions and the right choice only depends on your own unique situation.

I was called on by a company last week wanting to sell me Internet leads. During his presentation he told me about his exclusive leads, how great his company was at producing leads, how long they had been in marketing, what great minds they had working on their campaigns and that they could provide me with all of the leads I could possibly handle.

Once he had finished spilling his beans, I paused for a minute and then said "Jeff, what you've just told me is the exact same pitch every other lead provider gives. Now, tell me what makes you different from the rest?" As usual, Jeff went back through his talking points and my mind wandered. Unfortunately, for Jeff, he couldn't give me a single reason why his company was a better lead source than any other.

When I turn that same question around on my business, I've always felt that I could give 9 reasons that set us apart. These are what I believe makes us different from other mortgage companies, and those differences are what makes us special.

With that in mind, I put together a short video that highlights 2 of these areas; I'm working on several shorter videos right now that cover the rest. I can't think of a better place to premier this video, and the others, than on Active Rain. If you can spare about 8 minutes, watch the video below and let me know what you think.



If you'd like to discuss what Affinity Mortgage could do for you, whether you're an agent, a builder or a consumer; please don't hesitate to contact me!