Drawbacks Starting out here at ActiveRain in a photographer's role verus my other life here as a mortgage professional, I figured I would discuss some of my experiences with the two main types of cameras real estate agents, and most others, use in their everyday and professional photography. While I go into great detail about megapixels and models of cameras, virtually endlessly, I am just going to cover the broad categories of Point and Shoot and DSLR cameras. I am also going to limit my discussion to digital cameras as film cameras are virtually non-existant now.
First off, I guess I better clarify the two types. Point and shoot are those that do not have interchangable lenses, while DSLRs can change lenses as the user sees fit. Both have a wide variety of features, from zoom to megapixels, to sensor size, and so on. Many point and shoot cameras rival some DSLRs, even in price. But as the saying goes, you get what you pay for, and that is not limited just to the camera, but also to the person holding it.
Not too long ago, DSLRs were so expensive, they were not even an option. Heck, ten years ago, point and shoot cameras were not cheap to come by either, not to mention us die hard photography buffs were hesitant to use them to great length. I did purchase my first digital camera in 2001, used for $250. It was a Minolta Dimage S304 with a 4x optical zoom (don't remember the "digital zoom") with 3 megapixels. One thing to keep in mind, DO NOT EVER use the "digital zoom" as you are almost always better off taking the picture and cropping it instead. Despite the advances in technology since then, one thing seems to never improve in point and shoots...the time it takes to focus!!!
Over the last 10 years, I have owned 5 or 6 point and shoot cameras and 2 DSLRs. If you decide to go to DSLRs, there are some added factors you need to take into consideration even beyond the cameras ability. I will get into that later. Nevertheless, I have taken untold amounts of images over the ten years, covering all types of photography, so my experience level accounts for something these days, and not just from shooting, but from studies as well. So, let's dive into the main reason for this post...
Benefits of Point and Shoot Cameras
Drawbacks of Point and Shoot Cameras
Benefits of DSLR Cameras
Drawbacks of DSLR Cameras
I know you can probably come up with more benefits and drawbacks for each type of camera, but those are the big ones. You probably already knew some of those anyway, but they are worth examining again, especially if you are looking to buy a new camera.
But the real difference between the two comes down to overall quality of the image. While many point and shoot cameras are now utilizing the same sensors and image processors to capture the image as an entry-level DSLR, even the those DSLRs are better "capable" of taking higher quality pictures. Notice I said "capable". So, repeating that favorite phrase..."you get what you pay for".
I just mentioned "capable" above for a good reason. Anybody can take good pictures by buying a camera, flipping the "dial" to that "green" mode (whatever icon is used) and shooting away. However, not everyone can achieve great or impressive pictures that way, and most digital camera users have no idea how to utilize the manual settings to their benefit. Great pictures not only come from better equipment, but from those whom studying how best to use that equipment.
(PS - I first wrote this earlier today on my new AR profile, but that is limited to members only)
Greetings from Brasil as I am currently in Rio de Janeiro, certainly not a bad deal except for the fact it is somewhat difficult to conduct business from down here, especially with the internet being quite slow at times. Today’s radio show will be broadcast from here, so let’s hope the internet holds up while it is being recorded.
Last week went essentially as expected if you read last week’s report. We saw the corrective move, then the turn back higher, again reaching new heights in mortgage backed securities’ pricing. Of course, that translates to new record low mortgage rates. Rate alert services issued false alerts again last week as MBS prices did drop pretty good during the day, but if you followed my guidance, you knew better. The Treasury Auctions last week went fairly well, especially when you factor in the levels of buyside buying and higher amounts offered. But the big stories are that Retail Sales still isn’t doing very good and that inflationary concerns remain subdued. Of course, the Fed’s Policy Statement made some subtle changes as they left their rates unchanged. Without breaking it down in detail, the Policy Statement was favorable overall with the big take away being the Fed’s decision to “reinvest” in Treasuries. Productivity dropped which could be interesting if it fails to recover, but it is not a major issue yet. The charts were skewed a bit with the monthly bond coupon rollover, but that also helped ensure a solid retracement.
This week will continue the data flow with some market moving data, especially Thursday with the Philadelphia Fed Survey, but there are not a lot of reports coming this week. We already have seen the data for today, which has been favorable overall, but here is this week’s currently scheduled events…
With the data calendar remaining light overall, with a few that could shake up the markets, technicals, news and stocks are going to be driving the markets for most of the week. Don’t expect much, if any, good news from the housing front and be alert Thursday as this will be the bigger data day.
Looking at the charts, we see the trend continues to push MBS prices to new heights and setting new record low mortgage rates. MBS prices did dip below their 10-day moving average briefly, but that was due to the monthly bond coupon rollover, so once again we see the trend did not falter, and will not so long as MBS prices maintain levels above their 10-day moving average as I have been saying for a while now. Stochastic indications are now just below the overbought spectrum and looking positive as well. MBS prices today have pushed through two resistance layers and essentially have tested the lower one for support, which held. Keep in mind that the trend has been “baby stepping” its way higher, and retracements are taking place with just about every significant move higher.
The bottom line for this week continues to be the same as the last several weeks. The trend remains intact and unless MBS prices drop and stay below their 10-day moving average, there is no need to rush to lock. Don’t forget to follow my daily guidance at Florida Mortgage Daily for any changes.
Greetings from Brasil as I am currently in Rio de Janeiro, certainly not a bad deal except for the fact it is somewhat difficult to conduct business from down here, especially with the internet being quite slow at times. Today’s radio show will be broadcast from here, so let’s hope the internet holds up while it is being recorded.
Last week went essentially as expected if you read last week’s report. We saw the corrective move, then the turn back higher, again reaching new heights in mortgage backed securities’ pricing. Of course, that translates to new record low mortgage rates. Rate alert services issued false alerts again last week as MBS prices did drop pretty good during the day, but if you followed my guidance, you knew better. The Treasury Auctions last week went fairly well, especially when you factor in the levels of buyside buying and higher amounts offered. But the big stories are that Retail Sales still isn’t doing very good and that inflationary concerns remain subdued. Of course, the Fed’s Policy Statement made some subtle changes as they left their rates unchanged. Without breaking it down in detail, the Policy Statement was favorable overall. Productivity dropped which could be interesting if it fails to recover, but it is not a major issue yet. The charts were skewed a bit with the monthly bond coupon rollover, but that also helped ensure a solid retracement.
This week will continue the data flow with some market moving data, especially Thursday with the Philadelphia Fed Survey, but there are not a lot of reports coming this week. We already have seen the data for today, which has been favorable overall, but here is this week’s currently scheduled events…
With the data calendar remaining light overall, with a few that could shake up the markets, technicals, news and stocks are going to be driving the markets for most of the week. Don’t expect much, if any, good news from the housing front and be alert Thursday as this will be the bigger data day.
Looking at the charts, we see the trend continues to push MBS prices to new heights and setting new record low mortgage rates. MBS prices did dip below their 10-day moving average briefly, but that was due to the monthly bond coupon rollover, so once again we see the trend did not falter, and will not so long as MBS prices maintain levels above their 10-day moving average as I have been saying for a while now. Stochastic indications are now just below the overbought spectrum and looking positive as well. MBS prices today have pushed through two resistance layers and essentially have tested the lower one for support, which held. Keep in mind that the trend has been “baby stepping” its way higher, and retracements are taking place with just about every significant move higher.
The bottom line for this week continues to be the same as the last several weeks. The trend remains intact and unless MBS prices drop and stay below their 10-day moving average, there is no need to rush to lock. Don’t forget to follow my daily guidance at Florida Mortgage Daily for any changes.
Good Monday morning to all and I trust you had a wonderful weekend. What a week we had last week and even with all of the data flowing, mortgage backed securities moved exactly as was predicted here, ending the week at new record highs, sending mortgage rates to new record lows. Remember that you heard it here that mortgage rates would push lower still last week. So where will mortgage rates go this week?
First, let’s recap some of what happened last week. We started off the week with continued good news for the economy as the ISM Manufacturing Index followed the Chicago PMI and was better than expected. That helped MBS prices continue their corrective move. Then inflation came in fairly tame again as the Fed’s favorite gauge on inflation, the PCE, showed inflation is still not a concern. Jobs became the focal point of the week as the ADP Employment Report predicted 42K more private payroll jobs, but the ISM Services Index made sure no gains in MBS prices were to be had. Jobless Claims threw a curveball with a nice jump to 479K when expectations were for a dip. And then came Friday and its dismal Jobs Report, which was –131K overall with a below expected report on Private Payrolls at 71K and that sent MBS prices through resistance to new heights.
This week could get interesting despite a lack of major data until Friday. While it starts benign, keep in mind that there will be Treasury Auctions which will be assisting in setting momentum for the week until Friday as we are set for some longer-term Treasury Auctions including the 30-year T-Bond. We also will be looking at the next FOMC Meeting Announcement and what the Fed has to say about the economic outlook at this point. Remember, we don’t really care much about what they do with the Fed Funds Rate, but their Policy Statement is key as significant changes can make huge waves in the markets. There are some data plays before Friday, so don’t omit those either. Here is the weekly schedule as of right now…
Remember also that stocks play a role in where MBS prices and mortgage rates move, and with a lack of data Monday, stocks and technical indications will be driving the markets and that may mean it is time for the next corrective move.
Speaking of technical indications, let’s get into the charts. If you look back over the couple of months, you can see the trend is “baby steps”, meaning little gains along the way, but trending higher nonetheless. Once again, at the risk of being a broken record, all moving averages keep moving higher and so long as MBS prices remain above their 10-day moving average, the trend remains intact. The negatives are that stochastic indications are nearly at the top of the overbought spectrum, so a corrective move is again needed, so the short-term points to that move. The reality is that even if MBS prices dip slightly below their 10-day moving average, the trend is not necessarily broken, so you may not want to be quick to lock if this happens. However, if they linger below this level or make a significant move below it, the picture may change so make sure you are watching the daily reports at Florida Mortgage Daily.
The bottom line this week is essentially the same as last week. The overall trend remains intact though a corrective move is likely going to occur. With MBS prices holding above their 10-day moving average, or even dipping slightly below, there is no reason to lock for the long-term. Also, don’t forget to check out the Weekly Mortgage Market show as we cover this report and begin hitting some hot topics in the industry. Larry Bettag of Mortgage Mythbusters will be joining today.
Last week was fairly boring, though it did get interesting towards the end. One thing that never seems to amaze me is the two-faced types out there, even among the “gurus”, when it comes to forecasting mortgage rates. I mean, look at how many (especially those that simply regurgitate what the rate alert services say) said to lock your rates the week prior, then come back and say floating sometimes pay off. Well, it paid off really well if you had been following my advice and had not locked when they were saying to lock. Even today, I am hesitant to switch stances and I said why in my weekly radio show.
Last week, as I mentioned, was mostly boring. Treasury Auctions started off well with the 2-year and 5-year T-Note auctions going well, then the 7-year fizzled a bit. Things heated up and MBS prices broke to new recent highs, followed by the beginning of a corrective move, all in the last two days of the week. New Home Sales started the weak off with a little optimism about the housing recovery and the Case-Shiller HPI showed some gains in prices, adding more optimism. Consumer Confidence was still weak and the Beige Book showed more on the unusualness of the economic recovery and all favored MBS prices and mortgage rates pushing lower. MBS Prices bounced off their 10-day moving average and headed higher as a result. They continued their push higher with the Jobless Claims report and despite a marginal 7-year T-Note auction. They even gapped higher, mostly due to dips in stocks, on Friday but the GDP report didn’t help any. Then came the Chicago PMI and Consumer Sentiment that sent a shock through the markets and stocks turned the corner and MBS prices began their dive.
Now we head into the week with MBS prices continuing lower after today’s data continues to be unfavorable. But things could change back to good, or be strong enough to break the trend with the data that lies ahead this week. Just take a look…
As you can see, there is plenty of data that is going to drive mortgage backed securities and mortgage rates. One of the main things that drives the markets is fear, the strongest emotion one can have. The reason things are changing right now is that fear has been subsided some with last week’s Chicago PMI and Consumer Sentiment, coupled with this morning’s ISM Manufacturing Index. Will it hold, or will fear grip the markets again with the remainder of data coming up? That is the big question of the week and will be the deciding factor in the future of mortgage rates?
Looking at the charts, we see a ripple in the pattern, this time to the upside. About two weeks ago, that ripple was to the downside, but worth noting. We continue to hold above the rising 10-day moving average and so long as that holds true, locking is not likely to be the correct decision for those that have the time before closing. Even if we dip below it, briefly, the current trend may not be broken. The reality is that nothing has significantly changed, at least not yet. Even stochastic indications, which remain in the overbought spectrum, are following the motions they have done for quite some time now, well over a month. This move lower appears to be nothing more than a correction at this point in reality. That being said, with the plethora of data coming in this week, if the trend is to be broken, this week would be the time to make it happen.
The bottom line is that even with the rise and subsequent fall in MBS prices (and dip/rise in mortgage rates) last week into today, the trend is still intact. So long as MBS prices hold above their 10-day moving average, that trend will remain unbroken and there is no need to lock. Any dip below that level may, emphasis on may, signal a trend reversal for the long run, so be ready if this happens.
Home of Florida's FIRST Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist and most accurate mortgage rate forecaster for the last 6 years. Specializing in increasing your wealth conservatively over time.
Robert D. Ashby now owns and operates Mortgage Rate Forecaster (TM), providing the most accurate mortgage rate forecasts available. He also maintains "Mortgage Rate Forecast Weekly", a radio show on BlogTalkRadio and writes a weekly email newsletter (you can sign up on the website). Mr. Ashby also runs Robert Ashby Photography, getting back to another passion he had when he was in high school. Today, Robert Ashby Photography is growing quickly and focuses on the commercial, fashion, advertising aspects, though offers additional services down to portraits. Real Estate photography is another part of his business, falling into the commercial/advertising category. Just take a look a one of the pictures he has done, though more are constantly being added to his website...
Mr. Ashby was the President of Solid Rock Mortgage Corporation, a Florida Mortgage Brokerage Business, located in Pembroke Pines, FL. Mr. Ashby has been involved with Financial Services since 1997. He became Florida's first Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist (CMPS). He also became a Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist (CITRMS), which gives him the knowledge and ability to minimize his clients' and strategic partners' risks related to Identity Theft. After all of the turmoil in the industry, Mr. Ashby decided to close Solid Rock Mortgage and focus on two things, his mortgage rate forecasting (he was the one who started all the public forecasting, dating back to 2004 and maintains the highest accuracy rate to date) and photography.
Mr. Ashby still maintains his mortgage planning skills and is happy to assist those whom wish to put truly incorporate their mortgage into their financial plans. To date, all of his clients, including the ones who "went underwater" on their mortgages, are happy with the services he provided them and none have gone to foreclosure.
Other websites:
www.mortgagerateforecaster.com
www.robertashbyphotography.com
www.ashbyprophotography.com
www.floridamortgagereport.com
www.floridacertifiedmortgageplanningspecialist.com
www.flmortgageplanner.com
www.mortgagemeds.com
Additionally, I was a contributing author at these sites:
MORTGAGE RATE FORECASTER(TM):
Mortgage Rate Forecaster(TM) provides accurate mortgage rate forecasts and mbs commentary when possible on a daily basis. If you have ever followed other rate alert services, you have seen why you need a "big picture perspective" that is solid, and that is where Mortgage Rate Forecaster comes excels. While services issue locking guidance, only to change it shortly thereafter (sometimes less than a half hour), our guidance seldom has to be changed intraday. Our goal is not to take you away from these services, but to provide a valued second opinion to protect you and your clients from erroneous alerts, which happens more frequently than you might think.
Part of our service to you is to provide weekly email newsletters which provide a broad review of what happened the prior week and what lies ahead for the upcoming week, including our expectations and anticpated locking guidance. From that newsletter, we take it quite a bit further in our "Mortgage Rate Forecast Weekly" radio show, getting in-depth into technical analysis and the "why" behind our guidance. At a very minimum, you should be receiving our newsletter and listening to the show, though we would like to see you become a member and avoid all of the erroneous mortgage rate forecasts strewn across the web.
ROBERT ASHBY PHOTOGRAPHY:
While Real Estate Photography is not our only type of photography, it is one that we do excel at. The goal is to provide a realitic photograph which requires proper lighting, and that is not necessarily turning on ever light or using softboxes, etc. to light up the room. Sometimes it requires a different perspective, sometimes it requires new techniques, such as HDR to capture what is "beyond" the room. Sure, you can take a picture from any point and shoot and you may even be good with a DSLR (maybe even the same one I use - Canon 5D Mark II), but exposure is key, along with a unique vision. Just because you are a pilot with a Commercial license, Instrument Rated and Multi-Engine rated, does not mean you can fly a 767 across the globe (like I still do). You might still get there, but it will take you a lot longer and may cost you more moeny in the long run. Do you treat your real estate business like that?
DESIGNATIONS
Some may already recognize the CMPS designation. This stands for Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist. The training received here is a huge step in the direction of how to integrate the mortgage into the client's financial plan. We take this to the next level by knowing all strategies that can be beneficial to our clients including a unique process called MEDS™ and forward thinking strategies on how to use your mortgage to supercharge your financial plan.
The CITRMS designation is one you probably do not recognize. Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist is what it stands for. Training for this designation encompasses all laws in the US involving ID Theft and what the consumers and business need to know to protect themselves. You and/or your business may be at more risk than you think! I stay up to date on ID Theft issues and how to protect my clients and strategic partners.
MORTGAGE:
“In 65 years I have never had a mortgage and had always purchased outright. I was nervous about debt and had a million questions. You were very patient and answered my questions fully and promptly. You also got me a very good rate and terms with a national first class lender rather than with some low balling fly by night. You showed up at the closing even thou you didn't have to do it. You earned every penny of your fee which was competitive with others and you lived up to the criteria of an "Up Front Mortgage Broker.” I checked your mortgage against a large national bank with which I have accounts, and they couldn't match the deal.”
-Len M., West Palm Beach Gardens, FL
“I feel that it was a very satisfying process and that you were very attentive and professional.”
- Matt K., Miami, FL
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
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