Larry Bettag Illinois FHA Specialist

I can't believe that some people just don't get it.....

Governor Pat Quinn is implementing his new taxes starting tomorrow, September 1, 2009. The new "Quinn Taxes" are for:

• Candy
• Liquor
• Soft Drinks
• Beer

The result is 6 more for 12 pack of beer, 13 cents more for a bottle of liquor and 80 cents more for a bottle of liquor. Let's not even get into the candy and the soft drinks. Cook County, which already has the highest retail sales tax in the nation has had a plethora of businesses leaving the county. Many businesses have moved just across the street just to leave the county, but still be in the same sales area.

Governor Quinn said that this is to support road construction and the project of individual legislators. What amazes me is that the governor is already raising hundreds of millions of dollars, if not billions, through tollway charges. Have they mis-managed that as well?

Ronald Reagan said that he could prove that eternal life exists. For those people who want evidence of eternal life, they just need to look at a government program. Even "temporary government programs" become eternal. Just go and see social security.

I think what really gets me is that the politicians seem to want to care for the citizens of the nation and Ilinois. However, they think that more programs are a good thing. Like we actually want more programs. All of them fail to think that maybe less taxation would be the best thing. I can't stand politicians that want to be all things to all people. If I ran for a political office, I'd start to piss some people off because I'd start whacking programs. Yes, some hurt feeling would exist, but people how many new programs can you introduce every year without getting rid of other programs.

Well Illinois, we got rid of the Republican, Pat Ryan. We got rid of the wierd and whacky and entertaining Rod Blagojevich (who just release his book today). But we're now with a "normal" politician who just wants to raise your taxes. Gross!

Ohhh...and invariably when you raise taxes so much, people quit using those products and the revenue that they had hoped they'd obtain is washed away from lower usage. Cigarettes are the clearest examples.

So I'm driving one day in Wisconsin and my Yukon Denali sputters and stammers and spits a fumes. Finally, I realize that the transmission (or tranny for those gear heads) is jammed up somehow. Needless to say, I can go 60 miles an hour at about 4000 RPMs. My transmission has died and gone to the tranny graveyard in the sky.

I take my car to the GMC dealer on main street in Saint Charles where I bought the car. They wanted $3,400 to fix the issue or $4,000 to completely replace the transmission. Of course, I'm married and have 5 chldren so getting the transmission fixed is really not an option. The repair man suggest that I trade my car in and buy a new $60,000 car. Are you friggin kidding me? I'll pay the 4 beans any day instaed of paying the $60K.

However, I decide that $3,400 is still too much. So, I call dear old dad. He tells me all about his buddys at Tri City Transmissions in Geneva. They're just south of Delnor Hospital in Geneva. Long story short. They can fix it for well over 50% less than what was quoted to me by the GMC dealer. I say "I'm in" and they get the job done in a New York second. Currently, I'm driving what I just picked up from Tri-City Transmissions and my car is purring like a kitten and my bank account loves me. Thanks a ton FOX VALLEY TRANSMISSIONS.

Short turn times, excellent work and honor and integrity. Just the best. If you have transmission issues, call:

Fox Valley Transmissions

560 Lark St
Geneva, IL 60134
630-232-2517

They are the best of the best.

Saint Patrick's Catholic Grade School is the highest rated grade school in the diocese of Rockford. Of course, I used to be the president of Saint Patrick's School Board, and therefore, I'm biased. However, I was a graduate of saint patrick's myself and probably had no business to go on and be a great success, but for whatever reasons I did. A few of the teachers that put up with me are now teaching my children.

Besides this, the school truly is ranked ahead of all of the public schools anywhere in the Kane County Area. As an investment it is an incredible investment into your children. What's always amazed me is how a lot of private schools can do a better job educating children for so much less per student than the public schools. Either way, it's a rough outlay in this economy for anyone who wants to spend money on private education. Either way, Saint Patrick's Catholic School is a cheap and inexpesive investment in your child. The waiting lists aren't as bad as they used to be and the parish subsidizes part of the tuition. It's a great value. For more information go to www.stpatsirish.org.

I'm the Regional Vice President of Cherry Creek Mortgage. I am so grateful to the fact that I work at such a great company. I have been blessed in the fact that I have signed on about 10+ branches in my short tenure as Vice President. Just last week, I was fortunate enough to sign on a stellar branch in Saint Louis, Missouri.

As for Cherry Creek Mortgage, Here's the deal....

1) First, and what I feel is most important. The culture IN CHERRY CREEK MORTGAGE COMPANY is the best BAR NONE!!!!! Our culture is such that people don't leave our company. We're a privately held company. Needless to say, we're owned by a few great leaders, but priomarily by ex- U.S. Senator Bill Armstrong. What makes us unique in culture is our PURPOSE....

Our Purpose is to build and become a great company. In this process we aspire to positively impact the lives of those individuals who come into contact with our organization, and to honor God in all that we do.

I'm not sure how many people have that as a vision statement or purpose, but I like what it feels like. I like what seeps out from our core leaders. Just good stuff. No litmus test. No one cares who you are or what you believe in. What is important is that our leaders believe in only doing the right thing. You need to do the right thing always. That means that an awesome mortgage company needs to:

a) Serve People -

i) Serve our clients -

ii) Serve our originators and branch managers - that really means bring out the best that you can in those who work for us.

b) Raise up those who work for our company. Truthfully - Raise them up! Me???? I'm black and white different from the day that I set foot inside Cherry Creek Mortgage 8 years ago. The investment is made in bringing out the best in people from the inside out. That means that I am have changed beyond words internally as a person, husband, father and leader.

c) Pay Agressively. That means that we've created a company that pays more than twice as much as the top banks nationally. Yes, we are a bank. We fund all loans in our own name, but we have the ability to broker. But let's be honest...we do little brokering. Most of what we do is banking.

I'm pleased to say that I just signed on a great mortgage company in Iowa and Saint Louis, Missouri recently. We're close to signing on branches in Chicago, the suburbs, and southern Wisconsin....all of which do over $100,000,000 of annual production. They just sent their papers in this past weekend. I just had one of the largest mortgage companies in the State of Wisconsin sign on board. We're signing on one of the most influential mortgage bank leaders in the State of Illinois.

We picked up 25% market share in 2008 when the rest of the mortgage lending world was drying up. We don't act wreckless like a lot of big banks. In this environment, I'm proud, just so proud to say that we're not a publicly held compamny. Just so important in this fickle environment. Wall Street never seemed to know main street. We are responsible and moral lending. We are where lending meets main street.

So why this post? No other reason than the fact that I need other great people. I want super people in Minnesota. I'm picky, snobby and discriminatory when it comes to who we let in our culture. It's kind of like the Hotel California...you can check in, but you can never leave. Needless to say, it takes a while for some people to make the move. I really don't care. I'm looking for a relationship....someone I can run with. Someone I can hang with. Someone I can teach. Someone who can teach me and make me a better person. I really am excited about the prospects of growing in Wisconsin. If you're interested in starting a relationship, please call me or e-mail me at lbettag@ccmclending.com or yell. EVEN IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE GREAT who I need to be talking to, I'd be forever grateful for any great referrals so that I may have the ability to know other truly great people within our industry.

Larry Bettag

Vice-President

Cherry Creek Mortgage

630-417-7172

I'm the Regional Vice President of Cherry Creek Mortgage. I am so grateful to the fact that I work at such a great company. I have been blessed in the fact that I have signed on about 10+ branches in my short tenure as Vice President. Just last week, I was fortunate enough to sign on a stellar branch in Saint Louis, Missouri.

As for Cherry Creek Mortgage, Here's the deal....

1) First, and what I feel is most important. The culture IN CHERRY CREEK MORTGAGE COMPANY is the best BAR NONE!!!!! Our culture is such that people don't leave our company. We're a privately held company. Needless to say, we're owned by a few great leaders, but priomarily by ex- U.S. Senator Bill Armstrong. What makes us unique in culture is our PURPOSE....

Our Purpose is to build and become a great company. In this process we aspire to positively impact the lives of those individuals who come into contact with our organization, and to honor God in all that we do.

I'm not sure how many people have that as a vision statement or purpose, but I like what it feels like. I like what seeps out from our core leaders. Just good stuff. No litmus test. No one cares who you are or what you believe in. What is important is that our leaders believe in only doing the right thing. You need to do the right thing always. That means that an awesome mortgage company needs to:

a) Serve People -

i) Serve our clients -

ii) Serve our originators and branch managers - that really means bring out the best that you can in those who work for us.

b) Raise up those who work for our company. Truthfully - Raise them up! Me???? I'm black and white different from the day that I set foot inside Cherry Creek Mortgage 8 years ago. The investment is made in bringing out the best in people from the inside out. That means that I am have changed beyond words internally as a person, husband, father and leader.

c) Pay Agressively. That means that we've created a company that pays more than twice as much as the top banks nationally. Yes, we are a bank. We fund all loans in our own name, but we have the ability to broker. But let's be honest...we do little brokering. Most of what we do is banking.

I'm pleased to say that I just signed on a great mortgage company in Iowa and Saint Louis, Missouri recently. We're close to signing on branches in Chicago, the suburbs, and southern Wisconsin....all of which do over $100,000,000 of annual production. They just sent their papers in this past weekend. I just had one of the largest mortgage companies in the State of Wisconsin sign on board. We're signing on one of the most influential mortgage bank leaders in the State of Illinois.

We picked up 25% market share in 2008 when the rest of the mortgage lending world was drying up. We don't act wreckless like a lot of big banks. In this environment, I'm proud, just so proud to say that we're not a publicly held compamny. Just so important in this fickle environment. Wall Street never seemed to know main street. We are responsible and moral lending. We are where lending meets main street.

So why this post? No other reason than the fact that I need other great people. I want super people in Minnesota. I'm picky, snobby and discriminatory when it comes to who we let in our culture. It's kind of like the Hotel California...you can check in, but you can never leave. Needless to say, it takes a while for some people to make the move. I really don't care. I'm looking for a relationship....someone I can run with. Someone I can hang with. Someone I can teach. Someone who can teach me and make me a better person. I really am excited about the prospects of growing in Wisconsin. If you're interested in starting a relationship, please call me or e-mail me at lbettag@ccmclending.com or yell. EVEN IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE GREAT who I need to be talking to, I'd be forever grateful for any great referrals so that I may have the ability to know other truly great people within our industry.

Larry Bettag

Vice-President

Cherry Creek Mortgage

630-417-7172