News Flash - Real Estate Values To Increase! - Nov 28 03:05 PM
As is sometimes the case here on AR, I'll read a posting and it will inspire me to write a post of my own on that or on a related topic. This is the case here.
I just read a post about being careful with what you say to your buyers regarding real estate as an investment. It's not that I disagree with Ms. Harley, I do think that a real estate or mortgage professional should be ...
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LOCALISM FEATURED: Ten Fun Facts about Lebanon, MO - Jul 03 02:48 PM
Lebanon, MO is the county seat of Laclede County in Missouri and is strategically located in the heart of the Ozarks. One of the benefits of living in Laclede or even in Webster County - there is easy access to any place you'd like to go!Located in the south central part of the state, Lebanon is only 30 miles to Fort Leonard Wood, 40 miles to Lake of the Ozarks, 47 miles to Springfield, 165 miles ...
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St. Louis Real Estate - Hey St. Louis Home Buyers Wake UP - Sep 02 07:16 PM
Guess who is living in the 6th most affordable real estate market in the country? YOU ARE, so wake up and quit waiting for a bottom or you'll miss a great opportunity to buy.
According to a FORBES.com article " Most Affordable U.S. Real Estate Markets " by Matt Woolsey, St. Louis is the sixth most affordable real estate market in the country.
Median home price: $134,400
Median household income: $59,950
Recent affordable home sales: 77.1%
"Oh Happy Day" if you're a "relocation buyer" ...
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Supporting art in St.Louis, Missouri. - Aug 20 10:22 PM
What does art mean to you? Does it inspire you, move you, or just bore you? I've always loved painting, drawing, sculpting, and molding clay. There's something liberating about expressing one's self so individually. I have many friends who can wander around the St.Louis art museum or The Sheldon art galleries with me for hours on end and lose track of time, but I also have friends that after five or ten minutes are ready to ...
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Buying In St. Louis Vs. Renting In St. Louis - May 25 11:23 AM
Rent vs buy? Which one is better for you. When considering buying St. Louis real estate, you need to take into account six considerations.1) How long do I plan on living in the St. Louis area?
2) How secure is my employment and/or income?
3) How's my credit?
4) What is my current tax situation?
5) Is my domestic situation likely to change anytime soon?
6) Am I ready for the responsibilities of ownership?Notice that I didn't ask how much money ...
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Imagine that the Media Using Inflated Foreclosure Numbers - Aug 01 07:52 AM
According to an article at http://www.efinancedirectory.com/ titled "Organization Accused of Plumping Foreclosure Numbers for News Media and Congress" says that Realty Trac who is probably the leading provider for foreclosure information could be guilty of inflating the number of foreclosures. It appears they do not count just one foreclosure per property. If a property has more than one mortgage that files forclosure on a property they count each one as a separate foreclosure. With all the combo loans ...
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Positive Thinking Isn't Enough - Aug 14 09:44 AM
Anthony Robbins be damned! Actually, I've never been to one of his seminars and I might be totally barking up the wrong tree using him as an example (I just thought it was funny), but I am calling out all of the folks out there who preach this blind "think positively and good things will happen to you" sort of philosophy.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it's entirely possible to smile all ...
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Why You're Not A Professional - Mar 31 02:21 PM
Everyone selling real estate would like to think of themselves as a "Professional". If you've read my blog at all, you'll know that I don't think that real estate agents qualify as "professional" at least not the vast majority of them.
One of the reasons that I think that we don't qualify is that I don't think that the educational requirements to get a real estate license are stiff enough to insure that somebody wanting to enter ...
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So your agent hired a home stager - Sep 03 10:17 PM
Here is a document to assist home sellers to get a realistic idea of the timeline and work involved in working with a professional stager.
So your Agent hired a Home Stager-Now what????
Congratulations! Your agent/realtor has recommended that a Home Staging consultation take place to highlight the best features of your house. You now have another member on your team of professionals dedicated to selling your home as quickly as possible with the highest profit ...
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Do Figures Lie or Do Liars Figure? - Aug 20 01:33 PM
I've got a question for everyone here. Do you believe the economic figures that are constantly being released by various governmental and non-governmental agencies?
The reason that I ask is that I recently saw a figure that stated that home values in my market have actually gone up over the last year! Then I saw a national figure from NAR that said that existing home sales here in the Midwest were down 8.1% over last year. I ...
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St. Louis Day Trip - Motorcycle Trip Down The Great River Road From Columbia IL - Jun 05 09:42 AM
Yesterday I posted about the first part of my motorcycle weekend, "St. Louis Day Trip Riding Around Town and Down To Dutzow MO And Back" where my girlfriend and I rented a Harley Davidson and went for a ride in the rain. Well Sunday morning was a beautiful sunny morning with giant Bart Simpson like clouds.
We packed up the saddle bags and left our home in Oakville (which happens to be for sale and can ...
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Realtors Don't Deserve All That Much Respect - Aug 11 10:49 PM
It's funny how posts here on AR sometimes run in cycles. I just read about the forth post in the last couple of days about "How Realtors Deserve More Respect" or something to this effect.
As usual, I'm going to be my normal cantankerous, contrary self and argue the other side of the argument. That is, "I don't think that Realtors deserve all that much respect!"
Actually, that's not 100% true. There are a good number ...
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Juicy Gossip On Countrywide! - Aug 15 12:34 PM
Recently there has been a lot of scuttlebutt going around about the financial solvency of Countrywide Home Loans, the country's largest mortgage lender. Well, I could understand the concern. Heck, now isn't a good time for ANY lender, but I believed Countrywide's CEO, Angelo Mazilo, when he spoke out in an attempt to calm the concerns.
In his comments he assured everyone that Countrywide had enough cash to be able to withstand the current market turmoil and ...
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Sprint Says, "You're Fired!" - Jul 26 11:01 AM
I read online last night that Sprint PCS just "fired" something like 1000 of it's customers for being too big a pain in the axx. When I heard this I had to ask my girlfriend, who doubles as my assistant, if I had gotten any letters from Sprint!
After thinking about it for a bit, I could actually see Sprint's point of view. I still think that it's a dumb idea, but I do see where they ...
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Let's Get Ready To Rumble!* Fixed Rate Vs. Adjustable Rate - Jul 23 01:01 PM
Announcer One: Welcome to the BBO's (Bob's Box Office) coverage of the rubber match between the reining world champion Fixed Rate Mortgage vs. the challenger, a scrappy not to be put down roust about, the Adjustable Rate Mortgage.
Coming into today's bout both competitors have had their day in the sun. The Adjustable Rate Mortgage experienced a meteoric rise in popularity during the recent boom in real estate values, but has been experiencing a strong downturn in ...
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DONKEY PRAYERS - Jul 14 05:29 PM
Burro or Bovine?
I was driving over to the Stone County seat to record a property change for a client. It's an hour drive each way. Looked out over the beautiful Ozark hills and saw a donkey standing alone on a rise. He was just standing still and looking down at the ground.
There were a few cows in the same pasture, grouped together and companianably chowing down on the lush grass.
I felt a stirring in my spirit ...
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Time To Get Back On The Wagon? How many calories did you consume yesterday? - Feb 04 05:48 PM
Yesterday I decided to take a holiday off from watching what I ate. Actually, I did WATCH what I ate, I just didn't make any efforts to limit myself. Below is the tally of my consumption including a superbowl party and hanging out with my son and his college age friend afterwards.
2 medium potatoes fried with bacon, green peppers and onions 750 cal.
Large glass of milk ...
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Is It Time For A Revolution? - Jan 10 11:42 AM
I'm a capitalist and I sincerely feel that capitalism is by far the best economic system that humans have been able to come up with in.
The socialistic idea of "everybody taking what they need and providing what they can" would be great if people weren't the way that they are. That is, greedy.
Capitalism accepts this fact and uses it to motivate people. The end result is that people are rewarded for doing things better ...
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Equity in your house-is it really yours? - Jul 25 09:17 AM
Equity in our homes is our prized possession we guard it with every fiber in our body and souls. We think it is the key to financial freedom. When we have a lot of equity we feel good about ourselves.When we have a lot of equity we think we are sticking it to the bank because they aren't charging us as much interest as they could.We do everything in our power to pay down our mortgages ...
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Does An Agent Have A Right To Have A Personal Life? - Dec 12 10:06 AM
I just read a post where an agent was asking if he should file a complaint against an agent who had not presented an offer on a property over a weekend. It turned out that the listing agent was hunting and wouldn't be back to his office until Monday morning to present the offer.
Long story short, Monday came and the seller accepted a counter offer on a contract that had already been working and rejected this ...
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A Kick Back By Any Other Name.... - Jul 11 02:05 PM
This morning I read a post called, "So, you want me to refer my client's to you?" by Thesa Chambers. It's basically about her desire to work with ethical people and her post got me thinking about something. How many of us participate in arrangements that while they might meet the letter of the law in regards to RESPA, probably don't quite make it to the point of living up to the spirit of the law?
I'll ...
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Just A Note To Explain My Absence. - Sep 05 08:38 PM
Hi Everybody! I haven't been blogging on AR for a bit and just wanted to drop you guys a note to let you know what I've been up to instead of blogging.
As some of you know, at least the ones who read my post about buying a home that I am rehabbing , I just bought a home and am rehabbing it with my girlfriend Kathy.
The home is located in Florissant, Missouri, which is about ...
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You Can't Steal Something Slowly! - Mar 19 05:23 PM
Last week I was showing property and came across one that was a foreclosure and that was priced to sell! Even in this market, it was considerably below the market, so we wrote on it. The bank required a 5 day answering time on the contract, which I didn't like at all. The reason that I didn't like it is that you can't steal something slowly!
Sure enough, after we wrote several other contracts came in and ...
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The Good, The Bad And The Ugly - reflecting on obtaining 100,000 points! - Jan 24 11:20 AM
As the title suggests, this post should put me over the century mark here on AR. When I looked up and noticed this, I thought about what a suitable topic would be for it and decided that the best thing would be to reflect on the good, the bad and the ugly of my experiences here on Active Rain.
In order to end on a positive note, I'll start with the ugly.
The Ugly
Active rain is ...
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A Hand Up vs. A Hand Out 2 - Aug 27 10:20 AM
Earlier this morning I wrote a post called, "A Hand Up Vs. A Hand Out" that dealt with the current foreclosure mess and what would be the best way to deal with it. I got some very good comments that I was going to comment on, but decided that it would be better to put it in the form of a follow up post. So, here it is. This is a very important issue, or at ...
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10 Reasons Leslie Stahl Might Have Been Right! - May 15 01:04 PM
Apparently from the posts that I've read today there was a 60 minutes segment aired the other day that has a lot of agents in a tizzy. I can't really speak to the segment itself because I haven't seen it, but I can speak to the issue of discount real estate companies in general because I own one the country's oldest ones.
I started ValueList in 1995 as a St. Louis discount real estate company. The reason ...
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Does Sprint PCS Suck? - May 24 12:27 PM
I just read a post on not being negative and it got me thinking! Sprint Sucks! I've been with them for years and the coverage area pales in comparison to my girlfriend's ATT phone. They've screwed my bill up so many times I can't count them all. They were voted absolute worst customer service by a national poll. etc. etc. etc yadi di di di di, so forth and so on!
My only concern is that ATT ...
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Loyalty - May 23 10:41 AM
Loyalty. When can you expect it? From a client? From an employee? From a friend or family member? Is it something that we even have a right to expect any more in these times?What got me to thinking about this topic was that my girlfriend started a new job a couple of weeks ago. With the new gig she had to go through all of the orientation stuff that big corporations put their people through. Every ...
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Poll Question: Does The US Media Play It Straight With The Public? - Nov 17 10:02 PM
The reason that I ask this question is that I've been following HR3915 fairly closely as it went through the House Financial Services Committee and have read up fairly well on how this whole sub-prime mortgage fiasco has come about. In following this bill and reading up on this mess, I've done quite a bit of reading, as well as watching news and business news reports on the "crises"! In all of this reading and watching, ...
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ADD And The Real Estate Professional! - Aug 29 11:34 AM
I walked into a book store the other day as I was waiting for new tires to be put on one of my vehicles and started to peruse the books on the clearance rack. I flipped through several random titles before I picked up a book called, "Driven To Distraction" by Edward M. Hollowell, M.D. and John J. Ratey, M.D..
The book is about recognizing and coping with "Attention Deficit Disorder" which is a neurological disorder that ...
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Why Buyer's Have The Right To Low Ball - Feb 06 11:02 AM
I just read a blog called, "Remember When Your Buyer's Just Loved The Home That They Were Offering On?" where the author lamented on the fact that buyers don't seem as committed to the home buying process as they used to. That buyers now seemed more concerned with getting a "good deal" than in buying the house.
While I can feel his pain, I have to disagree with him to a certain extent. As a matter of ...
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The Importance of Getting Pre-approved! - Jun 02 12:22 PM
Even if you have good credit, it's still important and beneficial to get pre-approved prior to starting your real estate search. There are numerous reasons and benefits, but the most important ones are:
1) You'll know how much home you can afford
2) If there are any surprises on your credit report, it's easier to get the problem taken care of before you have the time pressures of buying a home.
3) It makes you more like a cash ...
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Rehabbing A Home In St. Louis, Stage One - The Demolition! - Aug 19 09:01 PM
My girlfriend Kathy and I just recently purchased a house that was very hip/happening.....back in 1968!
We started on the demolition about a week ago and have filled up a 20 yard dumpster with the debris so far! The first thing that had to come out was a wall that was located just inside of the front door. The way that it was situated was that when you opened the front door you walked right into ...
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Government Debt Drives Interest Rates Higher - Jul 13 11:28 AM
Do you eyes glass over when you hear the word economics? Well, economics is part of the reason that the housing market is slumping right now. I studied Economics in college and have continued to read on it since. Heck, it's hard not to continue to read on it when just about every article in the news is in some way tied to economics. The price of gas goes up because a refinery in Kansas gets ...
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It Takes Pain To Make You Want To Change - The Silver Lining To This Economy - Jun 30 12:06 PM
As I've written about before, a number of years ago I went through a period that I called, "My Blue Funk". While I won't bore you with the details here again, I will tell you that as a result of what I went through during this period of time, I learned one of the most important lessons that I've ever learned. That is;
"Nobody changes unless there is enough pain to make them want to change".
...
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If You Price It Right, They Will Buy! - Jun 26 12:27 PM
A buddy of mine called me the other day and asked me if I would mind helping him determine where he should price his home at for sale. The home is in a different market area than what I serve, but one that I am very familiar with.
So, he emailed me the information on the properties that have sold recently close to where his home is located at. I went over the comps and did ...
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In This Market FSBO's Need Us More Than Ever! - Mar 28 11:52 AM
I just read a post by Mellisa Grant called, "You Might End Up Eating Your Own Blog" where she talked about people reading our blogs and taking the information that we provide, then going out and selling their home FSBO. I'm 100% certain that this happens just as there are people who do their research at brick and mortar stores, then buy a product online.
I even kind of did this recently with a bicycle. I ...
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Expressing Your Opinions - The Business Ramifications of Blogging - Feb 19 12:09 PM
The other day I wrote a blog called, "An Ethical Dilemma - To Stand or Not" that told the story of my going to a concert where the US Marine Corp had come on stage in order to recruit. The MC attempted to cloak this recruiting effort in a veil of patriotism by encouraging everyone "to stand to show our support for the troops".
I was in somewhat of an awkward position in that we were attending ...
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Ethical Diliemma; To Stand Or Not - Feb 18 03:14 PM
This past Saturday night my girlfriend and I went to see the Kid Rock concert here in St. Louis. At the start of the concert I found myself in an interesting ethical dilemma. What happened was this;
Prior to the concert beginning the MC started talking about Kid Rock's visits to Iraq and his support of the troops. He then asked everybody to give a hand to "the United States Marine Corp St. Louis recruiting station".
Now, ...
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Please Stop Whining About Lead Generation Companies "Stealing" Your Clients! - May 22 01:49 PM
As I've written about before, a long time ago I went through a "blue-funk". I had just broken up with a woman that I had been dating, but I was the dumper, not the dumpee....So, I didn't think that was really the problem.
At the time, I was just getting my mortgage banking career going and while it was a difficult market, I was actually doing pretty good in it, all things considered....so, again, I don't ...
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With Business Being Slow, Why Isn't My Office Clean? - May 21 10:50 AM
True, I'm working on things that will bring more business in and that takes time, but the fact remains that I'm on pace to do many fewer transactions this year than I have in years past. Part of it might be that I'm spending more time fighting with underwriters on the transactions that I do have, but even that doesn't account for the fact that my office is a pit!
I need to clean it up. ...
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How Do You Eat An Elephant? - Jan 04 01:24 PM
One bite at a time! I had to remind myself of this fact this morning when I came downstairs to my home office. Over the past several weeks I started a couple of different projects and picked up a few that I had already started...such as organizing my filing system!
The end result today when I came down and looked at the piles upon piles of files that were stacked on the floor in my office and ...
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Sneak A Workout In - Dec 24 11:10 AM
I just posted my sign off post for the holiday today and tomorrow and in it I mentioned that I was going to get a light workout in before I started cooking. As I was getting ready to head into the workout room it dawned on me that for the last couple of weeks that I have been pinched for time and haven't gotten as many work outs in as I would have liked.
I imagine that ...
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George W sure knows how to throw a party! - Aug 09 03:57 AM
A lot of people are asking, "When is the real estate market going to turn around?" I've seen various predictions, next spring, spring 09, maybe not until 2010 or 2011! The truth of the matter is that nobody really knows for sure when the real estate market is going to turn around.
My first thought on the matter is that I don't think that a lot of people truly know what a "normal" market looks like. For ...
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Did the Real Estate Agent Do Their Job? - Jul 29 08:58 AM
I was perusing the net and found a story online I wanted to share. Let's put a little different angle in hopes of creating some responses from real estate agents. Before I share the link I want to say first that the mortgage person depicted in this story is a criminal and deserves to go to jail.
The question I am asking is did the real estate agent do their job in looking out for their client or ...
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Home Staging Assists Home Sellers - Sep 13 12:02 AM
Sellers thinking of selling their home or with a home that has been on the market for awhile (longer than 30 days) should consider the services of a Professional Home Stager. Here are some reasons why:
The cost of a consultation is usually less than $500 (depending on your region) and the cost of a stage is usually much less than your first price decrease. This service is also less than the cost to carry your house ...
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Hindsight Isn't Always 20/20 And Sometimes That's a Good Thing - Jun 12 12:01 PM
By all outward appearances my father wasn't a model father. During the entire time that I knew him he battled with the bottle. At best, fighting it to a draw for periods of time ranging from a day to a couple of years at one point.
He was also a con man of sorts who traveled around doing whatever he could to make a living. If that meant cutting rubber bands out of car inner tubes ...
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Mortgage Brokering...Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow - Apr 08 02:03 PM
I'm going to have to start paying Janet Guilbault a royalty. This is the second post in a roll that was inspired by one of hers! If you haven't checked her blog out, you really should! Anyway, yesterday she wrote a blog called, "Breaking News, WAMU Is Exiting The Wholesale Mortgage Business" that talked, as the title suggests, about Washington Mutual exiting the wholesale mortgage business. In the comments sections Janet raised an important question about ...
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Four Concrete Steps To Stop The Slide In Housing Values - Jan 17 12:49 PM
The honest truth of the matter is that the US economy is in a world of hurt. The fiscal policies of the last 7 years have painted the Fed into a corner. If they cut interest rates, the dollar is in danger of tanking. If the dollar tanks, inflation is likely to raise it's ugly head.
If they don't cut rates, then the economy stagnates. The worst case scenario is when we have both, inflation and ...
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People Still WANT To Buy Homes! - Feb 25 02:58 PM
A comment from a member of the public on one of my previous posts (News Flash - Real Estate Values To Rise)called into question my belief that it's not the housing markets that are broken, but rather the credit markets that are causing the housing markets to suffer.
In his comment the gentleman pointed out that there is over a one year supply of homes on the market here in St. Louis and the surrounding areas and ...
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Must Be Getting To The End Of The List - I Was MeMed! - Jun 04 08:11 PM
The other day Debi Braulik "memed" me. Say that three times fast! I had seen these things on AR before, but didn't really know what they meant and doubted that anyone would ever tag me with one, so I never really looked into them before. So, bear with me if I don't get this quite right.
I think that I'm suppose to tell you all 5 things about myself that isn't covered in my profile or on ...
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Good To Be Back In The Saddle Again! - Apr 12 09:44 AM
As I have written about before, my business was one of the first victims of the credit and real estate crises. Basically, I couldn't have timed a merger worse if I had tried. By taking over my largest competitor I ended up expanding into a declining market. A rapidly declining market!
I was forced to make some drastic moves. I shut two offices down and laid several people off. I don't know if any of you have ...
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Beginning With The End In Mind - Jul 24 11:46 AM
The other day I was asked by somebody if I enjoyed selling real estate and while the politically correct answer to voice on here would be, "Yes, I love it. I'm PASSIONATE about it" or something to that effect. The truth of the matter is that I really don't like it all that much!That's not to say that I don't enjoy myself or that I don't find what I'm doing to be fulfilling. I do and ...
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Missouri in the news: Lowest Gas prices in the Country - Jun 12 10:09 PM
Missouri recently made the news for having the least expensive gas in the country.
I remember moving here in January of 2000 and paying 98 cents a gallon for FULL SERVICE gas.
I have to admit, while I am loving our status as being the lowest in gas prices, I didn't really know WHY.
Heading to one of my favorite sites, Google, it didn't take me long to figure it all out:
Lower taxes on gas. ...
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Secondary Marketing or what happens when your investor doesn't lock your loan! - Aug 05 08:27 PM
I just read a post by Kurt Jackson called, "AHM The story behind the story". In it he explains what might be happening at American Home Mortgage. Well, I can't say that I know specifically what happened at AHM, but it sounds like, from what Mr. Jackson had said, that they didn't buy a sizable enough "Forward commitment". In essence, a forward commitment is the wholesaler's way of "locking-in" the interest rates that they are going ...
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Dow Headed Towards 10,000 - Why We Have To Play The Blame Game - Jun 27 11:06 AM
On January 2, 2008 I posted, "Predictions for 2008" where I predicted that Broker Byrant would still be getting 40% of his posts featured here on AR and that sometime during 2008 that the Dow Jones Industrial Average would close at or below 10,000.
I appear to be on track for both of these predictions! I'm just teasing about Broker Bryant, but I'm as serious as a heart attack about the Dow closing below 10,000. When ...
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Man found Guilty in Assault of Realtor. - Jun 14 09:21 AM
50-year-old Matthew Wilson was found guilty of assaulting a realtor in St. Charles County, Missouri. The jury's verdict came in at around 1:30 this morning.
Wilson represented himself in his trial. His sentencing is scheduled for July 18th. He could receive life in prison.
I didn't know the realtor who was attacked, but I pray that she will recover fully from this horrible experience.
...
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Using The 80/20 Rule in Real Estate Sales - May 13 12:41 PM
The Pareto Principle first referred to the observation that 80% of Italy's wealth belonged to only 20% of the population.
You've probably heard this called the 80/20 rule. The Pareto Principle is the observation that most things in life are not distributed evenly. For example:
20% of the workers produce 80% of the output
20% of the stores get 80% of the sales
20% of the roads get 80% of the traffic
But how can this principle help you ...
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Cold Calling Made Easy! Dialing And Smiling For Fun And Profit! - Feb 11 12:19 PM
Cold calling is one of those things that NOBODY likes. The folks who do it don't like it and the people who are getting the call don't like it, so why do it? Because it works....at least if it's done correctly.Actually, if it's done correctly it isn't nearly as bad for either the caller or the person being called. So, how do you cold call correctly?First, by not trying to sell the person anything. Pushing for ...
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Has Anybody Noticed The Price Increase on Mid-Grade and Premium Gasoline? - Aug 31 11:54 AM
I drive a car that requires at least mid-grade gasoline in order to run properly. For years I've been forced to pay an extra .10 a gallon for the higher octane mid-grade. A few weeks ago, "Quick-Trip" (a convenience chain that has quite a few stations here in St. Louis and elsewhere) started charging .15 per gallon more for the mid grade and an additional .15 per gallon for premium. Now, quite a few stations have ...
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Is It Too Late To Save The Empire? - Jan 16 12:26 PM
This post is the follow up to my post, "Take Two Fed Cuts And Call Me In The Morning" where I compared the Bush administration's economic policies to those of college students with their first charge cards. In it, I painted a dire economic picture that I feel accurately reflects the current state of our economy. In this post I'm going to suggest some concrete measures that we, as a country, can implement that can restore ...
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Another Real Estate First - Reading the MLS datasheets by flashligt - Jun 02 07:34 PM
In early May, I wrote a post about a first for me: mushrooms growing INSIDE one of my listings. In case you missed the story and the tell tale photos, you can read about it HERE.Now, here it is in early June and I have another first: clients reading MLS data sheets by flash light! Missouri has had record setting rains this past Spring. The trees are full, the flowers plentiful, the grass thick and lush. ...
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Are Builders Being Stupid or What? - Dec 28 11:11 AM
The figures on new home starts came in today 9% below a month ago. Available inventory of new homes also went up. This last factoid got me to thinking....What the hell are the builders thinking? Are there still some builders out there building spec homes? Did that many deals die, leaving the building holding the bag with a 2/3rd's done house? Why would inventories still be rising in this market?
Have the builders not been paying ...
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Stagflation....does anybody remember this word? - Jul 25 11:41 AM
Recently I wrote a post called, "Government Drives Interest Rates Higher" which was about how the government's current spending levels has put the US in a position where in order to finance the national debt that they have to keep interest rates high enough to attract foreign investors. This post so far has a grand total of 1 comment!
Now, I realize that to most people reading about governmental economic policy is about as exciting as reading ...
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The Gift of a Quilt - Handmade in Illinois delivered to Missouri with Love - Jun 13 10:14 PM
When my kids were little, one of my best girlfriends in Chicago made them each a quilt. Since I can barely sew a button on, I was in awe -- colorful fabric, hand sewn with love. I hung the quilts up, to be admired and to keep them safe.After a few months, my girlfriend, who my kids call Aunt Sue, finally confronted me: quilts are made to be used, to be loved, to comfort, to warm. From ...
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Call Me Crazy, But I Think That The Little Guy Should Be Able To Buy A Home!~ - Apr 30 03:03 PM
I don't get it. Prior to the credit and housing crises', when the economy was starting to slide due to the economic policies of the Bush Administration, the stock market kept bouncing along. When pressed as to how this could be all of the talking heads on the business channels attributed it to the strength in the housing markets.Then it became common knowledge that the big Wall Street banks and investment houses were playing fast and ...
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FSBO--The most amazing thing is happening. - Jul 28 08:14 PM
Most of you that stop by my blogs have read a blog by Brad Andersohn that I've referenced...well...a few times now. :) The tips he talks about really work and what's surprising me are the amount of FSBO and expired listings who are asking me to list their homes without me having to ask!!You heard me right...WITHOUT me asking. This has come about by me simply offering them suggestions and they are in turn realizing how much there ...
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Southwest Missouri Relocation: Wardrobe Follies - Nov 17 10:42 AM
Over the last year, I've gone through the process of relocating from Pompano Beach in ultra-urban Southeast Florida to rural Southwest Missouri outside the town of Miller.I'll be blogging occasionally about different aspects of my relocation to Southwest Missouri, for those of you who might be considering doing something similar (I'll let you in on a secret...it will all work out fine). This past week, the weather has gotten colder here. A couple of little "wardrobe moments" have really brought home to me ...
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Is 100% Financing a "Sin"? - Aug 01 01:09 PM
I was reading another blog here on AR and one of the posters said they thought it was a sin to offer 100% financing. I purposely left the persons blog off because I didn't want it to appear I was calling them out. That is not my intention. I felt it was something that was worth addressing.IMO your position on this topic depends on who you are trying to most protect. As a lender I feel I ...
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That Could Be the Fox in the Hen House - Apr 19 03:12 PM
Who should I see for the financing of my new residence? See your agent first. I'd like to tell you a story that has been repeated too many times. A young couple goes to buy a new home. They sit down with a friend of a friend who just happens to be a loan officer. They think, "Well, Jenny said he or she was a great person and real funny." So they sit down at the ...
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Traveling in Missouri? Don't forget the REDBOX - Jul 02 04:43 PM
I had seen them around town. They're rather hard to miss, these big red boxes with video touch screens.I had no idea what they really were for, less alone how to use them or what to use them for.Then, I was at a birthday party for a friend. That friend had a friend in town from Kansas. Now, these Kansas folks had it going on. Not only did they know about the red box - they ...
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Can You Buy A Home And If You Can, Should You? - A Guide To Making The Home Buying Decision - Jun 18 03:40 PM
As some of you know, my daughter recently graduated from "The Ohio State University" and moved back home to St. Louis to live with her mother. She's in the process of looking for her first "real" job and as is her style, she's already started burning the candle at both ends by starting work on her Masters in International Security.
The other day she told me that she's interested in finding a home for her and ...
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Man Found Frozen In South St. Louis - Nov 20 04:47 PM
A few days ago I wrote a post where I asked if people thought that the media plays a story straight. The over whelming response was, "No, the media does not play it straight with the public."
Frankly, I wasn't surprised. I had seen a perfect example of how the media plays things when my father passed away 21 years ago. I found out that he had died when the local NBC affiliate led their local evening ...
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Missouri Rocks: Historic Stone Homes of Carthage, Part 1 - Nov 14 06:09 PM
One of my favorite things about selling Carthage real estate is the opportunity to see so many beautiful homes made from locally quarried stone. In the 1800s and early 1900s, limestone quarries were a big part of the local economy, along with other mining and manufacturing concerns.
Carthage limestone is a very high quality building stone, with such a fine texture that when polished it was referred to as "Carthage marble". It was used throughout the Midwest for both interior and exterior purposes, including in ...
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Got Cows? - Oct 30 05:08 PM
Yup, I've got cows. Well, they're not my cows. They belong to my neighbor. Considering how far away the actual house is, it might be more accurate to say that the cows are my neighbors. It looks like theirs is an easy life, just roaming around out there eating all day. They're even starting to get slightly fuzzy for winter.Before I moved to rural Southwest Missouri, I thought I knew a bit about cows. I grew up in ...
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Thanks For The Bone! - Aug 28 06:52 PM
"Activity breeds success!" I'm not sure who originally coined that term, but I believe it more and more with each passing day.
For the last decade I have pretty much concentrated on being a listing agent. I would work with buyers, but didn't actively pursue them. After the market started to change I continued going after listings, but had started to get frustrated that sellers didn't seem to realize that the days of being able to "fish" ...
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Nicole Bradley PT and West County Sports Fitness and Rehabilitation Center Review - 2 Thumbs Up! - Jun 19 01:10 PM
They say that the typical consumer will tell 8 people if they've had a negative experience with you or your company and only tell 2 people if they have had a positive experience with you or your company. Well, through the power of the web I want to tell as many people as possible about the WONDERFUL experience that I had with Nicole Bradley and her company, West County Sports Fitness and Rehabilitation Center.
As some ...
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Everyone Deserves To Be Treated Like A Big Fish! - May 15 05:56 PM
Until a couple of years ago, my largest loan to date was a direct referral from the second smallest loan that I had ever done. The small loan was an older guy who was buying a small home to live in after his wife had passed away. He wanted to be close to his kids and his kids lived in a lesser expensive part of town. After his down payment, he only needed $24,000 to complete ...
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Stephanie, I'm truly sorry! Take me back! - May 14 12:29 PM
As many of us in the business, I have a "favorite" service provider with just about all of the various services that are ancillary to the real estate world. I have "My" guy who does my home inspections and "my" appraiser, etc. When it comes to title services, I have Stephanie Forsythe with Commonwealth/Land America Title here in St. Louis.
Stephanie has been my title lady for a number of years now. When Capital Title crashed ...
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Take It With A Grain Of Salt - Don't Believe Everything That You Read Here On AR - Feb 21 12:49 PM
Bar talk. Are you familiar with the term? It's when you're sitting at a bar and there is some guy sitting there who is obviously the world's smartest man! No matter what you're talking about, he's the expert!I've always felt the there was something about real estate that brought this out in people, even when they weren't sitting at a bar with a few drinks in them. In the past, I've teased that ALL men have ...
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Stop Blaming The Mortgage Broker II - Jan 09 12:25 AM
I recently got a comment on one of my posts, "Stop Blaming The Mortgage Broker" from a member of the general public, who was, shall we say, not convinced by the arguments that I made in that posting. Her specific comment was,
"Interest only loans, and some ARMs ought to have never been allowed. Whoever allowed these frauds to be perpetrated on the unsuspecting comsumer should be in jail. Is it the baby's fault he chewed ...
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Bank Of America raises Countrywide from a sell to a neutral....progress? - Aug 18 12:36 AM
I just read on bloomberg.com that BOA is raising it's recommendation on Countrywide from a sell to a neutral based upon the fed's decision to pump money into the credit markets. Now, this is just one analyst's opinion, but it's the first positive news that I've heard about Countrywide in the past several days and anything is an improvement, right?
As a matter of fact, the financial sector stocks took the feds pumping of money into the ...
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What Sailing and Real Estate Have In Common - Aug 10 11:50 AM
"If One Does Not Know To Which Port One Is Sailing, Then No Wind Is Favorable"
Senaca
Roman Philosopher and Politician
I found this quote while I was looking for another one. The other one was something like, "Anybody Can Captain A Ship On A Clear Day, But The True Test Of A Captain Comes With The Storm" or something to that effect. If anybody knows who originally penned this, please let me know. If not, then I'll take ...
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To Answer Or Not To Answer...That Is The Question! - Jul 05 12:07 PM
Yesterday as we left to go see the fireworks under the Arch here in St. Louis, my son picked up my cell phone and tossed it to me saying, "Dad, don't forget your leash!"
I caught it and put it in my pocket and realized that he was right. That damn cell phone is a leash of sorts. Since my restructure of my company, I take the phones with me 90% of the time. While I have ...
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Let Me Introduce You To Klondike Park, St. Charles County, Missouri - Jun 22 08:43 PM
Klondike Park, St. Charles County, Missouri
If you are looking for something to do and not have to drive very far Klondike Park in St. Charles County, Missouri just may be what the doctor ordered.
From Hwy. 40/61 take Hwy. 94 south approximately 12 miles. You will drive along a tree shaded two lane highway through lazy little towns, past 3 vineyards and wineries go ahead and stop and sample some of the areas ...
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The next no call list... the no mail list proposed legislation to ban mailing! - Mar 05 11:30 PM
Missouri HB1531 Prohibits businesses from sending unsolicited commercial mail to people who register with the Attorney General. That's right no post cards, no Christmas cards and God forbid no advertisements.Proposed by two dimwitted Democrats Trent Skaggs and John Burnett this bill seeks to stop us from sending snail mail. Don't laugh these idiots actually proposed it! http://house.mo.gov/content.aspx?info=/bills061/bills/HB1531.htmI can imagine they would also have a NO-Mail list we can purchase to make sure we are abiding by ...
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I Received an Inheritance (or Net Proceeds) Should I pay Down My Mortgage? - Aug 24 02:26 PM
When people get an inheritance one of the first things they want to do is to plunk it down on their mortgage. Now that may be the best place to put that money, but it may not be too. They need to have a consistent way to show them the smartest thing to do financially. (Note: for Real Estate Professionals you could easily replace "Inheritance" with "Net Proceeds" and come to similar conclusions.That is where the ...
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Can A Brick Change It's Color? - Aug 12 09:28 PM
I just started a rehab project for a home that my girlfriend Kathy and I are going to be moving into and came across a couple of situations that I thought maybe you folks on AR might be able to help with.
First, I need help carrying a bunch of broken up dry wall out to the dumpster. Any one interested?
Just teasing! What I would really like to know is, does anybody know if it ...
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Second MeMe - Aug 01 06:05 PM
Just got back in town today and read where Renee Burrows had memed me. This is the second time that I've gotten memed (to those of you who don't know what this is, it is kind of a chain letter where somebody "memes" you and you've got to tell some things about yourself that people don't know, then "meme" 3 other people.) and I think that I might have used my best material on that post, ...
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Another deluge! - May 26 10:11 AM
I just can't believe all this rain we are getting! My rain gauge showed that we got 4 1/2 inches of rain yesterday!
I live in Wentzville, MO. We are just a little west of St. Louis. Wentzville now has a May total of more than 8.87 inches of rain...and more is on it's way!
My brother-in-law is talking about building an ark...It may not be a bad idea... :) ...
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The 3 Ugly Boxes Are Being Implemented On Appraisals In Kansas City - Jan 23 10:59 AM
Now mind you we've been told this has only happened in condo/loft section of town.... but it's something to think about.There evidently are three boxes on appraisals here in this part of the country that have just been sitting there and not being used. Declining Market Over Supply Over 6 months marketing timeIt's my understanding from yesterday's sales meeting that any of these three little boxes are checked by the Appraiser during the appraisal and the ...
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Southwest Missouri Real Estate: Keep Your Eyes on the Road - Dec 01 12:50 PM
Ease on Down the Road I have fond memories of the trip my husband and I took through Missouri to decide where to purchase our new property. For a week, we traveled around, spending one day with a Realtor in each of the areas we considered. Each day, we saw something new and beautiful, whether it was a sweeping view across a river valley, or the trail through acres of trees at a remote rural property.As a full-time, active Realtor ...
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Fall in the Ozarks - Nov 03 08:11 AM
Well, it's here! I know fall officially started awhile back, but it has just been the past few days that it has really "felt" like Autumn. Cooler mornings, just enough to make me kick on the furnace to cut the chill, and a little frost on the windshields so I have to start the car a few minutes before leaving to let the windows defrost. But by noon, it is a glorius 60-65 degrees with just ...
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The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men! - Oct 10 02:07 PM
Wow! Life can be a roller coaster sometimes! Some of you have probably noticed my absence from Activerain over the past 2 months. I dropped in to let you know that I was rehabbing a house that my girlfriend and I purchased and have updated you all on the progress. My last posting mentioned that we were in the final stages.
Well, as things will sometimes do, things got out of hand. Kathy, my girlfriend who was ...
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Almost To The Point Of Being Able To Blog Again! - Sep 18 11:39 AM
Hi Everybody! I took the morning off this morning and slept in! God, did that feel good! Anyway, I just wanted to drop a quick note to let everybody know that I'm alive and making progress.
To those of you who don't know, my girlfriend Kathy and I purchased a home about 6 weeks ago that we are rehabbing. So far we've:
Tore out a wall over a stair way that contained a closet.
Ripped up the carpet and ...
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Fortune Favors The Brave - Buying A Home In Today's Market - Aug 06 11:34 AM
Calling all buyers! Bargains are to be had!I don't know when it's going to start, but I think that it's got to be sometime soon. That something is buyers coming back into the market in search of bargains. When this happens, the market is going to stabilize along with real estate prices. As I've mentioned before in my blog, my girlfriend Kathy recently took a job that was on the other end of St. Louis from ...
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The Monk And The Tigers - Being Responsible For Your Own Happiness - May 02 03:30 PM
If you haven't stumbled across Kevin Bungert and his blog yet, please take a moment to check him out. He's been writing a series of posts on his coaching and life philosophies that I have throughly enjoyed. He really seems to have a grasp on what it takes to not only be a successful real estate person, but a successful person, period!
The other day he wrote a post called, "The Most Important Thing In Life Is ...
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Opening Day - Trout Seasonn 2008 - Lebanon, MO - Mar 01 09:00 PM
6:25 amLebanon, MO Rolling Trout watersTrout tag secureWeighter's snug...
Almost ready....
This morning at 6:30 am the sound of the opening siren could be heard for miles. Fishermen (and women) were greeted with clear skies and a promise of temperatures in the 60's.
Opening Day of Trout Season at Bennett Spring State Park was officially under way.
While I am not a fisher-woman, I do enjoy the park and took a trip down to see all the excitement. ...
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President Bush's "Freeze" Plan - Dec 06 02:49 PM
I didn't get a chance to watch President Bush's speech today on his and Secretary Paulson's plan to "freeze" the rate on sub-prime mortgages that are getting ready to reset. I did however check the treasury's web site, Bloomberg.com and CNBC.com to see if I could actually read what they have in mind.As of about 2:30 PM CST I couldn't find the plan posted anywhere. I did find quite a few commentaries on the plan that ...
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Bank, Mortgage Bank or Mortgage Broker, which is better? - Aug 01 12:47 PM
Is there a correct answer to this question? I don't think so. Depending upon your particular circumstances, the "best" type of lender may be any one of the three. So, how are you supposed to be able to make an intelligent decision?
Well, I would suggest that you shop around and do your research. Referrals from friends and family members can be helpful, as well as knowing the particular strengths and weaknesses of the different types of ...
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