CONCERT, VOLLEYBALL? NOPE. GOTTA GO.

Post: PERSONAL

My good friends and family know i don't watch many movies.  But the film “The Blind Side” was defintely worth the watch.  After seeing the film with my friend Katy, I ordered the book and jumped on Youtube, hungry for more footage about the real family.   To no surprise, I found a lot.  Apparently, they’ve received masses of mail from people doing good things for others.  The film left a lump in my throat.  I betcha it left a lump in Katy’s too, we just didn’t talk about our choked-upness.  So John, did you like it?  *gulp*….Yes.

So this weekend was approaching.  I was set on a concert Friday night with a realtor friend, Wash Park for volleyball with my buddies Saturday and my traditional couch-bound Sunday afternoon with the Broncos.  But for some reason, Friday after work I felt the urge to leave town.

My mom lives 5 hours away.  My sister Cat, brother-in-law Drew and their three kids – four hours away.  It’s not like we get to scoot across town and see each other every other weekend.  But this week my mom called and said she was going to Cat’s house.  Friday afternoon my friends called about volleyball.  And for some reason, I got in my car and drove through the mountains.  While driving through Glenwood Canyon, I couldn’t help but think about how quickly time passes when you are away and ‘busy’.  I’m always so busy.  But too busy for this?  Here I am Sunday night watching football with my mom like when I was little.  And during commercials I see the munchkins smearing pizza all over their faces.  Time with family is precious…and some people don’t even have families.  Wow, I’m a blessed and lucky guy.

MY RATE WAS LOCKED, WHAT HAPPENED?

POST: ECONOMY

I have a lot of good friends and familiar faces at my gym.  They motivate me to get my butt in there and get to work.  It’s the same 30-40 people every morning.  And whether anyone wants to admit it or not, we all take a personal inventory of who hasn’t shown up for a few days.  Tom! Where you been buddy? Ohh, uh, I had to uhh...my wife is away so I had to take the kids….    Riiiiight.  It’s all good though, because when we’re in there we’re all working hard.  And to catch my breath in-between sets, I always end up in some discussion about mortgage or real estate.  My good friend Darren always has some new insight or a good book for me to read about the future of our economy.  I swear the guy reads about the economy non-stop.  He’s a sophisticated 40 something guy, has investment property and plays things pretty conservatively.  As his broker, we’ve looked at his situation for a refinance but it’s just not time yet.  Hey John, when these rates go down another quarter-point, let me know and you can lock my rate and we’ll hurry up and get my refinance done.

Not that easy.  You see, one thing about our economy is mortgages and banks have cut back on their spending just like most of us have.  We’ve held off on that vacation we are just itching to take.  We are squeezing another year out of that car we want to trade in.  Banks – they’re doing the same thing.  With the low rates and high mortgage activity going on right now, you’d think banks would hire plenty of staff to get all these loans done in time, right?  They too are holding off on the staff and infrastructure they’d like to buy to make things run smoothly.  But there’s no long term sight for our economy.  So who knows how long these rates will be down.  And for the time being, the banks are making the investment to create such luxuries.  Instead, they’re working their staff harder and letting service levels and turn-around times suffer.  It’s good and bad business in one.  So what can we do?

Well Darren, when the rates drop another quarter point and we decide to lock, we gotta to move fast and get a perfect loan package put together and submitted.  We have to do all the extra little things to make it easy on everyone else.  That’s the only way to make sure a loan gets done on time these days.

And oh, Darren, where were you the past two mornings buddy?  Okay back to these dumbbell lounges.

PAM AND DEAN: SOON TO BE...MORTGAGE FREE

Anyone starting from scratch in a new line of work knows there isn’t any fancy way around it.  To find new clients you just gotta pick up the phone and make some “sales calls”.  I’ve written hundreds of mortgages and been in real estate for eight years…but brokering mortgages was many moons ago.  I had a list of random homeowners to call and when she picked up I started in on my whole "I can help you save money on your mortgage" pitch.  She paused.  I thought she hung up.  Defensively, she replied: Thanks but my husband isn’t here.  Okay, fair enough, but perhaps we can talk about what I can do to help you save money on your mortgage.  She opened up a tiny bit more and we discussed some sensible options.  But hearing her hesitation, she was defensive.  Even over the phone, you can sense someone’s facial expressions.  Pam couldn’t trust me.  And I know what probably happened.  The “careless and clueless” had gotten to Pam before me.  You know the type: fast slick-talking mortgage broker who wants to get a homeowner committed and signed to any loan as quickly as possible.   “Well, thanks for calling Mr. Bauer, I’ll have to talk to my husband about it”.

A week went by.  I was ready to throw her application away.  Then I got a call.

Okay, Dean and I are perhaps interested in your loan.  But we want the terms in writing before we agree to anything.  Pam is a very sweet but deceivingly strong person.  She raised two kids who are in D1 universities.  Ever hear the saying “if mamma ain’t happy ain’t nobody happy”?  If anything goes wrong with this loan, she will drop me like yesterday’s trash sack.

Pam and Dean closed with me on their loan today.  All smiles.  They cut the term of their loan and will be paying for fewer years with less interest.  To understand how Pam felt about me at first, then to see the difference I was able to make in their lives when we finished…well I consider it a privilege to be  a part of helping two hard working people realize their goal of homeownership.  Not just homeownership.  Home free-and-clear ownership.

STRENGTH TO EXPRESS

So, I'm exercising some new muscles in a new found calling for more balance within myself.  Blog muscles?  I know they exist, I've perused some bodies of work that can hold you in a chair for hours.  How do I work these muscles?  I'm not sure.  Probably the same way as all the other muslces, start stressing them.  Where are they?  In my head and my fingers i suppose.  Some bloggers like Jasmine Star and Seth Godin got me thinking - strength to express is a powerful thing.  So can I do it?  Well, I've never been one to shy away from a challenge.  Ask my momma that one.  Perhaps these muscles will develop quickly.  Or maybe it will take time.  Maybe years, and if so, my past would indicate I'm up for it. So here's my launch.  One, two, up.  Uguhghhh!  Whew.  Did it post?  We'll see...  -  "publish".