My Schedule…and A Little Extra: It’s because I was up most of the night and I’m fighting a cold. Yeah, I’m a little out of it. I took my son to the emergency room last night because he couldn’t stop coughing, even after multiple asthmatic treatments. He’s fine though, false alarm, just coughing a lot and really not much we can do about it. Needless to say, I hardly slept last night and I feel much like I imagine Paula Abdul feels most of the time. So, if I tell you we refinance 100% NOO SISA loans, I highly recommend you check my work. Speaking of which, I remember as the branch manager of MortgageIT, after Deutsche Bank bought us back in 2007, my boss’s boss flew down to San Diego to tell us about some new products we were introducing, including a 100% NOO loan. I remember asking if I could refuse to sell the product, since I felt it was nutballs. Is that a real word, nutballs? I remember being told that if I refused to sell a company product it would be considered insubordination. To be fair, my superior also thought it was nutballs, but she had a responsibility to represent, nutballs or no nutballs. I kind of like saying nutballs…has a nice ring to it. Anyway, those were crazy times. It was the beginning of the end…a desperate attempt by the powers-that-be to reach for more loans before the inevitable. So, if I tell you we have a No-Doc loan, tell me I’m nutballs and to go lay down, alrighty? Cool. Nutballs. I like it.
My Schedule: Cancelled my appointments and staying home. Behind the computer all day with occasional naps I imagine.
My Fun Stuff: Humpback Whale Shows Appreciation After Being Freed From Nets ||| All My Fun Stuff
My Market Watch: Prices are a little better today after stocks started out slow, probably a result of traders taking gains from the last couple days. With little in the way of economic reports, traders are looking to any tells on what is going to happen in the market, and when they do that they often look across seas. This is actually a good thing for bonds, since financial issues over yonder impact global markets which of course impacts global markets. However, that said, the bond is not trading favorably as I type and I will be watching it closely today, unless of course I am taking a nap. My Disclaimer
My Schedule…and A Little Extra: What do you mean you have no plan?! It always amazes me when I ask Brokers and Loan Officers what their plan is…most of time they have no plan. Can you believe that? How can you have no plan? Of course, the best LOs and Brokers not only have a plan, but they are executing that plan as I type. I’ve spoken to a few brokers who use the excuse they’ve been too busy to put any attention to the future. So, we discussed ways to delegate to free up time. After all, without some idea of what you are going to do over the next 10½ months, you’re really putting your business, yourself, and maybe your family at a huge disadvantage. Everyone in business needs a plan, otherwise you’re just flailing about. When the market changes and rates continue to go up…where will you be…where will you be going? What have you been doing to capture purchase loans? What have you been doing to increase your referral sources? What have you been doing to stay in touch with your existing client base? I am available to discuss these issues, either individually or in a group. By the way, part of my plan is to make myself available to my clientele to consult on future business. Let me know…I am accepting appointments….
My Schedule…and A Little Extra: The sirens roared as she saw fire-trucks and police cars whiz by…a panic overcame my wife…she was on her way to pick up my daughter from school…WHAT HAPPENNED?…was there a shooting, was she safe?! Then she saw the scene of the accident just a few blocks from the school. Immediate relief…our daughter was safe. But the relief turned to sadness when we heard what happened…an SUV struck a nanny dead-center in the middle of the crosswalk as she pushed a stroller across the busy street. The nanny soared 30 some feet into the air. The baby who was strapped into the stroller was dragged under the car. The first person to respond at the scene was my good friend and neighbor Jen…from her racing bike she saw the whole thing unfold before her eyes. She went to the baby first and rescued it from underneath the truck…remarkably it was still alive…she ended up in critical condition with a skull fracture. The 40-year old Nanny with two teenage children didn’t make it. Turns out the driver, who blew a red light at full speed, had given birth the day before…she never even slowed down, no doubt distracted by her cell phone. Why she was driving a car the day after giving birth is a mystery. I realize these horrible incidents happen all the time, but this was close to home. My wife was really shook up. I feel bad for the Nanny, her two young kids, and her family. I feel bad for the driver, who will no doubt face manslaughter charges amongst other life-altering consequences. I feel bad for the driver’s family and newborn baby, whose birth is scarred by the incident. I feel bad for the baby and pray she will be alright. The only joy I can grasp onto is that the baby is alive, and I am sending good thoughts into the universe as I visualize her recovery…please join me in this vision…take 15 seconds to close your eyes and visualize the baby smiling and laughing, and send well wishes her way….
My Schedule…and A Little Extra: I hope your January went well. I funded 144 loans for near $50m tying me for 5th place and I’m happy with that. My short-term goal is to break $55m in March and $60m by June. I hope you have goals set…if you don’t, then do it. Goal setting is a must…even if you keep them to yourself. I’d lecture as to why it’s important but you should already know that. February is a short month so we need to jump on it. ||| So here we go…you may or may not know this but I’m a fairly big American Idol fan. Maybe it’s because I love to sing and envision myself, while I’m taking a shower, that I’m on stage singing to thousands of people. That’s a fantastic image of me don’t you think? I mean the image of me singing to thousands of people on stage, not the image of me in the shower pretending to sing to thousands of people on stage. The real reason I love American Idol is because it’s fun for me to see people’s dreams come true. I love to see a construction worker audition and find himself living a dream. And, it’s fun for me to see an unknown with incredible talent discovered. You gotta dream people!
Phil Grossfield's Blog 