Phil Grossfield's Blog

A LITTLE EXTRA…

Category Archives: Economic News

Zimmerman-Trayvon; Bernanke Good Speak

trayvonZimmerman – Trayvon.  The prosecution screwed this trial up…that’s it in a nutshell. As you may or may not know, I used to be an attorney…you may call me Esquire if you please. Although I spent the majority of my legal career on the corporate side, I worked on a first-degree murder trial in my last year of law school. In fact, I was assigned to the highest profile murder trial in the history of Minnesota, at least it was back then.

Whether you believe Zimmerman was justified to shoot an unarmed 17-year old kid or not, there is no getting away from the fact that the prosecution’s team blew it…they blew it big-time. They never should have brought charges for murder…they should have charged him with no more than manslaughter. The burden of proof required for a murder conviction is extremely difficult to obtain, and that’s the way we like it in our American justice system. Our judicial system runs on the belief that it’s better to let 99 guilty criminals go free than to let one innocent person be found guilty.

Freedom is our highest priority to protect. So, we must ensure beyond a reasonable doubt that a person is guilty before we take away their freedom, either in the form of prison or capital punishment. Proving intent to murder is exceedingly difficult because you have to convince the jury beyond a reasonable doubt…that’s super hard to do particularly in a highly publicized murder trial. In my opinion the prosecution lost credibility the minute they attempted to establish murder. Had they pursued manslaughter, Zimmerman would be in prison today. Let’s not lose sight that a 17-year old kid was deprived of his life and it’s hard to find any justice in that. 

My Schedule:  Available all day…

My Market Watch:   Bonds Up As Bernanke Speaks – Fixed Pricing Improved   The 30-year Fannie Mae bond is trading +50bps this morning and as a result our pricing for fixed rate mortgages has improved.

Ben2Bernanke’s position as of late has been to settle things down, at least that’s the way I interpret his words. This morning he mentioned that despite the Fed’s intention to taper QE, he remains flexible to buy bonds as necessary. He then said that he is concerned with tight mortgage standards. Both of these statements have been interpreted as bully for bonds, particularly after a 60-day run of nothing but QE tapering talk.  More importantly, if bonds can hold their gains, the markets should start to level out…even with much higher rates I think we can all agree that some market stability would be welcome. If so, prepare for very aggressive Interbank rates and prices in the very very near future.


Perspective.  30-Year Fixed Average Rates:  Past 40 years:  8.15%    Past 30 years:  7.45%    Past 20 years:  6.52%    Past 10 years:  5.72%

A Word On Pricing.  We have corporate calls on our pricing strategy. Interbank has traditionally been hyper-aggressive in price but with so much volatility in the bond market we have backed off temporarily while remaining competitive. It is our every intention to jump back into our role as an aggressively priced lender…but when the time is right…. This is good smart business.   

A word on locks.  Even though turn-times are fast, I advise longer term locks or at least a pricing cushion to account for possible lock extensions. Flexibility in getting additional days is not as elastic. I advise 45 day Locks. If you must lock 30 days then be sure to build in additional rebate in case you need to pay for an extension.  This is good smart business.

distinguish_yourselfDistinguish Yourself. In order to succeed in this business and in this market, you must find a way to distinguish yourself from other LOs. That is, if you are going to get more reliable referral sources, you must be able to clearly convey several compelling reasons why they should use you….My calendar is getting full – I am scheduling presentations to discuss (1) How to Be Successful In The Future Market, (2) Where to Look For Additional Referral Sources, and (3) How To Distinguish Yourself From Other LOs.  Let me know if you’re interested in a presentation….

I’m Back from my Mystery Anniversary

irish_benedict2I’m Back from my Mystery Anniversary.  I’m catching up so this will be a short post today. The picture above encapsulates a good portion of my long anniversary weekend…this is Irish Benedict which I fondly renamed Not-So-Kosher Benedict. This is 3-poached eggs over a mound of fantastic brisket on top of an English Muffin and covered in superb hollandaise sauce and surrounded by crispy potatoes…OH MY!  I almost ate the whole thing…and that was just breakfast!

 

My Schedule:  Available all day…

My Market Watch:   Perspective.  30-Year Fixed Average Rates:

Past 40 years:  8.15%    Past 20 years:  6.52%
Past 30 years:  7.45%    Past 10 years:  5.72%

A Word On Pricing.  We have corporate calls on our pricing strategy. Interbank has traditionally been hyper-aggressive in price but with so much volatility in the bond market we have backed off temporarily while remaining competitive. It is our every intention to jump back into our role as an aggressively priced lender…but when the time is right…. This is good smart business.   

A word on locks.  Even though turn-times are fast, I advise longer term locks or at least a pricing cushion to account for possible lock extensions. Flexibility in getting additional days is not as elastic. I advise 45 day Locks. If you must lock 30 days then be sure to build in additional rebate in case you need to pay for an extension.  This is good smart business.

distinguish_yourselfDistinguish Yourself. In order to succeed in this business and in this market, you must find a way to distinguish yourself from other LOs. That is, if you are going to get more reliable referral sources, you must be able to clearly convey several compelling reasons why they should use you….My calendar is getting full – I am scheduling presentations to discuss (1) How to Be Successful In The Future Market, (2) Where to Look For Additional Referral Sources, and (3) How To Distinguish Yourself From Other LOs.  Let me know if you’re interested in a presentation….

Clues #3 & #4 to Mystery Anniversary; Bernanke Calms Things Down

colleen_phil2Clues #3 & #4 to Mystery Anniversary.  My wife, The Travel Mama, is taking me to a mystery location with a mystery agenda for our 12th wedding anniversary. We leave later this afternoon and I have no idea where we’re going…still…but I’m getting closer. Clue #1 is “we are going by airplane. Clue #2 is “he will need more jeans/pants than shorts.”  Clue #3 is “we’re boarding Alaska Airlines. Clue #4 is “one of day’s activities is wine tasting.”   She posted this on her TravelMamas Facebook page today and will posting more clues periodically…. Where the hell am I going?!

My Schedule:  Available all day until 3p, then getting ready for my mystery anniversary….

My Market Watch:   Bonds Were Up…Now Down – Fixed Better For Now…   Sound familiar?  That headline is the same as yesterday.  Hmmmm…pattern?  Bonds were trading up this morning which was good because Interbank published better fixed rate prices. But once again Bonds are down enough from this morning’s highs to warrant a mid-day reprice for the worse.

Ben2Bernanke Calms Things Down.  Finally…it seems that Bernanke is making some statements to ease the panic of bond traders. In his appearance this week his statements were noticeably calming.  I’ve been asking for this for 6 weeks for crying out loud!  After his blowout Mr. Hyde impression where he completely changed his position on QE, there was no subsequent statement to calm things down. It’s almost as if he wanted the bottom to fall out so he could get things where he wanted, and then, ever so carefully, he started calming the markets down. One thing is for sure, Ben Bernanke is an extremely intelligent thoughtful person.  If you’ve ever watched interviews with him or read up on his background, the guy is brilliant. I think he knows exactly what he’s doing, and I think he has things exactly where he wants them.

Perspective.  30-Year Fixed Average Rates:

Past 40 years:  8.15%    Past 20 years:  6.52%
Past 30 years:  7.45%    Past 10 years:  5.72%

A Word On Pricing.  We have corporate calls on our pricing strategy. Interbank has traditionally been hyper-aggressive in price but with so much volatility in the bond market we have backed off temporarily while remaining competitive. It is our every intention to jump back into our role as an aggressively priced lender…but when the time is right…. This is good smart business.   

A word on locks.  Even though turn-times are fast, I advise longer term locks or at least a pricing cushion to account for possible lock extensions. Flexibility in getting additional days is not as elastic. I advise 45 day Locks. If you must lock 30 days then be sure to build in additional rebate in case you need to pay for an extension.  This is good smart business.

distinguish_yourselfDistinguish Yourself. In order to succeed in this business and in this market, you must find a way to distinguish yourself from other LOs. That is, if you are going to get more reliable referral sources, you must be able to clearly convey several compelling reasons why they should use you….My calendar is getting full – I am scheduling presentations to discuss (1) How to Be Successful In The Future Market, (2) Where to Look For Additional Referral Sources, and (3) How To Distinguish Yourself From Other LOs.  Let me know if you’re interested in a presentation….

Clue #2 Mystery Anniversary; Fed Minutes – No Surprises

colleen_phil2Clue #2 to My Mystery Anniversary

My wife, The Travel Mama, is taking me to a mystery location with a mystery agenda for our 12th wedding anniversary. We leave Friday and I have no idea where we’re going…no idea…no clue…clueless. That is until yesterday when she revealed that we’re boarding an airplane…that was Clue #1.  Clue #2 is “he will need more jeans/pants than shorts.”  She posted this on her TravelMamas Facebook page today and will posting more clues periodically…. Where the hell am I going?!

My Schedule:  On a corporate conference call this morning…I have a luncheon presentation this afternoon…available the remainder of the day….

My Market Watch:  Bonds Were Up…Now Down – Fixed Better For Now… 

Bonds were trading up this morning which was good because we got back yesterday morning’s pricing before the price worsening yesterday afternoon. Bonds are down enough off of morning highs to warrant a mid-day reprice for the worse.

Yesterday’s Fed Meeting Minutes were as I expected…more of the same regarding the tapering of QE. In fact, half of the members agreed. So, you can either interpret that as 50% believe in QE tapering, or that 50% do not believe in it. Hmmmm…as a trader how do you use that to help you in deciding whether to buy or sell bonds?

Perspective.  30-Year Fixed Average Rates:
Past 40 years:  8.15%    Past 20 years:  6.52%
Past 30 years:  7.45%    Past 10 years:  5.72%

A Word On Pricing.  We have corporate calls on our pricing strategy. Interbank has traditionally been hyper-aggressive in price but with so much volatility in the bond market we have backed off temporarily while remaining competitive. This is good smart business.  

A word on locks.  Even though turn-times are fast, I advise longer term locks or at least a pricing cushion to account for possible lock extensions. Flexibility in getting additional days is not as elastic. I advise 45 day Locks. If you must lock 30 days then be sure to build in additional rebate in case you need to pay for an extension.  This is good smart business.

distinguish_yourselfDistinguish Yourself. In order to succeed in this business and in this market, you must find a way to distinguish yourself from other LOs. That is, if you are going to get more reliable referral sources, you must be able to clearly convey several compelling reasons why they should use you….My calendar is getting full – I am scheduling presentations to discuss (1) How to Be Successful In The Future Market, (2) Where to Look For Additional Referral Sources, and (3) How To Distinguish Yourself From Other LOs.  Let me know if you’re interested in a presentation….

Mystery Anniversary; Fed Minutes Released

colleen_philMystery Anniversary. July 14 marks my 12 year wedding anniversary with my wife Colleen. Each year for our anniversary we trade the planning responsibilities. Last year was my year and this year Colleen is doing all the planning. That means every other year we have a fantastic anniversary planned…yep. Two years ago Colleen planned a mystery anniversary…I wasn’t allowed to know where or what we were doing.

She surprised me when we ended up at Disneyland, kid-free, for the weekend and it was awesome. We stayed in their fancy hotel, ate at their premiere fine dining restaurant in a kitchen-side table where the chef catered to us, and we walked the park at night. It was romantic and, well, fun!

This year is another mystery…on Friday night I’m headed somewhere and I haven’t a clue where I’m going. All I know so far is we’re getting on a plane and my in-laws are watching the kids (they arrive tonight). How lucky am I?

My Market Watch:  Bonds Down – Fixed Pricing Worse 0.125
Bonds are trading down about -30bps this morning but I’m not real concerned about that. I am concerned about the Fed minutes which will be released at 11a.

There is reason to believe the minutes will not be favorable for bond trading. That is, traders will be reading the minutes and looking for an interpretation on where the economy is headed. If the minutes give traders a feeling that the economy is strong, or if the minutes solidify with strong language the Fed’s new position on tapering QE, then they will invest in stocks and sell off bonds to free up those investment dollars. If that happens our rates/pricing will get worse. fedreserveOn the other hand, if the minutes indicate a weaker economy or soften the discussion on tapering QE, then traders will sell off stocks and buy bonds instead…this would improve our rates/pricing.

So what will happen? My opinion is there is more downside to upside. We already know the crux of that Fed meeting…they agreed to begin tapering QE and plan to eliminate it mid-2014. That’s why bonds have sold off over 600bps and why rates are so much worse. So why would we expect the minutes to reveal anything other than more of the same? It just seems to me the potential positive outcome of traders’ interpretation is far-fetched. It’s just my opinion…for all I know the minutes might reveal some beautiful discussions on continuing QE indefinitely in which case we could see a nice improvement in rates…but I doubt it.

Perspective.  30-Year Fixed Average Rates:

  • Past 40 years:  8.15%
  • Past 30 years:  7.45%
  • Past 20 years:  6.52%
  • Past 10 years:  5.72%

A word on locks.  Even though turn-times are fast, I advise longer term locks or at least a pricing cushion to account for possible lock extensions. Flexibility in getting additional days is not as elastic. I advise 45 day Locks. If you must lock 30 days then be sure to build in additional rebate in case you need to pay for an extension.  This is good smart business.

distinguish_yourselfDistinguish Yourself. In order to succeed in this business and in this market, you must find a way to distinguish yourself from other LOs. That is, if you are going to get more reliable referral sources, you must be able to clearly convey several compelling reasons why they should use you….My calendar is getting full – I am scheduling presentations to discuss (1) How to Be Successful In The Future Market, (2) Where to Look For Additional Referral Sources, and (3) How To Distinguish Yourself From Other LOs.  Let me know if you’re interested in a presentation….

Butt-Head! Weekend Developments

bacondonutWeekend Developments:

Fair Food. Lemonade, Corn-On-The-Cob, Funnel Cake With Strawberries and Whipped Cream, Chicken Strip, Bacon Doughnut, Fried Zucchini, Gatorade, And a Chicken Taco.  As far as fair food goes, this was the tamest I’ve ever been. The bacon doughnut was pretty good!

Butt-Head. At one point this weekend my 5-year old son laughingly called me a “butt-head.” This was promptly posted on Facebook.

Daughter Compliments. At one point this weekend my 8-year old daughter out of nowhere complimented me and my wife on our parenting skills. This was also promptly posted on Facebook.

Survival of Monster’s University. We took the kids to see Monster’s University for some needed out-of-the-sun downtime. My 5-year old son was uncomfortable the whole time and eventually begged me to take him out of the movie…just too scary for him. I figured the kids would be up all night with nightmares but it was okay…we survived!

My Schedule:  Available all day….

My Market Watch: Bonds Up Big After Friday’s Bashing.  Bonds are way up +69bps after falling -206bps on Friday after the Jobs Report.  On Friday the Jobs Report came in even on unemployment but much better on new jobs created. As a result, traders dumped bonds and bought stocks. When I say traders dumped bonds I mean they sold them off big-time…bonds dropped over -200bps in one day…a bond blood bath.

This morning we’ve gotten back some of those losses – almost +70bps. Wednesday the minutes to the big Fed meeting last month are revealed.  This is freaking me out because I anticipate more downside to this report than otherwise. And with job creation being strong, there is nothing to butt-heads with his new stance on tapering QE. I got a bad feeling about it….

Perspective.  30-Year Fixed Average Rates:

  • Past 40 years:  8.15%
  • Past 30 years:  7.45%
  • Past 20 years:  6.52%
  • Past 10 years:  5.72%

A word on locks.  Even though turn-times are fast, I advise longer term locks or at least a pricing cushion to account for possible lock extensions. Flexibility in getting additional days is not as elastic. I advise 45 day Locks. If you must lock 30 days then be sure to build in additional rebate in case you need to pay for an extension.  This is good smart business.

distinguish_yourselfDistinguish Yourself. In order to succeed in this business and in this market, you must find a way to distinguish yourself from other LOs. That is, if you are going to get more reliable referral sources, you must be able to clearly convey several compelling reasons why they should use you….My calendar is getting full – I am scheduling presentations to discuss (1) How to Be Successful In The Future Market, (2) Where to Look For Additional Referral Sources, and (3) How To Distinguish Yourself From Other LOs.  Let me know if you’re interested in a presentation….

Blank Cancer

blankcancer

My beautiful lovely hyper-intelligent friend. I hate Cancer…blank Cancer.

I wrote the following late Saturday night after spending the evening with my friend and her husband, with whom I shared more than a reasonable amount of fine wine:

I wish. But it matters not. It is. 

As I drank my Pinot Noir and talked with my friend about life, the afterlife, and about what matters least, and most, I think of my kids, my parents, my wife, my brother and sisters…family. I think not of work, loans, the market, money…things…stuff…it matters not. More Pinot Noir.  

I wish…it is. I focus on my beautiful too young friend whose body is failing…her life highs, her life struggles…her thoughts towards the end, or rather the beginning as she now sees it… Something is approaching…palpable. She is scared but hopeful…I am sad but grateful. She is a beautiful soul who teaches me…. 

My Market Watch:  Bonds Up – Fixed Rates Better

Bonds are up +23bps on the day so far and fixed rates are better than Friday. This is a big week on the economic calendar which includes the Jobs Report. I’ll be writing more on this tomorrow….

A word on locks.  Even though turn-times are fast, with rates moving higher and Capital Markets challenged with its hedged locks over the last 70 days, be mindful to lock 45 days or more for your transactions. If you must lock 30 days then be sure to have additional rebate accounted for in case you need to pay for an extension.  This is good smart business.  Let me know if you have questions….

My Schedule:  Available all day….

distinguish_yourselfDistinguish Yourself. In order to succeed in this business and in this market, you must find a way to distinguish yourself from other LOs. That is, if you are going to get more reliable referral sources, you must be able to clearly convey several compelling reasons why they should use you….My calendar is getting full – I am scheduling presentations to discuss (1) How to Be Successful In The Future Market, (2) Where to Look For Additional Referral Sources, and (3) How To Distinguish Yourself From Other LOs.  Let me know if you’re interested in a presentation….

LAST CHANCE!

lastchanceLAST CHANCE!   The window to change Lender-Paid Comp Plans ends this Sunday.  Third Quarter comp plans will be the same as they are now unless you change it. This is your last chance!

Lower Comp or Raise Comp?
Third Quarter comp plans will be the same as they are now unless you change it by Sunday. I have sent several messages to the Broker of record or Admin about this window. Here is the question you must answer:

  1. Should you reduce your commission as a strategy to increase volume/revenue? That is, if you reduce your lender-paid commission, will this make you more competitive and allow you to win against other LOs?
  2. Should you increase your commission as a strategy to increase per loan revenue? That is, if volume is decreasing because of the market, should you make more on each transaction?

My opinion depends on your current marketing strategy. If you rely on consumer marketing then I advise you reduce your commission to strengthen your competitiveness. However, if you rely on solid long-lasting referral sources, then you might want to slightly increase your compensation to account for an expected drop in volume. I am happy to discuss…call or email anytime….

The window to change your comp plan is currently open…but it closes this Sunday 6/30. If you do nothing your comp plan will stay the same. If you change your comp plan it will be effective for submission packages uploaded on Monday 7/1 and for the remainder of the third quarter. Let me know if you require instructions on how to change your plan….

My Market Watch:  Bonds Were Up But Now Down -19bps — Fixed Rates Slightly Worse So Far…

Bonds are down -20bps on the day. Pricing was the same at some coupons and worse at others, namely the higher rates. Overall, this has been the first positive week since last April…we’ll take it!

Of concern this morning is the latest move by traders to sell off bonds. With bonds being sold by traders to take profits from this weeks upward move, the bond is now selling near a floor. It looks like it’s going to hold, but if it should slip down below this floor, then we could see a bigger sell off and a reprice for the worse. candles22This is somewhat alarming and I advise you to lock if necessary if your borrower is happy with the current rate and price. Remember, Interbank’s online locking system is open until 9:30p Sunday night.

Traders are selling and the bond is getting close to a floor (Floor 1). When traders sell bonds, like now, pricing typically worsens. With bonds down -20bps on the day, and because they are trading so close to the floor, it’s a good time to lock in. If the bond falls through Floor 1 then next floor down is the Lobby.  Let me know if you have questions….

 

My Schedule:  I have a presentation at noon.

distinguish_yourselfDistinguish Yourself. In order to succeed in this business and in this market, you must find a way to distinguish yourself from other LOs. That is, if you are going to get more reliable referral sources, you must be able to clearly convey several compelling reasons why they should use you….My calendar is getting full – I am scheduling presentations to discuss (1) How to Be Successful In The Future Market, (2) Where to Look For Additional Referral Sources, and (3) How To Distinguish Yourself From Other LOs.  Let me know if you’re interested in a presentation….

This Is The End

thisistheendThis Is The End.  If you’re an idiot you’ll love this movie. Like an idiot I saw this last night with my best friend…he’s an idiot too. That said, I admit I laughed out loud several times and (I can’t believe I’m admitting this) actually found this movie entertaining. I definitely saw it with the right person…if I had dragged my wife to this movie I would have been very lonely for a long time if you know what I mean. But would I recommend this movie to anyone? Hells no! Unless of course you’re a teenager or an habitual pot smoker. But unless one of these criteria applies to you this is a movie you should wait for on cable and watch it at 2a only because you can’t sleep.

My Market Watch:  Bonds Up – Fixed Rates Much Better

Economic reports were untelling this morning, so why are rates much better than yesterday?  Fed executives have been speaking out and the statements have essentially reaffirmed Quantitative Easing. If you recall I predicted Bernanke would make such a statement to ease the bond sell-off…but I was wrong…instead of Bernanke reaffirming QE he instead reaffirmed tapering QE. But other Fed speakers have done what Bernanke failed to do and as a result we have seen a nice jump in bond trading. Here’s a nice refresher on QE.

candles20When traders buy bonds, like this morning, the bond price increases and this has a direct positive correlation to our rates/pricing. With bonds up +38bps on the day, and after a nice climb yesterday, pricing on fixed rate loans jumped significantly.  Also, the bond is trading near a ceiling of resistance. If you think of the bond as a glass elevator, the elevator has been going up as bonds are being bought. As it approaches the ceiling (ceiling 2) traders pause…some traders will sell to take early profits while other wait to see if the bond will break through the ceiling. If it does, the next ceiling up (ceiling 3) would be a better place to sell…Trading-101 = buy low and sell high. So, let’s all give some positive energy to bond trading…BREAK THROUGH THAT CEILING!   In the meantime don’t lock your loans…we might see better pricing, unless of course you see the bond start selling off….

My Schedule:  I have a presentation this afternoon at 3p and will be difficult to reach late in the day.

compchartLower Comp – Raise Volume?

The window to change Lender-Paid Comp Plans ends on Sunday 6/30. Third Quarter comp plans will be the same as they are now unless your Broker changes it. I have sent several messages to the Broker of record or Admin about this window and received many questions.  The questions are:

  1. Should you reduce your commission as a strategy to increase volume?  That is, if you reduce your lender-paid commission, will this make you more competitive and allow you to win against other LOs?
  2. Should you increase your commission as a strategy to increase revenue?  That is, if volume is decreasing because of the market, should you make more on each transaction?

My opinion depends on your current marketing strategy.  If you rely on consumer marketing then I advise you reduce your commission to strengthen your competitiveness. However, if you rely on solid long-lasting referral sources, then you might want to slightly increase your compensation to account for an expected drop in volume. I am happy to discuss…call or email anytime….

The window to change your comp plan is currently open…but it closes on Sunday 6/30. If you do nothing your comp plan will stay the same.  If you change your comp plan it will be effective for submission packages uploaded on Monday 7/1 and for the remainder of the third quarter. Let me know if you require instructions on how to change your plan….

distinguish_yourselfDistinguish Yourself. In order to succeed in this business and in this market, you must find a way to distinguish yourself from other LOs. That is, if you are going to get more reliable referral sources, you must be able to clearly convey several compelling reasons why they should use you….My calendar is getting full – I am scheduling presentations to discuss (1) How to Be Successful In The Future Market, (2) Where to Look For Additional Referral Sources, and (3) How To Distinguish Yourself From Other LOs.  Let me know if you’re interested in a presentation….

Your Comp Plan – Decrease or Increase?

compchartLower Comp – Raise Volume?

The window to change Lender-Paid Comp Plans ends on Sunday 6/30. Third Quarter comp plans will be the same as they are now unless your Broker changes it. I have sent several messages to the Broker of record or Admin about this window and received many questions.  The questions are:

  1. Should you reduce your commission as a strategy to increase volume?  That is, if you reduce your lender-paid commission, will this make you more competitive and allow you to win against other LOs?
  2. Should you increase your commission as a strategy to increase revenue?  That is, if volume is decreasing because of the market, should you make more on each transaction?

My opinion depends on your current marketing strategy.  If you rely on consumer marketing then I advise you reduce your commission to strengthen your competitiveness. However, if you rely on solid long-lasting referral sources, then you might want to slightly increase your compensation to account for an expected drop in volume. I am happy to discuss…call or email anytime….

The window to change your comp plan is currently open…but it closes on Sunday 6/30. If you do nothing your comp plan will stay the same.  If you change your comp plan it will be effective for submission packages uploaded on Monday 7/1 and for the remainder of the third quarter. Let me know if you require instructions on how to change your plan….

My Market Watch:  Bonds Up Big But Lost Gains – Fixed Rates Better Than Yesterday 0.375

This morning before you woke up the bond market was way up…big time up over +75bps and it looked like we had a nice day ahead of us. Interbank’s fixed rates are better by 0.375 from yesterday in some coupons. But since then the bond has fallen almost -50bps. If you were looking to lock, this is a great time to do it. However, if you’re under no pressure to lock, then I’d float…according to my research we might be looking at a reversal. I don’t know by how much, but I think this morning’s push was an attempt in that direction. That is, I think bonds sold off fast this morning as a reaction by traders to play the market. But according to the chatter and the charts we might have some hope ahead of us.  Let’s all think on that…give it some positive energy, eh?

My Schedule:  Available all day….

Distinguish Yourself. In order to succeed in this business and in this market, you must find a way to distinguish yourself from other LOs. That is, if you are going to get more reliable referral sources, you must be able to clearly convey several compelling reasons why they should use you….My calendar is getting full – I am scheduling presentations to discuss (1) How to Be Successful In The Future Market, (2) Where to Look For Additional Referral Sources, and (3) How To Distinguish Yourself From Other LOs.  Let me know if you’re interested in a presentation….