Mortgage Magic Newsletter

The Marketing Tool No Mortgage Company Uses Properly

2007-08-30 14:03:14

Dear Friend,

The Marketing Tool No Mortgage Company Uses Properly

Pretty bold claim, isn’t it?

What I am about to tell you is not rocket science, but that doesn’t mean that you use this tool properly. In fact, most companies, not just those in the mortgage business, DO NOT use this tool properly.

Let me tell you what I am talking about:

You can convert more potential clients by talking less and showing more.

Showing more testimonials.

Prospects are 5 times more likely to believe something someone else says about you than what you say about yourself. So, let them know what your satisfied clients say.

Create a testimonial folder or album with pictures and letters of all your past clients. The more the better. This works wonders when a prospect is undecided about working with you. How many clients have you worked with in the past? You should have asked them all for referrals. But how many of them did you ask a testimonial from?

A testimonial is a comment regarding your service.

Example: “I loved working with XYZ Mortgage. They made the process of getting a loan so easy and fun that I want to refinance with them right now, just to do it again.”
Marge Simpson, Springfield

Now imagine, you get a list of all of Marge’s friends and send them a letter. And in the letter include what Marge said about you.

Can you see how powerful this is? These people get a letter from a mortgage company and their own friend is saying how great they are.

Ask all your clients to write or say something about you and your service so that you can use it in your marketing. Just call them up and ask. There is no shame in it. Every product you see advertised on TV or the radio uses testimonials. And almost none of them are unsolicited, meaning the people felt so good about the product they wrote a letter without being asked to.

Testimonials are not that easy to get. You cannot sit around waiting for them. I have asked people how they liked my service many times. They all say it was wonderful, great, etc. But when I ask them to write that down and send it to me so I can use it, guess what happens? NOTHING!

They never send it in.

So what I do is ask them how everything was. If they could describe the experience in one sentence what would it be? And then I ask if I can use that in my marketing. They always say yes.

Then I write it up, and mail it to them to sign and return verifying that they said it. This technique works much better.

Then once you get them, use testimonials in all your marketing. Believe me it works.

Just look at all the late night infomercials. They are hard to believe and make extravagant claims, but they sell a lot of product, mainly because of the testimonials. One marketer was explaining about how he increased sales on a product in an infomercial. It was 30 minutes long and had several testimonials. All they did was double the number of testimonials, and it doubled the orders!

If you can, make them visible.

What kind of impression would it make on a couple coming to you to get a loan when they walk into your office and see dozens of pictures on the wall of you and other couples whom you have helped, smiling while standing in front of their new homes?

They sure wouldn’t ask you if you are new in the business, that’s for certain.

You can use testimonials to overcome other objections as well. We all get people who think they can get a better rate somewhere else, but what if you showed them a testimonial or two from people who came to you, thought they could get a better rate elsewhere, and then got ripped off and had to come back to you?

Like I said before, nobody uses this tool, and it’s a shame. I hope you start today.

Happy Originating!

How Credit Scores Affect Your Mortgage

2007-08-23 22:22:49

Dear Friend,

Here's some help with credit scores. Our company hired a well known expert on credit to write up a report on improving credit scores that we could pass on to our clients.

Now you can do the same. Whether it's for your clients or even for yourself, you will learn a lot just by reading it.

You can download a copy in .pdf format. Just right click on the link below and choose save as. Then save it to your desktop.

Http://www.mortgagebrokertraining.com/scores.zip

Happy Originating!

Automated Follow Up

2007-08-30 14:02:11

Dear Friend,

95% of your clients now have an email address.

And there is a cheap and effortless way to follow up with them even on a daily basis if you wish. No wait, what am I saying? There is no wish about it. You MUST.

It is called an autoresponder. It's an email software that blasts emails out to people once they agree to get them. Once someone signs up to your responder, the software automatically sends that person whatever emails you want, whenever you want them sent.

For example, you can set up your responder with 50 email follow-ups. 1 to go out everyday. So when a client’s email address is added to your responder, that email address will get your first follow-up on day one, the second one on day two, and so on.

You can have as many follow-ups as you want. And they don’t cost anything extra.

If you mailed the follow-ups you would have to pay for paper, printing and postage. But with email it’s almost free!

Go to http://www.mortgagebrokertraining.com/resources.html to see which company we use and recommend.

For about $20 a month you can send out as many follow-ups to as many people as you want.

So your clients will never forget you, just like I will never forget you.

That’s what we use to tell you this newsletter is ready. You are on our autoresponder list.

There is no worry about Spam, because the only people who subscribe to your list will get the messages, and every message will have a link at the bottom that people can click if they want to get off your list.

You can send as many messages, whenever you want.

No worries about not being computer savvy either. These companies have made it very easy for you to set up into your own website. Or, you can do it without the website.

Say for example, you want to advertise giving away a free report. All you do is have people send an email (blank or otherwise, it doesn’t matter) to your autoresponder email address. The computer will automatically send them the free report right away. And it will store their email address in its memory. If you have it set up properly, you can them have emails automatically sent to the person who asked for your report.

This would be a great thing to put on your business card or any other ad for that matter. For example:

Ten Things To Know That Will Save You Thousands On The Next Home You Buy – Get this FREE report by sending an email to: anything@mymortgage.com

Or you can use it to be in constant communication with your clients during the loan process. Just enter their email into the system when they sign the loan app, and it can send them messages about what to expect at closing, how to refer you to their friends, not to buy a lot of furniture on credit before you pull the credit report, why they made a great decision in choosing you, etc.

Just brainstorm a little, and you will be able to come up with your own great ideas on how to use this great tool.

Happy Originating!

How Do Homebuyers Choose Their Mortgage Lender?

2007-08-23 23:24:29

Dear Friend,

How Do Homebuyers Choose Their Mortgage Lender?

Interesting question. And the answers will surprise you.

But before I give you the answers, what do you think are the main reasons people choose a mortgage lender? Come on, think a little.

I asked a few brokers in my office, and here were the top three responses:

Lowest rate/fees
Referred
Advertising

What are your top three?

The National Association of Realtors mailed out an eight-page questionnaire to 35,000 recent homebuyers. The survey resulted in 2,703 usable responses with an adjusted response rate of 7.7 percent. Customer names and addresses were obtained from Experian, a firm that maintains an extensive database of recent homebuyers derived from county records.

If you want to get a copy of the results, you may purchase them at www.nar.com

Now, here are the results:

75% of all buyers bought their house through a Realtor. 14% bought directly from a builder.

76% of all buyers, used only one agent to help them search for a home. – Buyers are showing a lot of loyalty to agents.

69% of buyers received a recommendation from their agent about where to get their mortgage. The majority of first time buyers asked the agent for help in finding a lender.

36% of buyers, said that the most important reason they choose a lender, was because of the agent’s recommendation. And keep in mind, that most realtors are not trained properly in how to send business to the lender.

And 41% of them got their information about mortgage lenders from their agent.

14% of buyers chose the lender on price.
16% of buyers chose the lender on reputation.
14% of buyers used the lender they had used before.
13% used the lender they were recommended to by a friend or relative.

Above you can see that 49% of buyers chose their mortgage lender because they were referred either by the agent, or a friend/family member. Our company can help you crack the referral market. Referrals are the easiest loans to get and the most lucrative. See our website for more details. www.referralsondemand.com

Only 14% chose based on the price. And you can be sure that the lenders that were referred, did not offer the cheapest price.

One more stat you need to know is this:

48% of all homebuyers got a quote from only ONE mortgage company when getting their loan. And 28% got quotes from two companies.

Since 49% of buyers were referrals and 48% didn’t shop the loan at all, it is not an off the wall guess to say that people who are referred do not even bother to shop the rate they are quoted. They have such confidence in the lender, because someone (a third party) told them that the lender was good. Based on that information they put total faith in that lender.

If you want to be in that situation, where people are just sent to you by others, and you can charge them whatever you feel like charging (as long as it is competitive and reasonable), then you need to put this system into place right away.

If you are not getting referrals, then you do not even have a chance at getting a loan from almost half of all the borrowers. On the other hand, if you do get referrals, you essentially have no competition whatsoever.

You should also think about getting some Realtors to be partners with you. By setting up business partnerships with realtors, by helping them grow and get more business, you will have the most important piece of the referral puzzle on your team. As the numbers say above, Realtors control at least 36% of the people buying homes. If you are not working with Realtors, they are sending these buyers to someone else, when they could be sending them to you.

And getting Realtors on your team is not as hard as you might think. Especially if you have The Marketing To Real Estate Agents Toolkit. It’s available at www.MarketingToAgents.com. And it has everything you need to get Realtors to call you, wanting to work with you. You owe it to yourself to at least check it out.

Happy Originating!

What Happened To Everyone's Manners?

2007-08-30 14:04:35

Dear Friend,

What happened to everyone’s manners?

I don't think I am out on a limb when I say, it is very rare to find a person that is actually thankful when you do something for them.

While this might be a sad commentary on our society, you can use this to your advantage. You can stand out from the crowd by actually taking the time to say, “Thank You”. And the best way to do it in the form of a thank you card.

You can do it for just about anything.

The impact you will make will astound you. When was the last time you got a thank you card? See, you still remember, if you ever received one.

So to get more business, send out one thank you card every day. Start with just one and make it a habit. Start today. How about sending me one for the idea?

Your cards don’t have to be fancy, but they should come from you. Handwritten. Not some form letter. People see right through those.

I read a story the other day about a man who was on a plane, and found a roach in the meal. He was so upset that as soon as he landed, he wrote a letter to the airline. A week or two later, he got a response from the airline. They expressed their sincerest apologies, and promised to have the plane sprayed and all the food serving equipment sterilized. They also thanked him for his concern and such.

The man was happy that they took him seriously and that they would fix the problem, until he found a post-it note on the back of the letter that must have been left on by mistake. It said, “Send this guy the roach letter”.

No form letters for you.

UPDATE: Since I wrote this issue, over 50,000 loan officers have read it. And guess how man thank you notes I have received so far? 5. It's no skin off my nose if you do not send me a thank you note. But it just goes to show how rare it is. And by the way, I have saved all the thank you notes. I have gotten a lot of emails. But an email does not have the same effect as a handwritten, mailed, thank you note.

Happy Originating!

What Does A Mafia Boss Know About Marketing?

2007-08-30 14:02:53

Dear Friend,

What does a mafia boss know about marketing?

The following is taken from Yanik Silver’s Surefire Marketing Secrets Email Newsletter
You can subscribe by sending a blank email to ==> instantletters@getresponse.com Along with your subscription you'll get a free 3-part 'mini-course' "7 Direct Mail Secrets Guaranteed To Create A Stampede of New Business!" -----------------------------

What does a mafia boss know about marketing?

Lots. Read on to find out...

Do you remember in the movie "The Godfather" when Don Corleone says, "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse"?

And it's this simple concept that's the backbone of any successful sales proposition you make. (However if I were you, I'd probably leave out the threats of violence in your sales piece.)

From now on, your job is to create such powerful offers that anyone reading it would say to themselves, "My goodness, I'd have to be a complete idiot not to take them up on this deal!"

And creating a powerful offer like this is easier than you think. Let me share with you one of the most compelling offers I've seen. It took a dying hotel on the wrong side of the Vegas 'strip', where you had to watch your wallet at every turn, and transformed it into a super moneymaker.

This is from a very successful ad that used to run for Bob Stupak's Vegas World hotel. Listen to this deal and see if you wouldn't act on this even if you were just an occasional gambler:

"Act now, to receive a virtually free Las Vegas vacation. For $198 per person or $396 per couple I will:

1) Put you up in a luxurious mini suite in an exciting Las Vegas hotel right on the famous strip.

2) I will give you free tickets to a show with name entertainers.

3) I will put a chilled bottle of champagne in your room for free.

4) I'll let you drink as much as want for free, whether you're at the gaming tables, playing slots or in one of the lounges.

5) I'll hand you $1,000 of my money to gamble with for free.

6) I'll let you keep all your winnings.

7) I'll guarantee you'll win a color TV, VCR or a faux diamond ring.

Obviously I'm not going to give this incredible deal to everybody in the whole world. There can only be (small number) of these vacation packages available. First come, first served."

If that's not an irresistible offer, I don't what is. The closer you can get to something like this, the more customers you'll have falling all over themselves to give you their money.

Does this give you a few ideas?

====================== Using The Bonus Pile On =================

Vegas World's offer uses a concept I call "Bonus Pile On".

And the way it works is to keep piling on bonus after bonus until finally you have to say "no mas" and whip out your charge card.

It was the same thing with the famous Ginsu knife commercials a few years back. They used this technique perfectly to sell millions of dollars of cutlery. The announcer would say

"And if you act now you'll also get..." and then about 15 different knives and kitchen gadgets would pop up on the screen.

It made you think about how much value you were getting for such a little price.

That's the power of the "bonus pile on".

Happy Originating!

The Reading List That Will Make You Rich

2007-09-19 12:34:40

Dear Friend,

Solomon, considered to be the wisest man of all time, has been recorded as saying, "Wise men store up knowledge."

Francis Bacon has told us, "Knowledge is power."

In today's society, it is easier to acquire knowledge than in any other time before. The purpose of this letter is to provide you with a starting point of knowledge.

Listed below is what I call my Reading List. It is comprised of the books that I think are absolutely essential to being successful in business and life.

I have personally read all these books, many more than once, and recommend them all. They should all be in your library.

Jim Rohn, a famous speaker, has said, "just walking into your own library makes you feel smarter".

Ever wonder how Oprah Winfrey became a billionaire? Once of the reasons is that she reads two books a week, even with her schedule she still finds time to read.

So read, my little guppie, read.

1. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill - The greatest book on personal development and making money every written.

2. The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber - Great for small businesses. Follow the formula and your business will run like clockwork.

3. Influence by Robert Caldini - Learn how to get others to do what you want. Why do we buy the things we buy and do the things we do?

4. The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino - Great story. Easy read. Great lessons.

5. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki - new way to think about money. I think I have read this book 6 times.

6. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey - a business classic. Is rewuired reading in my Jump Start Your Mortgage Career class.

7. Relationship Selling by Jim Cathcart - Great ideas and methods to increase sales.

8. The Success System That Never Fails by W Clement Stone - This man made his fortune in the depressions and built one of the largest insuance companies in the world. Great sales techniques.

9. The Richest Man in Babylon by George S Clason - The best way to get rich.

10. Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins - Get your emotions, values and life all aligned. Learn how to motivate yourself to be able to do anything. No more excuses!

11. The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peal -

12. How To Sell Anything To Anybody by Joe Girard - Great stories and strategies that you can implement in your business right away.

13. Triggers by Joe Sugarman - Use these elements in your sales copy and pitch to increase conversion.

14. Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples - A classic advertsing book.

15. How To Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie - the name says it all

16. Residential Mortgage Loan Origination Made Easy by Abby Kamadia - the #1 selling mortgage trianing manual available today.

17. Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles - How to look at customer service

18. See You At The Top by Zig Ziglar - Great for motivation

19. How To Make Your Credit Sparkle by Ameen Kamadia - My first book. If you want to improve your credit to help clients to improve theirs', this is the book for you.

20. The New Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz - Get your brain to do what you want it to.

21. Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude by W Clement Stone and Napoleon Hill - Another great self-help book

22. Missed Fortune by Douglas Andrew - Talks about using home equity to start a life insuance policy and get rich.

23. Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You've Got by Jay Abraham - Marketing strategies and ways to increase profits in your business.

24. Good To Great by Jim Collins - how to improve your company and what to avoid while growing

24. Adventure Capitalist by Jim Rogers - a trip around the world in a car with a billionaire. Great insights to other economies and lessons on investing.

25. Awaken The Giant Within by Anthony Robbins - Another great Robbins book.

26. Retire Young Retire Rich by Robert Kiyosaki - Working til 65 and then retiring is not mandatory. Learn how to retire fast, and then do only what you want to.

27. So You Want To Be A Mortgage Broker by Ameen Kamadia - Answers the question - "How to do become a loan officer or mortgage broker and what is it like?"

28. Marketing Outrageously by Jon Spoelstra - Fun to read. Great stories. And some great ideas.

29. Customer Loyalty by Jill Griffin - How to take your prospects and tuen them into advocates. A great primer for doing business by referral.

30. The Marketing Game - by Eric Schulz - a cross between a marketing textbook and a case study. Learn how real compaines do market research and advertising.

31. Jump Start Your Business Brain by Doug Hall - a business book about what is takes to make a product successful.

32. The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz - Managing Energy, not time, is the key to high performance and personal renewal.

33. The Sales Bible by Jeffrey Gitomer - an easy read about how to be a better salesperson.

34. How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie - a classic that everyone should have.

35. Jump Start Your Mortgage Career. A 30 Day Plan To Skyrocket Your Production by Ameen Kamadia. A must have for every loan officer. Called by some readers, the "Bible of Mortgage Marketing"

36. Winning Through Intimidation by Robert Ringer. Life lessons from a pro real estate salesman.

37. Made To Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath

Happy Originating!

7 Cheap and Easy Ways to Generate Leads

2007-09-19 12:39:58

Dear Fellow Loan Originator,

Need a few more loans but don't have the cash to do some serious marketing? Have no fear! In this issue I am going to reveal 7 fantastic ways to generate leads almost for free. These methods are super cheap (most are free) and work like gangbusters.

How do I know? Because I shared them with my coaching clients and they had excellent results.

These 7 methods are just a few of the over 30 cheap marketing methods I share in one lesson of my 22 lesson Jump Start Your Mortgage Career E-Class. This new class is for any loan officer who is new and struggling or any verteran that just needs a little help with their marketing. It took me over 2 years to create the content for this 12 week, 22 lesson class, and I can honestly say there is nothing available out there that compares to this class.

If you could use more loans, then do yourself a favor and check it out for yourself. http://www.JumpStartYourMortgageCareer.com

Here we go...

Cheap Mortgage Lead Generation Tip # 1. Join an Association

People join associations for one of three reasons:

Social - they want to build or maintain friendships and influences that may have taken years to build;

Promotional - they want to offer their own products or services to others in in a cost effective and positive way;

Educational - they want to see what their competition is up to, and find out about the latest developments within their industry

Grow your network and your database by joining groups of already established people. By socializing with people who share common interests with you, it makes it easier to generate business. People like to do business with people they like and trust. Most people like others who have the same interests as they do.

Cheap Mortgage Lead Generation Tip #2: Use Book Stores and Libraries

One of the questions I keep asking all my coaching clients is "How can you tell if someone is getting ready to need a mortgage? What do they do? How do they act?"

This is the million dollar question. If you can answer this question, you can easily be rich in the mortgage business. By being able to identify that they want a mortgage before they start looking for one, you can get a jump on all the other loan companies. This is one area of our business that still annoys me. Most other businesses have a way to identify when someone will need their service, and can market to them accordingly. Like when someone buys a new home, they most likely will be buying furniture, blinds, home accessories, etc. So if we were selling any of these items, all we need is a list of new homeowners to market to. And that list is easily available. But how the heck do we figure out who is "thinking" of getting a mortgage?

The answer one of my coaching clients came up with was that they might go to the bookstore or library to read books on home buying, or mortgages, or real estate in general. And that's true. Every bookstore has a real estate section. And most of the books are for consumers who are buying and selling real estate.

So my next question is, "Now that we have identified what they do, how do we get our message in front of them?"

And my client came up with this simple method: Go to the bookstores and libraries and insert a business card into each book.

After doing it for a couple months, he came up with some simple observations:

First, he learned that the best place to put the card was somewhere in the front. Try for the first chapter because not everyone reads the whole book.
Second, pick the books with the best covers and graphics inside- they sell the best.
Third, not all books sell and some are sent back to the publishers.
Fourth, having a USP on the card helps boost response.
Fifth, it takes about 10 minutes per bookstore.
Sixth, he averages 3-4 calls a month, and one loan per month.
Seventh, he now has his assistant do it. And she goes once a week.
Eight, the people who call are in search of more information, so offering them unbiased advice and more resources really turns them on.

If you have the time, and are brave enough to be seen doing it, try it and see what results you get. I wanted to test it in my market. So I went to three bookstores and put in about 120 cards. I got 2 calls, and one of them is a very serious prospect. If I do it more often, I have no doubt that it would work for me as well.

Cheap Mortgage Lead Generation Tp #3: Orphan Files

When a loan officer leaves a company the clients he/she brought to the company are called orphans. These clients now belong to the company. Ask your manager to see if you can contact any orphan files in your office to see if they need any mortgage or real estate help. Be nice enough, and they will allow you to add them to your database.

Cheap Mortgage Lead Generation Tip #4: Tradeshows

Another coaching client of mine goes to tradeshows. But not the ones related to our business. He goes to unrelated trade shows: electronic shows, design shows, car shows, and his favorite: women's trade shows.

Most of the time, he is the only mortgage company there. And he is averaging 2-3 loan applications per show. The trick is to tie in your business with the show. If it is a car show, you can advertise that you can help anyone buy any car in the place.

If you can pre-approve someone at a car show for a cash out refinance, they can go and buy that hot car they have been salivating on for the last 2 hours. Instant gratification.

Cheap Mortgage Lead Generation Tip #5: Join A Local Real Estate Investment Group.

Every major city has one. And they are full of people buying and selling houses. They need money to buy houses, and they need money to help others buy their houses.

Cheap Mortgage Lead Generation Tip #6: Realtor Open Houses

Stop by at realtor open houses on the weekends. Offer to leave some financing materials.

When you get to know a realtor, you can offer to do open houses for her where you sit in the house instead of her. It is not a fun way to spend an afternoon, but you might get some good leads out of it.

If you decide to go this route, make sure the house is in a well trafficed area and easy to get to. And make sure the agent does some advertising and lends you signs and balloons. You do not want to sit in a house, where no one shows up because it is hard to find or no one knew about the open house.

Another tip is to meet the neighbors of the home you are holding open. See if they know anyone wanting to move or buy. Chances are someone will know of a family wanting to move into the neighborhood.

Cheap Mortgage Lead Generation Tip #7: Realtor MLS

Want a source of thousands of people who will be getting a mortgage within the next couple months?

It's sellers. And the Multiple Listing Service used by Realtors is full of them. Do a search of homes for sale, get the owners' name from the tax records and you have yourself a good prospect list.

Mail them something about you or an offer for free information. Call them if you can get their phone number and they are not on the Do Not Call list, or just drop by their house if you have the guts.

This is exactly what one of my coaching clients does. He calls Realtors who have listings and asks them if he can market his services to the home sellers. Many Realtors say yes. When they do, he contacts the sellers, and tells them that their realtor said it was ok to call on them.

He tells me the majority of home sellers he talks to are willing to talk to him and he gets several loans a month using this trick.

If you liked the above lead generation tips and would like more, check out my Jump Start Your Mortgage Career E-Class today. As I said, these are just a few of the dozens of cheap lead generation techniques I share in one lesson of the course. The other lessons cover every aspect of mortgage marketing that you need to suceed in this business.

Happy Originating!

4 Simple Steps To Get As Much Business From Realtors As You Want

2007-09-19 12:43:03

Dear Friend,

Here are the 4 simple steps to get as much business from Realtors as you want.

1. Make them call you. A realtor will not respect you if you go into their office trying to bribe them with donuts, or even worse begging for loans.

2. Make yourself stand out. The only way a Realtor will do business with someone they have never worked with before instead of the millions of other mortgage companies out there, is if you offer them something that they cannot get anywhere else.

3. Act like a partner. Help them grow their business even before they produce any buyers for you. Most realtors suck at marketing and need help - so help them.

4. Follow up. Have a systematic follow up program that will show them you are a professional and that you will not go away until they try you.

Now, you are probably thinking to yourself,

"Yeah, this all sounds good, but how do I do this, and when will I find the time?"

I have got your answer.

I have already done it for you.

In order to get Realtor business I have created a marketing system, that

a. gets them to call you

b. gets them to want to meet with you

c. provides you with a marketing system they cannot live without

d. provides you with all the marketing and follow up materials you need to put this system into action.

Trust me, the first three months I tested the system, I met with 26 realtors. 20 of those agreed to work with me and sent me 22 loans. In only 3 months!

Please do yourself a favor and read more about the system and how you can try it out at www.MarketingToAgents.com

Happy Originating!

What I Learned On My Honeymoon

2007-09-19 12:45:21

Dear Friend,

I just got back from Alaska. What a great place for a honeymoon!

Yup, I got married, and we took a cruise/land tour package. The scenery is breathtaking. If you have never been, you must go. It's amazing.

Anyway, while I was there, I learned a very important lesson in marketing and customer retention. One of the people on our table, (for dinner you sit with other people on one table), was a dentist. He said he had a decent sized practice, but that he made very good money. One of the reasons was that he charged one-third more than any other dentist in his town.

He could do this because he had extremely loyal patients. Well, I didn't buy that for a second. Customers can be pretty fickle, so I kept asking him how he could say that, and what made them loyal.

He told me that he kept in touch with all his patients, every month. He sent them a short letter with teeth tips, jokes, and an update of what was going on in his office.

He would also have parties 2-3 times a year (not during the holidays) and would invite all his patients. (Nothing extraordinary so far.)

Then he showed me 300 postcards that he had bought in Anchorage that day. He was going to spend the next few hours writing out messages to all his 300 clients, and then mail them from the next port of call.

I had to admit, if I got a postcard from my dentist from Alaska, telling me he was thinking about me on his vacation I would be pretty impressed, even if he did charge more.

It didn't cost him a lot, 25 cents per postcard and 37 cents to mail. But he told me he mails postcards once a year from vacation and his clients love it. They talk about it for months to all their friends, and that has resulted in many new customers as well.

Those few hours spent in writing postcards, have allowed him to take many more vacations.

So the next time you go on vacation, spend a couple hours writing to your best customers, telling them you are thinking of them, even though you are on vacation. It'll blow 'em away.

But make sure to mail them from your vacation spot.

Happy Originating!

You Are A Spammer!!!

2007-09-20 11:33:27

YOU ARE A SPAMMER!!!

That's right! You send SPAM to people. But don't feel bad, because just about everyone that sends email sends SPAM.

Well actually it's not SPAM. I mean I am sure you don't think your email is SPAM and the recipient might not think your email is SPAM but if his/her computer thinks it is then the result is the same -YOUR EMAIL WILL NOT GET DELIVERED!

Last week I sent an email to the few thousand people on our mailing list. I thought everything was OK until I got an email from a friend and customer. Randy emailed and said,

"Ameen, I almost didn't get your email. It was put in my SPAM box. Good thing I checked and recognized your name or else I wouldn't have gotten it. But I want to keep getting your emails. What do I do about this?"

We all face this same problem as marketers. It is estimated that 40-50% of all emails not do not get through Spam Blocking Software.

So half of the people you send email to do not even get your email. Is there anything we can do about it? Not much, but here are a couple tips.

1. If you use AOL to get your email, you might want to switch. AOL is notorious for forcing people to use their SPAM filters. Believe me, I use AOL and have missed many important emails because of this.

2. Do not use the word mortgage in the subject of your email. Words like free, mortgage, quote, sale, sex, all set off alarms for Spam filters and these emails get flagged and taken out of your inbox.

3. If you use an autoresponder service, they now offer a way to check if your email will make it through the filters.

4. Add in your signature of every email a reminder for people to add your email address to their list of approved senders. Something like,

"To make sure that you receive all my timely mortgage emails, please make sure to make the needed changes to your email spam filters so that it will not block my emails."

5. Add a page on your website where people can go to see the emails that you have sent. This works best if you offer an email course or more information via email. For example, this newsletter is being posted on the archives page so that if anyone misses or stops getting the email announcements, they can still stop by to read the new articles.

This Spam problem is going to get worse before it gets better.

So what you might want to do is rely less on email and more on regular mail. Don't stop send out emails, but be careful how much you rely on them.

Happy Originating!

Builders Are Getting Sneakier Everyday.

2007-09-20 11:40:16

Builders Are Getting Sneakier Everyday.

Here's a stat you won't like.

Did you know that Builders do 80% of the loans on homes they sell?

If you live anywhere near a new development you already know that builders will do anything to get the loan. And there is little we as brokers can do about it. I mean, how do we compete with them when they are offering $10,000 in free upgrades?

But they have gotten even sneakier.

Abby, told me just last week about a new test program started by Pulte. If it's successful they will role it out nationwide. But other builders have already started to copy them.

Here's what happened. One of the loan officers in our office, also has a real estate license, and he was showing a couple a new Pulte home. The couple really liked the home and were almost ready to sign the contract.

While the couple was downstairs looking at the model, the L.O. went upstairs to introduce himself to the builder rep and to inform her that he was the Realtor AND the mortgage broker for this couple so not to try to weasel the loan away.

She commented that almost 70% of the Realtors she meets with say the same thing to her. And because of that, Pulte has a new program where is the Realtor/L.O. does not get in the way of Pulte doing the loan, Pulte will pay the Realtor 6% commission instead of the normal 3%. But if they could not do the loan or give a competitive rate, he could then submit a GFE and still get the 6%.

When I first heard this, my jaw hit the floor. They are basically bribing Realtors to let them do the loan in exchange for a double commission!

What I can't decide is, if this is a good thing or bad thing.

In this case, the house price was about $140k. So 3% is a lot more than this L.O. was going to get doing the loan. He made out better for doing less work.

But if you are in the same situation and you do not have a real estate license, forget about it. If all builders adopt this policy, they will capture 100% of the market very soon.

So if you can, (some states don't allow it) get yourself a Real Estate license. It's the trend across the country and has already become very common in California, Texas, and Florida.

Happy Originating!

Jump Start Your Mortgage Career

2007-09-20 11:42:43

Could it really be true?

Are there really lead generation "secrets" that only the most successful loan officers know?

Honestly, I don't think there are.

However, there are several things that make lead generation easier if you do them.

For example, you need to stand out from the crowd. If prospects see you as much better than all the other loan officers out there, they will come to you on their own, and they will be willing to pay more.

It would also help if you were famous. If you are Oprah's loan officer, I think you would get a lot of people calling you.

How about if there was a niche market that no other loan officer was targeting? That would make lead generation easy as well.

The secret is not in knowing these things, but in knowing how to be different, or how to be Oprah's loan officer, or how to find that special niche.

As it turns out, it is not too hard.

In fact, if you have 30 days, I will show you exactly how.

I would like to announce the unveiling of my new book, Jump Start Your Mortgage Career: A Proven Plan For Loan Officers and Mortgage Brokers Who Want To Skyrocket Their Income in 30 Days.

Yes, the title is a little long, but I wanted to make sure everyone knew what it was about.

I wrote this book for two reasons.

1. I got tired of answering the question, "How Do I Become a Successful Loan Officer/Mortgage Broker?"

Now I don't have to say anything. I just tell them to read this book. And since the price is so low, no one can have any reason not to get a copy.

2. I got really aggravated by all the *&% that is being sold nowadays as mortgage marketing. Most of it is by failed loan officers who couldn't make a dime in the mortgage business and are now trying to rip other loan officers off by selling junk. My book contains actual strategies my coaching clients and I use in our businesses. Bottom line: They work, and with the price of this book so low, no one has an excuse to buy any more "junk".

For more information please visit: www.jumpstartyourmortgagecareer.com/book.html

You can even download a free chapter which will show you, How To Get Your Prospects To Do Whatever You Want.

Happy Originating!

The Best Place To Work If You Are Lazy

2007-09-20 11:48:47

I got the following email this morning,

"Dear Ameen,
I just bought your marketing to real estate agents kit.
I think the idea is really good, although involves a lot of work. One
thing that did make me regret my investment with you is the quality of
writing, grammar, etc. I would never market this quality to 100 hopeful
associates. I will most likely return the product, but I wanted to give
you an idea of what you could do to make this thing work."

First, let me thank this fellow for at least trying to help, but I think he missed the point.

Does it really matter if the writing is not of Stephen King quality? Especially if it is proven that it works just the way it is?

In fact, one of the items in the Toolkit is a letter where every word is misspelled on purpose, but you can still read it. (That letter is in there to prove another point.) I did not get an A in English class, but I did graduate with Honors. I read at least ten books a month from the largest publishers, and many of them have mistakes as well. I am sorry if there are errors in anything we send out. We do get everything edited, but mistakes happen. If you want marketing that makes you money, I am your guy. If you want proper english, then take a marketing class at your local university.

My point is, if you are going to be turned off to something by the way the message is presented, you are going to miss out a lot in life. If you only go to restaurants that look the fanciest, you will miss out on a lot of great places that serve much better food.

This guy admits the ideas are good, but he wants his money back because the grammar was incorrect in a few places. Give me a break! Does he want to be a rich mortgage broker or an English teacher? On top of that, his grammar is not perfect either!

Second, I think he gave away the farm when he mentioned in the second line that the kit is too much work. Hmmm, let think about this a second. Run ad, answer phone, meet Realtor, and do follow up. Yup, that's too much work. This guy was right. The 2-3 hours that would take is definitely not worth the $40,000 in commission you can earn from just one good Realtor.

People look, if you are allergic to work: GO GET A JOB WITH THE GOVERNMENT!

If you want to get ahead in this business or any other, some amount of work is required. Sorry, but that's the way it works. And if you get everything you need to get Realtor business handed to you already 90% done, and you still complain it is too much work - there is only one thing for you - euthanasia.

Happy Originating!

How To Address Client Expectations

2007-09-20 11:55:00

My wife and I spent the weekend at a newlywed retreat. What a great experience! It was a cross between a seminar and a vacation. We learned about marriage, had fun, and met new people at the same time.

One of the sessions reminded me of the mortgage business.

What we did was, as a group, we listed what we thought love was before we got married.

The list included things like:

Fairy tale romance
No fights
Lots of time together
Unconditional acceptance

Then we made a list of the way we think of love after marriage which included:

Lots of work
Compromises
Sacrifices

Big difference huh? And if you're married, you probably agree with these lists. If you're not married, you have been warned.

Anyway, I got to thinking that many of our clients have similar experiences when it comes to mortgages. Except many of them do the reverse. They think of it as a negative thing and then feel good about it when it's over. With all the negative publicity in the media, they come to us thinking they are in for a battle. They think we are going to rip them off, and we are only interested in their money. They get defensive when we ask about assets and many times aren't truthful.

But afterwards, they see that we are not the monsters the media makes us out to be. We don't charge junk fees or use bait and switch tactics. We really do care about their well being.

So how do we get them to change their attitude before the transaction?

I got the answer at the retreat as well. Before we started, they gave out a pre-evaluation. We were asked what we expected to learn and what we expected to get out of the program.

We can do the same thing: - a pre-application evaluation.

Ask potential clients what they expect from you and what they want. Get them to list 4-5 items, or make a questionnaire and ask them to rate items in terms of importance to them. Then give them proof of how you excel at the areas they listed.

For example, let's say they said they wanted to choose from a variety of loan options. You could show them a listing of all the lenders you deal with, and a list of all the loan programs each lender provides. That demonstration shows that they can choose from amongst thousands of loan programs by working with you. Of course, most of the loan programs will not be appropriate for what they want to do, but just showing them what you have will put them at ease.

Or, say they said they wanted to understand the loan process and not just be told what to do. In that case, you could give them some reading material, let them borrow a book, give them a list of websites, or invite them to a seminar you put on.

Do something that will address their concern and show them that you care. This will not only put them at ease, but make them easier to deal with throughout the loan process, increase the number of referrals they send you, and make you stand out from the competition.

Happy Originating!

Year End Review

2007-09-20 11:59:24

This article was originally written in late December.

***********************************************************************************************

I love and hate this time of year.

I love it because it gets cooler. People are in a better mood. Just about everybody is celebrating something, and people are shopping like crazy.

I hate it because not too many people are shopping for houses. Not that many people think about buying a house or refinancing the last 3 weeks of December.

But that's OK. We've got other things to do too.

Like reviewing how we did this year, and organizing for next.

Whenever you get a chance in the next week or so, take a look at all your production numbers.

Did you hit your yearly goals? Why or why not?

Which month was the best? Why?

What were your best methods to bring in new customers?

Were your expenses higher or lower than they should've been?

Taking a look at your records and asking yourself these and other questions are great ways to go through the whole year and analyze what you did right and what did not go according to plan. Try to identify areas where you can improve.

Then, it's time to start thinking about next year.

1. The best way to make sure marketing gets done is to have it set up in advance. Plan out your marketing for the whole year now. Decide what you are going to do and when.

2. Set up your goals for this coming year.

# of loans?
average net per loan?
% of prospects converted to application?
% of application that close?
hours per week worked?

These are just a few of the main ones.

3. Then ask yourself what you will do differently to achieve your goals. You cannot expect business to get better if you do not do anything about it. Sorry, but waiting for the economy to get better is not going to work. Rates are going up. And they will keep going up. The economy is doing OK. If you want things to change, you must do the changing.

So what will you do differently?

Will you get a coach to mentor you? (Our coaching program has been a booming success for everyone involved- visit www.mortgagebrokertraining.com/coaching.html for more info)
Will you invest in more education?
Will you try 1, 2, or 3, new marketing techniques?
Will you do all of the above?

I wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose to do, but make sure you do something. If you stop moving forward - you are moving backwards. It's not my rule, it's nature's law.

Happy Holidays to you and your family. May you be blessed with a wonderful new year, and may all your wishes come true.

Happy Originating!

The Mortgage Jokebook

2007-09-20 12:02:42

I need your help. I was recently looking for a mortgage joke book for some of my writings and I couldn't find one. Nor could I find any stories about loan officers, so I though it would be cool to put one together. Perhaps something like a Chicken Soup for the Loan Officer Soul or something.

That is where I need your help. I need your stories, jokes, sayings, and anything funny or uplifting that relates to our industry. This can include things that have happened to you, your associates, clients, etc, that are funny, odd, or bizarre.

If you have something to submit please send it to me at ameen (at) mortgagebrokertraining.com.

If your piece is selected, we will make sure you get proper credit as the author or submitter.

It's a great way to share the joy of mortgage brokerage with others. And it's a great way to get your name in print.

So if you have a story, hear one, or remember anything that you feel others in the biz would get a chuckle from, please send it in.

In the meantime, here's one that is making the rounds:

A Loan Officer died and met St. Peter at the Pearly Gates to present himself for admittance to Heaven.

Peter said, "You did a lot of good helping people get into homes and you donated a lot to charity. You even worked on that Habitat house. But you told too many fibs to the underwriters and were very unkind to both your processor and office staff.

We aren't sure where you're going to fit...so, we've decided to show you around both Heaven and Hell and see where you feel comfortable."

As they toured Heaven, the Loan Officer really liked the big mansions and the streets paved with gold, but the harp music did get on his nerves a little.

Then, when they showed him around Hell, he noticed everyone had their choice of playing golf or tennis, hanging out by the pool smoking and drinking, or dancing and playing cards in the clubhouse. He told St. Peter…"Oh, this is going to be hard! Can I sleep on it?"

So he was allowed to think it over during the night. The next morning they asked him for his decision. He quickly replied, "Oh please send me to Hell!"

They opened up the doors of Hell, but the whole picture had changed! It was just like you have always heard with lots of fire and brimstone. People were burning and being tortured and screaming! Oh, it was so hot and horrible!!

"Hey that's not what you showed me yesterday!!" the Loan Officer cried.

St. Peter's reply was cold and abrupt: "I know, you should have 'locked it' in yesterday."

Author Unknown

Happy Originating!

The Fastest Way To Generate Loans For People New To The Business

2007-09-20 12:06:46

I first learned this trick when I became a real estate agent in Miami with Coldwell Banker. Thankfully, I am no longer a real estate agent. But, I have great respect for those of you who work in that profession because it is not easy catering to people 24 hours a day.

I no longer work on other peoples' schedules. I make my own. But when you are starting out, you sometimes have no other choice.

But I digress.

Here is what I learned and how you can use the same techniques to boost your sales.

Step 1: Make a list of everyone you know. Include their phone numbers and addresses.

Step 2: Send them all a personal letter telling them that you are now in the mortgage business.

Step 3: Follow up with a phone call 3-4 days after you mail the letter.

Step 4: Follow up regularly.

This is how I started in the real estate industry. This was the first thing my manager had me do. And it worked. I started talking to people I knew but hadn't talked to in years. I discovered who was renting and who in my database owned homes. I got referrals and leads to work on. If you are new and you haven't done this yet, DO IT TODAY!

In our product, Referrals On Demand, we take this simple procedure and expand it to make sure it will result in big business.

This list that you have just created is the starting point of your database. These people, if contacted correctly, can result in several mortgage referrals monthly.

The more people in your database, the more referrals you will receive. Referrals on Demand will show you how to easily build your database to several hundred people and how to be able to keep adding to it everyday.

Keep in mind, there is a lot more to generating referrals than just having a database. You must also offer Amazing Service (covered in Referrals On Demand), as well as keeping yourself in the conscious mind of your database.

The bare minimum that you should be contacting your database is once a month. Follow up with them either by mail, phone, fax, or in person.

By just following these four steps, you have a great chance of generating business right away.

And if you want to generate a lot of business, you'll need all the tips shared in Referrals On Demand.

Napolean Hill Secret

2007-09-20 12:09:23

You probably know who Napoleon Hill was....I hope. He was the author of Think and Grow Rich, the most influential book about making money on the planet.

Good, now you remember. If you have never heard of this book, go to your bookstore and buy it TODAY! You can thank me later.

You would think that Mr. Hill would be one of the richest men in the world. I mean, he did write the book on getting rich. But guess what? He wasn't. In fact, if it wasn't for a man named W. Clement Stone, Mr. Hill would have died broke. Why is this?

In my opinion, the book has two major flaws.

#1. The emphasis is on thinking. Yes, thinking is vital to the process, but without action there is no chance of becoming rich. You can sit in the corner and think all you want, but if you don't get off your duff and do something, you will never be rich.

#2. This is the reason Mr. Stone got rich and Mr. Hill didn't. In his own writings, Mr. Stone wrote how the book Think and Grow Rich helped him get rich. He used Mr. Hill's own book, got rich, and then hired Mr. Hill to work for him. How did that happen?

What was the missing link that Mr. Stone found, but that Mr. Hill lacked his entire life?

What is the missing link in the most influential business book in the world?

The answer is in Mr. Stone's book titled: The Success System That Never Fails. Actually the answer is in the title itself.

SYSTEM

In order to succeed, you must have a system. That is, a set of procedures that create a predictable response every time they are used.

Mr. Stone developed such a system and created The Combined Insurance Company of America, the largest insurance company in his day!

If you want predicable results in your business, you must have systems. The more the merrier. Every successful mortgage company has lots of systems. Marketing Systems, Service Systems, Processing Systems, Quality Control Systems, etc.

The only way to deliver Amazing Service to your clients is by having systems.

You probably already have some systems: the way you answer the phone is an example. Chances are, you say the same thing every time you answer the phone. That is a very, very simple system. By thinking about it from a customer's standpoint and adding steps to the system, to WOW the customer, you can take a simple system, and make it into something that creates customers.

Here are a few steps to take to create your own systems:

For a complete list you will need The Systems Manual that comes with our product Referrals On Demand. The Systems Manual goes into detail on how to determine what systems you need, how to create them, and how to implement them.

1. Pick a process that you do everyday. Example: Greeting a client who comes to the office for an interview.

2. Write down all the steps of this process. Example: Clients enter, get greeted by secretary, secretary pages loan officer, loan officer escorts clients to meeting room, etc.

3. Think of ways to add value and a "WOW factor" to each step. Example: When clients enter, they are greeted by name.

4. Add "WOW" factors to as many steps in the process as you can, and write down each new step in the system.

5. Distribute new system to everyone involved, rehearse if needed.

6. Follow up and evaluate the system to see if it is working.

Napoleon Hill never figured this out. He never created a system for himself to create wealth. He spent his life learning about how others got rich, and teaching others to get rich, but he missed the point of the system, and that led him to never get rich himself.

Don't let that happen to you. Create SYSTEMS for everything you do.

If you need Marketing Systems, then we have the best ones around. Each one is developed in a way, that all you need to do is follow the directions to set it up. Then just let the system run on its own. Check out the systems at www.mortgagebrokertraining.com/marketing-products.html.

Happy Originating!

Increase The Response Of Your Direct Mail

2007-09-20 12:15:15

How To Increase The Response Of All Your Direct Mail

A coaching client recently asked a great question, and I want to share the answer with you here.

Here's the conversation we had pretty much as I remember it.

Coaching client: How do I improve the response to my direct mail?

Me: There are a zillion ways to improve response. Most of them you all ready know.

Improve the copy
Improve the call to action
Offer something with no risk
Personalize the message
Improve the mailing list
Sequenced mailings

Coaching client: Wait. What the heck is a sequenced mailing?

Me: That's where you send the same mail piece or a similar one to the same person a number of times.

Coaching client: Are you telling me to mail the same letter that they did not respond to the first time again?

Me: Exactly. And maybe even more than just one more time. At least 2 more times.

Coaching client: You're joking right?

Me: Nope. See, the first time you sent your letter or postcard, the person might not have even seen it. Or he might have had a bad day, or maybe the wife got to the mail first, or he just didn't think he needed what you offered.

But things can change in people's lives very quickly. Let's say you sent a letter to this fictitious fellow about cashing out some equity of his house. But the first time he throws the letter away and you get no response. Four days later he learns his father is ill and needs money for the hospital. 2 days later, your second letter shows up. And boom, you get a call.

There is no way to tell what is happening in the lives of the people we are marketing to.

This process of sequenced mailings works best with people who have already asked you for information - leads. Sequenced mailing to a cold list might not work as well. But then again, you never know until you test.

We did a sequenced mailing to local insurance agents. The letter was asking them to become loan officers and work with us. This way we could tap into their customer base. The first time we sent the letter we got no response - zero. But I was stubborn and did another mailing, this time making some changes to the original letter. We mailed to the same list. Result: 3 new loan officers. We should've mailed again a third time.

---End of conversation---

I don't know who originally came up with this idea. But Dan Kennedy is the one who has been promoting it heavily for the past few years.

If you think you'd like to learn more about sequenced mailing and how to make them work for you, Dan's Magnetic Marketing Toolkit is what you need. In his toolkit he shows how to take your business, and

increase leads
spend less per lead
and convert more leads into commissions.

The Toolkit is available in our Mortgage Bookstore.

Happy Originating!

How To Improve Your Website's Search Engine Rankings The Easy Way

2007-09-20 12:17:49

Today I want to talk about how to increase the search engine ranking of your web pages.

Lately, I have been studying this a lot. Many of you have your own web pages, and most of them were bought from third party mortgage website providers. Our company, MoneyTree Mortgage also has a website, which we got from the largest company in the mortgage website industry. I am not going to mention their name because the site is not worth the money.

Anyway, if you don't already know, getting your web site listed high on the search engines is a tough job. Mainly because there is so much competition. And because of this, we are told by the website sellers that we need to do pay-per-click. This is where we pay the search engines to display our ads for keywords we choose and if someone clicks on our ad and goes to our site, we pay the search engine an amount we determine.

Sounds like a great concept. But if you want your ad listed high enough to generate any clicks you will have to compete with all the other mortgage web sites and end up paying $1 or more per click. And that can get very expensive very fast.

So what do we do?

This is a pretty important topic, and that is why I am going to cover it in this month's Millionaire Loan Officer Newsletter.

There are several things we can do. One is to hire a search engine optimization company. But you will probably need a web designer to implement all the changes they request. Even then, there is no guarantee it will work.

The other is to try it yourself: if you have a couple hundred hours to devote to this topic, you might be able to crack the code.

What I did:

We get a lot of traffic at MortgageBrokerTraining.com from our pay-per-click efforts. But we couldn't get into many of the search engines. So I hired a SEO company to help us. Boy, did I learn a lot! It turns out that my web designer had put a code into the design that kept the search engine spiders, (if you don't know what a spider is, I will cover it in this month's newsletter) from indexing the site.

We also updated all our keywords, titles, link titles, alt tags, meta tags, meta descriptions, robots file, and a whole bunch of other complicated things. And so now I think I have a good idea of how you can also improve your rankings.

Here's a quick answer for you:

One of the things I learned, and that everyone agrees, is that the more web sites that link to your web site the better. Google, which accounts for almost half of all web searches, especially places a high value on what they call Link Popularity.

If you have a popular site, that gets a lot of traffic to link to your site, your Link Popularity increases, and your site could move up in the search results. The more links you have the better for you. The trick is to have only related sites link to you. If you have a link to your mortgage site from a dog walking web site, it will not do you much good.

But say you had a link to your site from a mortgage training web site that gets a lot of traffic, like MortgageBrokerTraining.com, that would be very helpful.

And so here is the solution: You link to my website, and I will link to yours. But don't just stop at one link, get other sites to link to yours as well. The more the merrier. There are many sites out there that will link to your site if you just ask. Get your lenders, re agents, title company, appraiser, pest inspection company, and any other vendor you use to link to you. Bribe them with a link, and get one in return.

I just started asking for links, and just today I got four more sites to link to us.

If you would like to participate in MortgageBrokerTraining.com's Link Exchange program, just visit the link exchange page at http://www.mortgagebrokertraining.com/linkexchange.html. Do it right now!

Happy Originating!

How Stupid Can I Be?

2007-09-20 12:19:27

No matter what we know, we still need to be reminded of it from time to time. Take for example what happened to me recently. Normally when I send an email that a new issue of this newsletter has been posted the subject line is:

"(your name), new edition of Mortgage Magic Marketing Newsletter is here"

And I thought it was fine. But then I got an email from a reader. Here's what he wrote:

" Hi Amanda: thanks for the head sup alert: Now here is one for YOU>
You probably dont know how your message shows up in my e mail box roster. I mean what it looks like in the mess of other competing message lines. Your message when sorted by sendee is amanda K etcc. NOT EXACTLY EYE GRABBING.
Ripe candidate FOR A JUNK MAIL DELETE .... after all we don't even date yet.
Then the message line starts with John Vaughan . WOW I know that guy and
so does every porn pedler, and enlargement lotion sales site on the web.
When I sort by subject line there are usually four or five lines that start
that way. Scrubb this junk turkey message ! NO NO WAIT , burried way
over there it says MORTGAGE now that is a hot word to me. Lets click the
message and see what she has to say.
Let me suggest that you forget the sendee . . most people cant do much
about that . But by all means use the HOT WORD as the first word in the
subject line. not necessarily as part of a sentence. i.e. MORTGAGE MAGIC-
How to double your Real Estate Leads before Breakfast. You'll always get
me. And if you don't its because I'm now in the dog food business.
Thanks for your information . . . hope you will profit from mine.

John Vaughan, Loan Officer, House2home lending.com, Peoria AZ,"

Please don't judge John by the misspellings, he was typing very fast, and was nice enough to point out my mistake.

At first I didn't understand what he was saying. Plus, he was calling me Amanda (have no clue why). But when I reread the mail it made total sense. How stupid could I be? I am the one preaching to you about how you should lead every email with a catchy headline, and my own subject line is boring and worth deleting.

So from now on, I am going to take John's advice (thanks John), and change the subject of all my emails into something that gets opened.

This is a great tip: Every email you send to your customers should make the person sit up and take notice. Your goal is that when your recipient opens his inbox in the morning, and he sees a dozen or so new emails, that the first one he opens is yours. And you can have that happen by having a subject line that grabs him by the seat of his pants and compels him to read what you have to say.

This goes for all your autoresponder messages as well. And your own email newsletters to your Personal Sales Force. If you don't have a Personal Sales Force, you need Referrals On Demand now.

Happy Originating!

How Many Loan Options Do You Offer A Client?

2007-09-20 12:20:59

The number of options you present to a prospect greatly influences your conversion rate. Simply said, the more options you present, the greater the chance the prospect will do nothing.

That's right! It's a proven fact. Too many options leads to inaction.

At Columbia University, Professors Sheena Iyengar and Wei Jiang did a study to understand the relationship between the amount of choices offered in 401K programs and participation in the plan. They looked at 657 companies that matched at least 50% of employee contributions.

When the 401K plan only had two options to choose from, 75% of employees signed up for the plan.

For every additional 10 options that were added to the plan, 2% fewer employees signed up. And the company that offered the most choices in their 401K plan had the lowest amount of participation.

Another study that was done in 2000, showed similar results. In supermarkets that offered 24 different types of jams, only 3% of people bought jam. When there were only 6 types of jams offered, 30% of shoppers bought jam.

What the heck is going on?

The problem lies partly in Buyer's Remorse. People don't want to make a mistake and have to regret it later. When given too many choices, the decision becomes too hard.

I tried to get some toothpaste the other day. Man, there were over 50 different toothpaste varieties to choose from. Crest has over 30 different options by itself. Different flavors, whitening, baking soda, gel, with mouthwash added, and who knows what else. It drove me nuts. I stood there for 10 minutes trying to get the best one. In the end, I chose whatever I had been using before.

And our prospects are the same way. We all offer 100's of loan programs. And it is a good thing to state that in our advertising. But when it comes down to it, you need to take charge and ADVISE the prospect which loan is the best for him. You are the professional. You need to tell him which loan will be best for him based on the information you gather from him.

If you leave it up to the prospect, he will never be able to choose.

By using the proper questions in your interview you can find what he wants and offer it to him.

In the end, I suggest you offer your prospects three different loan programs. Describe the pros and cons of each and let them choose from those three. This technique gives you the best of both worlds. You are seen as a trusted advisor offering multiple solutions to satisfy their needs. As well as offering crucial expertise and advice. On the other hand, you are not pushing any particular loan program upon them, so they cannot say that you did it just for the commission. This also reduces buyers remorse because they are informed of the pros and cons and will know that they made the best choice. They also cannot blame you later if their situation changes and desire a different loan.

Offering just one loan is not enough, and more than three leads to confusion and stalling. Stick with the 3 Option Technique and you will convert more prospects.

Happy Originating!

Is Your State Gaining Or Losing Prospects?

2007-09-21 10:05:25

Here are some Census Stats you might find interesting.

Three states - Florida, California and Texas - would account for nearly one-half (46 percent) of total U.S. population growth between 2000 and 2030, according to Census Bureau state population projections released today. Consequently, Florida, now the fourth most populous state, would edge past New York into third place in total population by 2011; California and Texas would continue to rank first and second, respectively, in 2030.

These three states would each gain more than 12 million people between 2000 and 2030. Arizona, projected to add 5.6 million people, and North Carolina, with 4.2 million, would round out the top five numerical gainers. As a result, Arizona and North Carolina would move into the top 10 in total population by 2030 - Arizona rising from 20th place in 2000 to 10th place in 2030 and North Carolina from 11th place to seventh place. Michigan and New Jersey are projected to drop out of the top 10.

The projections indicate that the top five fastest-growing states between 2000 and 2030 would be Nevada (114 percent), Arizona (109 percent), Florida (80 percent), Texas (60 percent) and Utah (56 percent). Most (88 percent) of the nation's population growth between 2000 and 2030 would occur in the South and West, which would be home to the 10 fastest-growing states over the period. The share of the population living in the South and West would increase from 58 percent in 2000 to 65 percent in 2030, while the share in the Northeast and Midwest would decline from 42 percent to 35 percent.

Other highlights: In 2000, each of the nation's 50 states had more people under 18 than 65 and older. In fact, in about half of the states, the ratio was more than two to one. In 2030, 10 states are projected to have more people 65 and older than under 18: Florida, Delaware, Maine, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming.

In six states, more than one in every four residents would be age 65 and older in 2030: Florida, Wyoming, Maine, New Mexico, Montana and North Dakota.

As the oldest baby boomers become senior citizens in 2011, the population 65 and older is projected to grow faster than the total population in every state. In fact, 26 states are projected to double their 65- and-older population between 2000 and 2030.

These projections were produced by the Population Division in correspondence with the U.S. interim projections released in March 2004. They were developed for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia by age and sex for the years 2000 to 2030, based on Census 2000 results.

These projections differ from forecasts in that they represent the results of the mathematical projection model given that current state-specific trends in fertility, mortality, internal migration and international migration continue. The projections to 2004 have been superseded by population estimates at www.census.gov/popest/estimates.php.

So what does this all mean for you?

If you are in a state with people coming your way, you need to determine how to target these people either before they show up or as soon as they do. Because you can be sure they will be wanting to buy property and homes. They might even take several trips looking at homes before they purchase and move.

If you live in a state where the population is aging quickly, you might want to look into reverse mortgages and equity loans so you can attract senior clients.

If your state is quickly losing population, you might consider moving yourself. It's not easy to do or even consider, but you are in the business to make money. There is no reason to make it harder for yourself than it already is.

Happy Originating!

Can Your Services Be Digitized?

2007-09-21 10:07:07

One of the best ways to stay on top of the industry is to read, a lot. Not only do I recommend reading the mortgage news, but I suggest you read Realtor magazines as well. The Realtor Associations are much more on the ball than our Mortgage Associations when it comes to research, trend awareness, and service issues.

The following is an article by Toni C. Nelson, elected leader of the board of directors for the Houston Association of Realtors. Toni is also Vice-President for Coldwell Banker United Realtors. You can contact her at toni@har.com. Thank you Toni for your permission to use your article.

There is a lot of gold in this article. And many of the same things I teach myself. Wherever she uses the word Realtor just substitute the words Loan Officer in your head. And where she uses real estate just substitute mortgage.

*********************************************************************************

Can Your Services Be Digitized?

by Toni C. Nelson

What a pleasure it has been to meet and converse with so many REALTORS® across the Houston area! I have been able to hear, firsthand, the concerns of members about our industry these days. Many conversations have revolved around the changing real estate climate and how one competes in real estate when competitors are not playing by the same rule book.

When I began my real estate career, essentially everyone practiced under the same rules and had the same business model. Today, more than a decade after the onslaught of the Internet, we see a far more diverse group of REALTOR members, varying Internet real estate models, online lead generators and more than enough advertising and media which downplays our value or worth in the transaction.

Our response at HAR has been to:
1. Research and bring technologies to market that make REALTORS more effective, efficient and profitable,
2. Expand our educational offerings to meet the current skill sets needed,
3. Raise the bar in the quality of our MLS so that consumers continue to view us as the ultimate source of information on homes on your Web site and www.har.com and;
4. Constantly and consistently communicate the value of a REALTOR in the news media.

While these sound simple, the steps taken and the future steps we continue to take are far more complex than could be communicated in this one article.

Most important to me is the individual agent who is out there practicing in an environment that has changed, dramatically. You may learn many things and see the industry shifting, however, it is still difficult to see if your actions will generate your desired results.

First, I think we all have to "get over" expecting others to practice real estate in the same way that we do.Variety has entered the stage in which we play and we have to adapt to its various nuances. It is much more important to focus on how you can retain your value and sustain your career.

Secondly, the operators and originators of new business models will get louder and louder about their value proposition. Those of us who have been in the business for awhile need to market our value proposition just as loudly! New competitors enter the market everyday and we cannot rest on our laurels. Nothing wilts faster!

To get a broader perspective, and understand where we need to go, let's look outside of our business and see how the same paradigms have changed other professions.

Enter the stock broker.
The stock broker who merely executes transactions is history. Online trading services do this far more efficiently. Those who have survived understand that they are not just stock brokers, but are providers of financial services and solutions. They understand a client's broader financial objectives and know their dreams, aspirations and where they want to go at each phase of their life. They deliver results that help to move a client where the client wants to go.

How About Lawyers?
If you go to www.completecase.com, you can get an uncontested divorce for $249. If you visit www.USLegalForms.com, you can download for a small fee, fill-in-the-blank wills, contracts and articles of incorporation. Lawyers were also like us, gatekeepers of the information, but not any more. Their value now lies in abilities that cannot be digitized - understanding the law and art of negotiation and convincing a jury to see the case in favor of their client. These are very valuable and well remunerated skills.

Accountants?
Ever heard of TurboTax? How about a $500 a month accountant in India? It would be best for the accountant to broaden his skills to deliver services that cannot be digitized.

If your business model is to merely execute transactions, you may be at the lower-end of the value service chain and should charge accordingly. Suppose your business model is real estate services and solutions. You give advice and counsel, based on the knowledge of your client's home buying or home selling objectives. You work hard on the client's behalf insuring they get the best price, and your communication and negotiating skills make a big difference in the value one derives from working with you. In other words, your worth goes far beyond crafting a transaction. You are building relationships and delivering skills that no computer can emulate. This is the high-end, high-value end of the real estate value chain.

Each of us has to decide at what point on the value chain we want our business model to scale and then develop a method to attract prospects desiring those values. My experience has always shown me that consumers demand much more than ever, and yet, they are willing to pay more if they perceive the value is higher. And the key word is perceive.

Many of us are still marketing the same and making the same presentations, and yet the consumer has changed. So, when consumers hear the same thing from everybody and one charges less; guess who wins? Consumers want to know "What's in it for me if I use you and are you worth what you charge and why?" Vanity marketing and espousing your success doesn't resonate with the new consumer. They want what they want (their terms, their perspectives) and they have alternatives to your business, just a mouse click away if you cannot answer those simple basic questions about your value.

According to Dan Pink, author of "Revenge of the Right-Brain," to flourish, we need to supplement our high-tech abilities with aptitudes that are "high concept" and "high touch." High concept involves the ability to create artistic and emotional beauty, [like featuring pictures of our listings that evoke emotion and charge the soul], to detect patterns and opportunities, to craft a satisfying communication and to come up with solutions the world didn't know it was missing. High touch is being empathetic, understanding human interaction, and finding joy and eliciting it in others. We have always been well known for this attribute.

What I have most admired in REALTORS is their ability to adapt. During the short-lived "dot-com" era, we all got better because the competition was forcing us to do so. Today is no different. No matter what competition is thrown our way, I believe the best REALTORS out there that will change for good, for better and forever. And I am sure you are one of them!

Happy Originating!

If You Buy Leads You Must Read This Right Now!

2007-09-21 10:09:24

Do you buy leads? Do you call these leads yourself?

If yes, then here is something that will scare the daylights out of you.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a forfeiture notice to Dynasty Mortgage, LLC in the amount of $770,000 for 70 phone calls made by Dynasty to 50 consumers who were listed on the Federal Do Not Call List. According to the notice, Dynasty obtained the leads from a lead broker, who claimed the leads were scrubbed prior to Dynasty's purchase of the lead.

The forfeiture notice also found that Dynasty failed to comply with the Federal Do Not Call laws by failing to adequately train employees, maintain written guidelines, maintain an internal company do not call list, and failure to regularly download the Federal Do Not Call List and use the current list to scrub phone numbers before calling consumers.

In the notice to Dynasty the FCC also made it clear that purchasing a scrubbed list from a lead broker or aggregator is not compliant under the law.

The Dynasty Mortgage forfeiture notice is likely to have a sweeping effect on the mortgage industry. "I think this case is a wakeup call to all the mortgage companies out there that thought the federal DNC laws didn't affect them. This case shows that even companies that only conduct business in a local market within a single state need to comply with the federal guidelines," said Barry Kaye, a Beverly Hills attorney that specializes in compliance issues for mortgage companies. "It's a scary day for anyone that has relied upon buying "pre-scrubbed" leads since in and of itself this offers no protection."

Source: www.ftc.gov

What can we do so we don't get fined?

1. Stop calling people yourself. Unless you have a dedicated phone room and are compliant with all the Do Not Call requirements, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! Find a company that will do the calling for you.

2. Thoroughly investigate the company you are buying leads from. Find out how they get leads, what questions they ask, and what guarantee they provide before you give them a dime.

3. The larger the company the less risk for you. This still does not absolve you of any responsibilities, but the larger a company is, the more they have at stake to lose and the more likely they will be following all the laws.

4. Generate your own leads. Use the Greed Stimulator to get homebuyer leads, The Marketing To Real Estate Agents Toolkit to get Realtors to send you leads, and Referrals on Demand to get your personal sales force to send you leads. By having these three areas covered, you never have to put yourself at risk of getting ratted out to the FTC by people who you paid good money to contact.

Happy Originating!

The List Makes All The Difference

2007-09-21 10:11:24

Have you ever tried getting a refinance loan from a person who doesn't own a home? I can tell you from experience that it's not easy. In fact it's downright impossible, mainly because the prospect has no interest in what you are selling.

It's the same thing with selling ice to Eskimos. They already have all they can handle.

That is why you need to know exactly who you are targeting with your marketing and advertising. You cannot guess and you cannot kinda sorta know. If you want to close more loans with less work, you need to know every detail about your prospect BEFORE you make your pitch.

When you advertise for refinances, you need to target only people who own homes. But what if you could take it a little further? What if you could target people who own homes with a rate that is higher than normal? Would that result in a better response rate? Probably.

What if we took it further? People who own homes, have a higher than normal rate, and got their loans 5 years ago. Better response? You bet.

Let's go even further. People who own homes, have a higher than normal rate, got their loans 5 or more years ago, and have a child going to college this year. Would this be an amazing prospect or what?

Can you get a list of people that meet these criteria? Sure you can.

If you want, you can get a list of people that own Toyota 4-Runners, live in a house that is in the $300,000-$500,000 range, subscribe to SkyDiving Today magazine, and have three credit cards, two kids, 1 dog, and 1 iguana in Wilmington Delaware.

Chances are your list won't be very long. But if there is anyone out there that matches this criteria, you can find them. Face it, we have no privacy anymore.

So now how do we use this info to make more money?

Easy. Go through your past clients, and find the traits that most of them have in common. Put together a sketch of what your average client is like. Age: Sex: Marital Status: Neighborhood: Profession: Kids: Hobbies: Financial Status: Debt: Etc:

Once you have your list, it is time to find people just like your average client. The easiest way to do this is to call a good mailing list broker. Look them up in the yellow pages or on the Internet. They can help you determine how to refine your list to match what is available.

You now have a great chance to have your marketing message hit home with everyone on that list. Talk to them in their language. Get them to understand that you know what they are going through in life, that you understand their problems, and that you have a solution.

Market to them again, and again until they come into your fold.

If you need help determining your average client, I might be available for short duration consulting. Email the office if interested.

Happy Originating!

How To Get Your Prospects To Trust You

2007-09-21 10:13:20

The easiest way to increase your closing percentage (the ratio of prospects to closings) is to get your prospects to genuinely trust you.

Did you know that there has been more than one survey done where the public ranks loan officers only a little higher than used care salesmen and insurance salesmen in terms of trust? Put in another way, we have a serious credibility issue.

The media does not help us much either. There are more stories on mortgage fraud and predatory pricing in the news than there are stories of all the good and charitable work the mortgage community does.

In order to fight this, you need to get personal. You need to first of all get your prospects to TRUST YOU. You do this by establishing your credibility.

1. Use Testimonials. The more the merrier. Use pictures, audio and video if you can.

2. Join the Better Business Bureau or get your manager/owner to join. Then put their logo on all your marketing materials. It costs $400 or so a year, but it is worth it.

3. Join your Chamber of Commerce, and put their logo on all your materials.

4. If you are a member of your state's Association of Mortgage Brokers or Bankers use their logo and the National one as well.

5. Use the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae logos. You can get them from their websites.

6. Use the HUD logo. This makes you look as if you are affiliated with the government and that brings peace of mind to consumers.

7. Get certified by NAMB and add some letters to your name. They have the following certifications: GMA - General Mortgage Associate, CRMS - Certified Residential Mortgage Specialist, CMC - Certified Mortgage Consultant.

Taking these small steps can put your prospect's minds at ease, especially if you are a small shop without a big name. By affiliating yourself with these other big names, you can share in their credibility.

Remember, prospects have to like you and trust you before they do business with you.

Happy Originating!

Get Free Advertising, Get More Referrals, Have Fun, and End Global Poverty At The Same Time!

2007-09-21 10:15:12

Would you like to get free exposure to thousands of people, show your clients that you are a wonderful person, have fun with your family and friends and help end global poverty at the same time?

Well then you need to register for the AKF Partnership Walk.

This year I am responsible for Walk Teams for the Houston walk. The Walk itself is a tool to raise funds for the AKF. The AKF helps the unfortunate in Asia and Africa. You can read more about the walk at www.partnershipwalk.org and about AKF at www.akdn.org.

So how do you get free advertising?

Simple.

Here's my idea.

Find a cause, like the AKF.

Find if they have a fun fundraising event where they need volunteers to come - like the Walk. But there should be a lot of people there. At the Walk this year there will be more than 9,000 in Houston alone.

Form a Walk Team. Have your coworkers, family, friends, and especially your clients to join your team. The more the merrier.

Have T-shirts made, advertising you and your services. Print your USP and website really big on all the shirts. Choose a shirt color that stands out, like bright yellow. The shirts will cost you about $5 each.

You can also print up a banner advertising yourself. Or your company.

Get as many people on your team as you can. The more people there are wearing your shirts the better for you.

Try to make them raise money too.

Have fun!

The AKF only has Walks in five cities: Houston, Dallas, LA, Atlanta, and Chicago. But the March of Dimes has their walks all over. And there are probably other causes that have walks in your area.

The beauty about a walk is that it is non strenuous, no bike riding or anything like that. Kids can join in too. Plus it can be over in 20-30 minutes. The rest of the time you socialize with your past clients who joined you, and talk to anyone you want to network with.

These fundraising walks usually have thousands of people there from all walks of life. So far at our Houston walk, we the following celebrities coming: The Mayor of Houston, The Mayor of Sugarland, The Mayor of Friendswood, a few city council members, at least 3 anchors of the local news, Congressman Tom Delay, Representative Sheila Jackson, and more that I am forgetting.

Plus, all the money raised goes to a good cause. Even if your database does not join your team and walk, you earn brownie points just by having a team and asking them to join you. Most people only ask friends and family to help them in things like this. So by asking them, you are sending a message, that you consider them friends. Just contacting them will keep you in their conscious mind.

As I always say, you must keep in contact with everyone in your database, and this is a great reason to call or write. Who knows, they might even send you a donation on their behalf.

So if you are in Houston or its suburbs and you want to form a Walk Team, email me or register online at www.partnershipwalk.org. If not, look for a walk, or similar event, that you can use to get more business and make a difference in the world at the same time.

Happy Originating!

Push vs. Pull Marketing: What They Are And How To Use Them

2007-09-21 10:17:17

I was in San Francisco last week. My wife and I stayed there a couple days while we took a week off to celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary.

The last day of our stay, we decided to eat Chinese food, and being tourists, we wanted to eat in Chinatown. So we drove there, found parking on a very steep hill, (Never had to use both feet to drive an automatic before) and started walking around looking for a place to eat.

If you have been there, you know that there are hundreds of small restaurants all over. Our tour guide from the previous day had advised us that most of them are not very good and the best way to tell was if the place was busy. Makes sense, doesn't it? That's why I advise you to keep stacks of files around your office so prospects can see them.

Anyway, we are walking down the street and see a place call Silver Restaurant that looks good. As we are looking over the menu posted outside, a woman comes over and hands me a coupon for a restaurant right across the street. "Free Appetizer. Free Ice Cream. Good Food." She tells us. I look at the coupon, and it says they are celebrating their 85th anniversary. Hmm, I think to myself, they must be good if they have been open that long.

So we decided to check it out and start to walk across the street, but my wife paused for a second. The Chinese woman basically pushed us into the street and "escorted us" to the front door. That's where I stopped to see if a) I liked the menu and b) if there was anyone inside. It didn't seem like there was, and the prices were almost double of the other place. No wonder they give free ice cream. So we decided against it, handed back the coupon and walked back across the street to eat at the Silver Restaurant.

Side Note: Even after all that, I was up all night vomiting because of the food poisoning I got at the Silver Restaurant. Oh well.

So what can we learn from this?

In the story, there are two main types of marketing. The Silver Restaurant used Pull Marketing where the door was open, they had an attractive window with ducks, chickens, and pigs roasting in the window. The other restaurant was using Push marketing, salesmen on the street to give out coupons, and push people into the restaurant.

In our case, the pull marketing was more effective because the push got too aggressive. But the push almost worked. If the prices were similar and the woman had not physically pushed us, we probably would have eaten there. Why? Because she asked us to. And, we thought we were getting a deal - free ice cream, and because they had been open for 85 years (blowing their own horn), and because we didn't know the difference between the two.

Which of these two styles do you use?

Do you simply advertise and wait for people to come in or to call you? Or do you have a way to push them to you?

Which one should you use?

I suggest you use both styles.

If a prospect cannot tell the difference between you and your competition then you need to find a way to portray yourself as different (push).
When they come to you, they need to feel that you are competent and knowledgeable (pull).
You should have people referring you to others (push). Learn more about this in Referrals on Demand.
They should have a strong reason to choose you (push)
You should offer everything they need (pull)
You should take care of all their needs (pull)

If you are having trouble generating prospects, then you need to do a whole lot more pushing. If you have prospects but not enough of them are converting into loans, you need to work on your pulling.

Use these two styles together to get people to you and convince them that you are the one they need to work with.

Happy Originating!

The Joke's On Us

2007-09-20 12:11:14

Mortgage brokerage and lending is a serious business. And that is why we sometimes need to step-back, take a look at what is really important, and be able to laugh at ourselves.

It is with this goal in mind, that I am trying to put together a Mortgage Joke Book. I tried finding one, but so far no one has thought about publishing one. So I guess if I want one, I'll have to publish it myself.

Anyway, if you would help that would be great. If you have any funny mortgage/real estate related jokes, stories, sayings, anything at all that you would like to share please email them to me at ameen (at) mortgagebrokertraining.com.

I will try to give credit to everyone in the book who contributes.

And here's a website you should check out for today's chuckle. Thanks to Richard Walter Davis for telling me about it.

www.fantasylandmortgage.com

Happy Originating!