Doug Jones's (dougj) Blog

On June 26, 2024 I wrote a blog that said I would post 45 days of affirmations that I wrote years ago and found in my garage.  I am not sure what happened but I ended the posts with affirmation number 35 on August 14, 2024.  Here is Affirmation number 36.  Read these, think about them and make th...

More than 35 years ago I was working on a refinance cash-out mortgage loan for a friend. The loan was only for $50,000 and the credit was excellent (no credit score in those days), The debt ratio was 28/32 (we had a front and back ratio requirement) and the loan to value was under 50%. It was an ...

In Silicon Valley where I work homes have become very expensive over the past 25 years. Many homeowners are holding onto their homes because they have low interest rates from the pandemic refinance boom and because California is  very expensive for capital gains tax on real estate. The state   tr...

I had to throw the "Mo' Bettah" in the post. I was in a remote area on the Big Island eating breakfast in a small restaurant and besides my wife and me there were only locals in the restaurant. We were eating pancakes and a gentleman stood up and walked over to a cooler and brought us a different...

Well, Rates increased slightly today. The Fed cut of .25 was already factoredinto the rates.  Yesterday’s market drop is easy to explain. Investors were too confident that the Fed would cut interest rates three times in 2025, and almost certain another cut would come in December. But the Fed isn’...

Many homeowners assume that once a property passes inspection at the time of purchase, it doesn’t need another one for decades. But just like cars need regular maintenance, homes benefit greatly from periodic professional inspections — ideally every five years. This proactive step protects your i...

If you're considering a reverse mortgage in California, it’s important to understand the “hidden income test” — the financial assessment lenders use to ensure you can sustain your home long-term. While reverse mortgages don’t require monthly payments, borrowers must still cover property taxes, ho...

I am the number one critic of me. In reply to a blog Kit Palmiotti made a simple comment that made to do a review. Remembering good things, happy things and visualizing beautiful things can change gloom into delight. Today I read some old testimonials and they feel pretty good.From Earl JosephI a...

This is an email I sent to our reps today. We are adjusting all of our online presence. On Google we have 21 reviews. It is easier to ask for a G review than Yelp because the person writing a Yelp review needs to open a Yelp account. Years ago we had a total of over 150 Yelp reviews but they kept...

I identify with these words from Bob Seger in his song Against the Wind.I'm still runnin' against the windI'm older now but still runnin' against the windMy entire life I have always had a feeling of 'less than', not good enough. But last night I read this testimonial below for the first time eve...