I am a little last minute with my entry into this month's ActiveRain challenge hosted by Debe Maxwell, CRS titled "May 2023 Challenge - Shower Power: Flaunt Your Fabulous Blooms Brought to Life by April Showers." The perennial  flowers my wife and I  plant are mainly early blooming plants.  They pop up late in March, and continue to grow through most of April, but then they are gone by the time May rolls around.  The front of our house is normally covered with various types of daffodils as you can see in the picture to the right.  You can also see the remnants of the daffodils in the feature photo above. Also at the same time the azalea bush I have in the back of the house is also in full bloom, and it tends to keep its flowers into early May.  This one will produce flowers again in the... 05/30/2023

It is a special day anytime we get to honor our mother's and thank them for all they do.  My mother passed away 15 years ago, so I can no longer get to thank her personally for everything she did for me, but I do get to thank my wife today for everything she has done for our two sons.  This is a day she gets to be treated like the queen she is, and shown how special she is to us. Happy Mother's Day 2023 to all Mother's, and I hope this was a special day for every Mother everywhere.  05/14/2023

Hot off the press FHFA has rescinded their new UNFAIR Loan Level Price Adjustments (LLPA's).  This is proof that when we stick together and make our voice heard, even the most deaf administration has to take notice.This was a very unfair increase in the LLPA's by the present administration which penalized responsible borrowers with excellent credit scores, at the expense of irresponsible borrowers with bad credit scores.  This was really a smoke and mirror attempt by the present administration, because all it was going to do was exhort more money from responsible borrowers, and do noting for irresponsible borrowers who would not be able to qualify for financing.This rescinding of the LLPA's was not because the present administration all of the sudden realized this was unfair, but becaus... 05/10/2023

This month Kathy Streib and Carol Williams are hosting the April Challenge titled "Tell Us About Your First Home Buying Experience."  I have only purchased two homes in my lifetime, and I am presently living in my second home which I purchased in 1981.  While the two purchases were under very different circumstances, the two were very similar in that each one our offer was accepted right away and closed quickly.After 4 years in the Navy, I decided it was not the career choice for me, so on September 28, 1974 I received an honorable discharge, and began my civilian life once again.  My departure from the Navy was soon followed by marring my to be forever wife in October 19, 1974.  After a very short honeymoon, we I packed up a Ford, Pinto station wagon with our belonging, and began our t... 04/24/2023

This month Patricia Feager and Kathleen Daniels are hosting the March challenge titled  "March to a Solution | ActiveRain March 2023 Challenge"  Patricia and Kathleen are asking us to share issues we have encountered during our professional career in Real Estate, which may help others to avoid and hopefully resolve. My first submission into this challenge was "Easy-Peasy, Wrong!!! which was about a Borrower who made what should have been an easy loan very difficult. The second entry was about "Stupid Things Sellers Do That Cause Mortgage Loans To Fall Apart".  This third and final submission is about a Borrower who almost left me speechless.It Is Amazing The Questions We Are Asked.  The other day a Borrower I had given a pre-approval letter to about 6 months ago called me.  I had worked... 03/21/2023

This month Patricia Feager and Kathleen Daniels are hosting the March challenge titled  "March to a Solution | ActiveRain March 2023 Challenge"  Patricia and Kathleen are asking us to share issues we have encountered during our professional career in Real Estate, which may help others to avoid and hopefully resolve.  I have read several excellent blogs submitted so far in this challenge by Realtors/Agents, however, as a Loan Originator my job is to help Borrowers obtain the financing they need to purchase a home.  This involves: Qualify the Buyers/Borrowers  for the price range they can purchase in.  Provide a Pre-Approval Letter for Buyers/Borrowers to submit with their offer.   Help Buyers secure financing for a mortgage loan once their offer has been accepted Advise Buyers/Borrowers ... 03/17/2023

Happy St Patrick's Day 2023.  I hope all of you have a very special and enjoyable day today, and have an opportunity to celebrate it with family and friends.  St. Patrick's Day is one of the more festive days of the year, and we all can use a little more fun in our lives. Hope everyone keeps safe and do not partake of TO MUCH GREEN of anything!!! And May your pot always be filled with GOLD!!! 03/17/2023

This month Patricia Feager and Kathleen Daniels are hosting the March challenge titled  "March to a Solution | ActiveRain March 2023 Challenge"  Patricia and Kathleen are asking us to share issues we have encountered during our professional career in Real Estate, which may help others to avoid and resolve. If there is one thing anyone in the Real Estate Industry or Lending Industry needs to get use to quickly once they become a part of either of these industries, is if something goes wrong it is always your fault no matter what.  A few years ago I Normally in the Lending Industry once a loan is conditionally approved it is just a matter of collecting a few documents which borrowers normally do not have at the time of the loan submission such as: Homeowner's insurance Appraisal Bank stat... 03/16/2023

Happy Presidents Day 2023!!! Today is Presidents Day, and for most workers in the U.S. a day off from work.  Presidents Day was not always been known as Presidents Day, in fact up until 1968 there was no Presidents Day.Presidents Day was originally known as Washington's Birthday, and established in 1885 by President Chester Arthur.  Later many states decided that Abraham Lincoln was equally a great President, and started to celebrate his birthday as well.In 1968 Congress decided that both days should be combined into one Holiday, celebrated on the third Monday of February, and call it Presidents Day.  Today few remember the two separate celebrations in honor of Washington and Lincoln, and think that it is in honor of all Presidents, and special Sales Promotions.Today will be a work day ... 02/20/2023

This month Debe Maxwell is hosting this month's challenge titled "What's Love Got to do with it".  In this challenge we are to write about the town/city we live in, and why it is a great place to live and call home.  There are several reasons why I love living in Middletown, CT.   Middletown, CT has been my home for almost 42 years, and I would highly recommend others to consider calling it their home as well.  The following are some of the many reasons why I am always ready and happy to say Middletown CT Is A Great Place To Live And Call Home! Middletown, CT has a wide range of housing to fit all needs, price range, and life style.  Middletown has very affordable housing for first time homebuyers, to the multi-million dollar palaces, and everything in between.  If it is condo living yo... 02/16/2023

Happy Valentine's Day 2023 To All My ActiveRain Friends!!!  This is wishing all my friends here on ActiveRain a Happy Valentine's Day.  I hope everyone takes the time today to tell everyone who is special to you how you feel about them, and spent quality time with them.Today my wife and I will have a special dinner at one of our local restaurants.  After 48 years of marriage it is no longer about what her and I do to celebrate Valentine's Day, it is about celebrating and enjoying the day together, and enjoying what is most important to us.  Happy Valentine's Day 2023!!!  02/14/2023

Anna Banana Kruchten Phoenix Broker and Aura Alex and hosting this months ActiveRain Challenge titled "January 2023 Challenge: Sharing your Marketing Tips For Real Estate Business."  No matter how long we have been in sales, we all have marketing tips we can share.  For me my marketing experience has spanned 49 years.  During those 49 years, I have attend several seminars on how to be successful in sales.  Two thing always comes through loud and clear and have been common in every presentation.  The first is to be successful in sales You Have To Market Yourself.  The second is do not make the process of marketing yourself more complicated than it needs to be.An ActiveRain Member whose marketing skills I have a lot of respect for is Barbara Todaro, and her marketing message is simple and... 01/30/2023

Martin Luther King, Jr. Is A Man To Be Respected.  Tomorrow is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  this is a day well deserved of being celebrated.   Martin Luther King, Jr. deserves this honor and much, much more.  Some may argue that his dream has not been fulfilled, but I would argue otherwise.  However, this is not the blog to make that argument, this blog is to honor a man who saw beyond color, and focused on equality for all. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream not for himself but for all mankind.  A dream of equality, freedom, and justice.  Nothing Martin Luther King, Jr. did centered on himself, it all centered on others.  His life was one of service to others unconditionally. As a young boy from a different country, Martin Luther King, Jr. taught me a major life lesson, one that I l... 01/15/2023

I just want to take this opportunity to say Happy New Year 2023 to all my friends here on ActiveRain.  I have been blessed to know several of you for many years, and have been blessed with new ActiveRain friends this year as well.  I am all set to kick off 2023, and leave 2022 behind.  I have completed all of my licensing requirements for the three states I am licensed in (Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Florida), and all the licenses have been renewed for 2023.  I am looking forward to the new challenges 2023 brings us, and hope the same for everyone of you. Life is to short to waist a precious minute of it.  Be thankful for what you have, and enjoy every minute of it. I look forward to reading each and everyone of your blogs, and hope you put up with my comments in 2023.  Stay Safe Thi... 12/31/2022

Merry Christmas To All My ActiveRain Friends In 2022.  Christmas has always been a day my wife and I have spent with our two son's, but now that my oldest son moved to Bonney Lake, WA we have had to get a little more creative in celebrating Christmas.My youngest son alternates between spending Christmas with us, and his wife's parents.  This year is his in-laws turn, so he and his wife spent Christmas Eve with us at my house.  After they arrived we FaceTimed with my oldest son, and my gorgeous granddaughter, Elizabeth.  While FaceTiming we open the Christmas present we sent each other.  This is not the same as all of us being together, but it is still special in a different way.  After FaceTiming we had a special lunch/dinner. This year we had stuffed jumbo shrimp, filet mignon, and twi... 12/25/2022

This month our ActiveRain challenge is being hosted by Jeff Dowler, CRS and Brian England, titled "The ActiveRain Members Guide to Blogging Success - Do's and Don'ts".   For this challenge they are asking us to share what members can do to improve their blogging and results, and what to avoid doing.For the first part of their challenge my two suggestions and advice were very simple.  Simply blog about what you know.  If ActiveRain members do this they will not only get the coveted gold stars (featured posts), but also several views & clicks, many followers without begging members to follow you, as well as an endless source of blog topics.  For my second blog in this month's challenge are a few of the No No's in blogging, what not to do.The very first No No for me is plagiarism.  DO NOT ... 12/16/2022

This month our ActiveRain challenge is being hosted by Jeff Dowler, CRS and Brian England, titled "The ActiveRain Members Guide to Blogging Success - Do's and Don'ts".   For this challenge they are asking us to share what members can do to improve their blogging and results, and what to avoid doing.For the first part of their challenge my two suggestions and advice is very simple.  First, simply blog about what you know.  If ActiveRain members do this they will not only get the coveted gold stars (featured posts), but also several views & clicks, many followers without begging members to follow you, as well as an endless source of blog topics.I am a Loan Originator, so I blogged about Mortgage Programs, and the Mortgage Process for many years, until compliance restrictions were put in p... 12/15/2022

Hot Off The Press!!!It’s official!  The conforming loan limit for 2023 will be $726,200, which is $79,000 higher than 2022. The ceiling for one-unit properties in high-cost areas will be $1,089,300 in 2023.   This marks the first time the government will officially be in the market for mortgages above $1 million!!!  11/29/2022

Happy Thanksgiving 2022!I hope that everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving today.   Do not let the day go by without taking a few minutes to truly give thanks for all you have been blessed with, and if possible take the opportunity to be a blessing to someone else.  Today should not only be a day of giving thanks in word, but in deed as well.Happy Thanksgiving From My House To Yours. 11/24/2022

Debe Maxwell, CRS is hosting the ActiveRain Challenge the month titled "November 2022 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge".  This will be an easy challenge for me, because I have MUCH to have gratitude for.  For this challenge we get to write one blog per week for this month.  My first blog was about my beautiful granddaughter, and my second blog was about those who have given me encouragement and support in my career.   This third blog is for the gratitude I have for the sacrifices my parents made for me and my brothers and sisters, to have an opportunity for a better life.  Most of you reading this blog have heard some of what I am about to write before, but it is very appropriate for this months ActiveRain challenge. My Family came to the US from the Azores, Portugal in 1960 when I was ... 11/17/2022