What day was the best day to lock a mortgage interest rate last week? THURSDAY! But - if you snoozed on Thursday? You lost on Friday! By the time the markets closed for the weekend, nearly all of the Fed-led gains had been drained from mortgage bonds. The speed at which mortgage rates can change makes it even more difficult to shop for a mortgage these days. As is often the case, with a matter of 48 hours, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rates had plunged -- then surged -- 0.250 percent! If you were quick on Thursday, you locked your rate at its low. If you "snoozed" though, or even took too much time to think, you not only missed the best mortgage rates in more than 50 years, you missed it by entire quarter-percent. So....how much did you "lose" or "gain"? On a $200,000 mortgag... 09/27/2011

      "Getting Things Done - The Art of Stress-Free Productivity".  This is the Second post in my series, "I Recommend This Book". David Allen, author of the international best seller, Getting Things Done, has been called the "Oracle of Organization" by Time Magazine! David Allen has spent 25 years studying, teaching, training, testing, and revising the expert theories and best practices on this subject. This book (which I have literally read four times!) outlines a unique and   Both David's time-management and self-management processes are more than just organizational strategies. He has developed a system which can actually relieve stress and improve your mental and physical health and well-being. This book will show you how to employ the technique of emptying your mind of nagging obl... 09/22/2011

A report released last Wednesday reports that the Big Apple is the "most walkable" city in the United States. In fact, many of its residents are able to forgo owning a car or can leave their cars behind when accessing neighborhood amenities such as grocery stores or coffee shops. This is according to Walk Score, a website that assesses a location’s proximity to amenities including grocery stores, restaurants, schools and parks, grading the address’ walkability on a scale of one to 100. On the WalkScore.com site, you can plug in addresses to find nearby amenities and determine the length of their commutes, by car, bike or foot. Many of you may know that I live in a rural area on a farm - 15 miles from a loaf of bread! I typed in my address - it scored zero and said "car dependent"! AMEN ... 09/12/2011

    U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) announced a few weeks ago that after the August recess, he will introduce “Homestead: Act 2,” a 21st Century Homestead Act.  The idea behind it?  To reduce the housing glut AND.....he says, "....to put Americans back to work."  Inspired by the Homestead Act of 1862 (160 acres to Americans to encourage Western settlement),  Ackerman's "Homestead: Act 2" aims to achieve those goals with three initiatives I will lay out below.   But first let's look at history. What about the "Homestead Act of 1862"?  Who did it REALLY help?  Below are some points from  Wikipedia: "(There was) fraud and corporate use....the Homestead Act was much abused..." "There was no systematic method used to evaluate claims under the Homestead Act...."  "A common sceme was for an ind... 09/10/2011

 "The greatest ability in business is to get along with others and to influence their actions." John Hancock One of my strengths - or "talents" (since this is a "talent contest") is INFLUENCE. What IS "influence"? When we use our INFLUENCE, we are attempting to have our ideas understood and accepted by others. One of the formal definitions is...... "......the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others...." For several months now, I have felt I should use my talent - my "influence" - and be that "compelling force" to "persuade" others to join with the Boot Campaign, an organization focused on giving back to wounded warriors when they return from war.  I have especially focused on "influencing" ... 09/09/2011

  "I Recommend This Book" is a new series I am beginning where I will be sharing a short synopsis of books I have read that have made an impact on my business or my life. The first in this series is "The Go-Giver" by Bob Burg with John David Mann. Genuine success in any business is based on genuine relationships. And the more of these strong relationships you have, the more successful your business will be. This is true in any market – good, bad, or otherwise. With this in mind, I'm recommending the national bestseller, The Go-Giver: A Little Story about a Powerful Business Idea by Bob Burg and John David Mann, as my first in Recommendation in my new series "I Recommend This Book!". In the book, the authors create a compelling parable as a tool for revealing the Five Universal Laws of T... 09/08/2011

  According to information provided at www.Military.com, paydays for military retirees and those who receive portions of retired pay are changing for September and December,as the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) changes its pay schedule to comply with the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act. This year payments normally scheduled for Oct. 3, 2011 will be issued on Sept. 30, 2011 and payments normally scheduled for Jan. 3, 2012, will be issued on Dec. 30, 2011. For the calendar year 2011, this means military retirees will receive 13 rather than the normal 12 payments. Retirees should be aware that this extra paycheck could affect their taxes and therefore they should speak with a tax advisor, the Internal Revenue Service or their state tax authority to determine if their... 09/06/2011

  Happy Labor Day to you! Hopefully you are enjoying time with family and friends!Labor Day, the first Monday in September, was a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the ecomonic and social achievements of American Workers. According to the U.S. Department of Labor. Today we celebrate and applaude the contributions American workers make and have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. And to our economy.....Along that line, below is the calendar of economic events scheduled for this week: Economic Calendar for the Week of September 05 - September 09 Date ET Economic Report For Estimate Actual Prior Impact Tue. September 06 10:00 ISM Services Index Aug NA   52.7 Moderate Wed. September 07 02:00 Beige Book         Moderate Thu. September 08 08:30 Jo... 09/05/2011

 So .....you're a leader.  Maybe you have built an incredible team around you - or maybe you just have one assistant. Maybe you don't have a "team" but you are the leader in your family or your community. The truth is - we ALL are leaders of something or someone - even if we are only leading our dog! Now my question is this:  As a "leader" ......are you present, in the moment, and ARE YOU SINGING LEAD? Below is a great example of what "absent" leadership looks in this HILAROUS video of "The Pips - WITHOUT Gladys Knight"! You can see from this clip - that the world NEEDS its leaders to be PRESENT and SINGING THEIR PART:     Having a team is great and I personally love having great individuals around me who are brilliant in all the areas I am not. There are tasks and responsibilities you ... 09/02/2011

  Today at 8:30 A. M. ET, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its Non-Farm Payrolls report for August 2011. The "jobs report" usually has a big influence on mortgage bonds and mortgage rates. The jobs report is a monthly issuance, providing sector-by-sector analysis of the U.S. workforce and also will report the national Unemployment Rate.   The jobs report's connection to mortgage markets is straight-forward -- as jobs go, so goes the economy. This is because when the number of working Americans rises.... Consumer spending goes up Government tax collection gets a boost Household savings increases   For today's rate shoppers and home buyers, though, it won't be the actual number of jobs created that matter as much as how close that jobs figure is to Wall Street's expectations. I... 09/01/2011

  Good news and bad news.  Economists were predicting the ADP employment figure for August would rise by about 100,000. The bad news -  it only increased by 91,000.  The good news - it increased.  The report “suggests that the trend in employment moderated somewhat in August at a pace below what would be consistent with a stable unemployment rate,” said Joel Prakken, chairman of Macroeconomic Advisers, which produces the report from anonymous payrolls data supplied by Automatic Data Processing Inc.  Ya think? The chart below illustrates the employment report released today showing that increase of 91,000 private-sector payrolls in August. These numbers suggest a modest employment growth.  So.....I'm thinking MODEST is better than nothing................!   What about you?   08/31/2011

    The following is important news I wanted to share from www.Army.mil. Active-duty and reserve-component Soldiers, as well as veterans, who were denied Purple Heart awards for concussive or mild traumatic brain injuries (MTBI), are encouraged to resubmit documentation for reconsideration of the medal.Since the Vietnam War, a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), which incurred as a direct result of an enemy action has been an injury that warranted the award of the Purple Heart according to Defense Department guidelines. However, the challenge has been that field commanders have at times unclear on what constituted a "concussion".Because of medical advances in the treatment and knowledge of concussion and MTBI injuries, the Army is now better able to identify the characteri... 08/30/2011

This is the final post in a five part series on how to use DiSC® testing and personality profiling to perfect and improve your sales approach and build better relationships with your team members and referral partners. I hope you have enjoyed - links to previous four posts are below. The final DiSC® personality type is the High C. These are the analytical problem solvers of the world, whose attention to detail and task-oriented approach will keep things running smoothly and accurately. General Characteristics High C personalities are described as compulsively meticulous (i.e., picky). They are diligent in making sure they have no loose ends. They are always on time and intensely organized in all aspects. They keep their desks extremely clean. Their analytical approach ensures they thin... 08/30/2011

  Many experts are trying to put their finger on why buyers are not flocking to the great housing buys they can find right now coupled with historically low mortgae interest rates.  Dr. Mark Dotzour doesn't say it exactly like this - but the message he brings is clear to me ... "IT'S THE UNEMPLOYMENT, STUPID."  (And I usually don't say "Stupid"!) Dr. Mark Dotzour is Chief Economist for the Texas Real Estate Center and has for years noted unemployment as one of the "most destructive factors in housing..."  However, in my humble opinion, it is not simply the unemployment numbers although that is a powerful influencer. It is also coupled with the UNCERTAINTY of CURRENT employment! I hear it every day from clients, friends and family - those who are currently EMPLOYED. Yes, I did say EMPLOY... 08/29/2011

This is the third of a five part series on how to use DiSC® testing and personality profiling to perfect and improve your sales approach and build better relationships with your team members and referral partners.   The High I Personality The "I" in DiSC® personality profiling stands for influencer. High I's are charismatic and magnetic individuals.  They the outgoing, social people, who are the life of the party. They usually have the ability to influence others with their charm. You should handle High I profiles with energy and enthusiasm! If you have a client who is a High I on the other end of the line, you want to talk to them about things they are passionate about. This plays into their personality and makes them want to spend more time talking to you. If you have a referral sourc... 08/25/2011

  Remember 30 - A Virtual Memorial Below are the names of the gallant men who died in the service of their country and its people, when a CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed in Afghanistan on August 6, in support of Operation Freedom. Please take a moment - READ EACH NAME.  You may not have known any of these heroes personally - but each one has family or friends or  spouses who cherish their memory today.  Each name represents a hero who sacrificed everything so that you enjoy your freedom today. ( www.Blog.USNavySeals.Com where you can read more about individual heroes)   Sailors assigned to East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit: Lt. Cmdr. (SEAL) Jonas B. Kelsall, 32, of Shreveport, La.,   Special Warfare Operator Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Louis J. Langlais, 44, of Santa B... 08/25/2011

This is the second of a five part series on how to use DiSC® testing and personality profiling to perfect and improve your sales approach and build better relationships with your team members and referral partners.   The High D Personality According to DiSC® personality profiling, the High D personality type is the driving force in any organization and their positive, goal-driven attitude can be a great benefit to their team's success. High Ds process and respond very quickly.  Just get out of their way!  PLEASE remember -  they don't want or need all the gory details!  They have a mission to accomplish, and because of this, many times other people feel they are too impersonal and too focused.  They may sometimes seem like a roaring freight train! It is important for Ds to make sure the... 08/24/2011

  Well, not totally "wordless"...... Saw this post on Facebook today ........ Seismologists have determined that the earthquake in Washington,D.C. was not caused by a fault line, but by our Founding Fathers rolling over in their graves.   Earthquake:   1. A series of vibrations induced in the earth's crust by the abrupt rupture and rebound of rocks in which elastic strain has been slowly accumulating.   2. Something that is severely disruptive; upheaval. What do YOU think?   08/24/2011

What exactly IS "personality profiling"?  It is really just plugging into what OTHERS want!  We all know the Golden Rule, which states, "Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you."  Dr. Tony Allesandra, a national public speaker, quotes The Platinum Rule™*, "Do unto others as they would want you to do unto them."   This is the first of a five part series on how to use DiSC® testing and personality profiling to perfect and improve your sales approach and build better relationships with your team members and referral partners.  Personality profiling reaches deep into the area of sales and understanding your clients better, as well as how you relate to the members of your team. There are many different types of personality profiling techniques available today. I have used and hi... 08/21/2011

  "The greatest tragedy is being forgotten"tm. Wounded Warrior Project   The Boot Campaign is asking everyone to "Remember 30" this month. August 25 is the day slated for the national memorial to the 30 lives lost on August 6th. A little background on the Boot Campaign- I became involved in the Boot Campaign several months ago as a way to give back to our wounded warriors when they come back. You may have read my blog last month "Honoring Our Troops".The Boot Campaign is a grassroots initiative started by five women from Texas known as the Boot Girls. The Boot Campaign has been one way Americans can show their support for our active duty service members and veterans by purchasing a pair of combat boots - and getting their boots on. This month Americans suffered an enormous loss of life ... 08/21/2011