Well… I did. And, truth be told, six times already this week, including twice before noon today.
But I keep coming back because of………. YOU. Seriously!
I am generally a happy person. Even happy-go-lucky if you will. I have always looked at the half empty glass glad that I got something, and hoping I was able to share with someone who needed the other half. Lately though, it’s been hard. Really hard.
I think a lot of my problem is that I like to know what is going on around me, especially what’s happening in the financial sectors lately. Here are some current news headlines that are posted as I type this……
Stocks tumble on recession fears
Retail sales see biggest decline in three years
Fed sees economy sinking deeper into rut
Dow closes down more than 700
I keep wondering what I would do if I did quit this job for real. The vast majority of my adult life has been dedicated to saving lives, but I can’t do that anymore (the way I want) due to the shoulder injury that ended that career in the first place. There’s always retail, but go up a few lines……
So now I need to take a long, hard look at what I have going for me in this industry. Why should I stay and what do I have to contribute. I mean, the number of people in this industry is down about 60% compared to just a couple years ago, why not be just another statistic.
It all keeps coming down to YOU! Here’s why I’m staying…..
I believe the moral and ethical thing to do is always put the client’s best interests before mine. During the “Great Sub-Prime Years”, I turned down a bunch of people who wanted to purchase homes well outside their means. I tried to coach them and convince them, but their minds were set. I know they went to another lender who got them the loans. They very well may be in foreclosure as we speak!
I am a Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist. Less than 1% of all loan originators in the US hold this certification. It’s more than just “selling money”, it’s about making sure the client has the right mortgage, at the right time, at the right rate and using the house as another tool in their financial planning. I show my clients how to buy a house to maximize safety, liquidity and rate of return on their investments.
I hold an Indiana Real Estate License. I took the class on a dare, just to see if I could pass it. Although my license is in “inactive” status (I cannot buy / sell real estate as an agent AND provide FHA loans at the same time), I know what the Realtors have gone through to get licensed and it helps me better understand what they go through, making it easier to work together.
I have a big library, not a big-screen TV. I invest heavily in my education so that I can serve my clients better. I learn from some of the top loan originators, marketers, real estate agents, public speakers, internet gurus, tax planners, financial planners, and writers in the country at least one hour every day!
I belong to a local investment group. Not only so that I learn to invest in real estate, but so that I can provide my investor clients with assistance because I am one myself. I am amazed at the level of brilliance that I can learn from on a regular basis.
I could go on, but I’m feeling a little better now. I guess I have enough reasons to stay; I just need to write them down to see them clearly.
Maybe you are thinking the same thing. Sure, it took Thomas Edison over 1000 tries construct a usable light bulb. What perseverance. I just hope he wasn’t relying on that to feed his family….. 
I wrote this article, in this fashion, for all of those who are feeling the same way. Talking with other LOs and real estate agents, this is a tough time. We all have to buckle down, find ways to conserve and remember to focus on the basics.
If you can, hang in there. Call a friend that will make you laugh, read a good book or just go take a walk. Me, I think I’ll turn off CNN and turn on the movie “Airplane”. It’s just about dumb enough to make me laugh. Kinda like watching Jerry Springer makes your family seem a little more normal…..
If you have any ideas for things that myself and others can do to stay positive while the world crumbles down around us (just kidding), please feel free to send them along. I’m sure a lot of us will benefit.
Scott, your Northwest Indiana Loan Guy!
BTW, if you are looking for FHA loans, VA loans, USDA Rural Development loans, comventional loans or just good, solid home buying advice in Northwest Indiana, look no further. Poor credit an issue for you? Not for us – All credit is considered.