Those of us in sales are challenged in today’s environment to build a case that passes the “So What?” test and the mode of message delivery is very  different depending on the generation of our audience.  According to Terri Sjodin, author of Small Message, Big Impact, most of us are still delivering our message like we did in the days of bell bottoms, polyester pants and platform shoes and “the 70’s called and wants their presentation back!” Read the rest of this entry »

 Someone recently commented to me that some 19% of all real estate transactions are falling apart during the approval process never to get to the closing table.  Ouch! Read the rest of this entry »

FHA loan limits could drop yet again on January 1, 2012

While Congress debates how to create jobs, a vote on retaining the current high cost limits on mortgages has not yet taken place.  Thus we revert to the ‘old’ way of calculating the loan limits as of loans not fully credit approved and clear to close by September 30^th.  Currently, the new loan limits in place on Oct 1^st, in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro area will revert to $318550.  However, the formula for calculating the limits in place on January 1^st, 2012 may result in even lower limits.   The loan limits in place after Oct 1 2011 expire December 31 2011.  This could dramatically affect purchase agreements written that are set to close after the 1^st of the year. Read the rest of this entry »

Appraisals continue to be the knothole in a lot of real estate transactions.  If you’ve ever had one come in low, then you know how frustrating it can be to look at the comparable sales and try to make sense of how the appraiser came up with that value.  Underwriters and Investors struggle to make sense of the hodge podge of commentary and adjustments on appraisals as well. Read the rest of this entry »

An old friend of mine once asked me if my husband and I were on a mission to renovate all of the derelict farm houses in Scott County. Over the past 26 years we’ve pulled a lot of plaster and lathe, shoveled our share of bat poop out of attics, rewired, plumbed, and lovingly restored more than a dozen houses. Years of neglect showed itself in many ways; in the peeling paint on their facades, dry rotted boards, failed septic systems, leaky rock foundations that let water and mold into damp, musty smelling basements. Read the rest of this entry »

“You can coach and encourage a thousand people but you can’t carry 3 on your back.”   Let that sink in for a minute. Read the rest of this entry »

Worry a little bit every day and in a lifetime you will lose a couple of years. If something is wrong, fix it if you can. But train yourself not to worry. Worry never fixes anything.

Mary Hemingway

Spoken like the true Minnesotan that she was, Ernest’s fourth wife and widow has a point. Read the rest of this entry »

This could be an interesting week.

That is still the big question.  So far, the markets seem to believe that Congress will burn the midnight oil and strike a deal. I hope so and I hope it is one both sides of the aisle can and do embrace.   Time is running out.  The closer we get to the deadline without a deal, the more likely the market is to start pricing in the risk of both a default and a downgrade of US bonds.  Keep your eyes on the rates and the news this week.  Better to be safe than sorry.  According to my Financial Planner, his advisors believe a default or failure to reach a deal on the deficit might result in an immediate .5-1.0% increase in rates and an 8-15% decline in the stock market. Read the rest of this entry »