Congratulations are in order!

Jo Scheel, of Montgomery ERA Real Estate in Carlsbad, was recently voted "Best Realtor in Carlsbad" by the readers of the Carlsbad Current-Argus.

Jo Scheel, of Montgomery ERA Real Estate

As someone who has worked in the real estate industry for many years, I can attest to the fact that it is very hard to please your clients.  And the reason that it is so difficult is because purchasing a house is typically the BIGGEST purchase of most people's lives.  It is a major decision and there is so much that goes into the home search as well as the mortgage process, so there are many opportunities for clients to become stressed.

Which makes this award even that much more special...her clients voted on her as THE. BEST. REALTOR.  {The greatest sign of a job well done is the client's appreciation of that job.}

Jo is very special to me, not only because she refers her clients to Xcel Lending, but because she is my aunt!  Congratulations Jo on a job well done.  I am so proud of you, and am blessed to work together with you on your real estate transactions.

Wishing you continued success in your profession!

Refinancing: A Good Deal!

I completed a refinance today for a family who will save $295/month on their monthly mortgage payment!  It's one of those closings where you feel really good about what you do, and how you can help people.  Putting an extra $3500/year into a family's budget is great.  GREAT!

Photo courtesy of doityourself.com

Refinancing usually isn't hard and the closing costs can be financed (rolled) into your loan.  Typically you will make back in a year those closing costs with the reduced monthly mortgage payment.

Who else is ready to refinance?!

Freed Family Closing

Congratulations to the Freed Family on their closing today!  We have enjoyed working with you and wish all the best in your new home!

"The ornaments of your house will be the guests who frequent it." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

Intensity

The mortgage process is INTENSE!  Let me repeat that: the mortgage process is INTENSE! There are many different aspects of a loan: shopping around for the best rates and fees, completing an application, collecting data and statements, submitting forms and paperwork for underwriting, understanding closing costs, and much more.

Let's be honest: applying for a mortgage is not the easiest thing in the world.

Source

Why?  Because the lender who is loaning the borrower the money wants to make very certain that the borrower is credit worthy.  And all lenders have different requirements.  Which is why no mortgage is ever identical (and why I have to be ready to handle any and every situation).

And also: most people don't purchase or refinance their home on a regular basis; so therefore they aren't completely versed or up-to-date in how everything works.  Applying for a mortgage is more like having surgery (something that happens not very often) than it is going through the drive-through (something that happens often).  It is hard to manage expectations due to the infrequency with which mortgages take place in one household.

I have explored the idea of making some videos to help explain the loan procedure A to Z so that our clients can better understand how the process works.

While browsing around on the Internet, I found this short and easy video about closing costs that I really liked.  (Much credit to the title company who created this video.)

This video, as well as others, has inspired me to work on having a library of information that my clients can turn to for quick and easy explanations.  I will update you as I work on creating a painless, less intense, mortgage process for you!