Marc's Mortgage Matter's

Sarah phones her husband at work, "Harvey, do you have time for a chat?"
"Sorry, darling, this is not a good time - I'm about to go into a board meeting."
"But this won't take long," Sarah says, "I just want to tell you some good news and some bad news."
"I really haven't the time," says Harvey, "so just quickly tell me the good news."
"Oh all right then. The air bag on your new Lexus works very well."

Do people change over time? Of course they do. Do companies? They do as well. Coca Cola Inc., for example, doesn't just produce Coke. They own Gatorade, various water companies, bottling plants, even Vitamin Water. How many telegraphs do you think American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) produce every year? Mortgage companies can do the same. ABC Mortgage can start off as a broker, and then become a mortgage banker, branch into wholesale or retail lending, start a servicing division, etc. For public companies, where people own stock, it is important for stockholders to keep track of the business(es) that their company is involved in!

RealtyTrac, which has made a name for itself in all things foreclosure, announced that "roughly 3.5 million homes will face foreclosure this year, and it will be at least two more years before the housing market gets back to normal." Personally I am not sure what "normal" is anymore, but RealtyTrac doesn't see any improvements in the numbers until 2011, and 2013 until the banks to finally sell of their inventories even with the much-improved short sale procedures that have been developed. Eerily similar to the employment picture...

Weather, like interest rates, is something everyone talks about but no one can do anything about. Weather trivia?

The longest rain-free period in the United States was 767 days (2 years, 37 days) in Bagdad, California, in 1912.
A world record rainfall occurred at Holt, MO on June 22, 1947 when it rained 12 inches in just 42 minutes. On July 4th, 1956 In Unionville, MD 1.23 inches of rain fell in 1 minute.
The average (not median) yearly temperature of New York, St. Louis and San Francisco differs by only 1.8F degrees.
Which is the least rainy city - Seattle, New York City or Miami? Although on average Seattle is cloudy 227 days a year, it only receives 39 inches of rain per year, compared to New York City (42 inches) and Miami (60 inches).
Is Chicago really "The Windy City?" Of the 262 major weather reporting stations in the United States, 27% average higher annual wind speeds than Chicago (which averages 10.3 mph). For example, New York City's annual wind speed is 12.2 mph.
Cheyenne, Wyoming averages the most hail storms in the United States per year with 10 and Tulsa, Oklahoma experiences the most severe hail storms annually.
The United States leads the world with an average of over 1,000 reported tornadoes each year. Kansas has received the most F5 tornadoes since 1880. Oklahoma encounters the highest number of significant and violent tornadoes per square mile. Of the total reported tornadoes in the United States each year, 20 can be expected to be F5 tornadoes with winds over 200 mph and nearly complete destruction.

The slow slog of recovery continues, and the best guesstimates are that it will continue to be a slog. The uncertain effects of slower overseas growth have raised the specter of a "double dip" recession again, and while that's possible it's probably unlikely. Low interest rates, low(ish) oil and gasoline prices and some stimulus money still tricking into the economy are providing some supports, and even the small amount of new jobs seen in the May employment report are a step in the right direction for creating a more self-sustaining recovery. Rates have been backing and filling against record lows, bouncing within a few basis point range. Some housing numbers are due next week, accompanied by price indicators and a couple of regional manufacturing reviews and more. There's little reason to expect rates to move up much soon, but stay tuned.

You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy night when you pass by a bus stop there are three people waiting for the bus: An old lady who looks as if she is about to die, an old friend who once saved your life, and the perfect partner you have been dreaming about. Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car? Think before you continue reading.

This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application. You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first. Or you could take the old friend because they once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay them back. However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again.

The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer. He simply answered: "I would give the car keys to my old friend and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner of my dreams." Sometimes, we gain more if we are able to give up our stubborn thought limitations. Never forget to 'Think Outside of the Box.'

A modern cynic would say the correct answer is to, "run the old lady over and put her out of her misery because the health care plan in this nation won't pay for her, make love with the perfect partner on the hood of the car, then drive off with the old friend for a few beers.