Reflections on 2007

It just hit Dec. 28th...crazy. I cannot think of a year in my life that was so torn between "good" and "bad." Relationships filled with growth, but also very strained. Business growing very successful, but throwing a couple of "curveballs" at me that left me needing to take a large step back for a whole month. Poker (my main hobby) leading me to the largest losses to date (into four figures several times), but ending the year with a huge upswing that left me up a great deal by year's end. A spiritual journey that seems to be going in the right direction, even as I still feel lost in a "dark night of the soul." The future looking so promising and obvious, but somehow filled with more and more huge question marks.

When I was in college, I used to meditate on "Be still and know that I am God; I will be glorified among all the nations" (and the last part of this verse is really the point of the first!!), and that would be enough for me. One day, I hope that this verse will speak to me in a parallel (not "same") way.

In 5 years, I am not sure what I will think about when I look back on 2007. I have been pushed near to what I consider my breaking point in several ways this year, and I'm still around to be reflective about it...I guess that's got to be a good thing. When I was in college, I used to sing to the Lord, "Prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and tried; with thanksgiving, I'll be a living sanctuary for You." Part of me as a hunch that this year was part of an answer to this prayer of my heart; after all, God's got a funny way of answering our prayers in a way that we really don't like...even when it's the exactly the way that our prayers need to be answered.

In the end, to everyone reading this, I hope you had a great Christmas, and I wish you a wonderful celebration of the New Year. All the best in '08!

Peace,Greg

P.S. Here's an excerpt from my latest correspondance with my business contact database: In my last Service For Life newsletter (which was just placed in the mail a handful of days ago), I included the following personal update, and I wanted to share it with those who don’t get my hard copy newsletter (and, of course, if you do not currently get snail mail from me on a monthly basis and you wanted a free subscription to my Service For Life newsletter, just e-mail me your mailing address and I can make sure that you won’t miss a single issue in 2008). If you get my Service For Life, you can stop reading now. :)

Here’s what’s new in the world of Your Real Estate Ace: I apologize for not sending out a Service For Life last month. I had such a strong February-October that November offered me a chance to “downshift” a little and to reprioritize my life for a few weeks, focusing a great deal on both marriage and R&R. Real estate-wise, I serviced my listings to the best of my abilities and narrowed my focus to a handful of buyers, but I left the less urgent matters related to my business to the side for a few weeks. In the end, it was actually a great time of soul-searching and goal setting for my life, both as a Realtor but, more importantly, as a person striving to understand how to live as a Christian man in this crazy world. During this time, certain situations have caused me to take stock of my (usually blatant) shortcomings and failures, while others have caused me to be more thankful for my strengths and successes. In the end, I am very thankful for this Christmas season to remind me that 2,000 years ago a Man entered the world offering forgiveness and giving new Life…and to be worshipped in all the world. When I was 22-years-old, I thought I understood this; now, having just turned 28, I am not sure that I ever really did (or that I ever truly will). Either way, I am glad that it happened because, at the very least, it is all the evidence I need to know that God has chosen to engage His creation and the people in it in a relationship that is as real as it is mysterious…and that can’t be a bad thing. :)

November=Real Estate Ace Health Month

After a stressful October, I entered November with very little to do...and that was just fine by me. I worked in November, but I cut my workload in half, doing the bare minimum to keep in contact with my contact database and only pursuing the more promising of business leads (I didn't "not pursue" the rest of the leads, but I definitely kick back on my level of aggressive follow up). Besides that, I serviced my listings to the best of my ability.

So, instead of working 80-100 hours a week, I worked 20-40, depending on the week. My wife and I had some much needed "together time" (some greatly enjoyable, some immensely difficult, but all of it good), and I also upped my poker playing for the month, learning some (very profitable) lessons that were 3 years in the making.

Besides that, today is my 28th birthday. :) Sara and I are going to the Hack and Slash Christmas Special tonight (see www.hackandslash.com) with two other couples, so that will be fun.

Have a great weekend!

Peace,
Greg

P.S. To add an element of "real estate-ness" to this post, here's an e-mail just sent out to my database:

After some lengthy conversations with my primary lending partner team (Chris Sipe and Darren Chamblee of America East Mortgage; see www.aemtgllc.com), I decided that this information was important enough to send along to all of my friends and business contacts.

There is a lot of change that has happened (is happening) in the lending industry that is redefining the homebuying process from what it has been the last couple of years. Anyone that has worked with me knows that I do not get "deals" done by instilling fear or false urgency in my clients; even if I wanted to (which I don't!), this is just bad business practice in a referral-based business like mine. At the same time, if you (or someone you know!!) is considering buying in the next 12-18 months, there are some serious reasons to consider doing so much sooner, rather than later. Even if you are not considering buying or selling in the near future, I would recommend that you read the rest of this e-mail just to get a handle on what is going on in the real estate market, which affects us all in one way or the other.

So, please read the below and pass it on to whomever you think could potentially benefit from it! Besides that, I wish you a wonderful advent/Christmas season, and I hope to see you at the bowling event on January 8th!

Merry Christmas, Greg

P.S. You will note in this e-mail how much I encourage everyone to work with Chris and Darren. My clients always have the option to use the mortgage professional(s) that they feel most comfortable with; Chris and Darren have just earned the right to my full endorsement of their business by offering my clients creative, ethical, and beneficial financing solutions coupled with exceptional service. They have gone the extra mile again and again for our mutual clients, and I am blessed to have them on my team!


The Lowest Mortgage Rates in 26 Months!!!

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but the recent decline in mortgage rates is still leaving us a lot for which to be thankful. We are seeing the lowest fixed mortgage rates in the past 26 months, and this has presented us with the chance to help our clients restructure their current mortgage financing to reduce their monthly payment, consolidate debt, or use equity to fund home improvement projects or impending college tuition. My lending partners, Darren and Chris, have had clients qualify for 5.875%* with no points on a 30 year fixed rate mortgage, and in some cases, they were able to pay the closing costs.** You need to find out if you could benefit from this unexpected drop in rates.
However, here's why you should act now according to Darren and Chris:
Monday saw the lowest 30-year fixed interest rate in over two years. However, each time this interest rate reached previous low points, both last year and earlier this year, it began increasing and didn't stop, climbing over 0.50% in the months that followed!
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac tightened guidelines, announcing new Loan-Level Price Adjustments. In the first quarter of 2008, most borrowers who have good credit, but have FICO scores below 680, will now be forced either to pay more points at closing or incur a higher interest rate.
The amount that a borrower could be forced to pay, even if they've never been late on a payment, could be as much as 2.00% in points or an interest rate that's 1.00% higher than the going rate. On a $250,000 home loan, a borrower could have to pay up to $5,000 in order to receive normal market rates! Borrowers choosing the higher interest rate, under the worse case scenario, would stand to lose over $7,500 in just the first three years of the loan. If you have been waiting for the perfect time to buy or refinance, don’t wait any longer to find out what options are available. This is a huge change and will affect a lot of people. Make sure you are not one of them.
Darren and Chris conduct Annual Mortgage Reviews with all of their clients that choose to benefit from this free service. Part of that is a preliminary credit review which will allow you to assess your credit situation and avoid a costly decrease in your credit score. Please don’t hesitate to call them directly at 240-629-3756 for a FREE Annual Mortgage Review to determine what they can do to help you improve your financial situation before these great rates disappear.