Tucson By Choice!

For two years now, I've turned to my friends on The Active Rain Real Estate Network for help, and I've never been disappointed.

You read my post on 7/11, Unemployed At 60 (But Not In The Least Discouraged).  You rallied around me with the most encouraging comments, phone calls and emails, and I'm so very grateful for all of you.

If that had to happen, the timing couldn't have been better.  I had just renegotiated my lease (on this beautiful office suite to your right) downward by 23%, and the landlord and leasing company couldn't have been more helpful.

Now that I'm miles away at SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, I need a creditworthy tenant to sublease this 3 office suite.

The unit is available for $950. per month. 

• 3 private offices
• comfortable reception area
• work area
• kitchenette
• covered parking space available for under $30. per month extra

Please email a link to this post to anyone you know who's looking for beautiful, professional office space in greater Tucson.

Here's a link to the Craigslist post with all the details.

THANKS!

 ___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know with a purchase or refi mortgage.
(520) 349-9090

Commercial Real Estate Lender

Justin Martinez isn't your ordinary banker.  Sure, he shows up in a suit and tie at the National Bank of Arizona, but that's his vocation.  He's good at what he does for a living, but it's only one of Justin's passions in life.

Musician

The Justin Martinez you see on the left is a Rock & Roll musician performing here in Tucson, AZ.  He's the Jimmy Page of his generation!  (Okay, he doesn't have the hair...  LOL)

You meet the most interesting people on the Active Rain Real Estate Network! 

Please click the link to visit Justin's first post in the Rain.  Make him WELCOME!

___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know with a purchase or refi mortgage;
(520) 349-9090

Please click the link to go visit Arizona's newest Rainmaker, Lynette Bruster.  Leave a comment on her blog, and MAKE HER WELCOME!

Earlier today...

"Lynette," I asked, "may I show you what makes the Active Rain Real Estate Network such an awesome business tool?" 

"Look at this."  I launched a Google page, and typed in the search term "loan officer."

"You drive," I said, turning the keyboard over to Lynette, a REALTOR at Long Realty here in Tucson.  "Type in two more words in that search term so that it reads "loan officer in tucson."

The results narrowed down to 122,000.  The Google page displayed the first ten results.  "Please notice that numbers 1 and 2 out of 122,000 are Active Rain "Rainmakers,"  I said. 
"That's the power of being a 'Rainmaker!"

"Are you ready to upgrade from Active Rain member to Rainmaker?"  "You bet!" was her response. 

 ___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know with a purchase or refi mortgage;
(520) 349-9090

I'm keeping an eye out for you.  Active Rain Newbies, that is. 

Wind the clock back to July 2007.

I hadn't been blogging in the Rain very long when I ran into a brick wall.  I needed help, and at age 58, I wasn't real used to asking for it.  I was used to figuring out things for myself.  I guess it was a point of pride with me that I was pretty good at figuring things out, and yet finding a way to make this blogging thing pay off had me bamboozled.

As a child, I grew up in the rainforest of South America.  That bird's photo is about 45 years old.  The people I lived among called themselves "Tirio."  In their Amerindian society, people learned at a very young age to offer help when help was needed.  They learned something else along the way--to accept help graciously when it was needed.  

That's something our society avoids - accepting help when offered.  "I don't need your help."  I'd fallen into that trap.

The Active Rain Real Estate Network changed all that for me.  Once again, I was the newbie.  The learner.  And I had a lot to learn about blogging for results.  Business results.  Google Juice.  SEO.  Tags.  Metatags.  Long tail.  And I found, in this "Rain" Forest, a lot of willing teachers. 

I've become one of those willing teachers.

If you're a newbie, especially if you're an Arizona Newbie, I'll be keeping an eye out for you.  Don't be surprised when I call to offer help.  As a Rainmaker, you can come up the curve a whole lot faster than I did.  Your business can benefit.  If your serious about Active Rain, I'm serious about helping you succeed.

I'm an Active Rain Ambassador, and I'm keeping an eye out for you. 
(...and it's okay if you call me first.  :)

 ___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know with a purchase or refi mortgage;
(520) 349-9090

Round numbers make me smile.  I don't know why.  I turned in early last night, and so here I am, wide awake at 3:30 in the morning, doing what I always do in my spare time - investing that time in my business relationships with great people like you through blogging.

This month marks my second anniversary with the Active Rain Real Estate Network.  I was at the bottom of the heap in July of 2007, trying to figure this out.

Everyone else was a giant, and I was a peon.  But I kept at it.  TLW's blog taught me to reciprocate - to comment on someone's blog when (wonder of wonders) they commented on mine. ...I can't find the TLW's post on reciprocation; somebody please leave an active link to in in your comment...

Margaret Woda was the very first person to comment on my first post, and she's become a friend I have yet to meet.

THANK YOU to Bob Stewart, Jonathan Washburn, and the rest of the gang who started, nurtured, maintained and grew this blogging community from a "hope so" to the powerhouse that it has become.

THANK YOU to Brad Andersohn for great "how to" posts like this one.

THANK YOU especially to you, for taking the time out of your busy day to stop by, read and comment!  I surely do appreciate you.

As Roy Peterson over in Waco, TX says in every post and comment, "Life is Good." 

 ___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE
Call me if I can help you or someone you know with a purchase or refi mortgage;
(520) 349-9090

EDIT:  ANY FORCLOSED HOME THAT IS VACANT.

My featured post this morning provided the particulars for Arizona's allocation of the HUD NSP1 funds, but money has been allocated NATIONWIDE for this program.  The program likely can benefit YOU.

MISCONCEPTIONS THAT COULD KEEP YOU FROM BENEFITING

1. Misconception #1:  Since this is a HUD program, the eligible properties have to be HUD owned. 
   FALSE!  The properties must be foreclosed and vacant.  That's it.
   
2. Misconception #2:  We don't have many foreclosures in our neck of the woods, so there's probably nothing in it for me. 
   FALSE!  Every state, and the territories (see map below) has an allocation of money for this program. 
   

Click the link below the map (on the left) to check it out for your State, county and/or city.

CLICK HERE TO view list of states

Here's a link to the first post:

Stimulus Money To Purchase Primary Residence. 22% Second Mortgage. Zero Interest Rate. Call Your REALTOR! (1 of 3) - 07/25/09 05:33 AM
The details are below.  This is the first program I've seen that really, really helps do two things:
Get foreclosures out of circulation and off the market. Stimulate buyers to buy now. HUD's Neighborhood Stabilization Program provides for 22% of the purchase price to be subsidized with a ZERO interest second ... (25 comments)

"Can blogging help my business?"  That's the question I get when I talk to lenders, real estate agents and others about the Active Rain Real Estate Network.

I asked myself the same question in July of 2007, when I found this blogging platform in an Inman News article. 

I knew almost nothing about the internet two years ago.  I knew less about Google.  But I started blogging, and I've stuck with it. 

Within months, the question "Can blogging help my business?" turned into an affirmative statement: Blogging CAN help my business!

Active Rain makes my phone ring. 

Today was a case in point. 

Notes:

Buyer sold home in Chicago, retiring to AZ.  Daughter attending the University of Arizona.  He's driving her down to Tucson, needs a mortgage for an Arizona home.  No agent, needs referral. Phone, address, email.  FUP: thank you card SOC, email contact info, refer to Chuck Willman.

I considered that a good day, but it wasn't over.

My Darlin' and I were snuggled on the couch watching TV at 7:30 when my cellphone rang.  "I found you on the internet, and I have a question.  Can you tell me anything about Vail, Arizona?"  By the end of our conversation, I had taken the following notes:

Buyer moving to Tucson from North Dakota.  Hates the cold.  Flying in on Thursday night.  2 interviews with local school system and hospital maintenance for supervisor position.  11 years experience with same employer in ND.  Phone, home address in ND, email.  Asked for referral to an agent I trust.  Referred to Kevin Wood, Realty Execs.  FUP: thank you card SOC, email contact info, call Kevin.

So... Will blogging help your business?  Today it helped not only mine, and also the two agents to whom I was able to pass an unexpected referral.

If you have questions about how Active Rain can help your business, call me!

 ___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

Call me if I can help you with a purchase or refi mortgage;
(520) 349-9090

Image courtesy www.SendOutCards.com/MikeInTucson

Sunset this evening found me at one of Tucson's most picturesque spots. 

Gates Pass in the Tucson Mountains is a spectacular place, especially at sunset. 

The city lies far below to the east, and to the west, the Avra Valley extends to the horizon.

Stone buildings and walls fit the landscape.  Access is very easy by car, and the parking lot (off Gates Pass Road) is generous.  I've taken some of my favorite photos from this vantage point. 

It's beautiful.  It's quiet, even when people gather at sunset.  The atmosphere is almost one of reverence.  It's a place I frequent when I want to enjoy the solitude of the desert and the magnificence of God's creation.

The monsoon season brings dramatic cloud structures.  Come visit some night soon.  Bring a camera!

 ___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

Call me if I can help you with a purchase or refi mortgage;
(520) 349-9090

Photos copyright Mike in Tucson

8:30 a.m.  Arizona Daily Star's above-the-fold headline in big, bold typeface reads:  Fraud suit filed against Tucson real estate group.

The complaint by the AZ Attorney General's office includes the company where I'm a loan officer, Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC. 

8:40 a.m.  This is not good.  I call my Darlin' to break the news.

The press release by the AG's office includes the following language:

Defendants RE/MAX and Tucson Mortgage, and their respective owners and/or supervisors allegedly profited from the scheme and either knew or should have known of the fraud being perpetrated against lenders in these real estate transactions.

9:48 a.m.  The first email out of corporate announces that effective immediately, loans from Tucson Mortgage will no longer be accepted by one major bank.  All loans in the pipeline will be honored.

10:31 a.m.  Email:  a second major bank will no longer accept loans from Tucson Mortgage.  Loans in the pipeline will be honored, but will go to corporate for review.

10:47 a.m.  Fax machine spits out a loan approval from an underwriter at the first bank to shut us down an hour earlier:  Clear to Close on one of my pipeline loans.  Thank you, God!

11:00 a.m.  A principle from another mortgage company calls to see if I'm interested in coming on board.  I don't know, but thanks.

1:20 p.m.  I have a $349,000 VA purchase application (referred by a REALTOR) that's been in the works since January.  The buyers finally have a signed contract on a bank-owned property.  The bank wants to close yesterday?!

I email the borrowers and the REALTOR (who's on vacation in the Carribean) that it would be in their best interest to place the loan with another mortgage company, citing today's headline.  I'll help expedite in any way they deem helpful.

3:15 p.m.  Message on my Blackberry from another mortgage company.  A phone call turns into an interview with a principle of the company.  I still don't know, but it's nice to be wanted.

4:10 p.m.  Driving to a 4:30 closing, I call my pastor and tell him what's going down.  He prays with me on the phone and suggests that I think of a way to start a networking group of the unemployed people like me in our congregation.  That brings a smile.  I can do that.

4:30 p.m.  Closing at title on a rate & term refinance (the one I blogged about last month where the appraisal got knocked way down and we extended the lock out to 60 days.)  Sitting in the lobby of the title company, I tell my client about the news, and ask her to put me on the prayer list.  (I believe in prayer, as does this client.) 

My client works for one of Tucson's major employers, and she suggests that I go on their HR website and look through the positions that are open in the company.  "Use my name as a reference," she said.  Wow!  I hadn't thought about changing careers for the fifth time in my life...

5:30 p.m.  Dinner with my Darlin' and two of her girlfriends at the Elle Wine Country Restaurant.    Smiles, joy and thankfulness.

11:00 p.m.  Writing this post, I'm reminded of the verse in Jeremiah 29:11  "I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord, "...plans to give you hope and a future."  I'll sleep well tonight.

 ___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

Call me if I can help you with a purchase or refi mortgage;
(520) 349-9090

Photo copyright Mike in Tucson

You wouldn't think to find this cottage near Tucson. 

It looks more like something you would find in the European Alps.

The city of Tucson has a program called "Tucson Will Surprise You!"  It's true.  There are hidden gems in and around this 1,000,000 plus population that you just wouldn't expect.  But I digress...

I hiked in Madera Canyon yesterday afternoon, driving out from the trailhead at sunset.  The cottage in the photo is halfway up the canyon toward the trailhead, and although it's usually open, this July 4th weekend must have been an owner's holiday.

There are more than twenty miles of trails up, over and around Mt. Wrightson (Old Baldy) and the surrounding peaks.  South of Madera Canyon road, the setting sun painted Elephant Head in shades of blue, while the northerly part of the Santa Rita range featured the rising full moon.

It was a magical hike, one I'm sure you would enjoy.  Call me for directions if you're planning a vacation in greater Tucson.  The trailhead is at elevation 5,000, so it's a cool hike for summertime.  If you go all the way to the top, you'll gain nearly another mile in elevation.

 ___________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.

Call me if I can help you with a purchase or refi mortgage;
(520) 349-9090

Photos copyright Mike in Tucson