Happy Thanksgiving

We have so much to be thankful for with clients and partners like you. This Thanksgiving, as you're gobbling up goodies with your friends and family, just know that we're extremely grateful to be a continuing part of your success. Have a wonderful holiday from Darrell Walters and Integrity Mortgage Funding!

Strategic Equity Management

There are several reasons why purchasing a home is preferable to renting one. Rent payments go directly into the pocket of a landlord, while mortgage payments result in the accumulation of equity and the eventual ownership of the property. The tax advantages of home ownership are also significant since mortgage interest is tax deductible.

Ironically, these two benefits do not always work well together! Financial planning expert and best-selling author, Douglas Andrew, has revealed some surprising misconceptions as well as some innovative strategies in his book, Missed Fortune 101. Andrew explains that most homeowners believe that paying down their mortgages quickly and increasing their equity is the best investment they can make. However, doing so results in a decrease in the tax benefits available since the loan is paid off sooner, causing the interest deductions to disappear.

As an alternative, Andrew suggests that homeowners obtain a fixed-rate, long-term mortgage. Rather than putting down a large down payment or paying extra principal, he recommends placing these funds in a carefully chosen investment vehicle that will earn a higher rate of return. By using the tax benefits of the interest deductions and the compounding of interest on the investment account, homeowners have the potential to earn a higher rate of return. In addition, should an emergency need for cash arise, the investment account will be much more liquid than the equity of the home.

Total Quality Control: Set Goals that Lead to Improvement

The concept of KAIZEN®* is based on ideas developed by Japanese industries, which date back to the 1950s. This system for optimizing production melds together ideas from both Eastern and Western cultures, and embraces the philosophy of implementing common sense, low-cost forms of improvement. It takes into consideration all members and facets of a company, and how each plays its part in reaching Total Quality Control.

While breakthrough ideas are based on rapid change and the development of new systems, KAIZEN® principles are geared toward recognizing what resources you have at hand, and making better use of them. The KAIZEN® process is soft and gradual, and a team or support group evaluates each level of change step-by-step.

According to Masaaki Imai, Founder and Chairman of KAIZEN® Institute, you should regard how you currently do your job as the worst way to do it, and seek to make gradual and consistent improvement. "In order to improve you must first perceive the need for change, and then recognize the problems and work to solve them," Imai states.

Rate your current activities on a scale of one to ten (ten being best), and determine what goals you should set to improve your current system. Circle the number that best applies for each category listed below.

Review your notes, and decide which areas could use the most improvement. How does this affect your company's production overall?

Email or call me at 678-648-5626 if you'd like to brainstorm on improving the way you do business.

* KAIZEN® is a registered trademark of KAIZEN® Institute, Ltd., recognized in the United States and throughout the world. All rights reserved.

Google Maps Help New Homeowners Find Their Way!

Google™ released a new localized service in March of 2004. Many relocated homeowners have used this search feature to get to know their new neighborhood.

Simply visit www.maps.google.com and enter the type of service or business you are looking for, followed by the city or zip code you are targeting. Google's robust search engine will provide a list of results within seconds. The results will include local information about neighborhood business listings, maps, directions and useful web pages derived from a variety of sources. This makes getting to know a new neighborhood fast and easy. If you out on the road, you could also use Google Mobile which provides driving directions and contact information for your local searches.

Example searches: Italian restaurants, coffee shops, movie theaters, pet groomers, libraries, video rentals, grocery stores, etc.

If you are looking for a mortgage professional that is committed to providing exceptional service, look no further! My team and I continually monitor rates for our clients and always work toward our clients’ long-term goals. Email or give us a call at 678=648=5626 if you would like to discuss loan options with a trusted advisor.

*Google is a trademark of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

The Weekly Review - A Strategy for Success

In today's business world, information comes at you rapidly and from all directions. It's far too easy to become overwhelmed and find yourself in a reactive rather than a proactive mode. How can you regain a sense of balance and control?

Each week, as work winds down, make an appointment with yourself to assess how you've been doing. David Allen, the best-selling author of Getting Things Done, calls this a weekly review, which he believes is critical to achieving the results you desire.

The weekly review is more than a chance to step away from the distractions of the office, it's also a time to catch anything that might have otherwise slipped through the cracks. Schedule an uninterrupted block of time every week, and use it to evaluate and process your activities.

Allen suggests that you begin by collecting everything that belongs in your inbox. Gather all loose papers, scribbled notes, and audio memos that you haven't been able to transcribe. Empty your mind by writing down all the things that you haven't dealt with yet.

The next step is to process your inbox. If an item doesn't require action, trash it, file it as reference material, or add it to your someday - maybe list. If an item does require action, go ahead and complete it if it takes two minutes or less. If it requires more than 2 minutes, then delegate it or defer it and create reminders so that it won't be occupying your thoughts.

Review your deferred and someday-maybe action lists. Mark off all completed tasks. Integrate selected actions into your plans for the coming week. Schedule any next steps, such as meetings, in your calendar as needed.

Check over your waiting for lists. Are your delegated tasks getting done? Do you need to send out follow-up reminders?

Go through your projects. Remember, any tasks that require more than one step qualify as projects. Assess their progress. Do you need to rethink the stages involved? Determine what the next actions are.

Review last week's calendar. Examine the notes. Are there any follow-up activities that you've neglected? Sort these steps the same way, deciding on the next concrete action. Look over the upcoming week's calendar. What do you have to prepare?

Now that you've regained control of your working environment, take a little time to be creative and bold. Shift from the micro to the macro. Brainstorm. Capture as many off-beat ideas as you can. When the ideas stop flowing, get up, stretch, and look at those wild musings. Are they worthwhile? Take them back to your inbox and determine if they are actionable or not... Don't forget to schedule your next weekly review!

If you have other management tips, please give let me know!

The New Home Buyer Tax Credit

The November 11^th edition of the CNBC’s Squawk box featured a discussion by Richard Smith, CEO of Realogy, regarding the extension and expansion of the buyer tax credit and how it will impact the real estate market.

Mr. Smith has an interesting viewpoint as to the changing real estate market. Check out the video and let me know your thoughts about how the tax credit and other changes will impact our real estate market.

Also, if you would like more information regarding the latest home buyer tax credit and extension, please call me or email at dwalters@integritymtgonline.com.

Happy Veteran's Day

Thank you for all the things that you have done for our freedom and liberty. I hope that you have a very blessed Veteran’s Day from Darrell Walters and Integrity Mortgage Funding.

Time Blocking - Putting Balance Back into Your Life

Have you ever had your day end and wonder where it went? Have you ever been frustrated by how reactive you have been to "emergency" situations that significantly reduced your productivity?

Many of us have experienced this to an excessive degree in our business practices. One of the greatest ways to eliminate the reactive state we find ourselves in is to practice the art of Time Blocking. Time Blocking is about scheduling your day with purpose, making sure the things you need to get done DO get done. This applies to work and personal activities. Remember, the more proactive you are with your day, the less reactive you will be.

Dedicate yourself to the following exercise for 2 weeks. Each morning, start off by blocking your entire day in ½ hour increments. The result might look something like this:

8:30 - 9:00 Check emails and voice mail
9:00 - 9:30 Return calls
9:30 - 10:00 Prospect for new business
10:00 - 10:30 Staff meeting
10:30 - 11:00 Check voice mail and return calls
11:30 - Noon Strategies new business planning
Noon - 12:30 Return calls
12:30 - 1:00 Break for lunch
1:00 - 1:30 Return calls
1:30 - 2:00 Meet with client

The key to this type of planning is to check your voice mail and email each hour and return messages promptly. The reason is simple: If you let too much time lapse before you respond to your client, it will tear you away from your time blocking schedule. The temptation to check the red light blinking on your phone, or respond to that electronic voice saying, "You've got mail," will be too great to resist. Remember, time blocking is about commitment. The more you live your days proactively, the more work you will get done.

Homeowner's Insurance: Put the Right Policy In Place

In order to obtain a home loan, a borrower is usually required to have a homeowner's insurance policy in place. Experts agree that the most important question homeowners should ask when shopping for a plan is the A.M. Best rating of each company. New companies pop up all the time, and homeowners need to be informed about what a company can offer in terms of protection against potential risk.

Consumers should also become familiar with the liability portion of their policy. ACV (Actual Cash Value) policies pay claims based upon the depreciated value of the item or items lost. However, replacement cost policies will pay the full cost required to actually replace the items.

To ensure that the right amount of insurance is purchased, homeowners should obtain an appraisal every five years or so. If additions are made or remodeling takes place, homeowners will need to revisit and possibly upgrade their plan as well.

Experts say there are several important mistakes homeowners should be especially careful to avoid. The first is being dishonest on an application. This is absolute grounds to reject any claim. Secondly, if the property contains a detached structure - such as a guest house, a barn, a workshop, or a garage - be sure to include each one on the insurance policy. Finally, do not over-insure. Homeowners can save a little money by insuring only those items and structures that need to be replaced.

Email or call me at 678-648-5626 for a referral to a local, professional insurance agent.