I lost a loan this week. Now this happens every now and then. You can’t avoid it. But this one wasn’t because of a bad inspection or a buyer who couldn’t qualify. I lost it because another lender quoted a much lower interest rate. Usually, when a client compares rates, we’re within a…

AI is making a difference in just about every facet of life. Like any other major advancement I’ve seen in my lifetime, I’ve embraced it and looked for ways to learn more about it and use it to make my job easier. And it has definitely changed how I do…

The home loan business is tough right now. Again. Interest rates are high. Inflation is up. Fuel prices are up because of the conflict in Iran. The job market is strong, which is bad for mortgage rates. The economy seems resilient, which is also bad for mortgage rates. There is…

I have a loan I’m working on right now that is somewhat difficult.  We’re getting close to the closing date, and I don’t have everything completely worked out yet.  I will get there, but it’s hard. One thing I always try to do is keep the real estate agents and…

Dolly Parton died last week. We happened to be in downtown Nashville with some friends visiting from out of town when we heard the news. The band at the honky tonk we were in started telling stories about Dolly and then played one of her songs. That night, we went…

Recently the processor who had been my right-hand person for the last five years left the company (and the mortgage industry) to spend more time with her family and be a mom. I was so so happy for her! We had developed a great working relationship over those five years….

We just finished moving our daughter back into college for her sophomore year.  Her first year was full of challenges and struggles, ups and downs, but she made it through and is going back for her 2nd year! She had to head back a little earlier than everyone else because…

Recently our family traveled to South Georgia for my wife’s annual family reunion.  We’ve attended this reunion almost every year, no matter where we’ve lived. In fact, we’re usually the ones who travel the farthest and this year was no exception – over nine hours in the car just to…

I closed a loan this week that was a first for me.  I never actually had a conversation with the client. (Well… almost.) When I called him the first time, he answered and quickly said, “Hey, I’m in a meeting. Can you just text me? I’m comparing rates. I’m already…

Recently one of my first bosses passed away. Danny Berry – or “DB” as most of us called him – was one of the two people who hired me when I first started in the music industry “back in the day”. Along with his partner, LC, they took a chance…