Martin Luther King, Jr. Is A Man To Be Respected.  Tomorrow is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  this is a day well deserved of being celebrated.   Martin Luther King, Jr. deserves this honor and much, much more.  Some may argue that his dream has not been fulfilled, but I would argue otherwise.  However, this is not the blog to make that argument, this blog is to honor a man who saw beyond color, and focused on equality for all. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream not for himself but for all mankind.  A dream of equality, freedom, and justice.  Nothing Martin Luther King, Jr. did centered on himself, it all centered on others.  His life was one of service to others unconditionally. As a young boy from a different country, Martin Luther King, Jr. taught me a major life lesson, one that I l... 01/15/2023

I just want to take this opportunity to say Happy New Year 2023 to all my friends here on ActiveRain.  I have been blessed to know several of you for many years, and have been blessed with new ActiveRain friends this year as well.  I am all set to kick off 2023, and leave 2022 behind.  I have completed all of my licensing requirements for the three states I am licensed in (Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Florida), and all the licenses have been renewed for 2023.  I am looking forward to the new challenges 2023 brings us, and hope the same for everyone of you. Life is to short to waist a precious minute of it.  Be thankful for what you have, and enjoy every minute of it. I look forward to reading each and everyone of your blogs, and hope you put up with my comments in 2023.  Stay Safe Thi... 12/31/2022

Merry Christmas To All My ActiveRain Friends In 2022.  Christmas has always been a day my wife and I have spent with our two son's, but now that my oldest son moved to Bonney Lake, WA we have had to get a little more creative in celebrating Christmas.My youngest son alternates between spending Christmas with us, and his wife's parents.  This year is his in-laws turn, so he and his wife spent Christmas Eve with us at my house.  After they arrived we FaceTimed with my oldest son, and my gorgeous granddaughter, Elizabeth.  While FaceTiming we open the Christmas present we sent each other.  This is not the same as all of us being together, but it is still special in a different way.  After FaceTiming we had a special lunch/dinner. This year we had stuffed jumbo shrimp, filet mignon, and twi... 12/25/2022

This month our ActiveRain challenge is being hosted by Jeff Dowler, CRS and Brian England, titled "The ActiveRain Members Guide to Blogging Success - Do's and Don'ts".   For this challenge they are asking us to share what members can do to improve their blogging and results, and what to avoid doing.For the first part of their challenge my two suggestions and advice were very simple.  Simply blog about what you know.  If ActiveRain members do this they will not only get the coveted gold stars (featured posts), but also several views & clicks, many followers without begging members to follow you, as well as an endless source of blog topics.  For my second blog in this month's challenge are a few of the No No's in blogging, what not to do.The very first No No for me is plagiarism.  DO NOT ... 12/16/2022

This month our ActiveRain challenge is being hosted by Jeff Dowler, CRS and Brian England, titled "The ActiveRain Members Guide to Blogging Success - Do's and Don'ts".   For this challenge they are asking us to share what members can do to improve their blogging and results, and what to avoid doing.For the first part of their challenge my two suggestions and advice is very simple.  First, simply blog about what you know.  If ActiveRain members do this they will not only get the coveted gold stars (featured posts), but also several views & clicks, many followers without begging members to follow you, as well as an endless source of blog topics.I am a Loan Originator, so I blogged about Mortgage Programs, and the Mortgage Process for many years, until compliance restrictions were put in p... 12/15/2022

Hot Off The Press!!!It’s official!  The conforming loan limit for 2023 will be $726,200, which is $79,000 higher than 2022. The ceiling for one-unit properties in high-cost areas will be $1,089,300 in 2023.   This marks the first time the government will officially be in the market for mortgages above $1 million!!!  11/29/2022

Happy Thanksgiving 2022!I hope that everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving today.   Do not let the day go by without taking a few minutes to truly give thanks for all you have been blessed with, and if possible take the opportunity to be a blessing to someone else.  Today should not only be a day of giving thanks in word, but in deed as well.Happy Thanksgiving From My House To Yours. 11/24/2022

Debe Maxwell, CRS is hosting the ActiveRain Challenge the month titled "November 2022 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge".  This will be an easy challenge for me, because I have MUCH to have gratitude for.  For this challenge we get to write one blog per week for this month.  My first blog was about my beautiful granddaughter, and my second blog was about those who have given me encouragement and support in my career.   This third blog is for the gratitude I have for the sacrifices my parents made for me and my brothers and sisters, to have an opportunity for a better life.  Most of you reading this blog have heard some of what I am about to write before, but it is very appropriate for this months ActiveRain challenge. My Family came to the US from the Azores, Portugal in 1960 when I was ... 11/17/2022

Fall Has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for me to begin my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started Ten years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many years, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Eight years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  So six years ago I decided to change locations again to a site at Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hoped for, so three year ago I decided to keep it simple and do my Progres... 11/14/2022

Debe Maxwell, CRS is hosting the ActiveRain Challenge the month titled "November 2022 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge".  This will be an easy challenge for me, because I have MUCH to have gratitude for.  For this challenge we get to write one blog per week for this month.  My first blog was about my beautiful granddaughter, for this second blog it will be focused on the gratitude I have for those who have helped me succeed as a Loan Originator. First and foremost the number one factor in the success of my business, has been my faith and reliance on God to see me through whatever comes my way.  From the very first day in my sales career, God has been a part of it.  My faith that God will guide through life and business, has given me an incredible peace of mind to know no matter what, Go... 11/12/2022

Today is Veteran's Day 2022, A Day To Honor Our Veterans, and our Men and Women who are serving in our Armed Forces.I hope that everyone takes a moment out of there day to say thank you to either a Veteran they know, or one of the Men and Women presently serving.  It only takes a minute to do this, but the impact and meaning it has on the one you say thank you to is greater than you can imagine. Those who have served our country did so willingly and without expectation of anything in return.  They did it for the honor of serving the land of opportunity, and to secure the freedoms we enjoy.Many restaurants throughout the Country will be honoring our Veterans with free meals, and discounts.  So let us join all the organization who are honoring our Veterans today and show our appreciation ... 11/11/2022

Debe Maxwell, CRS is hosting the ActiveRain Challenge the month titled "November 2022 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge".  This will be an easy challenge for me, because I have MUCH to have gratitude for.  For this challenge we get to write one blog per week for this month, and my first blog will be about one of the biggest blessings in my life, the birth of my one and only grandchild, Elizabeth.This amazing blessing in my life was born Eight years ago on July 13, and brought a special joy into my life that words cannot even begin to describe.   She has truly given me a new appreciation for how much I have been blessed with.  To say I am grateful for having her in my life would be an understatement, it goes far beyond gratitude.  She has added a new meaning of gratitude and purpose to my... 11/04/2022

Fall Has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for me to begin my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started Ten years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many years, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Eight years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  So six years ago I decided to change locations again to a site at Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hoped for, so three year ago I decided to keep it simple and do my Progress... 10/31/2022

Carol Williams, Aura Alex, and Leanne Smith, are co-hosting this month's ActiveRain Challenge "Blogging Success Stories".  Most members have blogged about blogging successes they have had with increasing their business by reaching new clients through blogging.  However, for me my blogging target audience is not new clients, it is Realtors.While I have developed new clients through my ActiveRain blogs, developing new clients is not my focus, my focus in developing new referral partners, which in my case is mainly Realtors.  Through my blogs I have been able to show my experience, and knowledge of the mortgage industry.  This in turn has made it easier for me to develop Realtor relationships.  There are Realtors who refer their Buyers to me because we got to know each other through bloggi... 10/31/2022

Fall Has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for me to begin my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started Ten years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many years, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Eight years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  So six years ago I decided to change locations again to a site at Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hoped for, so three year ago I decided to keep it simple and do my Progress... 10/22/2022

Fall Has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for me to begin my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started Ten years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many years, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Eight years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  So six years ago I decided to change locations again to a site at Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hoped for, so three year ago I decided to keep it simple and do my Progress... 10/15/2022

Fall Has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for me to begin my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started Ten years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many years, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Eight years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  So six years ago I decided to change locations again to a site at Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hoped for, so three year ago I decided to keep it simple and do my Progress... 10/08/2022

Fall Has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for me to begin my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started Ten years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many years, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Eight years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  So six years ago I decided to change locations again to a site at Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hoped for, so three year ago I decided to keep it simple and do my Progres... 10/01/2022

This month Eileen Burns and Kathy Streib are hosting the ActiveRain challenge for September titled Crazy Real Estate Agent Stories - September Challenge.  For this challenge we are challenged to tell a story about the craziest situation we have been a part of during our career in Real Estate. I have been a Loan Originator for 18 years, and my craziest story happened within the first year I was a Loan Originator.  It is about the craziest closing I have ever been involved in, in fact I have not had a closing since then that even comes close to this one.This crazy closing was in March of 2005, at 9:00 a.m., at the buyer’s attorney’s office.   I showed up a couple of minutes before 9:00, and the closing had already started.  As I approached the conference room the closing was being held in... 09/14/2022

September 11, 2001 is a day I will never forget!  It is a day forever imprinted on my heart and mind.   September 11, 2001 is a day each of us has a special reason why this day will forever be remembered.  September 11, 2001 is a day we will not only forever remember the vicious attack on our country, but also a day to honor those who lost there lives.  It is a day for us to reflect on the memories, and thoughts which went through our mines as the events of September 11, 2001 unfolded 20 years ago. I have shared what I remember most about 9/11 before, and have made a commitment to share this memory each and every year on September 11, so today once again I am fulfilling that commitment with this blog. Below is my special memory of that day, it is an event which hit close to home, and w... 09/10/2022