Broker Magazine articles from April 2005

Broker Magazine archives from April 2005

The referral dilemma.(Editorial)
April 1, 2005... For years, this magazine has written that one of the best and most cost effective ways to gain a new client is through past-client referrals. Right now, I am in the middle of a personal dilemma, one that might contain some indicators for those...

Employees Are Innovation Superstars.
April 1, 2005... If your employees are not innovation superstars, you may as well close your doors right now, declares improvisation guru and author John Sweeney. "Turning on and nurturing a self-perpetuating cycle of new, creative, and ultimately...

IPA: Health Care a Priority For Small Business Owners.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... While two-thirds of small businesses surveyed said they provide health insurance benefits for their employees, it is the second most cited condition, behind economic factors, that small business owners and managers felt would have the greatest...

Using Postcards to Promote.
April 1, 2005... Denver-based consultant Karen Susman says, "If you use postcards only to say, 'Wish you were here,' you are missing a plethora of ways to market yourself and your business. "Postcards are cool because they are cheap, unusual and always...

Looking at Loan Officers: A sample from California shows a fair number increased business in 2004.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... For the first time, Broker and Origination News are teaming up to do a survey of loan officers. This is in addition to our traditional mortgage broker survey that has been a staple of this magazine over the past few years. Our data unit is...

California's Top Loan Officers (A Sample).
April 1, 2005... (Dollars in Millions) (part 1 of 2) First Name Last Name Company Henry Aguirre Mortgage Loan Specialists Nicole Bandel Coast to Coast Realty John Baskett Home...

Sales On The Web: Upgrades in technology have made it easier for mortgage brokers to get to the sales tools they need to survive in a tight environment.
April 1, 2005... Now is not the time to be a technophobe if you are a mortgage broker. With sales diminishing and a fight for each loan on your hands, the tools available through technology can provide you with the edge you need to get the deal done. One...

Big Win in California: AFSA case decision means originators have one less concern.
April 1, 2005... CALIFORNIA Court Agrees State Pre-empts Local Law In a 4-3 decision, the California Supreme Court held that California's anti-predatory lending law pre-empts Oakland's predatory lending ordinance. The ruling is good news for...

Danger on the Horizon: Overvalued home prices create special problems for first-time homebuyers and low-income borrowers with subprime loans.
April 1, 2005... With interest rates rising and housing prices leveling off in some parts of the country, many housing experts are concerned about home values being artificially inflated. While appraisal inflation impacts all borrowers, the financial...

Not An Option: Our panel at Turn On Your Million Dollar Brain V in Delray Beach, Fla., discusses industry trends.(Panel Discussion)
April 1, 2005... MARK: What has been the best marketing idea you have learned at this conference? DANNY: The stuff I enjoyed the most was Dave Kuiper's presentation (see Editorial Report, page 4), the extended version of what he started last year. I got so...

Sharing and Telling.
April 1, 2005... Another year, another set of innovative ideas that mortgage brokers shared with fellow mortgage brokers. Attendees at the Turn On Your Million Dollar Brain V (East Coast version) held in Delray Beach, Fla., got their money's worth at the "Share...

Defining What is the Alternative: The already fuzzy lines between prime, subprime and alt-A are growing even more blurry as the product becomes more popular with borrowers.
April 1, 2005... Starting with its definition, the alt-A lending marketplace has changed dramatically becoming more and more inclusive of what used to be labeled non-prime lending, making many in the industry wonder where the separation line actually stands....

The Buzz About CRM: Customer Relationship Management is not just for the large players, but the small and medium ones as well.
April 1, 2005... CRM has been embraced by businesses in practically all industries for a few years now as the new miracle tool as a way to transition organizations into new era of doing business. Billions of dollars have been spent, some successfully, some not...

Hiring the Right People: As more and larger players enter the nonprime sector some are learning the hard way that non-performing staff can bring trouble that echoes far, wide and long.
April 1, 2005... Nonprime mortgage lending is undergoing many cultural changes that demand the right, senior-level leadership. All the excitement surrounding nonprime lending in the new year is validation for many professionals who have long toiled in this...

Ask the Experts: The nation's best sales people on the industry's hottest issues.
April 1, 2005... This Month's Question: "What is the most important piece of portable tech you carry in the field and why?" Terry R. Bivins, President GSF Mortgage Corp./First Reverse Mortgage Co., Oakbrook, Ill. "What we do is...

Say Yes To Marketers: Concurrence Marketing requires getting the consumer's approval by giving them something of value in return.
April 1, 2005... Over a year ago, when direct marketing production numbers fell flat, then began to plummet, direct marketers knew consumers had revolted against invasive marketing practices and were not coming back to answer phones or open envelopes. Demands...

Televising the Revolution: Sivan Achor is a loan officer who is using television to spread the word about her business.(Interview)
April 1, 2005... Sivan Achor is one busy lady. Inside her office in Midtown Manhattan, the senior loan officer at The New York Mortgage Co. LLC is sipping a cup of strong, black coffee with a touch of cream and sugar as she prepares for the long workweek ahead...

Upcoming Sales and Marketing Conferences: BROKER: April to May 2005.(Calendar)
April 1, 2005... This calendar of events contains a number of key events worth noting: NAMB's annual Legislative Conference brings brokers from across the country to Washington April 7-9 NHEMA Annual Conference National Home Equity Mortgage...

Advertisers' Index.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Aegis Mortgage Corporation 11 American Home Bank 9 Argent Mortgage Company Cover 2, 36, 37 BNC Mortgage Inc. 18,19 Broker Universe ...