Want to know what a mortgage underwriter wants to see first on your loan request? It might surprise you. You’re going to hear how one of my mortgage clients tossed out his high interest rate debt that was pulling him and his family down. He did some brilliant restructuring that set him on a road to get rid of all of his debts including the mortgage in a little over 10 years.
Today on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe Jeri Jeffries of Tiger Paws Carpet Cleaning will be sharing some stories of how she can drive up, get on the carpets and upholstery in your home with her specialized equipment and cleaning solutions and leave you feeling really great about your home before your holiday guests arrive.
Thank you for stopping by for a visit. Let me know what your number one interest is in real estate? Let’s talk! Let’s stay connected! Subscribe at www.JoGarner.com and you will get our weekly podcasts and show notes and more. We will not sell your email addresss.
To Your Success,
Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Officer NMLS #757308
(901) 482-0354 Jo@JoGarner.com online loan app https://jogarner.evolve.mortgage
WELCOME TO THE SHOW
Good morning, Memphis! Welcome to our listeners across the 50 states! You’re on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe. I’m your host, Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Officer. You can connect with me at www.JoGarner.com. Our general topic is DON’T TAKE A CHANCE—LOOK YOUR BEST AT FIRST GLANCE ON YOUR FINANCING AND YOUR HOME
If you have a question or comment text me right now at (901) 482-0354 or call me after the show at the same number (901) 482-0354. You can call us while we are live in the studio at (901) 535-9732. Today is December 16, 2017.
REAL ESTATE TOPICS WE WILL COVER
Today on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe Jeri Jeffries of Tiger Paws Carpet Cleaning will be sharing some stories of how she can drive up, get on the carpets and upholstery in your home with her specialized equipment and cleaning solutions and leave you feeling really great about your home before your holiday guests arrive. You’re going to hear how one of my mortgage clients tossed out his high interest rate debt that was pulling him and his family down. He did some brilliant restructuring that set him on a road to get rid of all of his debts including the mortgage in a little over 10 years. Want to know what a mortgage underwriter wants to see first on your loan request? It might surprise you.
INTRODUCING JERI JEFFRIES OF TIGER PAWS CARPET CLEANING
In the co-host chair we have Jeri Jeffries of Tiger Paws Carpet Cleaning. Jeri, you have saved the day for me at my house cleaning my carpets and I know you have helped some friends in our networking groups. Tell us how you got started and your affiliation with our beloved Memphis Tigers. (Jeri has about a minute and a half to introduce herself and talk about how she helps her clients at Tiger Paws Carpet.)
REAL ESTATE MARKET FORECAST FOR 2018
(Jo) There are plenty of reasons to get your financing looking good at first glance, because you just may want to buy that house you have been eyeing now before the mortgage rates go up. You may also want to refinance your house and pull some cash out to pay off the balance on your variable rate home equity line.
Top Headline #1: The Federal Reserve went up again on their rate this week and are predicted to raise them 3 more times throughout the next year. Most home equity lines of credit are tied to the prime rate which is tied a margin higher than this Fed Rate. When the Fed Rate goes up, most Home Equity Lines of credit rates and payments go up too. For example, if you had a $100,000 home equity line currently at 4.25% interest only, you would be paying about $349/month. If the rates go up by about .25% three times during the year, your interest-only payment at about 5% would be around $411/month. The payment difference predicted in about one year is approximately $84/month. If you want peace of mind and you don’t want to worry about your payments going up, up and up on your adjustable rate equity line, lets look into paying it off.
Top Headline #2: Other big news which we plan to cover in more debt in a few weeks here on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe is how the new tax bill will affect homeowners and investment property owners. With predictions on the new tax bill and the economists’ predictions that mortgage rates could go up as much as a full point over the next 12 months, it is time to get our financial house in order. Later in this show we will be covering some ways you can come out in the winners circle on your financing strategies. So let’s talk! MAKE YOUR PLAN. WORK YOUR PLAN. IF THE DEAL WORKS FOR YOU TODAY, LET’S DO IT TODAY! But you have to talk with me personally so I can work with you personally. Connect with me at www.JoGarner.com or call me directly at (901) 482-0354.
JERI GIVES TIPS ON CARPET CARE AND REPAIR
But for right now, let’s go to Jeri Jeffries with Tiger Paws Carpet Cleaning. She can help you get the carpet in your house in order—because you just may get inundated with your kinfolks and old friends in a few days.
(Jeri takes a few minutes to cover ways you can transform your home by having her team come in before your house guests arrive to clear up stains and make your house look and smell good )
1. What she can do for someone getting ready for holiday entertaining to remove pet odors, clean up stains and make the house smell fresh.
2. Share a story of how she has transformed a client’s home just in time
3. Tips for how to properly clean up stains and prevent other carpet and flooring damage after company arrives. )
When we come back we will be talking about some ways you can spiff up your credit and your finances for the best rates and terms on your mortgage.
2nd segment after 9:15 break: Our Look Back Memphis Trivia Contest is brought to you by notable Memphis historian, Jimmy Ogle. Jimmy Ogle offers free historic walking tours downtown in the spring and fall. For information about Jimmy Ogle, go to www.JimmyOgle.com . The Look Back Memphis Trivia Contest is sponsored by John and Jennifer Lawhon of Lawhon Landscape (901) 754-7474 the Lawhon’s can help you plan your landscaping if you have a BIG, BIG project or a smaller project . The Lawhons are giving away a $25 gift card to the first person with the correct trivia answer. If you know the answer to our trivia question, call us at 901 535 WREC 901 535-9732.
Question: I opened in a brand new the first weekend in December 2017. Who am I?
Hint: I have been in Chicago, Memphis and Marion Ohio over the past 100+ years.
Hint: I provided fun in Memphis for families for over 80 years.
Hint: I am very rare!
Final Hint: My new home is very near my former home.
Answer: Memphis Grand Carousel. The Children’s Museum of Memphis has restored the 1909 Dentzel Memphis Grand Carousel. It will go from being a hidden gem to being propelled into the national spotlight to rally Memphians’ pride in their city and bring joy to future generations. Thousands of Memphians have some kind of memories of the Grand Carousel. Built in 1909, it was originally purchased by the Memphis Park Commission in 1923. The Grand Carousel is a classic and famous merry-go-round with ornate horses, hand-carved by Gustave Dentzel. The Grand Carousel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 before going into storage after Libertyland closed. Currently restored, the Grand Carousel returned to service on December 2, 2017 , in an all-new facility located next to The Children’s Museum at Central & Hollywood.
The Memphis Grand Carousel has been renovated by an industry-leading team in Marion, Ohio – Carousel Carvings. The 29-month process cost about $1 million. During the restoration period, CMOM built a brand-new Carousel Pavilion & Ballroom adjacent to the museum for the Memphis Grand Carousel’s return. The total cost of this project cost $4.5 million.
The Children’s Museum of Memphis is in the heart of Memphis and has been a destination for family fun since opening in 1990. Housed in a former Tennessee National Guard armory, the museum features year-round exhibits, an outdoor Splash Park and playground, educational programs, and more. In 2014, CMOM achieved accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums, the highest national recognition for a museum. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, donors, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. memphisgrandcarousel.org or cmom.com or 901-458-2678.
Jimmy Ogle gives free outdoor walking tours on the sidewalks and parks in Downtown Memphis during year, with the next being The Judge D’Army Bailey Courthouse Tour at 12:00 noon on Thursday, December 21 (meet at the steps at the Southwest Corner, Second & Adams. Go to jimmyogle.com for more information.
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QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY JERI JEFFRIES:
1. Jeri shares a story of how you can prepare a home to look its best before it is listed on the market to sell.
2. Jeri talks about how she works with real estate investors, helping them get the carpets cleaned to attract higher quality tenants.
3. How to get stains out of carpet by replacing that section of the pad.
4. Story of how Tiger Paws showed up just in time and repaired the carpet for a client by
5. 5. Tiger Paws Carpet Cleaning is affiliated with the Memphis Tigers
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QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY JO GARNER:
1. What points in your mortgage loan application make your file more appealing to a mortgage underwriter?
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and what mortgage underwriters like to see the most is money in the bank followed by good credit and income-to-debt ratios that assure the underwriter that you can comfortably afford your house payment.
A. Number one is money in the bank. I saw something on one of the social media sites the other day. A very hefty fellow was wandering around the gym eyeing the exercise machines, not looking too motivated to actually step onto one. He asked his personal trainer, “ Hey, which machine will make me the most attractive to women?” The trainer pointed outside and said, “the ATM machine.” The number one priority that scores you points with automated underwriting software and with human underwriters is money in the bank.
B. The second priority—almost equal with money –is good credit and high credit scores. A really good credit score is 740 or above. This score and higher will get you some of the very best pricing on loan rates and products. An okay score is 700. You start paying more for credit on some mortgage products if your credit score is between 680 and 699. You start paying a LOT more for credit if your score is below 660.
Your credit pattern tells a lot about you to a mortgage underwriter. To look your best, it’s a good idea to keep your credit card balances UNDER 30% of the credit limits. If you have a $10,000 credit line with our credit card, that means never ever letting the owed balance creep over $3,000. And of course, make your payments on time.
Stay away from 12-months-same-as-cash. They tend have very detrimental effects on your credit scores because the 12-months-same-as-cash looks like a brand new credit card that is maxed out to 100% of the credit line or more. I have seen a client’s credit score drop down 100 points because of a 12-months-same-as-cash and other maxed out credit cards.
C. In the order of priority, keeping your income-to-debt ratios low is last on the list. One reason is because if you have quite a bit of money available in the bank and you have good credit, then an underwriter and even the mortgage underwriting software figures, if you got in a tight spot, you have the money to still pay your bills and the character to make sure your bills get paid.
Talk to an experienced, reputable mortgage officer before you try to adjust balances owed and move money around. An experienced loan officer has a good idea what the mortgage underwriting software likes to see. It may be a lot simpler than you think to restructure some debt around while leaving a lot more money in the bank since having money in the bank is the highest priority. (Remember the ATM story?)
2. How can you get bragging rights on the way your structure your finances even if you are not trying to buy a home?
A. First of all, go ahead and make an investment of your time and maybe some money to consult with a licensed and reputable financial advisor. I am a licensed mortgage officer, which is not the same thing.
B. I can tell you plenty of stories of clients that, today have bragging rights on the way the structured or restructured their debt to free up a few hundred dollars each month to use to pay down double-digit credit card debt and eventually get their home loan paid off early.
C. One of my mortgage clients was just trying to give his family and his children a quality life and over time had amassed thousands of dollars of credit card debt. He and his wife talked about it but felt they had an okay interest rate on their mortgage, even though, they could both see they were drowning in high interest credit card debt.
We had just finished a radio show on Smart Debt vs Bad Debt and how you can use Smart Debt to get rid of Bad Debt and eventually get rid of all the debt quicker. He came into my office and we put together 2 or 3 different possible restructures. He already knew which debts he needed to pay off. He and his wife decided to refinance their home on a low fixed mortgage rate, and go ahead and pull cash out on the refinance to pay off the double-digit compounding credit card debt.
He only had about 15 years left on his mortgage but in order for him to pay off tens of thousands of dollars in the high interest rate debt, he had to take the cash out from the home refinance to pay off the other debt and go back to a 30 year term—at least temporarily. Just by getting rid of the high interest, high payment credit line debt, he saved about $600/month on his overall debt. He used about half of the $600/month savings to get even more of the credit card debt paid off.
He did the math and figured he would be out of debt except for his house note in the next 5 years at which time he would take all of the money he saved each month from paying off tens of thousands in credit cards and plough huge prepayments into the principle on his mortgage so his mortgage would be paid off in a little over 10 years. It was a brilliant plan and a brilliant client. He just needed to spend a few minutes to review his finances and put his plan into action.
Do you already know that you are paying double-digit interest rates on some of your debt? Do you have pretty good credit and enough income to qualify for a mortgage? Do you want to pay off your mortgage early without have to pay much more than you’re paying now? I believe I can help with knowing what various lending products are available. Let’s talk about what you want to accomplish.
But you have to talk with me personally so I can work with you. You can connect with me at www.JoGarner.com or call me directly at (901) 482-0354. MAKE YOU PLAN. WORK YOUR PLAN. IF THE DEAL WORKS FOR YOU TODAY, DO IT TODAY!
REAL ESTATE TIP OF THE WEEK Jeri Jeffries to share a real estate related money-saving or time-saving tip):
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Talk Shoppe offers free networking & education to anyone interested in real estate or in business. Talk Shoppe will not be meeting until Wednesday January 3rd, 2018. Go to www.TalkShoppe.com to get the location. I am passing on Jack’s Challenge. Jack Redden was a retired licensed counselor and spent time following Talk Shoppe meeting with people for coffee, offering a listening ear and lot’s of encouragement. Jack passed away a few years ago but Jack’s Challenge continues every holiday season. If you know someone who is alone or suffering loss, invite that person for coffee and spend time listening to them and being a friend.
Talk Shoppe events are free thanks to supporters like Taylor Eason, videographer and US licensed drone pilot. Taylor help you tell your story with video ads, promos and more www.CreatedFlawless.com
Thank you also to Kevin Yee of Save Energy Solutions. Kevin can help keep the bad air out of our house and the good air inside with his newest technology in sealing ducts. If you want relief from allergens in your home and you want to save on your utility bill, call Kevin at 901 492-1649 www.sesinfo.biz.
1. Jeri Jeffries talks about the Tiger Football and basketball team and invites people to listen to the pre-game Tiger basketball show following our show.
4. FOR THIS PODCAST OF REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE SHOPPE AND MORE, GO TO JOGARNER.COM
5. Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe reminds you that IF THE DEAL WORKS FOR YOU TODAY, DO IT TODAY.
QUOTE CORNER:
From Pinterest: “Both of us can’t look good at the same time. It’s either me or the house.”
From Pinterest: “Why do they call it beauty sleep when you wake up looking like a troll?”
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REJOINDERS:
1. Bob Turner, Hair Stylist at Goulds Salon and Spa on Houston Levee Rd in Collierville. (901) 854-8689
2. Leah Anne Morse, Cartridge World of Collierville. Talk with Leah Anne about how to save 30% of your printing cost by using the latest technology in recycled ink cartridges (901) 853-3230
3. Marcus Fors, Puroclean of Memphis Water Clean Up, Fire/Smoke repair, Mold removal and biohazard clean up. (901) 237-2040
Transitional Music:
“That’s What I Like About You” The Romantics; “Take A Chance On Me” Abba; “She’s A Beauty” by The Tubes; “Memphis” by Johnny Rivers for the Look Back Memphis Trivia Contest
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ABOUT JERI JEFFRIES, TIGER PAWS CARPET CLEANING
I believe in providing a quality service for a fair price and standing behind my work. Honesty has always been my key to success. Additional Organizations where I am involved:
Memphis Restaurant Association, Greater Memphis Chamber, BNI, Food Service Connection, MMHLA
My back ground is in several types of businesses and industries — I have done everything from fast food, to selling vacuum cleaners door to door, to working in the resin and fiber glass industry to commercial pest control, to selling paint jobs for a local paint contractor and now I am here. I decided it might be nice to work for myself. To buy a business, that I could grow for my family. My kids, and their kids
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ABOUT JO GARNER-MORTGAGE LOAN OFFICER:
www.JoGarner.com (901) 482 0354 jo@jogarner.com twitter @jogarner
“Whatever YOUR personal priorities are, my job is to help you get the mortgage terms that will give you bragging rights when you talk about it and help you score on hitting your goals .”
As a mortgage loan officer, my job is to help you get to the benefits you want from your financing terms. What is most important to you? I can help you find the financing terms that will help you get to what you want. What is your comfort level on a house payment? How much are you comfortable paying down,? What type of financing do you need to get the house you want to buy or refinance?
Different clients have different priorities in life—some are buying their first home with very little down payment funds. Some are recovering from medical challenges, divorces or preparing to send children to college and some are embarking on a long term goal of buying properties to build rental income.”
Jo Garner is a mortgage officer with extensive knowledge in tailoring mortgages to her customers who are refinancing or purchasing homes all over the country. She offers conventional, FHA, VA or other loan programs for refinancing and purchases.
Jo can help you look at rent vs buy, when it makes sense to refinance, how to get the best deal on your home purchase financing.
Jo Garner has been in the real estate/financing business for over 20 years. She got her start in Portland, Maine where she first began her real estate career. She received her real estate education from the University of Southern Maine and was personally mentored in San Diego, California by Robert G. Allen, author of Nothing Down, Creating Wealth and The Challenge.
On moving back to West Tennessee in 1987, she went into business buying and selling discounted owner-financed notes secured on real estate. In 1990 Jo went to work for a residential mortgage company and has been a mortgage loan officer for over 20 years. Her goal is to offer excellent, affordable service to her customers, tailoring the loan programs to the specific needs of her clients.
In addition to her work in the mortgage field, Jo Garner is the primary sponsor and founder of Talk Shoppe in Memphis. www.TalkShoppe.com She was also the editor of Power Shoppe, a free weekly e-zine designed for real estate professionals and others indirectly connected to the real estate industry and currently publishes on her blog www.JoGarner.com