Well, did you miss me and my cheeky comments each week? I disappeared for slightly longer than my anticipated 10 day vacation, enduring warm weather in sunny California (yes, that’s a joke), some illness, and later some very serious weather on our return. We took a driving vacation that included some skiing in the Rockies and then continued out West to the coast. From there, we looked at some homes, contemplated never coming back to Kansas, and set out during what was some of the worst storms to hit that part of the country in nearly 20 years. Duh!
“Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything.”
– Charles Kuralt
We were delayed first by some stomach flu that added nearly a week to our stay and then the recent storms that saw us getting stuck in Arizona for four days. We were delayed alternately by sand storms (the roof was blown off of the truck stop where we were holing up) and snow storms (Flagstaff got 4 FEET of snow in a couple of days) prevented us from leaving. We did find the coolest science museum on the planet in Phoenix, however!
Anyway, I’m back and ready to take on 2010. I’ve got some great things brewing on the education side including weekly Focus Courses on: Commercial Loan Marketing, Commercial Construction Lending, Goal Setting and Achievement, Building a Solid Lender Base. I’ll be starting with the Marketing Course next week.
The format will be weekly courses with various modules. You’ll pay a monthly fee, get your courses, your homework (which will help you develop your business), and access to some of the Premium features at www.CommercialLoanCoach.com. For a nominal increase, you can also get some direct coaching and other goodies. I’ll put an email out in a few days with details and add the curriculum to the Store.
“No one travelling on a business trip would be missed if he failed to arrive.”
– Thorstein Veblen
Commercial Lending Tip: The Swing To Discounted Payoffs? I’m seeing a trend in my recent submissions and my recent lender contacts. It seems that lenders are getting more realistic in their valuations and expectations for return of funds. Many lenders are now allowing for sometimes significant discounts to the existing loan amount. The problem has been finding lenders who would make new loans! On that front, I’m seeing some legitimate programs from private equity funds and hedge funds who are reasonably priced (just north of 10%) and willing to make these loans on discounted notes. The properties need to be cash flowing or have strong sponsorship, but there ARE some transactions moving forward. Expect this trend to accelerate into 2010 as more banks fail and more investors look for yield. Call us if you have any questions.
Where is this place?
A man and his wife were driving their Recreational Vehicle across the country and were nearing a town spelled Kissimee. They noted the strange spelling and tried to figure how to pronounce it – KISS-a-me; kis-A-me; kis-a-ME. They grew more perplexed as they drove into the town.
Since they were hungry, they pulled into a place to get something to eat. At the counter, the man said to the waitress:
“My wife and I can’t seem to be able to figure out how to pronounce this place. Will you tell me where we are and say it very slowly so that I can understand.”
The waitress looked at him and said: “Buuurrrgerrr Kiiiinnnng.”
