People love to be praised. Good managers know this, and take every opportunity to reward good performance with a word of public praise.
What many don’t realize is that constructive criticism is also welcomed by employees. There are two reasons for this: first, it lets employees know you are paying attention to them; second, it gives them an opportunity to improve. Let’s look at how you can increase the value of both aspects.

A large number of people in the workplace feel that nobody pays any attention to them. They don’t get much recognition for their daily contribution. They are unlikely to make any suggestions for doing things better, because they doubt that anyone is actually listening or that their views are valued. By giving feedback that helps them improve, you show that you do value them.

Of course, nobody likes hearing nothing but bad news, so just telling someone they are doing a terrible job certainly won’t be welcome. On the other hand, pointing out something that should be improved, and helping them find a way to do that, helps both the employee and the company.

As a manager, you might say, “Bob, I’ve noticed we are way behind with the billings. Come on into my office and let’s see if we can come up with a way to fix that.” The language is non-threatening, and the emphasis is on the correction aspect. Not only that, but there’s the implication that it’s not just Bob’s problem and you are willing to contribute to finding a solution.

Now there is a fine line here. In the discussion itself, you need to make clear that the billings are still Bob’s responsibility, and in the end he is the one who must clear the backlog. But an open discussion of the problem will go a long way to helping him do so. As in so many aspects of business, good communication is essential.

Begin the conversation by assuring him that you are pleased with his performance generally — if, of course, that’s true — but that you want to focus on this specific area that needs to improve. Point out that since he is part of your team, it’s part of your job to help him succeed so that the whole team will benefit. This helps to remove any animosity he may be feeling.

If Bob wants to tell you why the situation exists, give him that opportunity. If you can help remove the difficulties, do that. Otherwise, focus the discussion not on the causes of the problem, but on the solution.

As you probably know from your own experience, it’s possible to be so close to a task that you don’t see the simple solutions, whereas someone else can. If you can point out something simple that makes Bob say, “Why didn’t I think of that?”, you can end the discussion with a smile and Bob will be eager to get back to the job and try it out. That’s even more valuable to him than praise.

Of course, he wants to know you are also noticing when he does well, so when the improvement comes, remember a word of praise will be doubly welcome!

Did you find this article useful?  For more useful tips and   hints, points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques, and insights pertaining to credit card, do please browse for more information at our websites.
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11 Niches for Mortgage Originators

Wednesday, October 25th, 2006

Marketing to a niche is my favorite way to get results. Why? Because you know better what your target customers need and want, compared to simply marketing to the general public. The more you know, the better you can tweak your marketing message and boost your return on investment (ROI). Niche marketing applies to many businesses but following is a list of eleven niches specific to originating mortgages:

Purchase Loans. We start with one of the basics. You can
find subsets of niches within the purchase niche like FSBOs, Investment Properties, Land/Farms/Ranches, and referrals from Realtors. The various sub-niches represent a different group to whom you can market, all of which have different needs and interests, therefore they will likely respond differently to your marketing materials.
  Construction Loans. Much like purchases, construction loans have sub-niches like Custom Home Builders, Subdividers, Condo/PUD Builders, Owner-Builders, Second Home/Vacation Home Builders.
  Loans for Home Repairs. There are a wide variety of needs home owners might have when it comes to home repairs, including: updating roofs, windows, doors, heating, air conditioning, or other worn or outdated basics of the home. Home Repair customers might also be interested in finishing a basement, remodeling an area of their home, or adding a pool in the backyard. All these repairs and updates require money. Imagine the opportunity of networking with roofers, HVAC companies, window and door companies, etc. They have customers that need the money you can provide them.
  Converting ARMs. This particular niche is hot right now, with rates on the rise and many ARMs set to make their first rate adjustment in the near future. You can get a list of borrowers with ARMs from your local county records and set up a simple mail merge in Microsoft Word to send a customized letter reminding the borrowers that their rate may soon increase. The more targeted you get, the better.
  Mobile / Manufactured Home Loans.  If you can find a good lender or two with some good programs for manufactured homes, you can make a nice living focusing on these types of loans.
  Foreclosure Bailout Loans. Yet another niche that requires knowing what wholesale programs are available to fund these loans. Find some good ones and you can make a good living working this niche.
  Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Loans. FHA is your best friend when it comes to Chapter 13 BKs. Study up on the requirements under FHA and find other wholesale programs that allow recent BKs and you’re well on your way to working a solid niche. Here’s a direct quote from HUD’s website:
A Chapter 13 bankruptcy does not disqualify a borrower from obtaining an FHA-insured mortgage provided the lender documents that one year of the payout period under the bankruptcy has elapsed and the borrower’s payment performance has been satisfactory (i.e., all required payments made on time). In addition, the borrower must receive permission from the court to enter into the mortgage transaction.

Debt Consolidation Loans. This niche is almost too big to be called a niche, but it can’t be forgotten. The only problem I have with this one is that it’s one of the most competitive. SmartLeadz generates leads from qualified and motivated borrowers in need of a debt consolidation loan every day!
 

Cash-Out Loans. Same deal for this niche – not very specific and could probably be combined with debt consolidation.
  Rate and Term Refis. Perhaps “refis” should be the niche with debt consolidation, cash-out, and rate & term as the sub-niches. However, it is probably easier to find data that will allow you to target borrowers eligible for rate & terms than it would be to find those interested in debt consolidation or plain old cash-out refis.
  FHA Streamline Refis. This is it’s own niche because of the nature of the FHA Streamline. Easy, fast, and somewhat neglected. Loan Officers can do well focusing on this niche. REVERSE Mortgage: Target seniors in your area that either have a high amount of credit card debt (over $20k) or who have struggled with their mortgage payment. You can use CreditSure data to target qualified borrowers and use a targeted direct mail campaign to generate a steady flow of qualified leads.

It is important to choose the right contractor that can do the job for you. There are various contractor organizations in the USA alone. Carefully choose the best and the most efficient contractor so as to avoid all the unnecessary billings.

American-based building contractors should have a license and professional knowledge before they are allowed to work and advertise on the market. The local inspection department of the US can get the work re-done if ever the owner had a non-licensed contractor do the job. It is always important to remember to contact a licensed building contractor to do this so as to avoid all the unnecessary payments.

Throughout the years, the American style of living had changed drastically. Nowadays, we can see structures that have the essence of being trendy, modern and traditional. The look and feel of the structures can give any country an edge and a statement naturally based on its history and culture.

Building a house or any structure involves the creativity of numerous persons who excel in areas such as art, design and calculations. Every home must be perfect and stable at the same time. Plumbers, electricians, painters, masons and the like are all part of making any structure a masterpiece.

These building agents or building contractors in America work within a smaller unit than that of homebuilders. Homebuilders are the ones that construct residential buildings, homes, and houses while building contractors do a smaller unit of work but are of the same level as that of the homebuilders.

State level as well as national level organizations formed by various contractors work very hard to strengthen and improve the industry of contractual buildings in the USA. The GCA of New York or the General Contractors Association can solve the problems as well as questions of heavy engineers and contractors of the whole New York State, in a professional manner. The GCA of New York also offers the latest learning experience and education to members who are closely related to construction.

Another association called AGC or the Associated General Contractors of America maintains the dexterity, responsibility and honesty via its qualified construction contractors. AGC has a so-called “dual role play” that educates all of its members as well as safeguards the interest of the public. AGC was founded in 1918. It is the largest and oldest construction group in the USA. The group has numerous state levels, scattered across the county. Some state levels include the AGC of Oregon and the Associated General Contractor of California. Another large-scale building contractor group in the country is the USGBC or the US Green Building Council.

This group has over 10,000 members. It is a non-profit organization solely dedicated for public interest. It is widely known for its leadership progress in the field of environmental design and energy or LEED.

A wide variety of services and programs are developed in order to encourage environmentally responsible structures throughout the country. One example is the ICC or the International Code Council, which formulates the building codes of the US for standard developments. The builders must work under the ICC standards or building codes made by the ICC.

Useful Guide When Hiring a Building Contractor

You must initially check on the following when considering hiring a building contractor. The first thing to do is to check whether the contractor is licensed or not. As what is said earlier, it is better to choose a properly licensed contractor rather than the unlicensed one so as to avoid all the hassles.

Another thing to make sure of is to get the exact address of your chosen building contractor. You may want to visit the office to check. Aside from this, avoid contractors that have a Post Office Box number instead of a regular office address. Lastly, request for a schedule of assignments, some reference and work samples.

As for the basic definition of a Commercial Hard Money Loan, it can be described as a Cash Finance Option or Business Loan for someone who has trouble getting a regular financial loan. They are always given to someone with Real Estate as the collateral asset. If the borrower can’t pay back the loan, the Real Property is taken as collateral to ensure the Commercial Hard Money Loan eventually gets paid back.

The basic key of the various types of Commercial Loans can also be defined as Sub-Prime Lending, Near Prime, B-Paper or Second Chance lending options.

So affirmatively would someone take out a Commercial Hard Money Loan verses a standard Commercial Loan? It’s because there are determining factors such as Moderate Credit Score, Organization History, demonstrated actual Income Level that would suppress someone from getting prime money financing or custom rates, so the debtor in these cases will settle for what they can get.

Some companies have a minimum amount they will lend you when helping you acquire a Commercial Hard Money Loan. The companies we have researched start out at $300,000 and go up into the millions for Commercial Real Estate Properties.

There are also what they quote Mezzanine Loans which is a an accommodation that’s paid back after the transfer or refinance of the Commercial Property. It’s possible for a lender to secure a portion of the proceeds upon sale of the Hard Loan debt. These loans tend to have preferable structures such as good debt and equity ratios.

Maybe you have or haven’t heard of a Hard Money Bridge Loan. These types of loans basically “bridge” the gap so in essence you can get a project off the ground a lot faster. You will pay more for this type of loan, sometimes up to 5% more, but the key is you can get your project going now. You can get a loan like this for as much as you want, there is no upper ceiling on it.

There are also Hard Money Construction Loans, which is another distinctive Money Financing option that can be used for little home projects to larger Commercial Property projects such as the development of a strip mall or tract home development project. In most cases for construction projects there is a reserve account setup to make sure that money is allocated properly as the project keeps moving forward.

A Commercial Hard Money Loan is typically used in both Urban & Suburban areas. The current Prime Rates are from 11 – 16% verses the 6-7% for a standard loan. Usually all associated Points & Fees are included in the an accommodation and payments from these are dispursed upon closing the an accommodation. Also note these are Short Term Real Estate Loans that are usually given from 1-3 years.

I could write a small 100 page book detailing all the features regarding all the types of Commercial Hard Money Loans. The the main point you need to be aware of is that you should pay around 11-17% interest on one of these. If you are paying 20% upwards, that could be considered Predatory Lending. I was in a court room once where the judge and an attorney from a nationwide hard lending firm were battling it out for almost 40 minutes on what is and what wasn’t appropriate interest rates to charge for these types of loans. Be careful and always investigate before making your move.

When it concerns bathroom home remodeling you are sure to feel a real sense of excitement at the thought of making improvements to your bathroom so that it looks just like you want it to look. Once done, your remodeled bathroom will impress your guests and also make you feel very proud which means that it is very important that you pay special attention to this most neglected area of your home. You can do several things to improve your home bathroom including changing showers and tubs as well as the sink and there is a lot of options open to you when it concerns making changes to the bathroom flooring.

Reflection of Your Personality

The best part about bathroom home remodeling is that you can do whatever you like in order to create a bathroom that reflects your personality and which will make your bathroom more comfortable and become a place to relax in. Another advantage to doing bathroom home remodeling is that you can ensure keeping the costs on the low side as long as you know where to look for the materials and by also shopping for clearance items you can cut costs further.

To ensure that costs of bathroom home remodeling do not spiral out of control you should check stores that have recently got new stocks and who are therefore willing to sell old stocks are rock bottom prices. Or, you can check with wholesaler; however, you must also consider the money that you are putting into doing bathroom home remodeling as being an investment which will pay you back later.

Bathroom home remodeling will help to make your home look new and very fresh and in addition, it also helps to update your home by removing all signs and effects of wear and tear. Typically, bathroom home remodeling involves resurfacing or even replacing old bathtubs as too showers, repainting or even replacing cabinets and also repainting the walls.

If you shop about carefully you can finish your bathroom home remodeling without having spent too much money. Sometimes, it may just involve reusing existing items to make your bathroom look new once more; even repainting the walls can do wonders for your bathroom.

A bathroom – is it the main one or a guest bathroom – is an important area of a home. The bottom line is that bathroom home improvement remodeling is an excellent way of making this area of the home look neat and up-to-date. The Internet provides some very good resources from where you can get ideas to help you with construction materials and other ideas to help make your bathroom a most attractive part of your home.

In addition to the usual fixed charge mortgage and the flexible rate credit we all are aware about about, there exist several other kinds of credit tools which are not so fine known. This item gives information about a few of those not so customary mortgage methods.

Jumbo loan: a jumbo is practically always thought as a non-conforming credit. You must realize that the single-family bound benchmark varies yearly and in case you want to have a loan of more than that sum, you will require a jumbo mortgage. This loan typically has a bigger interest charge than customary loans. The benefit of a jumbo credit is it permits you to purchase a more expensive residence. The weakness is that in such a case you usually pay a bigger interest charge.

Balloon credit is right for a number of people, still a bad thought for most. Residence purchasers in a balloon loan will see smaller charges and payments for a definite phase of time, which may be somewhere about three till ten years. When that time is close to the end, though, the house owner must pay off the main balance in one bulge sum. In certain cases, the credit may be altered to either a set-charge or adjustable-charge credit, still in other occasions, it cannot. A balloon credit is most frequently used for those who realize that they have no ability to be in the house for long, and intends for selling it afterward on are rather firm.

Assumable credits do not happen frequently. An assumable credit is usually performed with the supplier and they must be handled with caution. As they may be risky, you should constantly exercise the services of a first-class attorney previous to dealing with an assumable mortgage.

Construction loans are used when constructing a new house is a main issue. These kinds of loans classically exercise a two-step borrowing system. The home holder may pay greater interest charges during the construction period. Then the residence owner may experience a second final at which time the credit generally converts a customary, long-term set-charge loan.

The top construction directories are not just helpful resources for the final consumer who might be trying to find where he can find different construction requirements near his location. Instead, they would be a major resource for industry players with coverage of news, best practices, forthcoming events, regulatory requirements and so on.

The directory section would typically list architects, engineers, manufacturers of construction supplies, real estate related service providers, construction software for different tasks and contractors undertaking different kinds of construction tasks.

The resources section could include different kinds of resources, as determined by the directory publishers. It could include industry news, industry related articles, forthcoming conferences and other events, materials & products information, associations and organizations, government regulations, training resources and career resources. There might also be forums for the construction community to exchange ideas and information.

Construction Directory Proper

Some directories might collect details of your requirements and then forward it to listed suppliers. Others might provide contact details in the directory itself.

Even the directory section is a resource not only for final consumers looking for construction-related services but also for the industry players. For example, they can find freelance workers in different fields to help them complete their contract assignments.

Directories typically list companies and professionals under major and minor categories. For example, under the major category Engineers, you can find sub categories like Civil Engineers, Land Surveyors, Environmental Engineers, Acoustical Engineers and so on.

With a good construction directory, you could find suppliers for different requirements such as concrete, metals, wood, windows, furnishings, and all the other requirements at or near your location.

Real estate related services typically include agents and brokers, appraisers, developers, investment trusts, mortgage lenders and so on.

Construction software can be for estimating work, design and drawings, 3D projections, project management and other tasks where computer assistance could contribute significantly.

The Resources Section

Industry news could keep you updated about slowdowns in particular sectors, major new projects and other developments.

Articles could illustrate and elaborate on best practices and case studies, for example.

List of events could help you by opening up possibilities for increasing your business by taking part in a trade show, or updating your skills by participating in a seminar, etc.

Technical resources like materials and product information, regulatory resources like environmental regulations, and documents like legal and contract forms are other industry resources that might be available in a construction directory.

Conclusion

A good construction directory would not be merely a listing of suppliers of different construction products and services. Instead, it would be a great resource for the players in the construction industry; in addition to helping final consumers locate the products and services they are looking for.

The resources section of a construction directory might include industry news and developments, best practice articles, forthcoming events like conferences, information on materials and products, regulatory information, different kinds of forms for quick preparation of construction related documents and so on.

Copyright (c) 2009 Willie Horton

I recently read a story on BBC News’ international website about a town called Bend in Oregon. The article described how the town had boomed as an upmarket resort and desirable retirement location during the boom years which preceded the world economic setback which started in September 2009. In graphic detail, the writer reported on how the once highly-upmarket residential developments are now pockmarked with half-built shells, abandoned construction equipment and dusty weeded-over empty lots. The writer described how a once wealthy construction business owner, who had owned three houses at the height of the boom, was now living in a homeless shelter.

It’s not the first article of its kind that I have read over the last few months. Indeed, news websites have been chronicling ordinary people’s hardships in gory detail for months on end. It seems, as always, bad news makes a good story. By comparison, feel good stories are few and far between – how people are rising above their economic woes is almost invisible in the media. What kind of sick minds repeatedly want us to consume disturbing information about real people’s problems? You may find that question a little “in your face” but the problem is, from a long-term study of the way society works, constantly feeding us bad news exerts a measure of control on us – in consuming constant negative reportage, we subliminally self-satisfy ourselves that we are OK – we’re “not too bad” – so there’s no point in trying to rise above that normal level of “not-too-bad” – we could be worse off.

I don’t say this as some kind of throwaway remark – psychological research over the last hundred years has explored, in depth, the extent to which societal norms make normal people of us. Indeed, when asking the question as to the kind of sick minds that wish to constantly feed us negative news, the question might be more appropriately put – what kind of sick minds constantly want to feed off other people’s bad news? What kind of people take delight in reading the dirty gossip on those in the public eye? What kind of sick minds watch the “reality” TV shows about road rage, neighbours from hell…? I could go on and on.

The answer to all those questions is simply “Normal People”. Normal people are simply those that abide by the norms of society. You might think that this is a good thing – surely otherwise we’d have chaos and anarchy. But it is a bad thing. A few scientific facts will allow me elaborate. Normal people use almost none of their mental capacity – it is estimated, in fact, that normal people only use 1% of their mental capability. Normal people only perceive what they expect to perceive. Given that they are constantly fed negative news and how other normal people are living, their field of perception is constrained to a very narrow focus – one where nothing spectacular will ever happen in their lives. Normal people behave and react automatically, based on their internal conditioning, which was “programmed” into their subconscious, during their formative years, by their immediate circle – parents, peers, teachers, etc – and by society in general. In other words, we have been normalised right from the word go – when we were young and impressionable.

This is normality – this is the mass market for negative news. That negative news reinforces the perception that “I could be worse and not too bad is good enough!” It’s not. Why live the life of an automaton – where your actions and beliefs bear the horrible sameness of everyone else? Where your actions are driven by a subconscious mind which is focused in your formative years, living out a life that is full of self-fulfilling prophecies based on the beliefs that were foisted upon you when you couldn’t make your mind up for yourself? Why choose that kind of life – why choose not to be spectacularly happy and successful? Because you have a choice.

As a grown adult, you can either take responsibility for your own state of mind or you can stay normal. You can decide to tear your inner mind’s attention away from your formative programming – the result will be that you will stop reacting like all normal people and you will start acting. Your actions will be based on what you feel is best for you – and, believe you me, from having worked with hundreds of clients over the last fourteen years, best for you bears no comparison to the normal not too bad. This means that you can start having an abnormally successful and happy life – like all abnormally successful people, some of whom are so abnormally successful that we all know their names. Why? They stand out from the crowd. You, too, can stand out from the crowd.

You, too, can achieve extraordinary success – in your business or career, in sports, in your personal life, financially and in real relationships. All you have to do is use more than 1% of your mental capacity. As I already said, tear your mind’s attention away from the past – into the present. Yes, it’s that simple. Train your mind to pay more than 1% attention to the present moment and you gain control of the type of mental power that my clients describe as “life-changing”. Pay attention to the present moment using your five senses – every morning, before you start your day, take five to fifteen minutes to see, feel, hear, smell and taste where you are – you will, sooner or later, smell the sweet smell of success.

Most often, when the mention of home remodeling is made, people readily think of sprucing up the bathrooms, kitchens, living areas, bedrooms and the rest of the interior. But if you are just focusing your New York home remodeling efforts in the interior alone, then you are missing on a lot. Your home’s exterior is just as important as what is inside your house so whether you are in Staten Island, Queens, Manhattan, Long Island or Brooklyn; investing on your curb appeal would bring out not only added beauty but extended living space as well. Thus, any curb appeal project will give a boost to your home’s overall value.

The projects that could change the look of your house from the outside can be done from the simplest painting of exterior walls to a more dramatic construction of deck or porch. When deciding on what outdoor home remodeling projects to undertake, there are several considerations to take.

The changes or additions should be done to enhance the quality of living of the family. This can be achieved by looking into the needs and wants of the family and the house as well. Repair or replace whatever is damaged to avoid facing more complex problems. Indulge in the natural sceneries through a porch with comfortable furniture and add an outdoor fireplace for a luxurious touch. If you and the family love to swim, then a pool would work greatly. Love the sight of plants but is not good at growing them? Then a low-maintenance garden would be fantastic. Love to gather people and throw a barbeque party? Have a patio constructed to accommodate such events. The range of outdoor home remodeling you could do is limited only by your creativity.

Another factor that will affect the type of outdoor home remodeling project you would be able to undertake to add curb appeal, is budget. But do not fret as even with a limited budget, you can still enjoy some fresh changes outside your home. Some low-cost projects that you can consider include: a fresh paint for your walls, add low cost gardens, artificial pond, adding or changing sidings, and others.

Often times, outdoor home remodeling for curb appeal is undertaken by the time the homeowner is ready to resell the house. But having some good sprucing involving the exterior of your house and the surrounding grounds could prove to be beneficial not only to a seller but more so to the family who plans to stay. This makes any time a great time to do just this and enable you and the whole family to enjoy the superb changes. The benefits of such projects include:

• Added functionality,
• High return on investment,
• Eye pleasing surroundings,
• Extended living and entertaining space,
• Enjoying the outdoors without having to travel,
• Creating a venue for occasions within your lot,
• Easily becoming the envy of the neighborhood,
• Sparking interest on what may be inside your house if the outside alone is good looking.
• And more, depending on the project you have in mind and how creative you and your hired contractor can get.