Greg's Blog

Rates & "The Obama Loan"

2011-12-19T11:52:00.003-05:00

So the news Media has been Harping on two subjects lately regarding the mortgage industry, I figured i would really quickly touch on both of them.

First, Rates. Rates again are pushing all time lows in the 3's and APR's in the high 3's or low 4's. Now truly is a great time to buy or refinance.

I recently refinanced a client who had a 30 year fixed rate of 6.25%. We refinanced them to a 15 year loan and there payment only changed by $6 per month.

If you know anyone who is thinking about buying or refinancing, please have the give me a call. Greg Novak 386-846-6686

Second, "THE Obama Loan." I have received a number of calls from people seeking information on the new "Obama Loan". I figured a lot of people are probably curious about the loan and what the actual facts of what the program entail.

1st - Lets get my political opinion's out of the way. The Media hype and spin Washington has put on this loan is not a whole lot more than campaign efforts to help with their re-election. Once again, Washington has failed to come up with a program to help the people who need it the most.

2nd - Facts about this loan. It already Exists. The actual name of this loan is HARP 2.0. It's predecessor and current sister loan HARP 1.0 has been out and in the tool belt of the mortgage industry for over 2 years now.

3rd - Facts about the current program. The HARP loan was designed for people who currently are able to make their mortgage payments and have not had any late payments in the last 12 months. The applicant for HARP must be able to prove income, assets, and credit worthiness. Qualifying for a HARP loan is basically the same as qualifying for a standard fannie mae mortgage refinance, with one exception, the Loan to Value. HARP currently allows you to refinance your current 1st Mortgage as long as your total combined Loan to Values, including all subordinated loans does not exceed 125% of the appraised value. You can not combine first and second mortgages together. The second mortgage must be willing to re-subordinate and the total can not exceed the 125% loan to value.

4th - The Change. HARP 2.0, "The Obama Loan" only changes one thing, and that is the loan to value restriction. HARP 2.0 is supposed to remove restrictions on loan to value allowing home owners to refinance their home regardless of what they owe on it vs how much it is worth. You still can not combine firsts and second mortgages, and contrary to what seems to be a popular belief, the government is not going to reduce your loan balance down to what the appraised value is.

5th - The bad news. The bad news is that although this mortgage was supposed to take effect in the beginning of November, Fannie Mae has announced that they will not be adjusting their underwriting systems to the new program until at the earliest March 2012. Therefore, lenders will be unable to sell loans based on the new guidelines and will not be offering them until that time. Additionally, current speculation is that no lender is actually going to allow unlimited Loan to Value. It is expected that the current 125% max will increase, but lenders will impose their own overlay's based on their own desired risk tolerances for LTV.

6th - The Good News. The good news is that, as I stated before, this loan already exists. You can have all of the benefits of this new great super loan right now with one exception, and that is the max 125% loan to value. So if you think that you may benefit from this loan and you owe less that 125% of what your home is worth, give us a call. Greg Novak 386-846-6686

Here are a few links to some news articles regarding the Updated HARP 2.0.

HARP 2.0 – The New Mortgage Plan http://smartmortgageadvice.com/?p=942

Sizing Up HARP 2.0 http://www.smartmoney.com/spend/real-estate/sizing-up-harp-20-1322685479452/

HARP 2.0 rules, and who will benefit http://www.marketwatch.com/story/harp-20-rules-and-who-will-benefit-2011-11-18

The Official Website Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) http://www.makinghomeaffordable.gov/programs/lower-rates/Pages/harp.aspx

It's a Good Life!!!

Greg Novak MBA

NMLS # 329079

Vice President / Partner

American Mortgage

Cell - 386-846-6686

Office - 386-756-8228

Fax - 386-756-8108

Website - http://www.americanmortgagenow.com/

Oh, by the way, If you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

FLORIDA- American Mortgage Loan Services, Inc. - NMLS Company ID 330596

Do you Have It????

2011-09-07T09:35:00.003-04:00

What is it? Most people would consider IT to be success. But Success is a relative term, it means different things to different people.

Good Morning,
This week I have decided to take a break from the market updates and mortgage info to discuss a personal growth topic. I will take a moment to define success and then discuss some key characteristics of the Successful Person.
It's a Good Life!!! Greg Novak, American Mortgage, 386-846-6686

IT = SUCCESS ???

First let's define success. Wikipedia defines success as the following: "Success might mean, but is not limited to: a level of social status, achievement of an object/goal, or the opposite of failure."

First of all, I personally disagree with success being defined as a level of social status, because in my opinion social status has nothing what so ever to do with success. Some of Hollywood's most social elite, might have a ton of money, but are far from what I would consider to be successful. Case in point the "WINNING" train wreck Charlie Sheen. He might have tiger blood, but success he has not.

The only one of those statements I can go along with is the achievement of an object or goal. Additionally, I don't believe that success is static, I believe that success is is constantly changing for each individual person. My definition of success was very different 10 years ago, from what it is today, and I am certain it will be different 10 years from now. Perhaps even 1 year from now.

THAT is how you can determine whether or not you are Successful, If your definition of success is constantly changing and advancing because you have reached what you used to believe was Success.

Success is Relative, so lets take a quick look at some different individuals views of success.

To the new graduate success could mean getting a decent job in this economy.

To the addict, success could be staying sober for a month, a year, a decade, etc.

To the lonely person, success could be finding a friend and companion, or love.

To the couple struggling with infertility, success could mean a healthy baby.

To the rich billionaire, success might mean giving away his fortune.

To a lot of people, success is constantly moving forward in a positive direction.

Here are some Characteristics of Successful people.

Highly Self Motivated- People who have achieved personal success are motivated by what that success means to them and it their drive to achieve.

Strong Ethics and Integrity- Although success means different things to different people, I believe that no matter who you are, you will never be truly successful unless you have a clear conscience. That is why acting with Ethics and Integrity in everything you do is so important.

Willingness to FAIL- Success is not always about winning. Success is about learning. Some of the best life lessons I have learned have come from Failed attempts at Success.

Have Goals and a Plan- People typically don't stumble upon success. You have to decide what you want (Make a Goal), then break down the steps of what you have to do to accomplish that goal. Have a roadmap for success.

Great Salesperson - Successful people have to be great salespeople not because they are selling things to other people, but because you have to constantly be selling yourself on the fact that YOU CAN. You can succeed.

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
NMLS # 329079
Vice President / Partner
American Mortgage
Cell - 386-846-6686
Office - 386-756-8228
Fax - 386-756-8108
Website - www.AmericanMortgageNow.com

Oh, by the way, If you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

FLORIDA- American Mortgage Loan Services, Inc. - NMLS Company ID 330596

Perseverance

2011-08-05T16:00:00.001-04:00

This morning I was speaking with someone who was complimenting me on my perseverance and how impressed he was that we have been able to do so well over the last few years with what the real estate and mortgage industries have gone through. I thought it would be nice to share some encouraging words and information with you as well. Below is a really great paragraph on perseverance along with a few video links to a short interview with someone on the 60 minutes TV program.

PERSEVERANCE

Perseverance is a month by month, week by week, day to day, and for some, even an hour by hour decision not to give up. Wikipedia defines Perserverance as a persistent determination; to adhere to a course of action; and persistence.

In the videos below, the interviewer asked the subject if he feels as if he has a disability. The subject of the interview states that "The definition of disability is something that is stopping you from being able to do something. In my life there is hardly anything that I have found that I can not do."

The individual who is the subject of the interview is Nick Vujicic. Nick was born with out arms and with out legs. Nick is an amazing individual and has preserved through some of the most difficult trials and lowest times that anyone could imagine. Nick is 28 years old and has a college degree, and has been extremely successful as an entrepreneur. Even though Nick may be what most consider as physically disabled, he is in no way a disabled person. To me Nick is the definition of Perseverance.

I highly encourage you to take a look at the video's below, and then ask yourself the following question. Even though, I am not physically or mentally disabled, or even if you are, Is there something that I have given into, that is holding me back, that I am using as an excuse, and that I am not persevering past?

If there is something that is holding you back from reaching your goals, making the money that you want to make, getting the job you want, or that promotion, etc., once you identify it, you can start to overcome and push past it.

Have a great weekend, enjoy the videos.

Nick Vujicic - 60 Min Interview - Part 1 -

Nick Vujicic - 60 Min Interview - Part 2 -

Nick Vujicic - Robert Schuller interview -

It's a Good Life!!!

Greg Novak MBA

NMLS# 329079

Vice President / Partner

American Mortgage

Cell - 386-846-6686

Office - 386-756-8228

Website - www.AmericanMortgageNow.com

Oh, by the way, If you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

FLORIDA- American Mortgage Loan Services, Inc. - NMLS Company ID 330596

Great Day, ALL DAY

2011-04-22T12:57:00.003-04:00

Do you ever wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Believe it or not, I don't always wake up the bright and shining, smiling face you see during the day. For my weekly Blog, I put together a list of 10 easy things you can do to Make today a Better Day. Take a look at the list below, and a couple links to some inspirational video's below that.
Don't forget, if you happen to know anyone who is talking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call. I will take good care of them for you. 386-846-6686. Greg Novak www.AmericanMortgageNow.com

10 Steps to have a Great Day, ALL DAY!!!

Wake up a few minutes earlier - Rather than waking up with just enough time to run out of the house 5 min late, set your alarm clock 15 min earlier, and take your time getting ready. This way you won't forget the deodorant.

Talk to yourself - The first thing you should say to yourself when you wake up is, "Today is going to be a great day". After you say this enough times you will start to believe it, and until you do, at least you will make yourself laugh.

Get inspired and Resolve to have a positive attitude - Purchase some motivational cd's or music. Instead of watching the negative morning news, play these CD's and get some inspiration and a positive attitude for the day. Click Here for the link to my Blog on Being Positive.

Eat a Healthy Breakfast - Fruits, Protein, and Whole grains will give you a good kick start and the energy you need to go until lunch. Then eat healthy the rest of the day. Treat yourself every once in a while, but those fried foods and burgers will weigh you down and make you sluggish putting the slow down on your express pass to a great day. Eat a health Breakfast Link

Think Before you Say and Do - It is hard to take back negative words and actions. It's hard to have a great day when you are feeling bad about something you said.

Practice Good Time Management - Have a plan for the day, stick to it. Don't be distracted by things that will not help you reach your daily goals like the social media's, TV, and websites that don't apply to your work.

Don't be so Serious - Part of having a great day includes having some fun. Make sure you schedule some time to enjoy yourself. Try to spend time with people who are fun and make you laugh. Laughter releases endorphins and neurotransmitters that have pain-relieving properties, and make you feel good. You can help but laugh at this video.

Make someone's Day - Complimenting someone else, being kind, and courteous to others will help them have a good day. When you make someone else feel good about them self, you will make yourself feel good about you.

Avoid the negative people - You know the ones in the office that are ALWAYS complaining about something. Stay away, don't get sucked into their negativity. It's like a negative person has super powers when it comes to destroying the foundation of your great day.

Prepare for tomorrow and Go to Bed Early - As an old Boy Scout, the motto Be Prepared has always stuck with me. One of the best peices of advice I can give you about having a good day tomorrow, is to plan and prepare tonight for tomorrow. Make lunches for the kids tonight, lay out and Iron your clothes tonight, pack up your brief case tonight. When you do these things at night instead of the morning, then you dont have to worry as much when you can't accomplish #1 on this list.

Here are a couple of video's to check out.
What to Say when you talk to yourself
Why you should eat breakfast
How to be more productive

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
NMLS # 329079
Vice President / Partner
American Mortgage
Cell - 386-846-6686
Office - 386-756-8228
Fax - 386-756-8108
Website - www.AmericanMortgageNow.com

Oh, by the way, If you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

FLORIDA- American Mortgage Loan Services, Inc. - NMLS Company ID 330596

Press Release

2011-03-28T15:28:00.010-04:00

    American Mortgage Loan Services, LLC., an Altamonte Springs, FL base mortgage broker is expanding into Volusia County. In a time when most banks and lenders are downsizing or closing, American Mortgage as a broker is doing very well and expanding. Local loan officer, and former branch manager for Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company, has Joined American Mortgage as Vice President and Partner, to develop and cultivate the Volusia County Market. Novak has been in the mortgage business for 10 years, has a Bachelors Degree in Finance and Marketing, and a Masters Degree in Business.

    I am very excited about the opportunity to develop a presence and a Brand for American Mortgage in this area and we are currently hiring experienced, professional Loan Officers.

    With the major changes to the mortgage industry that are set to take effect April 1^st, I believe that the Mortgage Broker is going to have a huge advantage over a Bank or Lender. Consumers are going to have more options and ultimately will obtain a better deal and loan that fits their needs from us.

Contact Greg Novak anytime to apply for a Mortgage, or Employment if you are approved with the NMLS.

386-846-6686 Visit us on the web at www.AmericanMortgageNow.Com

It's a Good Life!!!

Greg Novak MBA

NMLS # 329079

Vice President / Partner

American Mortgage

Cell - 386-846-6686

Office - 386-756-8228

Fax - 386-756-8108

Website - www.AmericanMortgageNow.com

Oh, by the way, If you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

FLORIDA- American Mortgage Loan Services, Inc. - NMLS Company ID 330596

Be Positive Today

2011-03-14T14:23:00.007-04:00

Good Morning,

My last few blogs have been all about business, so today I decided to pass along a little personal growth info.
I don’t know about you, but it seems to be getting more and more difficult to keep a positive attitude with all of the negative news and the struggling economy.
So, I decided to send you some good news. Below are several links to some positive stories that hit the news papers. (yes, believe it or not, I was actually able to find some) Also, below are a few tips to help you keep control and maintain a positive outlook.
As always, please keep me in mind for any one you know who needs to buy or refinance a home. Greg Novak (386) 846-6686 www.AmericanMortgageNow.com

Stay Positive Today

Step 1- Avoid watching the news in the morning. If you want to know that weather, just check weather.com, if you want to check the traffic you can do that online also.

Step 2- Write some positive affirmations and tape them to your bathroom mirror so the first thing you see in the morning will help you get started on the right foot. (For instance: Today is going to be a great day. Or, I am having my best year ever, and things that are specific to you, etc.)

Step 3- Sleep!!! Make sure you get enough sleep. Let’s face it, your grumpy when you are tired.

Step 4- Eat Healthier. Make a decision to eat healthier foods. This one has been a struggle for me, but I do my best. And, I feel a lot better about myself when I eat a turkey sandwich and an apple, than when I have a Big Mac and Fries for lunch.

Step 5- Avoid the negative people. You know the ones in the office that are ALWAYS complaining about something. Stay away, don't get sucked into their negativity.

Step 6- Lastly, remember there is a difference between successful people and unsuccessful people, and across the board successful people look at change and adversity as OPPORTUNITY. Unsuccessful people assume all change and adversity will be negative. Whether the change or adversity is negative or positive you must believe that in the long run you will benefit and learn something. It is an opportunity!

Here are some links to some recent news that you may have missed because it was buried underneath the “stuff that sells” the paper.

The Happiest Carreers in America

Making Money & Doing Good

Homeless man finds $1,400 and returns it to the owner.

Teacher for America = $100,000,000

Marriage on the run

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
NMLS # 329079
Assistant Vice President
American Mortgage
Cell - 386-846-6686
Office - 386-756-8228
Fax - 386-756-8108
Website - www.AmericanMortgageNow.com

Oh, by the way, If you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

FLORIDA-American Mortgage Loan Services, Inc. - NMLS Company ID 330596

Realtors, Don't Miss Out!!!

2011-03-04T15:16:00.002-05:00

Have you ever walked away from a home with a buyer because it needed repairs?
Do you have a listing that needs Repairs?

Regardless of how you answered those two questions, you need to be familiar with the FHA 203k Renovation Mortgage.
In today's real estate environment, this mortgage can be a valuable tool.

Below is some basic information about the program and a couple of links to a video blog that give more detailed information as to why having information and educating yourself about this mortgage can benefit you and the clients you work with.

We are experts in closing this loan, and have worked with many 203K borrowers. This loan is not difficult if you know what you are doing, and we know what we are doing.

Don't be afraid to show a client a good home that needs a little repair, or one that the listing agent says in the MLS it won't pass FHA. This loan will help that buyer purchase and fix up those homes. Not only is this loan good for your buyers, but it is good for our real estate market in general. With this loan we can get more homes off the market that are hurting our overall values.

If you have a home listed that needs repairs, call me and I can give you 203k fliers to place in the listing so buyers and their realtors who are not aware of this mortgage wont walk away because they don't have the money to fix it up out of pocket even though they like the house.

203k Info Video 1

203k Info Video 2

Program Bullet Points:

· Purchase a Home and Finance the Repairs Needed.
· Only 3.5% down required from Buyer.
· Seller Can pay Closing Costs & Prepaid expenses. (Up to 6% of the Purchase Price)
· Replace an old or damaged roof.
· Replace old or damaged Heat & AC units.
· Purchase & Install New Appliances. (Refrigerator, Stove, Dish Washer, etc.)
· Make repairs to a property in disrepair due to a foreclosure Situation.
· Make upgrades - Update Kitchens and Bathrooms, Replace & Change Flooring, Paint Interior or Exterior, etc…...

Don't Forget!!! I work weekends!!! Call me any time for a pre-qual, or questions.
Have a Great and Profitable Weekend.

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
NMLS # 329079
Assistant Vice President
American Mortgage
Cell - 386-846-6686
Office - 386-756-8228
Fax - 386-756-8108
Website - http://www.americanmortgagenow.com/

Oh, by the way, If you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Lift off of American and Discovery

2011-02-25T11:15:00.007-05:00

With the launch of one of America’s greatest achievements yesterday, the space shuttle discovery, I thought I would take a moment to give you some interesting facts about the shuttle and introduce you to something as American as apple pie.

American Mortgage is the premier mortgage broker in the state of Florida. After a lot of research and consideration, I am proud to say that I have affiliated myself with this company and look forward to a long partnership with them. For over 25 years American Mortgage has been providing mortgage assistance to Florida communities. We work with our clients to create a desirable mortgage that will best fit their needs and goals. I can provide an affordable Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, VA, USDA, or FHA mortgage, for a purchase or refinance; we shop lenders to providethe lowest rates available. We also provide the fastest turn times and can close in less than 30 days. As a locally owned mortgage broker, we understand things the big banks don't and realize that only two things matter.

First and foremost, that we provide impeccable service and are accountable to every need and request of our mortgage customers.
Second, that we make sure our customers receive the lowest possible mortgage interest rate and fee structure that a mortgage company can provide.

Give me a call anytime if you or someone you know is buying or refinancing a home; remember I work weekends. Greg Novak 386-846-6686. For more info, check out our website. www.AmericanMortgageNow.com

On to the cool stuff! Here are some interesting Facts about the Space Shuttle Discovery.

NASA's most heavily travelled spacecraft, the shuttle Discovery, has had a storied 27-year career that has broken ground in many ways.

Here are some facts about the shuttle and some of its most memorable moments.

First mission, STS-41D, was on August 30, 1984.
Has completed 38 missions, and logged more than 5600 trips around Earth.
Traveled a total of 230,003,477km so far, will add 7.2 million km on this final trip.
Spent 352 days in space until now, for a total of 363 days by the end of this mission.
Carried the Hubble space telescope into orbit in April, 1990.
Has twice been the first shuttle to return to orbit after a major disaster: in 1988 after Challenger exploded in 1986; and again in 2005 after Columbia disintegrated in 2003.
Is the oldest shuttle in the three-member fleet, due to the demise of Columbia and Challenger which were older.
Was the first shuttle to be piloted by a woman, Eileen Collins in 1995.
First shuttle to be commanded by a woman, also Collins, in 1999.
Carried the first African-American astronaut spacewalker, Bernard Harris in 1995.
Transported first sitting member of Congress in space, senator Jake Garn in 1985.
Delivered part of Japan's Kibo laboratory to the ISS in 2008.
Was the first shuttle to rendez-vous with the Russian Mir Space Station 1995.
Has received 99 upgrades.
By the end of this mission, will have transported 180 people in total.

The information about the shuttle was found on Nasa.gov.

Here are a couple of links to videos about the space shuttle and Discovery’s final launch.

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/when-we-left-earth-the-shuttle.html
http://video.foxnews.com/v/4555653/discoverys-final-liftoff

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
NMLS # 329079
Assistant Vice President
American Mortgage
Cell- 386-846-6686 Office - 386-756-8228
Website - http://www.americanmortgagenow.com/

Oh, by the way,If you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

FLORIDA- American Mortgage Loan Services, Inc. - NMLS Company ID 330596

Doing The Remarkable

2011-01-21T14:50:00.004-05:00

So, we are almost through the first month of the New Year. How are your goals / resolutions coming along?

This week’s blog is designed to help you get on track with you goals for this year and help you get past all of the negativity out there. With the economy the way it is and everything going on in the world, you have to work hard to not get caught up in negative thinking and negative news.

Below is a letter written by the late great Jim Rohn, that I found on http://talentdevelop.com. I hope you enjoy. I also put a you tube link here with a motivational excerpt of Jim Rohn.
“The Day That Turns Your Life Around”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoW_jAzZKcs&feature=related Really good stuff.

Enjoy, and remember I am never too busy for your mortgage referrals.

Greg Novak 386-846-6686

Doing the Remarkable

by Jim Rohn

When it comes to meeting and conquering the negativity in your life, here is a key question: what can you do, starting today, that will make a difference?

What can you do during economic chaos? What can you do when everything has gone wrong?

What can you do when you've run out of money, when you don't feel well and it's all gone sour?

What can you do?

Let me give you the broad answer first.

You can do the most remarkable things, no matter what happens. People can do incredible things, unbelievable things, despite the most impossible or disastrous circumstances.

Here is why humans can do remarkable things: because they are remarkable.

Humans are different than any other creation.

When a dog starts with weeds, he winds up with weeds. And the reason is because he's a dog.

But that's not true with human beings. Humans can turn weeds into gardens.

Humans can turn nothing into something, pennies into fortune, and disaster into success.

And the reason they can do such remarkable things is because they are remarkable.

Try reaching down inside of yourself; you'll come up with some more of those remarkable human gifts.

They're there, waiting to be discovered and employed.

With those gifts, you can change anything for yourself that you wish to change. And I challenge you to do that because you can change.

If you don't like how something is going for you, change it. If something isn't enough, change it. If something doesn't suit you; change it.

If something doesn't please you, change it.

You don't ever have to be the same after today. If you don't like your present address change it — you're not a tree!

If there is one thing to get excited about, it's your ability to make yourself do the necessary things, to get a desired result, to turn the negative into success.

That's true excitement.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

Copyright © 2000 Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved worldwide.
You can visit www.jimrohn.com to review and purchase his motivational material.

Click here for a Jim Rohn Youtube clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoW_jAzZKcs&feature=related

www.MyNationwideLender.com
Daytona Beach Mortgage, FHA, VA, HOMEPATH

How do 1 Million Americans have Perfect Credit?

2010-12-10T14:59:00.005-05:00

Good Afternoon,

Here is a little bit of useful info I put together for you about credit scores and how to obtain that elusive perfect score.

Did you know it is possible to achieve a perfect credit score? About 1 million Americans have one.

To hit the magic 850 you'll need to do more than make your payments on time and keep your debt-to-credit ratio low.*

Here's a profile of the top tier:

They have a long, impressive payment history and a clean financial record. They use credit but they pay it off on time, every time. And no bankruptcies, bank repos or settlements. None.

They have a balance of installment and revolving accounts. Think a mortgage, a car loan and credit cards.

They have a long credit history. Those with perfect credit are often older, but what really counts is the length of their credit history. So you may want to keep that that credit card you obtained when you turned 18.

They don't have a lot of credit inquiries on their records. They don't open accounts unless they need to.

Most of us won't ever reach perfection, but the good news is that a score of 760 or above will get you the benefits of excellent credit.

What if you or someone you know does not have perfect credit and needs some help? Take a look at Smart Credit, the consumer-directed credit service that can be accessed right on my Website in the bottom right hand corner!

*To read the full article on MSN Money, click here .

I hope you found this tidbit of info helpful! Please keep me in mind for anyone you know who needs a mortgage.

It's a Good Life!!!

Greg Novak MBA

NMLS # 329079

Branch Manager

American Mortgage

Office - 386-756-8228 Cell - 386-846-6686

Website - www.AmericanMortgageNow.com

Oh, by the way, If you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Research for this blog was done on MSN Money. The article refrenced was written by Jeanine Skowronski for Mainstreet.

Part 3 - Steps to Personal Transformation

2010-09-15T16:22:00.003-04:00

Step 3 – Abundance

Do you have an abundance mentality? Dr. Wayne Dyer writes “It is a simple procedure to calculate the number of seeds in an apple. But who among us can ever say how many apples are in a seed? The reason that no one can say how many apples are in a seed is that the answer is infinite. Endless! That is what the abundance principle is all about: endlessness.”

These concepts of infinity, endlessness, and abundance to us a humans are difficult concepts to understand. We as human beings have a beginning and an end in our life cycle, therefore everything we think about we try to put boundaries or limits on. We try to compartmentalize or box thoughts, concepts, and even money into something with limits, when in fact most things do not have limits.

Dr. Dwyer states “it is difficult to imagine that the universe has any boundaries, or that it simply ends someplace. If it does, what’s at the end? And so I suggest there is no end to the universe, and there is not end to what you can have for yourself when this principle is part of your life.”

In my opinion this could be the most important part of personal transformation, realizing that there are no limits to what you can obtain, and abundance really is an obtainable thing.

In another book entitled The Top Ten Distinctions Between Millionaires and the Middle Class, author Keith Smith breaks down the goals of our social economic classes of people and asserts that the primary goal for the poor is survival, the primary goal for the middle-class is comfort, and the primary goal for the rich is abundance. He also believes that the reason the poor seek to survive and the middle class seeks to be comfortable is that they have a scarcity mentality. They believe that there is not enough money for everyone to have more than enough. The rich on the other hand know the truth, and that is that there is enough money for everyone for have more than enough, which is an abundance mentality.

So how do we transcend a scarcity mentality? Dr. Dwyer states “The first step toward discarding a scarcity mentality involves giving thanks for everything that you are and everything that you have.” You have to be thankful for what you have regardless of how much or little, before you can have and appreciate more.

The second principle we need to understand when it come to abundance is that abundance does not start and end with money. Dr. Dwyer states, “abundance is not something that we acquire. It is something we tune into. This thought is paramount to making the abundance principle function in our lives. Keep in mind that there is an infinite supply of energy in the universe, and that everything, including you very for and all of your accumulations, is essentially energy.”

How do you accumulate an abundance of wealth? Well you first have to accumulate and abundance of energy. What is energy? Energy is fuel.

First you must determine what is your fuel that you will need an abundance of in order to create an abundance of wealth. What is your path to wealth? What type of fuel do you need to propel yourself down that path, and how much do you need to have an abundance.

When you answer these questions, you will be able to better see what abundance means to you and how you can obtain it.

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg NovakMBA
Office - 386-756-8228
Cell - 386-846-6686
Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - www.MyNationwideLender.com

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Part 2 - Steps to Personal Transformation

2010-09-06T09:27:00.005-04:00

Step 2 – Thought

Wayne Dyer says “Thought is much more than something you do. It is in fact what you, and all the rest of us, are as well. Thought constitutes our entire being except for the portion of us that is form, or the packaging that carries around our minds… Here is a mini-lesson in what thought is. Your desire to improve your life is really your thought to improve your life. Your will to live is really your thought to live. Your attitudes about your entire life are really your thoughts on these matters… Your determination to succeed is nothing more than your thought to do so. The idea of success is really the thought of success.”

Why is “Thought” such an important part of personal transformation? Have you ever heard of Stinking Thinking, and the opposite, positive thinking.

Your thoughts and what you believe about yourself are probably the most important key to personal transformation. Henry Ford said “Whether you think you can, or whether you think you can’t, your right.” Your thoughts really do determine who you are. If you read this and think to yourself, “this personal growth and positive thinking is just a bunch of garbage, my thoughts are not going to make me wealthy or a better person, only my actions and abilities are going to do that.” Well where do you think your actions come from? Your thoughts. You do not just get up and start doing something, you have to think about it first and then you do.

Now positive thinking is not going to give you the ability to do everything to want to do, but it will help you do everything better than negative thinking will. Our physical being does limit us in certain ways. Positive thinking is not going to make 6 foot 5 NFL offensive lineman win the Kentucky Derby as a horse jockey. But with the right positive thinking and research, that offensive lineman might be able to buy a horse, hire a tiny jockey, and win the Kentucky Derby as an owner.

The biggest problem people have today in my opinion is a lack of perspective. That lack of perspective leads to negative thinking. People complain all the time about their jobs and how much they hate going to work. it makes me want to tell them to be grateful that you even have a job at all. There are probably a million people who are out of work and would love to have your job or any job at all. If you just sent half the time thinking about the positive things at your job, or ways to make your job more enjoyable, you would enjoy your job more, and with a positive attitude an progressive thinking, you might even get promotions and raises. Very few people who constantly complain about their job ever get raises and promotions. People complain when they are at McDonalds and there fries are not piping hot and ready the second they place the order. What about the people and children in third world countries who have to wait days before their next cold scrap of a meal. And so on and so on and so on. There are thousands of examples of like these. I don’t know if it is the way I was raised, my faith, the type of books I have ready, or the seminars and tapes I have listened to that help me to have perspective on the important things in life, but perspective and a positive attitude are two of the things that I have struggled with the least in my life.

If you want to transform yourself you must first start with your thinking. No matter what you want to change, whether it is your income and wealth, or your health, or your relationships, or anything, you must start with your thoughts.

To finish up here are 4 points from Wayne Dyer’s book to help thoughts become positive reality.

“Your actions come from your images. All of our behavior results from the thoughts that preceded it. If you visualize yourself as incompetent in a given area, and you continuously reinforce this with a mental picture, eventually you will act out this scenario… Apply this notion of thoughts as things to the acquisition of wealth. If you picture yourself acquiring abundance, if you keep this vision in your mind regardless of the obstacles you encounter, and if you absolutely see it for yourself, then you will act on this image. You will allow this picture to be the dominant image in your mental world. You will make fifteen calls a day instead of three or four. You will find yourself saving part of your income thereby paying yourself first, a crucial step in the acquisition of wealth.”
“Tell yourself that everything you visualize is already here. Remember what Einstein taught us about time! Time does not exist in the linear world-it is man’s invention because of his limited vision and his need to compartmentalize everything.” If there is something you want, you need to see it in your mind as already being yours, that will help you obtain it.
“Be willing. Forget about the word ‘determination’! Forget about perseverance! Forget about personal drive! These are not concepts that will help you understand the visualization process and bring it into your life. Over and over I hear, ‘I gave it my best shot.’ ‘I really tried hard, and it still did not work out.’ ‘I persevered for months, and I still did not get what I wanted.’ The key word that is missing from these statements is willing. In order to make a visualization a reality in the world of form, you must be willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen.” Also we have to remember that most of the time it is a matter of being willingto have patients and allow for time. In our fast food, gotta have it now, environment, we forget that we have to be willing to pay the dues, put in the time, and put forth the EXTRA effort. Millionaires do not make their money overnight. Most millionaires worked 30 to 40 years before they achieved that status.
“Realize there is no such thing as failure. Keep this in mind and you will achieve all that you conceive in your mind. You never fail, you simply produce results. Always results. If you make an attempt to hit a golf ball one hundred yards and it dribbles off to the right, you have not failed. You have produced a result. Your concept of failure comes from believing someone else’s opinion about how you could have hit the golf ball. But in our reality, you could not have hit the golf ball any other way than how you hit it. You have produced a result. Then you either berate yourself, or you place the ball back up on the tee and proceed from the result you produced. If you do this two hundred times, you still have not failed, you simply have produced two hundred results.” Zig Ziglar says “Failure is an event, it is not a person, yesterday really did end last night, and today is a brand new day.”

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
Office - 386-756-8228
Cell - 386-846-6686
Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - www.MyNationwideLender.com

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Part 1 - Steps to Personal Transformation

2010-06-28T14:59:00.007-04:00

Step 1 – Transformation

To start this series on personal transformation, I feel it is necessary to take a close look at the word transformation so that we can better understand the rest of the series, and not only the points and purpose of personal transformation, but also how we can transform ourselves, and WHY we might want to.

A lot of people might read the first part of this and think to themselves that they like who they are and that they do not need to change, and who does this guy think he is telling me that I need to make some personal changes. First let me state that I am not talking about changing, or that you need to be a different person, I am talking about transforming, and that is a total different thing. I am married, and for those of you who are or were ever in a relationship and have tried to CHANGE your significant other, you know that does not typically work to well. So please understand I am not trying to change you, this series is more about growth than change.

Let’s take a look at the word transformation.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Transform as the following 1 a : to change in composition or structure b : to change the outward form or appearance of c : to change in character or condition.

Wayne Dyer defines transformation as “The ability and willingness to live beyond your form”

I am going to copy an excerpt from Wayne Dyer’s book You’ll See It When You Believe It, because I really like how he describes what transformation truly is.
“I feel as if I have gone through a gate which will not allow me to go back to the place where I used to live. To me, going through the gate symbolizes transformation. But what do I mean by that?
Start with the word “form,” the center of transformation. It is a term that describes the physical you. It includes all of the physiological properties that you have come to associate with the human being that is you… Now consider the prefix ‘trans,’ which means ‘beyond,’ ‘above,’ or in literal terms, ‘over.’ When we place that prefix in front of ‘from’ we get ‘transform.’ We now add the suffix ‘ation,’ which means ‘action’ or ‘result,’ and we have the word ‘transformation.’ To me this word means the result or action of going beyond one’s form...

The ultimate in becoming a transformed person is seeing ourselves as unlimited by our form.
When you live exclusively in form, you live in a world of limitation. Think about all of the limits that are placed on your form. Limits are boundaries that dictate things. You can only lift so much weight. You can only run so fast… But limits are all in the dimension of form.
Now consider the part of you without physical limits, the dimension of thought. There are no limits to your ability to think. You can imagine yourself doing anything… You can be anything, go anywhere, experience all that you want in this dimension of thought, exclusive of form…
The emphasis in our culture is on the value of the external, the physical appearance. I am suggesting that the emphasis be shifted to a concern for the formless self, being ever mindful that the form houses the real you.”

I am a father of a 5 year old and a 3 year old. I sometimes watch my kids playing, and it seems like they are not bound by their physical form, or their surroundings in anyway. They play imaginary games, and build an imaginary pirate ship and put on paper hats, and they are pirates. When I watch and listen to them play, they are NOT playing pirate, for that time, they ARE actually pirates.

Do you remember when you were young, and some of the games you would play using your imagination? Do you remember not just playing in, but actually being in that imaginary world.
What happened? Why as adults are we unable to use our minds like that anymore, why do we feel that it is unproductive, or a waste of time, or bad to be a dreamer.
Did you know that the most successful people in this world are dreamers, and have the ability to use their imagination, and then let that imagination control their “form” being. Unfortunately, for the majority of adults, they allow their physical form and the objects around them dictate their limits instead of their inner being and their minds.
If you are unhappy with the way you life has gone, or what you have done with yourself after middle school, it is most likely not a matter of physical limitation, but that of mental limitation. If you are not happy with your job, or your income, or your life, it is most likely a result of simply forgetting how to go past physical form, and not using your thoughts in a more productive way. I understand times are tough and people are losing their jobs, and often that has nothing to do with being able to use your imagination or not. However, tough economic times don’t necessarily mean that you have to lose everything or that you cannot be successful. Some of the most wealthy and successful people made their fortunes during the worst economic times in history. They did it because they did not allow their surroundings and the outside forces dictate their thoughts and attitudes.

In closing, the first step to personal transformation, is TRANSFORMATION. Once again, transformation is the result or action of going beyond one’s form. You have to throw out what you think you know about yourself, or what you think defines you as a person, and reinvent yourself mentally, and then take that mental image and break the barriers of FORM to make it a reality in the physical.
Your mother was right, you can be anything you want, and accomplish anything you desire, if you just put your mind to it.

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
Branch Manager
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company
Office - 386-756-8228 Cell - 386-846-6686 Fax - 386-756-8108
E-mail - Greg.Novak@ENMCdirect.com
Web site - http://www.mynationwidelender.com/

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Intro - Steps to Personal Transformation

2010-06-23T16:21:00.005-04:00

I recently finished a series on the 7 Qualities of a successful person.

I have been searching for a new topic for my next blog series, and I came across a story that really impacted me and made me think about my business and things I can do to improve my service.

I copied the story below, and in the story, the subject references a book by Wayne Dyer called “You’ll see it when you Believe it, The way to your personal Transformation”.

As you know, I try to focus my content on positive / personal growth information, and after reading the first part of this book, I feel that it will be a great base for my next series.

Please read the story below as an introduction to my new series, I promise it will impact your day.

Intro- Steps to Personal Transformation

No one can make you serve customers well....that's because great service is a choice. Harvey Mackay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point.

He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey.

He handed my friend a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.' Taken aback, Harvey read the card… It said: Wally's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.

This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!

As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.' My friend said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.' Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice...' Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.'

Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.'

As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.'

And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.

'Tell me, Wally,' my amazed friend asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?'

Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always… In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day.

He had just written a book called - You'll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. *Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.'

'That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'

'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said.

'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today.. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.'

Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting. Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.

How about us? Smile, and the whole world smiles with you... The ball is in our hands! A man reaps what he sows. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.. let us do good to all people.

Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar. SORROW looks back, WORRY looks around, and FAITH looks UP!!! "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain."

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
Branch Manager
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company
Office - 386-756-8228
Cell - 386-846-6686
Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - http://www.mynationwidelender.com/

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Part 7 – The 7 Qualities of a Successful Person

2010-05-14T08:59:00.005-04:00

7. Generosity / Giving Back

Not all successful people are generous, but the all of the happy ones are! Most successful people believe in the law of sowing and reaping. They see money and their time as a seed. They know if they are generous with both they will receive more in return.

The individuals who give a minimum of 10% to worthwhile charities, causes, or churches and volunteer their time in community organizations will be the ones who experience an over abundance in their businesses and personal lives, often from unexpected sources.

This is a fundamental law of finance that has been proven time after time. These are the people who attract clients to them instead of always "marketing to clients" and trying to chase clients down.

One important point to make is that successful people enjoy giving for the sake of giving and the good it does, they do not give so that they will receive something in return. They give for the purpose of giving and helping, and nothing more. People who give to get something in return usually don’t become successful because they are not really giving. We all know those people who have a “what’s in it for me” attitude. They never do anything for anyone unless they are getting something in return. Not many of those folks are truly successful and none of them are happy.

Another thing successful people do whenever possible is to give anonymously. They give anonymously because once again they are not giving to get something in return, and if you give to get recognition or a big pat on the back, then you are missing the true joy of giving unconditionally. To me there are very few feelings that match the feeling I get when I do something for someone or buy something for someone and they have no idea who blessed them with this act of kindness.

Another important point is that it is not the amount of the gift that matters. It is the intention of the giver. Millionaires can give large sums of monies to charities and they can make a big difference. Most likely if you are like me, stroking a check for $100,000 is not a possibility, even $100 right now is pushing it. But, you can make just as big of a differnce to one person at a time; simply give your restaurant sever an extra $10 or $20 on their tip, or if the person next to you at the grocery store only has a couple of items in their basket, pay for them. You never know how much an extra $10 or $20 might mean to someone else. It could be milk, bread, and Peanut butter for their hungry kids at home, or pack of diapers, or by paying for the elderly woman’s groceries, now she can afford to go and buy her prescription medicine this week. Little things that we may take for granted may be a huge deal to someone else.

One last point I want to make is that successful people are not only generous with their money, but they are also generous with their time and abilities. One of the best ways to give to someone else is to volunteer your time or put your skills to work for someone in need. I know a nurse who volunteers one day a month at a free clinic treating patients, administering shots, and bandaging wounds. Or, if you are an accountant, maybe prepare some tax returns at no cost to someone struggling to get by. Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, or help your elderly neighbor maintain their home by cutting their grass for them for free so they do not have to pay someone. There are things all around that you can do to help someone in need.

To end this series I have a few quotes for you on giving and success.

“If you give it out in slices, it will come back to you in loaves” Brian Buffini

“Always give without remembering and always receive without forgetting.” Brain Tracy

“You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” Zig Ziglar

“I believe that being successful means having a balance of success stories across the many areas of your life. You can't truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles.” Zig Ziglar

"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek." Mario Andretti - race car driver

“Success is not so much what we have as it is what we are.” The Late, Great, Jim Rohn

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
Branch Manager
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company
Office - 386-756-8228
Cell - 386-846-6686
Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - www.MyNationwideLender.com

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Part 6 – The 7 Qualities of a Successful Person

2010-03-10T09:33:00.006-05:00

6. Self Confidence. Otherwise known as "The Right Attitude" in every aspect of your business and personal life. This is probably the most important quality and is critical for long term success. Self confidence is the cornerstone of all the Qualities of a successful person. If you do not believe in yourself and truly know that you can accomplish the task at hand, then you will never go far.

Evidence of a truly positive and self-confident person is seen in personal responsibility. Self-confident individuals do not blame other people or circumstances for misfortune or poor results. Self-confident and positive people are proactive, they don´t blame the economy, bad luck, a bad relationship, the weather, "unlucky" situations, the market, or their employees. Proactive/Self-confident people figure out how they can personally change, instead of focusing their energy on where others should change.

Here are a few steps to build more self confidence that I found on wikihow.com.
1. Recognize your insecurities. What makes you feel bad about yourself? This could be anything from physical appearance to past regrets, or whatever makes you feel unworthy, ashamed, or inferior. Identify these things and take steps to fix them, or make a choice to love you for who you are. There are a lot more screwed up people out there than you.
2. Remember that no one is perfect. Even the most confident people have insecurities. Don’t make this false belief that self confident people are perfect be a stumbling block for your own self confidence. You will always have insecurities, and some of them you will never be able to change, to key is to own them and not let them run your life.
3. Identify your successes. Everyone is good at something, so discover the things that you excel in. Take pride in those things, give yourself credit for your successes.
4. Be thankful for what you have. Much of the time a lack of self-confidence is rooted in the feeling that you are not keeping up with the Jones’s. Truly successful people do not flaunt what they have, so if you feeling insecure because you do not have the same toys, cars, homes, etc as someone else, you may want to be thankful you do not those things because that other person may be in debt up to their eyeballs in order to pay for them. Real successful people, not the people you see on tv, live in modest homes, wear modest clothing, purchase pre-owned cars, and do not waste money on flashy stuff.
5. Be Positive, even if you don’t fell like it. Avoid self-pity, or the pity and sympathy of others. Don’t let other people make you feel bad about yourself. If you think negatively about yourself, other will too. Instead speak positively about your-self, your future, and about your achievements.
6. Accept compliments!!!!!!! An insecure person rarely accepts accomplishments well. If someone compliments your outfit, don’t say, “oh, this old thing”, or “yeah, right I hate the way it looks on me” or just shrug it off. Take it to heart and respond with a confident THANK YOU and a smile. Do the same thing for any sincere compliment you receive.
7. Fake it. You have all hear the term “Fake it till you make it”. If you don’t feel self confident, Fake it, and eventually you will.
8. Stick to your Principles. You have all heard the old saying, “if you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything” Stand up for what you believe in. Every time you take a stand for something you think is right, you boost confidence in yourself.
9. Help others. Some people believe in karma, some believe in reciprocity, or sewing and reaping. Whatever you call it, when you help others, two things will happen, first, you will feel better about yourself, and second good things will come back around your way. Both of which will boost your confidence.

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
Branch Manager
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company
Office - 386-756-8228
Cell - 386-846-6686
Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - http://www.mynationwidelender.com/

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Here is a list of Mortgage Loans we are able to close.

Fixed Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Conventional Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
VA Mortgage loans
FHA Mortgage loans
FHA 203k Rehab Mortgages
USDA & Rural Development Mortgage Loans
First Time Homebuyer Mortgages
Reverse Mortgages, for seniors 62 and older

Our Main area's of service include the Greater Daytona Beach Area, Daytona Beach, Port Orange, Ormond Beach, Volusia County, Palm Coast, Flagler County, Florida, Alabama (AL), Alaska (AK), Arizona (AZ), Arkansas (AR), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Connecticut (CT), Delaware (DE), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Hawaii (HI), Idaho (ID), Illinois (IL), Indiana (IN), Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), Kentucky (KY), Louisiana (LA), Maine (ME), Maryland (MD), Massachusetts (MA), Michigan(MI), Minnesota (MN), Mississippi (MS), Missouri (MO), Montana (MT), Nebraska (NE), Nevada (NV), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), New Mexico (NM), New York (NY), North Carolina (NC), North Dakota (ND), Ohio (OH), Oklahoma (OK), Oregon (OR), Pennsylvania (PA), Rhode Island (RI), South Carolina (SC), South Dakota (SD), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Utah (UT), Vermont (VT), Virginia (VA) , Washington (WA), West Virginia (WV), Wisconsin (WI), Wyoming (WY)

Part 5 - The 7 Qualities of a Successful Person

2010-02-11T13:46:00.004-05:00

5. “Servant Leadership, is a philosophy and practice of leadership, coined and defined by Robert Greenleaf and supported by many leadership and management writers such as …, Stephen Covey, Peter Block, …, Larry Spears, Margaret Wheatley, …, Ken Jennings and others. Servant-leaders achieve results for their organizations by giving priority attention to the needs of their colleagues and those they serve. Servant-leaders are often seen as humble stewards of their organization's resources (human, financial and physical).” (Wikipedia)

The Greenleaf center suggests that a servant leader has the following 10 characteristics.

A servant-leader:
• Listens
• Uses power ethically, with persuasion as the preferred mode
• Seeks consensus in group decisions
• Practices foresight
• Uses language in a way that avoids "closed verbal worlds"
• Practices the art of withdrawal
• Practices acceptance and empathy
• Is a conceptualizer
• Nurtures community
• Chooses to lead

“A servant leader has the ability to make decisions, regardless of popular opinion in accordance with your business vision, while inspiring those around you to follow through on the direction you set in motion. Some call this "Delegation" I prefer to call it "Inspiration". Think about it. Do you like to be Delegated to, or Inspired? The leaders who are able to make sound decisions at rapid speed are those who know what the "end result looks like". They have seen the finish line, and know the excitement of crossing it first. Servant leaders are those who come up beside their team members where ever they are, teach those people how they can cross the finish line and experience the same joy and excitement as if they had crossed the finish line themselves.” Deborah Cole Micek

In order to be a servant leader, one needs the following qualities: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, growth and building community.

One last thing, a servant leader is not just a boss or someone in charge of others. Servant leaders are everyone, parents, friends, even sales people. Most of you who are reading this are in some forms of a sales profession, take the information provided here and apply it to your business, and you will find your production increase significantly.

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
Branch Manager
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company
Office - 386-756-8228
Cell - 386-846-6686
Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - http://www.mynationwidelender.com/

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Here is a list of Mortgage Loans we are able to close.

Fixed Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Conventional Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
VA Mortgage loans
FHA Mortgage loans
FHA 203k Rehab Mortgages
USDA & Rural Development Mortgage Loans
First Time Homebuyer Mortgages
Reverse Mortgages, for seniors 62 and older

Part 4 – The 7 Qualities of a Successful Person!!!

2009-12-11T13:58:00.008-05:00

4. Courage.
Because I have taken a few weeks off from my weekly blog, I am going to remind you of the first three qualities of a successful person. 1. Ambition, 2. Discipline, 3. High Standard for Quality. Other than the fact that it has been a little while since I started this series, another reason I recapped those qualities is because this week’s quality is a root of all seven qualities.

Webster’s dictionary defines courage as: a mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.

A successful person first and foremost has COURAGE, not just physical courage, but also moral courage to stand up for what they believe in, and what is right. Often a successful person will have to stand alone in order to do what is right, and it takes a massive amount of courage to do this.

Often successful people are faced with the opportunity to take risks. When you are Optimistic enough to take risks that others are unwilling to take, this will set you up for huge returns and success. However, courage is not just about taking a risk that could pay off big in the end, courage may also be about saying no to a risk that is too great to take even though you are being pushed into it. Successful people tend to ask three questions when analyzing an opportunity with associated risk. 1. What’s the best thing that could happen? 2. What’s the worst thing that could happen? 3. What’s the most likely thing to happen? If you can live with the worst thing that could happen and if the most likely thing to happen will get you closer to your goals, then go for it! The problem with a lot of people, when they take a risk, is that they base their decision on a best case scenario and don’t consider the worst case, or the most likely case, and frequently the most likely thing to happen is something that they cannot live with, or will put them in a worse off position financially.

True courage is pushing forward, even though you may have experienced a setback or a "failure" the last time you tried something new or different.

Having courage is persevering through the tough times. It is looking at the economy we are in today and saying to yourself, I will get through this. Having courage in the face of job loss, or lower income, or fewer sales is to look for the opportunity and to stay positive. Have you lost your job? Well now you have a new job, and that new job, is to find a job. If you are currently searching for a job, you have to treat your job search as if it were a full time job. Get up in the morning as if you had to make it into the office by 8:00, shower, shave, get dressed in business attire. LEAVE THE HOUSE!!! If you have no place to go, or you need to use the computer to search for jobs, take your computer to a place where they have free wifi, or go get a Library card and do your job searching at the library, or go to a career center and research there. The point is to get away from the distractions of TV, house chores, sleep, etc., and get out into the business community. Talk to people everywhere you go, do not be afraid or ashamed to tell everyone you meet that you are looking for a job, you never know who you might meet that just happens to be hiring.

If you are in sales, courage today means getting out there and beating the street for business. For the last number of years if you were in sales, it really did not take much work or courage to make a sale, business would just fall in your lap. That is not the case today. You must get out there, and meet new people, make new contacts, forge new relationships. Did you get the theme in the last sentence? NEW! Courage is having the confidence in yourself to not be afraid of NEW. The key to sales is NEW, and new sounds a lot like change, and most people are afraid to change the way they do things. Let me let you in on a little secret, the old days are gone, and you must change the way you prospect and work for business in order to be successful in the future. New business boils down to first and foremost taking care of current clients, but a very close second is build NEW relationships.

The Quality of courage in a successful person is to believe in yourself and know that the follow quote by Zig Ziglar is true. “You are doing better than good when you clearly understand that failure is an event, not a person; that yesterday ended last night, and today is your brand new day. You are doing better than good when you have made friends with your past, are focused on the present, and optimistic about your future. You are doing better than good when you know that success (a win) doesn't make you, and failure (a loss) doesn't break you.” – Zig Ziglar

It is my hope that you find the courage in you to go out and take the necessary steps to make yourself a successful person.

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
Branch Manager
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company
Office - 386-756-8228 Cell - 386-846-6686 Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - http://www.mynationwidelender.com/

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Here is a list of Mortgage Loans we are able to close.

Fixed Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Conventional Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
VA Mortgage loans
FHA Mortgage loans
FHA 203k Rehab Mortgages
USDA & Rural Development Mortgage Loans
First Time Homebuyer Mortgages
Reverse Mortgages, for seniors 62 and older

Part 1 - The top 10 distinctions Between the prosperous and the un-prosperous. Sermon

2009-11-24T14:51:00.002-05:00

Part 3 - The Seven Qualities of a Successful Person

2009-11-05T16:00:00.007-05:00

High standards for quality. Every successful person must have very high standards when it comes to producing quality output. Whether you manufacture products, or provide a service, you can be assured that a successful person will make sure it is the best it can be.

A person who expects quality from themselves and others typically also have traits such as honesty, integrity, and a concern for people.

Why is it that successful people have these personality traits? Well because successful people understand that you make more money on repeat business and referrals than you do on first time customers or clients. Why would someone do business with you or come to your establishment more than one time? It is because they had a good experience the first time, and felt that they got their money’s worth. If you treat people with honesty, integrity, and have a genuine concern for them and that they are getting the absolute most for their money, then they will easily recognize the high standard of quality that you provide.

When you put an emphasis on quality in everything you do, you will essentially be putting your personal seal of approval on your produces or services. Never do anything that you would be embarrassed to put your name to.

You should always ask yourself these questions as a benchmark to determine if you are providing the highest standard of quality.

1. Someone is going to use the product or service I provide, are they going to fully get their money’s worth.
2. Am I going to be embarrassed if the person using my product or service finds out that I am the one who produced it.
3. Is there any chance that the person using my product or service could be hurt in any way or put in a worse position than they were prior to using my product or service.
4. Would I use this product or service and feel confident that I received the highest standard of quality.

I am a mortgage lender, and every time I write a mortgage for someone I ask myself these very questions. I want to make sure my clients are getting their full money’s worth of service from me and my office staff. I make sure that someone is available anytime for them to ask a question or get an update. I do my very best to make sure that the people I work with are given a mortgage that best fits their goals and needs, and that they will be in a better position after they close on the loan. And lastly, I always ask myself would I sign these papers and take this mortgage if were in their shoes, would I be getting the absolute best loan that I can get?

If you ask yourself these questions, and are truly proud of the answers, then you know you are holding yourself to the highest standard of quality.

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
Branch Manager
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company
Office - 386-756-8228
Cell - 386-846-6686
Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - www.MyNationwideLender.com

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Here is a list of Mortgage Loans we are able to close.

Fixed Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Conventional Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
VA Mortgage loans
FHA Mortgage loans
FHA 203k Rehab Mortgages
USDA & Rural Development Mortgage Loans
First Time Homebuyer Mortgages
Reverse Mortgages, for seniors 62 and older

Our Main area's of service include the Greater Daytona Beach Area, Daytona Beach, Port Orange, Ormond Beach, Volusia County, Palm Coast, Flagler County, Florida, Alabama (AL), Alaska (AK), Arizona (AZ), Arkansas (AR), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Connecticut (CT), Delaware (DE), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Hawaii (HI), Idaho (ID), Illinois (IL), Indiana (IN), Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), Kentucky (KY), Louisiana (LA), Maine (ME), Maryland (MD), Massachusetts (MA), Michigan(MI), Minnesota (MN), Mississippi (MS), Missouri (MO), Montana (MT), Nebraska (NE), Nevada (NV), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), New Mexico (NM), New York (NY), North Carolina (NC), North Dakota (ND), Ohio (OH), Oklahoma (OK), Oregon (OR), Pennsylvania (PA), Rhode Island (RI), South Carolina (SC), South Dakota (SD), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Utah (UT), Vermont (VT), Virginia (VA) , Washington (WA), West Virginia (WV), Wisconsin (WI), Wyoming (WY)

Part 2 - The 7 Qualities of a Successful Person

2009-09-30T21:04:00.006-04:00

Discipline, The Second Quality of Success.

Discipline – “Orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior, Self Control, A rule or system of rules governing conduct or activity” Webster’s Dictionary. As most of you know I do a lot of reading and studying information about leaders and people who have achieved success in their lives. In addition to the first quality where we discussed ambition, Self Discipline resonates through almost every successful persons account for how they have achieved their status.

Self Discipline is really about taking small steps which lead you down the path for big things. You see, self discipline builds upon its self, and builds, and builds. All you have to do is start with one simple thing that you want to make into a habit. Let’s say you want to start working out, but for years have put it off. Why don’t you start with 10 pushups in the morning and 10 pushups before you go to bed. You see it is not necessarily what you do, but simply that you do something, and you make it a habit. Self discipline is more about forming habits than anything else. On the other hand, self discipline may also be about breaking habits. I know too many people who waist time on face book or twitter, or e-mail during the day, when they should be working. I got into the habit of leaving my face book up on a tab on my computer and checked it throughout the day. Then one day I inventoried what I accomplished that day and realized how much time I really did waist just by having it open in the background. You do not have to completely cut those things out, but maybe schedule them into your day. Set a certain time to catch up on those items for say 20 minutes, then shut it off and keep it off and move on with the important things.

Win the Day! One problem is that too many people feel that they have to be perfect in order to be self disciplined. Trying to be perfect will destroy self discipline. Thanks to Robin Hood, most people think a perfect archery shot will be a direct bulls eye, and then you have to be able to repeat that shot and split the first arrow with your second. Did you know that it is really impossible to split an arrow with another arrow. You see when an archer releases an arrow from his bow, the arrow bends and wobbles as it flies through the air which makes it deflect off the end of the first arrow, preventing it from being split all the way down. This is very much like you and I in regards to self discipline. We may have certain goals and tasks that we want to accomplish in a day or a week. And some days we might get all of these activities done and hit the bulls eye, but other days we wobble a bit and miss the target all together. I follow a philosophy called Win the Day. This concept requires you to plan out your day. Make a list of all of the things that you need to accomplish in a certain day. If you accomplish 80% of those items in that day, then you win the day. If you win 4 days out of 5, then you have won the week. If you win 3 weeks out of the month, then you have won the month, and if you win 8 months out of the year, then you have won the year. You see, you do not have you be perfect, you just have to be consistent.

Self Discipline is in your head. I say this because self discipline is more about believing in yourself, than anything else. Those who believe in themselves have a much better chance of staying on track than those who do not. If you think and talk about yourself as someone who is a self starter, disciplined, and stays on task, then you will be. And if you fall off track, then there will be that nagging voice in your head talking to you, telling you to get yourself back headed in the right direction.

"The first and best victory is to conquer self." – Plato

"Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways." – H. Jackson Brown

"Nothing is more harmful to the service, than the neglect of discipline; for that discipline, more than numbers, gives one army superiority over another." – George Washington

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
Branch Manager
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company
Office - 386-756-8228 Cell - 386-846-6686 Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - http://www.mynationwidelender.com/

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Here is a list of Mortgage Loans we are able to close.

Fixed Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Conventional Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
VA Mortgage loans
FHA Mortgage loans
FHA 203k Rehab Mortgages
USDA & Rural Development Mortgage Loans
First Time Homebuyer Mortgages
Reverse Mortgages, for seniors 62 and older

Part 1 - The 7 Qualities of a Successful Person

2009-09-14T10:17:00.005-04:00

I am sure you have all heard of the book the seven habits of highly effective people. Well, I have been doing a lot of reading and studying various books and authors who have written positive thinking, and self help books, and I have come up with my own 7 qualities of a successful person. Below is part 1 of my new weekly series, The Seven Qualities of a Successful Person.

Part 1 – The 7 Qualities of a Successful Person!!!

Ambition – “Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great.” Mark Twain.

All successful people are ambitious, all self-made millionaires are ambitious. Webster’s dictionary defines ambition as a “mean strong desire for advancement”. When you do research on ambition or ambitious people, you will find a common denominator, desire.

Another online definition of ambition is “an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment.”

There you go again, desire, when we study successful people, you will find a strong desire to win. Ambitious people not only desire to win, but they have drive, and unstoppable determination.

The quality of ambition gives successful people the energy needed to hurdle obstacles and tackle the seemingly impossible tasks.
Ambition is one of the strongest forces in the human arsenal, and is often the main reason things get done. However, ambition can also be one of the most dangerous qualities a person can have, “that drive to grab the biggest slice of the pie before anyone else and sometimes even the entire pie. Julius Caesar (101-44 BC) had plenty of ambition. Early in his career he happened upon a bust of Alexander the Great. Comparing himself to the great king, Caesar lamented that he was the same age as Alexander had been when he died but that by age thirty-two Alexander had conquered a world and so far he had done practically nothing. Vowing that would change, Caesar entered the Roman political arena and the rest is history.” Steve Forbes

Zig Ziglar teaches that you cannot be successful and happy when you reach your achievements at the expense of others. If your ambition drives you to succeed no matter what, no matter who you hurt, or trample over, you may gain some money, but you will never be truly successful.

Therefore, whether you are struggling during these tough economic times, or just simply want to get a promotion, or climb the corporate ladder, you need to go out and get some ambition and desire to achieve. One of the best ways to develop ambition is to read motivation books, and to listen to tapes, and even attend personal growth seminars.

So, are you an ambitious person, do you have internal drive, and desire to achieve beyond your wildest dreams. If not, go get some, because you can achieve greater success.

Here are some quotes on ambition.
“The very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream.” William Shakespeare
“It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what others say in a whole book.” Friedrich Nietzsche
“A man's worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions” Marcus Aurelius

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
Branch Manager
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company
Office - 386-756-8228 Cell - 386-846-6686 Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - www.MyNationwideLender.com

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Part 2 - Your Keys to Success

2009-09-04T14:22:00.004-04:00

12 Tips For Overcoming Anxiety
By Remez Sasson

Anxiety in various forms and degrees seems to be a wide spread problem, affecting people of all ages and in every country.

If you are prone to anxiety you have two options:
A) Give in to it.
B) Learn to overcome it.

By giving in you will continue to suffer and feel unhappy, stressed and anxious. It is far better to learn to overcome anxiety or at least reduce its power.

Anxiety just wastes your time and energy and weakens you mentally and physically. You help no one and don't solve any problem by being anxious. Our planet will go on revolving, even if you stop worrying and being anxious.

Always know you have a choice - to give in to anxiety, or try to overcome anxiety, at least partially.

Here are 12 tips for alleviating and overcoming anxiety:
1. Lack of control over your thoughts strengthens your anxiety. As negative thoughts get stronger and stronger, your anxiety gets stronger. You need to learn to control your thoughts.

2. Feelings and emotions fuel and strengthen anxiety. You need to learn some self discipline and control over your feelings, and you also need to develop emotional and mental detachment.

3.When you go to bed at night, and first thing when you wake up in the morning, think about the good things that are happening to you. There are always some good things happening, even if small and insignificant.

4. Start the day with several minutes of positive affirmations. Tell yourself how would like your day to be. Use positive, cheering and motivating words.

5. Be busy, do something. By doing something you keep your mind off your anxiety. When you wake up in the morning start doing something right away, and keep busy all day. Cleaning the house, washing the dishes or working in your garden, reading, studying, meditating or exercising your body can help you keep your mind away from anxiety. Just sitting around and thinking about your problems and worries won't make them go away.

6. Set a goal and work everyday to achieve it. This action will direct your thoughts and feelings away from worries and anxieties, toward something more positive.

7. Talk about your anxieties to someone you trust. Talking about your anxieties and feelings often alleviate them and put them in the right proportions, provided you talk objectively, and with a real desire to reduce or get rid of your anxiety.

8. Exercising is a good way to keep from letting your fears overwhelm you. You can walk, do yoga or aerobics or any other sport.

9. Find reasons to laugh. This will bring light and happiness into your life and drive anxiety away. Watch comedies, be with happy and amusing friends or read something that makes you laugh.

10. Use positive words in your conversation and in your inner talk.

11. Affirm and visualize positive situations and events. Visualize a happy and positive solution to your problems.

12. If watching the news fills you with anxiety - turn off the TV! Limit the time you watch the news, and don't watch anything that may upset you before you go to bed.

The information in this article does not replace professional advice.

Peace of Mind in Daily Lifeby Remez SassonA book that teaches clearly and in an easy to understand language, how to overcome anxiety, stress, lack of concentration and restless thinking, and attain peace of mind.Step by step guidance that will lead you to inner peace, inner balance and happiness.Peace of Mind in Daily Life

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
Branch Manager
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company
Office - 386-756-8228Cell - 386-846-6686Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - http://www.mynationwidelender.com/

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Part 1 Your Keys to Success

2009-08-21T10:52:00.006-04:00

Hello,
I am starting a new weekly blog entitled “Your Keys to Success”. Below is an article I found online that I think does a great job of outlining ways to stay positive, and why staying positive is a key to your success. Positive thinking has been the cornerstone in my success and my ability to move forward when so many are giving up and moving backward. Zig Ziglar is quoted as saying “Positive thinking will not give you the ability to do All things, but it will let you do All things better than negative thinking will”. I hope you enjoy.

Positive Thinking Your Key to Success
by Remez Sasson

Positive thinking brings inner peace, success, improved relationships, better health, happiness and satisfaction. It also helps the daily affairs of life move more smoothly, and makes life look bright and promising.
Positive thinking is contagious. People around you pick your mental moods and are affected accordingly. Think about happiness, good health and success, and you will cause people to like you and desire to help you, because they enjoy the vibrations that a positive mind emits.
In order to make positive thinking yield results, you need to develop a positive attitude toward life, expect a successful outcome of whatever you do, but also take any necessary actions to ensure your success.
Effective positive thinking that brings results is much more than just repeating a few positive words, or telling yourself that everything is going to be all right. It has to be your predominant mental attitude. It is not enough to think positively for a few moments, and then letting fears and lack of belief enter your mind. Some effort and inner work are necessary.

Are you willing to make a real inner change?

Are you willing to change the way you think?

Are you willing to develop a mental power that can positively affect you, your environment and the people around you?

Here are a few actions and tips to help you develop the power of positive thinking:

Always use only positive words while thinking and while talking. Use words such as, 'I can', 'I am able', 'it is possible', 'it can be done', etc.
Allow into your awareness only feelings of happiness, strength and success.
Try to disregard and ignore negative thoughts. Refuse to think such thoughts, and substitute them with constructive happy thoughts.
In your conversation use words that evoke feelings and mental images of strength, happiness and success.
Before starting with any plan or action, visualize clearly in your mind its successful outcome. If you visualize with concentration and faith, you will be amazed at the results.
Read at least one page of inspiring book every day.Watch movies that make you feel happy.
Minimize the time you listen to the news and read the papers.
Associate yourself with people who think positively.
Always sit and walk with your back straight. This will strengthen your confidence and inner strength.Walk, swim or engage in some other physical activity. This helps to develop a more positive attitude.

Think positive and expect only favorable results and situations, even if your current circumstances are not as you wish them to be. In time, your mental attitude will affect your life and circumstances and change them accordingly.
Follow the tips and suggestions in this article, and prove to yourself the reality the power of positive thinking. More advanced and powerful techniques, instructions and exercises can be found in the following books:
Visualize and Achieve

Affirmations - Words of Power

When you expect success and say "I can", you fill yourself with confidence and joy.Fill your mind with light, hope and feelings of strength, and soon your life will reflect these qualities.

I hope you enjoyed the above article by Remez Sasson.

It's a Good Life!!!

Greg Novak MBA

Branch Manager

Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company

Office - 386-756-8228 Cell - 386-846-6686 Fax - 386-756-8108

Web site - http://www.mynationwidelender.com/

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Here is a list of Mortgage Loans we are able to close.
Fixed Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Conventional Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
VA Mortgage loans
FHA Mortgage loans
FHA 203k Rehab Mortgages
USDA & Rural Development Mortgage Loans
First Time Homebuyer Mortgages
Reverse Mortgages, for seniors 62 and older

We offer great rates, excellent service, and we really do succeed in catering to you, the borrower.
Our Main area's of service include the Greater Daytona Beach Area, Daytona Beach, Port Orange, Ormond Beach, Volusia County, Palm Coast, Flagler County, Florida, Alabama (AL), Alaska (AK), Arizona (AZ), Arkansas (AR), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Connecticut (CT), Delaware (DE), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Hawaii (HI), Idaho (ID), Illinois (IL), Indiana (IN), Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), Kentucky (KY), Louisiana (LA), Maine (ME), Maryland (MD), Massachusetts (MA), Michigan(MI), Minnesota (MN), Mississippi (MS), Missouri (MO), Montana (MT), Nebraska (NE), Nevada (NV), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), New Mexico (NM), New York (NY), North Carolina (NC), North Dakota (ND), Ohio (OH), Oklahoma (OK), Oregon (OR), Pennsylvania (PA), Rhode Island (RI), South Carolina (SC), South Dakota (SD), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Utah (UT), Vermont (VT), Virginia (VA) , Washington (WA), West Virginia (WV), Wisconsin (WI), Wyoming (WY)

Part 10 - Millionaires vs the Middle Class

2009-07-28T11:44:00.008-04:00

Hello,

Below is the final part, #10 in my series of blogs on “The Top Ten Distinctions Between Millionaires and the Middle Class” by Keith Smith.

Distinction 1 – Millionaires ask themselves empowering questions. Middle-class people ask themselves disempowering questions.

On the surface, this distinction may seem unimportant: though I assure you it is a profound principle. When you develop the habit of asking yourself empowering questions, your life will take on new meaning and success is inevitable… Whatever questions you ask you will receive the answers for; the bigger your questions, the better. Learn to ask yourself questions that stretch you beyond your current levels of experience. Questions hold the answers that you need to succeed.

For example, which question is more empowering? ‘How can I double my income this year?’ or ‘How can I get enough money to pay the bills this month?’
Do you see the difference? It takes the same amount of mental energy to think about answering the big question as it does the small question… Let’s look at a few more examples.

‘How can I make a $1,000,000 a year doing what I love?’ or ‘How can I get my boss to give me a raise?’
‘What is life trying to teach me right now?’ or ‘Why do bad things always happen to me?’
‘How can I develop a deeper relationship with my spouse?’ or ‘Why is it so hard to get along with my spouse?’
‘What can I do to show my kids I love them today?’ or ‘Why don’t my kids appreciate me?’
‘What would I enjoy doing to keep myself strong, healthy, and at my target weight?’ or ‘Why is it so hard to loose weight?’

Empowering questions ask what you can do and disempowering questions ask what you can’t do or why things are so hard. Empowering questions make you feel good. Disempowering questions make you feel bad…
The power of this distinction is awareness and consciousness. Most middle-class people are unaware or unconscious of the questions they ask themselves on a regular basis… Millionaires are aware of the questions they ask themselves. They are conscious of their thoughts. They continually work on conditioning their minds to lead them to more success.
We are all conditioned to think the way we do. Millionaires consciously condition their minds. By controlling the questions you ask yourself, you will learn to think for yourself. You gain control of your life by controlling your internal dialogue. You must become aware of the questions, and things you say to yourself if you want to be more successful.”

I truly believe in the power of positive thinking and that our “self talk”, meaning what you say when you talk to yourself, is a compass that leads us down the path of success or failure.

Here are a few books that I recommend on this subject.
1. “What to say When you talk to yourself.” By Shad Helmstetter
2. “Think & Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill
3. “As a man thinketh” by James Allen

Here is a you tube clip that you may find interesting on How Self Talk Works.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvzfnm9uk-0&feature=related

Now that we are at the end of the book I think it would be good to do a quick recap, in part one we found that Millionaires think on a long term basis, and the middle class tends to think on a short term basis. In part two we found that Millionaires think and talk about ideas, and the middle class thinks and talks about things and people. In part three we learned that Millionaires embrace change and the middle class is threatened by change. In part four we found that Millionaires take calculated risks and the middle class is afraid to take risks. Part five was about how Millionaires continually learn and grown and the middle class thinks learning ended with school. Part six taught us that Millionaires work for profits and the middles class works for wages. In part seven we found that millionaires believe they must be generous and the middle class believes it can’t afford to give. In part eight we learned that millionaires have multiple sources of income and the middles class has only one or two. And last week in part nine we found that millionaires focus on increasing their net worth and the middle class focuses on increasing its paychecks.

Thank you for reading this series of Blogs and keep an eye out, because next week or so I will be starting another great series of positive, motivating, and personal growth Blogs.

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
Branch Manager
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company
Office - 386-756-8228 Cell - 386-846-6686 Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - http://www.mynationwidelender.com/

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Here is a list of Mortgage Loans we are experts in closing.

Fixed Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Conventional Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
VA Mortgage loans
FHA Mortgage loans
FHA 203k Rehab Mortgages
USDA & Rural Development Mortgage Loans
First Time Homebuyer Mortgages
Mortgages up to 100% of the purchase price
Reverse Mortgages, for seniors 62 and older

We offer great rates, excellent service, and we really do succeed in catering to you, the borrower.

Part 9 - Millionaires vs the Middle Class

2009-07-16T15:24:00.006-04:00

Below is part 9 in my series of blogs about “The Top Ten Distinctions Between Millionaires and the Middle Class” by Keith Smith.

Distinction 2 – Millionaires focus on increasing their net worth. The Middle Class focuses on increasing its paychecks.

“Most everyone has heard the saying ‘Work smarter, not harder’. Focusing on your net worth is working smart. Working for a pay check is working hard. Millionaires attain their financial freedom because they work hard in the beginning to build their net worth. Once their net worth is built to a certain level, they are free to do what they want when they want…

The typical definition of net worth is assets minus liabilities. Most people think an asset is anything they own that has value… This is not the way millionaires think about assets… Millionaires look at assets as the things they own that have value and earn passive income for them… Your liabilities are things you owe money for, like mortgages, car payments, credit card debts, and school and personal loans. Subtract the things you owe from the things you own that have value and produce passive income. This is your true net worth…

Millionaires make their money work hard for them. The middle class works hard for its money. Here are two reasons why working for a paycheck alone is risky and not very smart. One, as your paycheck gets bigger, so do your taxes. Two as your paycheck gets bigger, so does your dependency on someone else. Millionaires are in control of their financial lives. Middle-class people place control of their financial lives in the hands of someone else…

Working for a paycheck, is not wrong or bad,… Many people who are millionaires today, once worked for a paycheck. How did they become financially free? By using their paychecks to buy assets… Buying assets that produce income is not easy at first. It requires new knowledge, which is gained by many hours of personal study… Millionaires apply the knowledge they gain.”

One way to get started is with a small business. “In my opinion, everyone should have a small business. I am not saying to quit your job and start a business. I am suggesting your start a part-time business while working your current job: a part-time business doing something you enjoy… When you start your business, make sure you keep your cost of lining the same and save the money you make from your new business until you are ready to invest in an asset. It is the most common thing in the world to spend more money when you start making more money.”

When considering what type of small business to start I suggest that you look at the things that you enjoy, or are skilled in, or already do for yourself that you can do for other people and charge a fee. The biggest WARNING I can give you is to stay far far away from multi level marketing companies. Do NOT get involved with any company where their entire sales pitch to you is that all you have to do is to get other people to sign up underneath you and you will make money from them, and then you will also make money off the people they sign up, and so on and so on. This is a pyramid scheme. No matter what they call it, or how different they say it is from other MLM companies, it is all the same. The only person who actually makes money is the person at the very top. Any company that charges you an initiation fee, or requires you to purchase a certain amount of product every month to be commissionable, is one where they are not actually making their money from selling products, they are almost solely making their money from conning people into signing up and paying their fees to do so.

A couple other types of assets that produce passive income is Real Estate, and Stocks. Now, I know what you are thinking. The real estate market is in the tank, the stock market keeps tanking more and more every day. However, even now can be a great time to purchase either of these two things, you just have to be smart about it.

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
Branch Manager
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company
Office - 386-756-8228
Cell - 386-846-6686
Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - www.MyNationwideLender.com

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Here is a list of Mortgage Loans we are experts in closing.

Fixed Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Conventional Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
VA Mortgage loans
FHA Mortgage loans
FHA 203k Rehab Mortgages
USDA & Rural Development Mortgage Loans
First Time Homebuyer Mortgages
Mortgages up to 100% of the purchase price
Reverse Mortgages, for seniors 62 and older

We offer great rates, excellent service, and we really do succeed in catering to you, the borrower.

Part 8 - Millionaires vs the Middle Class

2009-06-26T15:39:00.006-04:00

Below is part 8 in my Bloggs about "The Top Ten Distinctions between Millionaires and the Middle Class" by Keith Smith.

Distinction 3 - Millionaires have multiple sources of income. The Middle class has only one or two.

"Let's compare dollars to fish. Would a fisherman catch more fish if he had two lines in the water? Of course, there is a greater possibility that he would. What if he had five lines in the water? It's easy to see that the more lines he has in the water, the more fish he has the possibility of catching.

Money is like that. The more sources of income you can develop, the more likely it is you will become a millionaire. For every millionaire who has achieved his or her wealth doing only one thing, there are a dozen other who became financially free by combining several forms of income...

Let's look at a term from Nido Qubein - Intentional congruence. It is the essence of how to create successful multiple sources of income. Intentional means: doing something on purpose... Congruence means: connected...

The concept of intentional congruence is first and foremost intentional... If you currently have one source of income and want to start another source, then make sure the new source of income supports the first, and make sure the first source can support the new one. Do they help promote each other? Can your primary source of income do business with your secondary of third? Do they lend credibility to each other? Can the customers from your primary source also become customers of your new endeavor?"

Another concept mentioned in this chapter is that you do not have to, or should not manage and do all of the work for all of your sources of income yourself. This is a difference in middle class and millionaire thinking. Millionaires know that there are people who can do the job just as good, if not better than they can, and they hire those people to manage and run their multiple sources of income. The middle class mindset is one where they think that no one can do the job as good a them and they feel that in order for the job to be done right they have to do it themselves. This is why the middle classes concept of multiple sources of income is having a second job. I want to be clear, that this is NOT the concept being put forth. The concept is to have multiple sources of income that do not require you to do the work or manage the business, and where the various enterprises support each other.

Let me give you an example. There are a couple of doctors here locally. They them selves are into fitness. They preach to their patients the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a regular exercise program. The doctors decided that they would open a fitness center. They researched franchises and purchased one. They found a great location and purchased the equipment. Then they hired a great team to run the business for them. Their practice feeds the gym and the gym feeds their practice.

The bottom line is first, find something you are interested in and enjoy. Second, decided if you can hire a team to manage and run the business and still be profitable. Third, does the new business relate to the first business and can the two businesses feed off of each other.

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
Branch Manager
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company
Office - 386-756-8228 Cell - 386-846-6686 Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - http://www.mynationwidelender.com/

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Here is a list of Mortgage Loans we are experts in closing.

Fixed Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Conventional Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
VA Mortgage loans
FHA Mortgage loans
FHA 203k Rehab Mortgages
USDA & Rural Development Mortgage Loans
First Time Homebuyer Mortgages
Mortgages up to 100% of the purchase price
Reverse Mortgages, for seniors 62 and older

We offer great rates, excellent service, and we really do succeed in catering to you, the borrower.

Part 7 - Millionaires vs the Middle Class

2009-06-19T11:47:00.004-04:00

Below is part 7 in my series of Bloggs about “The Top Ten Distinctions Between Millionaires and the Middle Class” by Keith Smith.

Distinction 4 – Millionaires believe they must be generous. The middle class believes it can’t afford to give.

“Not all millionaires are generous, but the happy ones are! Most millionaires believe in the law of sowing and reaping. They see money as a seed. They know if they are generous they will receive more in return.”

One important point to make is that millionaires typically do not give to get. They give to give. People who give to get something in return usually don’t receive any reciprocity because they are not really giving. Another thing millionaires do whenever possible is to give anonymously. They give anonymously because once again they are not giving to get something in return, and if you give to get recognition or a big pat on the back, then you are missing the true joy of giving unconditionally. To me there are very few feelings that match the feeling I get when I do something for someone or buy something for someone and they have no idea who blessed them with this act of kindness.

Another important point is that it is not the amount of the gift that matters. It is the intention of the giver. Millionaires can give large sums of monies to charities and they can make a big difference. Most likely if you are like me, stroking a check for $100,000 is not a possibility, even $100 right now is pushing it. But, you can give your restaurant sever an extra $10 or $20 on their tip, or if the person next to you at the grocery store only has a couple of items in their basket, pay for them. You never know how much an extra $10 or $20 might mean to someone else. I could be milk, bread, and Peanut butter for their hungry kids at home, or pack of diapers, or by paying for the elderly woman’s groceries, now she can afford to go and buy her prescription medicine this week. Little things that we may take for granted may be a huge deal to someone else.

One last point I want to make is that millionaires are not only generous with their money, but they are also generous with their time and abilities. One of the best ways to give to someone else is to volunteer your time or put your skills to work for someone in need. I know a nurse who volunteers one day a month at a free clinic treating patients, administering shots, and bandaging wounds. Or, if you are an accountant, maybe prepare some tax returns at no cost to someone struggling to get by. Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, or help your elderly neighbor maintain their home by cutting their grass for them for free so they do not have to pay someone. There are things all around that you can do to help someone in need.

“It is a good habit to be generous; to make sure money never controls you. I once heard a spiritual teacher tell of a test you can do to see if you possess your money, or your money possesses you. The test: give it away. If you can do that, then you possess your money. If you can’t, then your money possesses you.”

Lastly, I have two quotes for you.

“If you give it out in slices, it will come back to you in loaves” Brian Buffini

“Always give without remembering and always receive without forgetting.” Brain Tracy

It's a Good Life!!!

Greg Novak MBA
Branch Manager
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company
Office - 386-756-8228
Cell - 386-846-6686
Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - www.MyNationwideLender.com

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Here is a list of Mortgage Loans we are experts in closing.

Fixed Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Conventional Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
VA Mortgage loans
FHA Mortgage loans
FHA 203k Rehab Mortgages
USDA & Rural Development Mortgage Loans
First Time Homebuyer Mortgages
Mortgages up to 100% of the purchase price
Reverse Mortgages, for seniors 62 and older

We offer great rates, excellent service, and we really do succeed in catering to you, the borrower.

Our Main area’s of service include the Greater Daytona Beach Area, Daytona Beach, Port Orange, Ormond Beach, Volusia County, Palm Coast, Flagler County, Florida, Alabama (AL), Alaska (AK), Arizona (AZ), Arkansas (AR), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Connecticut (CT), Delaware (DE), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Hawaii (HI), Idaho (ID), Illinois (IL), Indiana (IN), Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), Kentucky (KY), Louisiana (LA), Maine (ME), Maryland (MD), Massachusetts (MA), Michigan(MI), Minnesota (MN), Mississippi (MS), Missouri (MO), Montana (MT), Nebraska (NE), Nevada (NV), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), New Mexico (NM), New York (NY), North Carolina (NC), North Dakota (ND), Ohio (OH), Oklahoma (OK), Oregon (OR), Pennsylvania (PA), Rhode Island (RI), South Carolina (SC), South Dakota (SD), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Utah (UT), Vermont (VT), Virginia (VA) , Washington (WA), West Virginia (WV), Wisconsin (WI), Wyoming (WY)

Part 6 - Millionaires vs the Middle Class

2009-06-12T14:19:00.006-04:00

Below is part 6 in my series of Bloggs about “The Top Ten Distinctions Between Millionaires and the Middle Class” by Keith Smith.

Distinction 5 – Millionaires work for Profits. The middle class works for wages.

“People who work for wages end up earning enough to live on but not much more. It is rare for someone to make enough money from an hourly or salary position to become financially free. Millionaires understand this and choose to work for profits instead of wages. Wages are the pay you receive for the work you do. Profits are the result of buying something for one price and selling it for a higher price. Millionaires are in the sales business.
If you depend on wages for your income, then your income will always be extremely limited. If you learn to earn profits, then the sky is the limit.
It has been said that over 90 percent of people who make more than $100,000 a year are in some form of sales. I believe this is true. All of my mentors work for profits. Not one of them works for wages.”
For the remainder of this chapter Keith goes on to describe his own success story. His story is very interesting, but somewhat hard to summarize. The bottom line of what he describes, is that he was always looking for different ways to make money. He was always looking for things he could sell at a profit. He was always watching other successful people make money and then tried to do what they were doing.
I agree with a lot of what Keith says in this chapter, however, I don’t think you need to be self employed or necessarily in a sales position to become a millionaire. Do I think it will get you there faster to be an entrepreneur with a solid idea and business plan? Sure, absolutely. But can you get there from a salary position? Yes you can.
That being said, your mentality must be the same as someone who is self employed, or in sales. You can not go to work and work for your paycheck. You have to go to work, to work for your company. There is a big difference there. People who go to work for a paycheck typically do just enough to earn that paycheck. People who go to work for a company typically do more than what is asked of them and do more work than what they are getting paid to do. These people are the ones who end up getting the promotions, and the raises and end up running the company. These are the “non-self-employed” people who become millionaires.
In addition to reading this book, I have also been listening to my Zig Zigler CD’s. In one of Zig’s presentations he talks about affirmations and gives an affirmation that he suggests people say to themselves everyday. I am going to type it out below, but I want to you notice that the first sentence of this affirmation states that “regardless of who signs my paycheck I am self-employed”. I believe this is so important to understand and remember because you truly are in charge of your own destiny no matter where you work, or who you work for. Your attitude, your drive, your willingness to put forth more effort and work than the next person will determine how successful you will be and if you will be a millionaire, or if you will stay in the middle class.

Zig Ziglar Daily Affirmation:
1. I am an honest, intelligent, organized, responsible, committed, teachable person who is sober, loyal, and clearly understands that regardless of who signs my paycheck I am self-employed. I am an optimistic, punctual, enthusiastic, goal-setting, smart working self-starter who is a disciplined, focused, dependable, persistent player and hard worker who appreciates the opportunity my company and the free enterprise system offer me. I am thrifty with my resources and apply common sense to my daily tasks. I take honest pride in my competence, appearance and manners, and am motivated to be and do my best so that my healthy self-image will remain on solid ground. These are the qualities which enable me to manage myself and help give me employment security in a non job-security world.

2. I am a compassionate, respectful, encourager who is a considerate, generous, gentle, patient, caring, sensitive, personable, attentive, fun-loving person. I am a supportive, giving and forgiving, clean, kind, unselfish, affectionate, loving, family-oriented human being and I am a sincere and open-minded good listener and a good-finder who is trustworthy. These are the qualities which enable me to build good relationships with my associates, neighbors, mate and family.

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
Branch Manager
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company
Office - 386-756-8228 Cell - 386-846-6686 Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - http://www.mynationwidelender.com/

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Here is a list of Mortgage Loans we are experts in closing.

Fixed Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Conventional Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
VA Mortgage loans
FHA Mortgage loans
FHA 203k Rehab Mortgages
USDA & Rural Development Mortgage Loans
First Time Homebuyer Mortgages
Mortgages up to 100% of the purchase price
Reverse Mortgages, for seniors 62 and older

We offer great rates, excellent service, and we really do succeed in catering to you, the borrower.

Part 5 - Millionaires vs the Middle Class

2009-05-08T11:33:00.008-04:00

Below is part 5 in my series of Bloggs about “The Top Ten Distinctions Between Millionaires and the Middle Class” by Keith Smith.

Distinction Six - Millionaires continually learn and grow. The middle class thinks learning ended with School.

“Why do you think million-dollar homes have libraries? Is it just a coincidence that million-dollar homes have them and $100,000 homes don’t? I don’t think so.”
Most millionaires read a book, or listen to an audio recording, or attend a seminar every week. Most millionaires have invested well over $100,000 on success education. Most people with a middle class mentality will probably think, “I don’t have that kind of money to spend to learn how to make money.” If you notice it was never said that the money was spent all at one time. “Millionaires continue to invest more and more in knowledge as they make more money. Success is a process. If a percentage of your income is not going towards a financial education, you will stay trapped in the middle class.
You can start with books… Millionaires read and read and read. Books are so inexpensive compared to how much the knowledge they contain is worth. Are you aware you can learn a concept in only a few hours from a book that took someone years to develop? More people than ever are becoming millionaires because they are compressing time and learning financial secrets that took others years to discover. I feel like some of the $20 books I have read were worth $20,000 because of what I learned from them.
Most middle class people stay at the same level of income year after year because their knowledge stays at the same level year after year. One reason for this is because they think learning ended with school. Millionaires are students of life. They continually learn from the circumstances of their lives…
Millionaires focus on personal growth. They believe to have more they must become more. They see growing as one of the main purposes of life. Growth takes time. Be patient with yourself as you gain knowledge. Realize that knowledge is a seed and it takes time for seeds to grow into trees that bear fruit. Every time you read a book you are either planting another seed or watering some that are already in your mind. Millionaires read books about money and how to build better relationships. They read about the power of the mind. They read about the successes and failures of others. Millionaires are serious students of a successful life, not just financial success. They continually look for new ways of thinking and acting that can produce more fulfillment in their lives.
The secret of being a life long learner is to study what you love. One of the biggest differences I have seen between millionaires and the middle class is that millionaires focus on what they enjoy doing. They continually learn more about the subjects that inspire them. The reason millionaires study about every area of life is because they love life.
The middle class thinks millionaires love money too much. In my experience, that is simply not true. What is true, is that millionaires love what they can do for their families and others with their abundance. Millionaires who are greedy and afraid of loosing their money are not truly successful. True success involves peace and contentment. Study success and learn how to make money, but also learn how to be content with where you are while in pursuit of what you want.”

For me personally reading this chapter this week and forwarding the information to you could not have come at a better time. With all that is going on in the economy these days, and being a father to a young family, it seems as if there is less and less time in the day. I have been reading less and less, and listening to less audio CD’s and over all doing less in the way of personal growth. This chapter has inspired me to get back into the habit of keeping a personal growth or motivational CD in my car stereo, and to get back to reading more. Zig Zigler calls his car an “Automobile University”. This really is one of the best places to grow and learn. How much time do you spend in your car every week? What do you think would benefit you more? Listening to music, or personal growth books and seminars on CD?
Below is a list of books and Audio programs I highly recommend that you start your continuing education with.

Books or Audio Books
“The Richest Man In Babylon” by George Clason
“Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill
“The Millionaire Mind” & “The Millionaire Next Door” Both by Thomas Stanley
“As A Man Thinketh” by James Allen
“The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale
“Smart Talk” by Lou Tice
“Built to Last” & “Good to Great” by Jim Collins
“It’s Only a Mountain” by Dick Hoyt

Audio recordings and seminars
“How to Stay Motivated” by Zig Zigler
“Courtship After Marriage” By Zig Zigler
“Raising Positive Kids in a Negative Word” by Zig Zigler
Basically anything by Zig Zigler
“The Power of Ambition” by Jim Rhon
“The Art of Exceptional Living” by Jim Rohn
Basically anything by Jim Rohn

Personal Growth, Business, and Real Estate Coaching Companies
Brian Buffini and Company - http://www.brianbuffini.com/

Here are some quick video clips to give you a little motivation
Zig Zigler – Setting Goals 1 of 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae-VJ_lauCw
Zig Zigler – Setting Goals 2 of 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiQV0oTyd98&feature=related
Zig Zigler – Setting Goals 3 of 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su2UuP3aqZg&feature=related

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
Branch Manager
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company
Office - 386-756-8228 Cell - 386-846-6686 Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - http://www.mynationwidelender.com/
Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Here is a list of Mortgage Loans we are experts in closing.

Fixed Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Conventional Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
VA Mortgage loans
FHA Mortgage loans
FHA 203k Rehab Mortgages
USDA & Rural Development Mortgage Loans
First Time Homebuyer Mortgages
Mortgages up to 100% of the purchase price
Reverse Mortgages, for seniors 62 and older

We offer great rates, excellent service, and we really do succeed in catering to you, the borrower.
Our Main area’s of service include the Greater Daytona Beach Area, Daytona Beach, Port Orange, Ormond Beach, Volusia County, Palm Coast, Flagler County, Florida, Alabama (AL), Alaska (AK), Arizona (AZ), Arkansas (AR), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Connecticut (CT), Delaware (DE), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Hawaii (HI), Idaho (ID), Illinois (IL), Indiana (IN), Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), Kentucky (KY), Louisiana (LA), Maine (ME), Maryland (MD), Massachusetts (MA), Michigan(MI), Minnesota (MN), Mississippi (MS), Missouri (MO), Montana (MT), Nebraska (NE), Nevada (NV), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), New Mexico (NM), New York (NY), North Carolina (NC), North Dakota (ND), Ohio (OH), Oklahoma (OK), Oregon (OR), Pennsylvania (PA), Rhode Island (RI), South Carolina (SC), South Dakota (SD), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Utah (UT), Vermont (VT), Virginia (VA) , Washington (WA), West Virginia (WV), Wisconsin (WI), Wyoming (WY)

Part 4 - Millionaires vs the Middle Class

2009-05-01T11:54:00.007-04:00

Distinction Seven – Millionaires take calculated risks. The Middle class is afraid to take risks.

The middle class is trapped in the rat race because it doesn’t take risks. The only way out of the rat race is to take risks… Taking risk doesn’t mean taking a shot in the dark. Millionaires take CALCULATED risks… Millionaires overcome fear,” associated with risk, “and the middle class submits to it.” Millionaires tend to ask three questions when analyzing an opportunity with associated risk. “1. What’s the best thing that could happen? 2. What’s the worst thing that could happen? 3. What’s the most likely thing to happen? If you can live with the worst thing that could happen and if the most likely thing to happen will get you closer to your goals, then go for it!” The problem with a lot of people, when they take a risk, is that they base their decision on a best case scenario and don’t consider the worst case, or the most likely case, and frequently the most likely thing to happen is something that they can not live with, or will put them in a worse off position financially.
Unfortunately, I think a lot of people, my self included, got caught up in the real estate frenzy with purchasing investment property. Most of these people, again, my self included, only looked at the best case scenario. That property values would continue to go up, the rental market would stay strong, and we would be able to cash flow the property for a period of time and make a good profit, or flip the property and make a good profit. Well, we all know how that story ends, and a big part of this problem falls back to a lot of people not considering the worst case scenario, or in some cases even the most likely scenario and a lot of money has been lost as a result. Real estate is not the obviously not the only risk that people take and not fully consider the down side. Some other popular failed risks include Multi Level Marketing companies, dot com investments, the latest and greatest new stock option, and other get rich quick schemes. The thing about taking a smart, calculated risk is that it rarely gets to rich quick. It usually takes years and sometimes decades to make you rich. If you have taken a loss on an investment, I think it was Zig Zigler who tell us to chalk those losses up as “Tuition in Life’s University”, learn from those mistakes and move forward.
This last statement is a great intro into the next part of this chapter which discusses the three main fears you must overcome in order to be successful.
1. “The Fear of Failure. It is not a matter of if you will fail, it is a matter of when. Millionaires understand that failure is part of the path to success. They do not fear failure, they embrace it when it comes and become wiser. The reason the middle class fears failure is because it thinks failure is bad. Millionaires think failure… gives them the opportunity to learn and grow… Failure is one of life’s many teachers.”
2. “The Fear of Rejection. The middle class puts too much importance on the acceptance of others. We all want others to accept us. We also want to be successful. Here’s a key to success: you must want to succeed more than you want the acceptance of other people. Millionaires desire success more than they desire acceptance. In order to be successful you will have to take risks and, if you fail, some people may reject you. The funny thing is, if you succeed some people will still reject you… If you are addicted to the approval of people, this will keep you from taking risks.”
3. “The Fear of Loss. Millionaires play to win. The middle class plays not to lose. HUGE DIFFERENCE! Can you imagine if a football team played defense the entire game? Their chances of winning would be zero. If you fear loss, you will only play defense when it comes to your money and your chance of financial freedom will be zero. People who play not to lose are always saying they should have done this or that. The biggest gap in the world is between I should and I did. Millionaires can say, ‘I Did’. The middle class is always saying, ‘I should’. When you take risks, you may lose some money; accept it and go on. Just as failure is part of success, losing is part of winning.”
I am going to finish up this weeks e-mail with a quote from Zig Zigler dedicated to those of us who have taken a risk and failed. “You are doing better than good when you clearly understand that failure is an event, not a person; that yesterday ended last night, and today is your brand new day. You are doing better than good when you have made friends with your past, are focused on the present, and optimistic about your future. You are doing better than good when you know that success (a win) doesn't make you, and failure (a loss) doesn't break you.”

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
Branch Manager
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company
Office - 386-756-8228 Cell - 386-846-6686 Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - http://www.mynationwidelender.com/

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Here is a list of Mortgage Loans we are experts in closing.

Fixed Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Conventional Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
VA Mortgage loans
FHA Mortgage loans
FHA 203k Rehab Mortgages
USDA & Rural Development Mortgage Loans
First Time Homebuyer Mortgages
Mortgages up to 100% of the purchase price
Reverse Mortgages, for seniors 62 and older

We offer great rates, excellent service, and we really do succeed in catering to you, the borrower.

Part 3 - Millionaires vs the Middle Class

2009-04-14T09:17:00.007-04:00

Below is part 3 in my series of blogs about “The Top Ten Distinctions Between Millionaires and the Middle Class” based on the books by Keith Smith. To quickly recap, in part one we found that Millionaires think on a long term basis, and the middle class tends to think on a short term basis. In part two we found that Millionaires think and talk about ideas, and the middle class thinks and talks about things and people.
This weeks blog hits so close to home in where we all are right now. The information below is so pertinent to everyone in today’s market and economy. I strongly encourage you to fully read the information below and pass it on to all of your friends and associates because everyone can truly benefit from it.
Also, please remember that I am available for you and your clients, and anyone you know who may need to buy, or refinance a home from a nationwide lender. In addition to purchases and refinances, we are also able to offer rehab loans for those home that need a little bit of work. We do all types of mortgages in all 50 states.

Distinction 8 – Millionaires embrace change. The middle class is threatened by change.

“Change can be positive or negative. The problem is, we don’t know which it will be when change first presents itself. People don’t mind positive change… The problem with the middle class is it assumes change will be negative most of the time. Millionaires assume that all change, positive or negative, will benefit them. Nido Quibein says, ‘For the timid in our society, change is frightening. For the comfortable change is threatening. But for the truly confident among us, change is opportunity.’ How well do you handle change, especially unexpected change?.. People who are insecure, resist change. People who are confident, welcome it… Confidence is the result of working on yourself. It is the benefit of proving yourself, to yourself… Confidence is believing you can do whatever you choose to. Millionaires choose to be rich. The middle class wishes it were rich… A choice is backed by a belief you can do it. A wish is backed by a doubt that you can.”
Lets take a closer look at this, because so much of it can be applied directly to your own place of work. Who are the people at the top of your organization? How do you think they got there? They are not afraid of change. When they were working their way up the corporate ladder, and their boss came to them and said, “We have to make some changes to the way we do things”. They embraced those changes as a new way to do things and a new way to prove that they can handle anything that comes their way. What did most of their co-workers do? They complained and resisted and instead of embracing the change and doing what they were asked, they made things difficult for their bosses because they did not want to change the way they were used to doing things. Now those co-workers are still in the same so called “dead end job” or got fired.
Now let’s examine the real estate and mortgage industry. Our industry is in a tail spin right now with unprecedented numbers of foreclosures and short sales. If you poll the industry as a whole you will probably find a common theme. “The market is terrible, buyers wont buy, and sellers can’t sell, and if you do find a buyer who wants to buy they can not get a loan.” This is some of what I hear frequently. But, let’s take a look again, at the top producers in our industry. Are they the same people who were at the top three years ago at the height of the real estate boom? Some are, but not all, and there are also some new names, that were just moderate producers back then. Why do you think that some of the top producers from back then are barely getting by now, and some of the moderate producers are now top producers. I guarantee you it has a lot to do with how they handled the huge change that has taken place in the industry. The top produces that have fallen off, did not know how to change their business plan and adapt or look for new opportunities in this new market to make money. They believed that regardless of the industry change, they could continue to do the same thing that they have always done, and get the same results. On the other hand the moderate producer that is now a top producer saw the change in the market as an opportunity to change their business and do better now than they did before. They realized that if I want to stay alive and pay my bills I need to find new ways to get referrals and leads, I need to adjust some of the old ways and make up new ones. Incidentally, in taking a look at the volume of these new top producers, if you compare the total volume that they were closing back in 2004 to now, it is really about the same as what they were producing back then as moderate producers. They have found a way to adapt and sustain their business while everyone else around them has been falling.
That is the true mark of someone who knows how to take on change. Sometimes it is not how much you increase business or profits as a result of embracing change, but just simply being able to hang on and stay at the same level of production while everyone else is plummeting.
In closing to this e-mail I have a little bit more from the book. “Someone once said, ‘In times of change, the learners will inherit the earth. While the learned will find themselves well equipped to deal with a world that no longer exits’… Sometimes we don’t know what we can do until we have to. Ask someone to think back to a difficult time of his life, when life threw him a curveball. He will probably say, ‘It was the best thing that ever happened to me.’ Almost everyone has an experience like that. Let’s learn a lesson from ourselves and realize change is always meant for our good.”
So my question to you is have you inherited this world as it is, or have you embraced the change and are now well equipped to deal with a real estate world, or economy that no longer exists as we once knew it.

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
Branch Manager
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company
Office - 386-756-8228
Cell - 386-846-6686
Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - http://www.mynatiowidelender.com/

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Here is a list of Mortgage Loans we are experts in closing.

Fixed Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
Conventional Mortgage Loans for new purchase and refinance
VA Mortgage loans
FHA Mortgage loans
FHA 203k Rehab Mortgages
USDA & Rural Development Mortgage Loans
First Time Homebuyer Mortgages
Mortgages up to 100% of the purchase price
Reverse Mortgages, for seniors 62 and older

Part 2: Millionaires vs. The Middle Class

2008-12-30T16:39:00.008-05:00

Below is part 2 in my Blog Series on the “The Top Ten Distinctions Between Millionaires and the Middle Class” by Keith Smith.

PART 2 - Millionaires talk about ideas. The Middle Class talks about things and other people.

“What do you spend your time talking about? Your words are like a ship’s rudder. They determine which direction you are going in life. Millionaires spend most of their time talking about ideas and very little time talking about things or other people. The middle class rarely talks about ideas and spends the majority of its time talking about things and other people. I once saw a plaque in a businessman’s office that said ‘Big people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, and small people talk about other people.’ What do you spend your time talking about? Ideas, things, or people? I am sure you have heard the old saying ‘There are three types of people, those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder, what the heck just happened?’”
I talk to a lot of people every week, and as I read this chapter the more and more it struck me as being dead on right. When I go into a real estate office and talk with realtors, or I go to a business networking event and talk with other business professionals, there really are two basic types of conversations I end up having depending on the person I am talking with. When I am talking with one of the top producers in our industry, or another business owner who is doing really well, we end up talking about different marketing ideas we have been trying, and thinking about putting together to get more business, or something similar focused on ways to make more money. When I am speaking with someone who is a moderate or low producer, or a business owner who is struggling, we tend to talk about sports, or cars, or how bad the economy and the market are, or something happening in the news or on TV.
“Millionaires talk about ideas and make things happen. The Middle class talks about things and watches things happen. The poor talk about people and ask, what just happened? Middle-class people talk about things that came from a millionaire’s idea. They talk about cars, sports, entertainment, music, vacations, etc. Millionaires own the car companies. Millionaires own the sports teams. Millionaires produce the movies and television shows… The middle class spends its money on things created by a millionaire’s idea. Let’s look closer at entertainment. The middle class and the very poor are often Hollywood’s biggest fans. They live for the gossip. They can’t wait to see who did what. They are glued to their television sets… Sure, millionaires enjoy entertainment; but they don’t spend much time talking about it. One of the reasons the middle class and the very poor love entertainment so much is because they are easily impressed with fame and fortune. Millionaires choose fortune over fame. They are not easily impressed with the superficial lifestyles of so-called stars.”
The perfect example of this is all of the TV shows on the air today that are all about celebrities, how they live, what houses they live in, and what cars they drive. Shows like MTV’s cribs, or TMZ, or various versions of life styles of the rich and famous. Too many people today are obsessed with what other people have. They spend their time talking about these things and people vs. spending their time thinking about and talking about ideas, or ways to make money so they might be able to afford to live in a similar manner. A big part of the credit crisis today is being fueled by middle class and poor people trying to be like these so-called stars they idolize. They are spending money that do not have, on things that they do not need and can not pay for, to impress people that they do not know.
“Why do millionaires spend their time talking about ideas? The answer is because they understand that it takes ideas to make money. The middle class thinks that you have to have money to make money. Millionaires know better. They understand that the right ideas will attract the money they need. Ideas are the most valuable asset in the world. People who come up with great ideas end up with great wealth.”
Here are two steps to help gain greater success. First, change your thinking and talk. Be more positive. “Use words like possible instead of impossible, can instead of can’t, and I will instead of I should.” Second, “Stop complaining and start learning… Millionaires are not whiners… The words you use reveal your heart and mind… There is always a lesson to be learned when something does not go your way or when things appear difficult.”

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
Branch Manager
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company
Office - 386-756-8228 Cell - 386-846-6686 Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - http://www.mynationwidelender.com/

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, or anyone who is struggling with or currently behind on their mortgage payment, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.

Serving; Daytona Beach Florida, Volusia County, Florida, All 50 states, Nationwide Mortgage Lender.

Part 1 Millionaires vs the Middle Class

2008-12-16T19:44:00.000-05:00

Below is the beginning in a series of Blogs based on a book I have been reading, “The Top Ten Distinctions between Millionaires and the Middle Class” By Keith Cameron Smith. I highly suggest picking up a copy of this book; it is inexpensive, very short and to the point, only 95 pages, but some great information.
I have decided to pass along these distinctions in Blog form to you, because as I have stated before, I want to do every thing I can to help as many people as I can get through these trying economic times as possible.

Distinction number 10. Millionaires think long-term, and the Middle Class thinks short term.
“Society can be broken down into five groups of people: the very poor, poor, middle class, rich, and very rich. Each group of people thinks differently about money. Very poor people think day-to-day. Poor people think week-to-week. Middle-class people think month-to-month. Rich people think year-to-year, and very rich people think decade-to-decade.” If you think about this statement, you would have to agree that it holds some weight. Do you agree that most of the people in real estate, mortgages, car sales, and other similar types of small businesses and sales professions fall into the middle class in terms of financial wealth? Why do you think this is? Could it be partly because since the first day we entered the business we have been trained to think of everything on a month to month basis? Whenever I go around and speak with people the question usually comes up, “So, how is your month going?”, or “How many deals did you do last month?”. Nobody has ever asked me how my decade is going, or how many deals I closed last decade, or project to close this decade. Those questions seem kind of crazy, and we may not talk in those terms, but why not plan in those terms.
“Thinking decade-to-decade, as the very rich do, is there you find business plans that reach far into the future… It is where people learn how to pass their assets onto future generations without the government taking part of what they spent their lives building. Very rich people typically make well over $500,000 a year. Most very rich people consistently make a minimum of $1,000,000 a year.”
Do you have a business plan? Do you have goals that are WRITTEN DOWN on paper? If not, why? There is an old saying, “those who aim for nothing, tend to hit it with amazing accuracy”. If you do not have a business plan and goals, what are you aiming for? Right now, with the way the economic state our country and local markets are in, it is imperative that you have a business plan and goals. You might say, why do I need a business plan, I don’t own a business, or I am not self employed. One thing everyone must realize, and all rich and future rich people already do, is that no matter who signs your paycheck, you are self employed, and you determine how much you get paid.
Think about it for a second. If you go to work and do less than what is expected of you, you will probably get fired, and therefore you have reduced your own income. If you go to work and do only what is expected of you, you will make what ever the minimum is your position makes. But if you go to work and do more than what is expect and give everything you have to give to your job, you will get raises, and promotions and bonuses; therefore, you have increased your income. People who are CEO’s and presidents of organizations did not get there by accident. If you want to advance your career, you need to first figure out where you want to be, or how much you want to make, or what position you want to have, and put a plan together on how to get there.
Start with your big goal, then figure out what you need to do to get there ten years from now, then figure out what you will need to have accomplished 5 years from now, then one year, then one month, and lastly figure out what you need to do everyday in order to achieve your goal ten years from now. These day to day activities could be a little as making 5 calls to your database of lead sources, or doing at least one sales call, or sending an e-mail to 10 current or past clients. The problem is that these daily tasks will seem easy, and almost insignificant, which is dangerous, because after a while you will start thinking that they are not paying off, or you are not seeing any results, and that it will not hurt to miss a day, or a week, or a month, and the next thing you know you are not doing this activities at all and you have just blown your 10 year plan. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the activities you are doing today are not designed to get you results today, they are designed to build over time and give you tremendous results over a period of time. Make a poster or something you can place in a location you will see everyday to remind you to win today, in order to win the year, in order to win the decade and achieve the goal.
Lastly, “When you have long-term goals you will find it easier to develop perseverance. All millionaires have had to preserver through challenges in their lives. In order to see your dreams fulfilled you have to become a ‘whatever it takes’ kind of person. Middle-class people give up when the pressure is on. Since they value comfort, they don’t preserver when the going gets tough. Millionaires go the second mile, and the third, and the fourth. They do whatever it takes to experience abundance. Since they think long-term, they keep on keeping on until they achieve abundance and freedom.”

Here are two very short clips, on the basic steps of becoming wealthy, and how to plan your day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXS4XavZCa4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX0eZxANWmI&feature=related

It's a Good Life!!!
Greg Novak MBA
Branch Manager
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company
Office - 386-756-8228 Cell - 386-846-6686 Fax - 386-756-8108
Web site - www.MyNationwideLender.com

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is thinking about buying or refinancing a home, or anyone who is struggling with or currently behind on their mortgage payment, please give me a call with their name and number, I will be happy to follow up with them for you.