Michael Wagner Vero Beach Florida Marketing Strategist

Benefits of Hot Yoga Michael Wagner Vero Beach Florida

Michael Wagner Chief Marketing Strategist Vero Beach Florida 772-532-6397 

http://www.igotyourback.com

Palm City YOGA 

As a certified yoga instructor and self-proclaimed “hot yogi,” I can assure you that there are many benefits to practicing Bikram and hot yoga. But of course, those benefits don’t come without a few precautions as well. Read on for the 411 on how to practice safe hot yoga.

The difference between hot yoga and Bikram yoga

Bikram yoga, which is the practice of 26 postures selected and developed by Bikram Choudhury and derived from hatha yoga, takes place in studios with temperatures set around 105 degrees F with 40 percent humidity. Hot yoga, like Bikram, is also practiced in a heated room, usually maintained at a temperature of around 95 to 100 degrees F.

Unlike Bikram however, hot yoga isn’t based on of the same 26-posture series. Instead, it tends to be more of a flowing vinyasa style practice, similar to a dance, linking one pose to the next. In both Bikram and hot yoga, the heated rooms help promote sweating and warm up the body to increase flexibility with less risk for injury.

"One of the benefits to many hot yoga classes is the routine is repetitive. When you are doing the same poses repeatedly, you can begin to see where you are today in relation to yesterday," said Mandy Ingber, fitness expert and author of Yogalosophy: 28 Days to the Ultimate Mind-Body Makeover.

The benefits of a really hot room

Practicing yoga in a heated room increases your pulse rate and metabolism, allowing your blood vessels to become more flexible and making your bod burn some major calories! This in turn makes circulation easier and increases blood flow to the limbs.

"Hot yoga is amazing for weight loss, as you sweat like a fiend. Like other yogas, it will build muscle tone [but will also] improve the lymphatic system and flush out toxins. It's amazing for developing equanimity in the face of adversity and obstacles," says Ingber.

Hot yoga goes above and beyond when it comes to relieving stress and building inner confidence. This practice is the true definition of “mind over matter.” The endorphin rush you receive after completing 60- to 90-minute sweat session will leave you feeling like there’s nothing you can’t accomplish.

While I’m a huge fan of hot yoga, there are definitely some precautions you should take in order to stay safe. Read the tips below before turning up the heat in your practice!

1

Stay hydrated

Ingber recommends drinking 2 to 3 liters throughout the day. You will undoubtedly sweat more during these types of classes than in most other forms of exercise, so it’s very easy to become dehydrated. It is extremely important that you drink plenty of water before, during and after your practice.

"Everyone is encouraged to drink at least eight glasses of fluids per day in general," says yoga expert and director of SpaHalekulani, Kamala Nayeli. "When you exercise, this amount should increase by two to three cups. If you raise your core temperature or partake in a hot yoga class, I would [also] recommend including a small dose of salt prior to the class. Or have a natural 'sports drink' that will replenish the sodium you lose when sweating."

2

The rules for eating before hot yoga

It is important to avoid eating too much or too little before participating in a hot yoga class, which can be a tricky task to master. Nayeli suggests avoiding heavy foods, but encourages light snacks before yoga classes to properly fuel your body.

"Fruit, particularly those that have a high water content such as watermelon, or sodium content like bananas [are great to eat before class]," she says. "Dried fruit is good, too (figs, raisins, apricots, etc.). Seeds and nuts are also great. However, I would limit the dairy intake before class."

Ingber agrees and recommends snacks like half a banana, melon or almonds.

3

Listen to your body

It is important not to overexert during hot yoga classes. The warm temperatures and practice of poses can make your body feel looser and more flexible than normal, which can make it easier to pull a muscle. Be mindful of your body and try not to overstretch or push yourself too far when first starting out.

Gradually let yourself experiment with poses as your body adjusts and becomes more accustomed to the atmosphere and workout. If you feel any symptoms of heat exhaustion, such as dizziness, nausea, headache, confusion, poor vision or weakness, stop your practice and immediately leave the room.

"Personally, I do not recommend hot yoga for beginners," says Nayeli. "Rather, it's something to build yourself up to. Every body is different and not always suitable for such an intense workout in such intense heat. I have seen some harsh and concerning reactions in class with people not realizing what to expect, and then they feel they need to 'keep up' with the rest of the class even though their body is saying 'take a break.' "

Ingber says one of her main concerns for hot yogis is the strict guidelines a studio may have about staying in the room. "It's really important to listen to your body more than the teacher."

4

Check with your doctor

If you have any injuries or health concerns, such as diabetes, cardiovascular or respiratory disease, or a history of heat-related illness, make sure to get your doctor’s OK before practicing hot yoga.

Today's Mortgage Rates from Citibank with No points

Type	30 Year Fixed	30 Year Fixed	15 Year Fixed
Interest Rate	4.500%	4.250%	3.500%
APR	4.601% More Details	4.447% More Details	3.709% More Details
Points	0.000	1.125	0.250

Rates current as of 07/01/2013-07:21 PM ET

Michael Wagner Chief Marketing Strategist Vero Beach and Palm Beach Gardens Fl. Don't overpay your mortgage banker. Watch for tricks and tips over the coming days and weeks.

Does your local Mortgage Banker low ball you on rate only to switch it at the end?

Mortgage Scams and Tricks

Deceptive practices used by mortgage loan providers and other participants in the mortgage process.

Scams by Loan Providers: Lenders and mortgage brokers may employ a number of tricks to increase their income from originating a loan, at the borrower's expense.

Make Low-Ball Offers: To draw customers, some loan providers will advertise low-ball prices that they have no intention of honoring. Once they get you in the door, they will play bait and switch, or let 'em dangle.

“Bait and switch” is the game played by some appliance merchants and others who advertise a low-ball price but when you arrive at the store they happen to be out of the advertised special and try to interest you in something else. “Let 'em dangle” means keeping you on the hook in the hope that market rates might drop enough to make the advertised special profitable.

Mortgage shoppers should place little credence in media or oral price quotes, especially when the price is below that of all other loan providers.

Overstate the Market Price: The loan provider making a low-ball offer can attempt to validate it in another way. He can overstate the market price when it comes time to lock the terms. This practice, however, can be deployed regardless of whether the original price was understated. I sometimes refer to it as “float abuse.”

Assume that after shopping prices at several lenders, Jane Doe selects lender X and submits an application. The prices quoted by X, upon which Jane based her decision, “float” with the market until they are locked by the lender.

Floating is mandatory between the initial price quote, which may be the basis for selection of the loan provider, and the time when the lender is willing to lock. This period can range from a day to several weeks or longer, depending on the lender's requirements to lock and on how long it takes the applicant to comply. Some applicants extend the float period in the hope that interest rates will decline.

At the end of the float period, the lender should lock at the price that he would quote to the applicant's identical twin if the twin walked through the door on the lock date as a new customer shopping the exact same deal. In practice, the quote may be higher because the applicant is at least partially committed while the twin is only shopping. This is probably the most pervasive scam in the market.

One way to avoid it is to deal with a lender whose locking requirements can be met within the day, or overnight at worst. Asecond way is to deal with a lender whose Internet site posts the applicant's price every day. Less effective but better than nothing is to ask the loan provider to acknowledge the twin-sibling principle in writing, and monitor general movements in the market using the rates posted on .

Pocket the Borrower's Rebate: Some unwary borrowers are steered into high-rate loans on which they should receive a rebate from the lender but don't. For example, the loan officer's price sheet shows 6% at zero points, 5.75% at two points, and 6.25% at a two-point rebate. If the borrower is willing to pay 6.25% without argument, the rebate is retained by the loan provider. See Overages.

This abuse can be avoided by asking first about “the lowest rate possible” and how many points it would require. If you want a rebate deal, you can work yourself down to high rate/rebate combinations. Ask to see the schedule of rates and points from which the quote given to you has been extracted. Press to see them on the fax price sheet or computer screen. If the loan officer insists on transcribing them to a separate piece of paper, ask point-blank if she is adding an overage.

Exploit Shifts in Borrower Niche Preferences: Borrowers sometimes change their minds about some feature of the transaction that has pricing implications. If the borrower is in too deep to back out, the loan provider may pad the new price.

For example, the borrower decides to shift from a 30-year to a 15-year FRM. On a day when a shopper soliciting rates quotes would find the quote on a 15-year to be 3/8% below that on a 30, a committed applicant might receive only a 1/4% reduction. Other preference shifts where the same thing can happen include changing the combination of interest rate and points, changing between FRM and ARM, and electing to escrow or not escrow.

Offer No-Cost Loans That Aren't: Some loan providers tout deals as “no-cost” when the settlement costs are added to the loan balance. These deals should be referred to as “no-cash.” This is a scam if the borrower doesn't understand that he or she is borrowing more to pay the settlement costs. See No-Cost Mortgage.

Surreptitiously Change the Contract: Borrowers who accept whatever they are told may find that the note includes a provision favorable to the lender, about which the borrower has no knowledge. A favorite is a prepayment penalty, which increases the value of a loan by 1% or more. A loan provider who includes it in the contract without your knowledge can put the point in his pocket—rather than in yours, where it belongs. See Prepayment Penalty/Surreptitious Penalties.

Strictly Lender Scams:

Sell Biweeklies Under False Pretenses: The biweekly mortgage meets the needs of some borrowers, either to help them budget or as a forced-saving device to pay off the loan early. (See Biweekly Mortgage.) Some lenders, however, promote the simple-interest biweekly as a way of substantially accelerating the rate of payoff, compared with a standard biweekly. They offer to refinance borrowers into their simple-interest biweekly at rates 2% to 3% above those the borrower is paying.

On a standard biweekly, an extra monthly payment is credited to the borrower's account after 12 months. On a simple-interest biweekly, a half-payment is credited to the borrower's account every two weeks. This does result in an earlier payoff and reduced total interest outlays. The advantage over a standard biweekly, however, is very small.

For example, on a 6% 30-year loan with biweekly payments, a borrower would be justified in paying only 6.063% for the simple interest equivalent. This is the rate that would equalize the payoff date and total interest outlays. It is a far cry from the 8% or 9% that would be charged. Readers can make the same comparisons using the biweekly spreadsheets on my Web site. See Biweekly Mortgage/Simple Interest Biweeklies.

Deliberately Allow Locks to Expire in a Rising Market: When interest rates spiked in July-August 2003, my mailbox was flooded with complaints from borrowers who lost their locks. Their lenders could not get the loans processed in time. In as many as half of these cases, the borrower was at least partially at fault for not selecting a long enough lock period or for not providing needed documents on a timely basis. But in many other cases, it seems clear that the lender deliberately slowed the process so the lock would expire. I draw this inference from the flimsy excuses they provided the borrowers, who relayed them to me.

Deceive Borrowers Regarding ARMs: Because ARMs are complicated, the loan officers selling them tend to focus on one or two major features. In doing this, they sometimes cross the line between acceptable “puffery” and unacceptable deception. Expecting lenders to police the sales practices of loan officers is probably unrealistic. Some lenders, however, provide their loan officers with tools that aid and abet deceptive practices.

For example, mortgage applicants have sent me exhibits prepared for them showing schedules of interest rates, monthly payments, and balances on obviously favorable assumptions regarding future interest rates. But the assumptions are not indicated. In one case, the footnote to the table says, “Actual results may vary... . Consult your regulation Z.”

At a minimum, ARM borrowers should have amortization schedules based on the assumption that a) the index rate does not change and b) the ARM rate increases by the maximum amount permitted by the note. These are “no-change” and “worst-case” scenarios. Borrowers can develop these schedules (and many others) themselves using calculator 7b or 7c on my Web site.

Pad the GFE: The Good Faith Estimate of settlement or GFE shows the borrower all the settlement costs connected to the loan. Unfortunately, lenders are not bound to the numbers shown there, and there are no penalties for discovering new charges or increasing existing ones at the 11th hour—which is exactly what some lenders do. At the time of writing, HUD was developing regulations that would eliminate this scam.

Servicing Scams: My mailbox is stuffed with letters from borrowers complaining about their servicing. It is difficult, however, to distinguish poor service from scams. The basic problem is that servicing provides lenders with many opportunities to profit from their own mistakes.

For example, sometimes lenders don't pay taxes on time, but is it deliberate? Some lenders purchase hazard insurance on the borrower's house and add the premium to the loan balance, even though the borrower already has insurance. Were they really unaware that the borrower was already insured? Occasionally a lender won't credit borrowers for extra payments, for one reason or another.

If you believe you have been mistreated, you can't fire your servicer, but you can file a written complaint with the lender, addressed to Customer Service. Do not include it with your mortgage payment, which you should continue to make separately. State the following:

Your loan number. Names on loan documents. Property and/or mailing address. This is a “qualified written request” under Section 6 of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA). I am writing because: [Describe the problem and the action you believe the lender should take.] [Describe any previous attempts to resolve the issue, including conversations with customer service.] [If it is relevant to the dispute, request a copy of your payment history.] [List a daytime telephone number.] I understand that under Section 6 of RESPA you are required to acknowledge my request within 20 business days and must try to resolve the issue within 60 business days.

If this doesn't do the trick, you can file a complaint with HUD. You can also sue. According to HUD, “A borrower may bring a private lawsuit, or a group of borrowers may bring a class action suit, within three years, against a servicer who fails to comply with Section 6's provisions.”

You can also file a complaint with the government agency that regulates the servicing agent. Here are Web sites you can use to contact these agencies:

• For national banks, . • For federally chartered savings and loan associations,  . • For state-chartered banks and savings and loans, . • For mortgage banking firms, .

If you don't know the proper agency, you can send the complaint to the Consumer Protection Division of the state attorney general. It will forward it to the relevant state or federal agency.

All borrowers should periodically check their transaction history to make certain that a) payments are always applied to the balance at the end of the preceding month, b) tax and insurance payments from escrow are correct and there have been no double payments, c) rate adjustments on ARMs are in accordance with the method stipulated in the note, and d) there isn't anything in the history that looks “funny.”

Any borrower who does not receive a complete transaction statement at least annually should periodically submit a “qualified written request” for one, using the form described above.

Strictly Broker Scams: Some scams are initiated only by mortgage brokers. The first one described below is directed against the borrower, the second against the lender.

Charging for a Lock Without Locking with the Lender: Locking the mortgage rate assures borrowers that the interest rate and points they have agreed to pay will be honored at closing, even if market rates rise in the meantime. Some mortgage brokers tell their clients that the interest rate has been locked with the lender when that is not the case. They substitute their lock for the lenders without informing the borrower.

Brokers do this to increase their markup. For example, a lender might quote 6% plus 0.5 points for a 10-day lock, and 6% plus one point for the 60-day lock an applicant requires. The lying broker tells the applicant she is locked for 60 days at 6% plus one point. If the market doesn't change, the broker locks 10 days from closing at .5 point, and pockets the other .5%.

Brokers rationalize this lie by saying that they are assuming the lock risk themselves and will deliver the “locked” rate and points to the borrower even if they have to take a loss. In a stable or declining rate market, they can get away with this, perhaps for years at a time.

But sooner or later interest rates will suddenly spike and brokers locking at their own risk will not be able to deliver. For example, in the two-month period January-March 1980, mortgage rates jumped from 12.88% to 15.28%. A broker who locked for 60 days at 12.88% would have to pay a lender about 15 points to accept a loan with that rate in a 15.28% market. The broker would either go out of business or deny that a lock was given. (Broker locks are oral commitments.) The borrower would be left high and dry in either case.

Indeed, many non-locking brokers deserted their customers following the much smaller rate increase that occurred in July-August 2003. Unlike lenders who can always come up with an excuse, a non-locking broker who is challenged by a borrower cannot produce a lock commitment from a lender. About all the broker can do is apologize or run.

Broker locks are a deceitful practice because the borrower is led to believe that the lender is providing the lock. To protect themselves, borrowers locking through a broker should insist on receiving the rate lock commitment letter from the lender identifying them as the applicant. They must demand this at the time of the lock, not after the lock fails.

Successive Refinancings Using Rebate Loans: This scam is directed toward wholesale lenders and requires the cooperation of venal borrowers who participate in it. The larger the loan, the more profitable the scam.

Lenders pay rebates on high-rate loans. For example, a lender who offers a 30-year FRM at 7.875% and zero points might pay a
rebate of four points for a 9.5% loan. Lenders know that 9.5% loans have relatively short lives because borrowers refinance them as soon as they can. Nonetheless, the lender will recover the four points through the above-market rate in 30 months, and most such loans last longer than that. Or rather, they last longer unless there is a scam to pay off in three months.

On a loan of $350,000, the lender pays a rebate of 4% of $350,000, or $14,000. Over three months, the lender collects only about $1,400 in excess interest. The broker pays the borrower's closing costs of about $4,000 and $1,400 to cover the higher interest payment on the 9.5% loan for three months. The balance of $8,600 is split between them, with the broker keeping most of it. After three months, they do it again, but with a different lender in order to avoid disclosure.

I classify this as a broker scam because the broker initiates and executes it, but the broker requires a corrupt borrower as an accomplice.

Scams by Borrowers: Borrower scams are directed mainly against mortgage brokers. Because borrowers are in the market only intermittently, however, they have less incentive and fewer opportunities than loan providers to develop and refine scams. Not surprisingly, those they come up with often don't work, or even backfire on them.

“End-Run” Around the Broker: Some borrowers believe they can beat the system by using a broker to find the right lender, then going directly to that lender. They think they can cut out the markup in this way. This is a sleazy practice because the broker won't be compensated for his or her time and for the use of his or her knowledge and expertise on the borrower's behalf. It is why
even the most scrupulous brokers keep the identity of the lender concealed until an application has been submitted.

Nor does it work the way the borrower expects it to. Lenders who lend both directly to borrowers and indirectly through brokers have separate retail and wholesale departments. The borrower who dumps the broker to go directly to the lender will be directed to the retail department and be offered retail prices, which are higher. They could be higher than the price the borrower would have paid going through the broker.

Net-Jumping: Net-jumping involves using a broker's time and expertise to become informed and creditworthy, then jumping to the Internet to get the loan. Here's a broker's story.

When Jones came to me six months ago, his credit score wouldn't have qualified him to purchase a doghouse. But I worked with him while he disputed his credit report with the bureaus, and negotiated with collection agencies. His credit
score went from “D” to “A.” While he was working with me, he learned his responsibilities as a future homeowner…. Then he
informed me that he was going to shop for a loan on the Internet.

Brokers could protect themselves against Net-jumping by charging a non-refundable fee. Few do this, however, for fear it would place them at a competitive disadvantage.

Multiple-Apping: Another borrower trick is to submit multiple applications through different brokers—two, three, or even more. All the brokers check credit, shop loan programs, and fill out the application, but only the one offering the best deal on the lock date will be compensated. The others waste their time.

Borrowers who submit multiple applications also waste their own time, but the practice is evidence of how difficult it is to shop traditional mortgage channels. Borrowers typically can't obtain a complete listing of loan fees and charges until they submit an application, which encourages “shopping by application.”

But multiple-apping can boomerang. If the application runs into a major roadblock, a resentful broker may have little motivation to go the extra mile that may be needed to remove it.

Lock-Jumping: Under a loan lock agreement, the lender and the borrower are committed to the interest rate and other specified terms. Some borrowers, however, act as though the agreement only binds the lender. If interest rates rise prior to closing, the lender is committed to the rate specified in the agreement. But if rates decline, the borrower feels free to go to another broker and relock at a lower rate.

Borrowers who want both the benefit of a rate decline and protection against a rate increase should purchase a “float-down.” It allows the rate to remain locked if market rates rise, but if market rates decline the borrower can relock at a lower rate. A float-down costs a little more than a straight lock.

Unfortunately, in many cases borrowers are never put on notice that the lock commits them as well as the lender. Many brokers fear that if they mention the “C” word, they will lose the client. This makes lock-jumping morally ambiguous.

Lock-jumping is much more common among refinancers, who are more flexible on when they close than purchasers who must close on a specified date. This means that lenders could largely eliminate lock-jumping if they offered only float-downs to refinancers.

The Double House Purchase: A buyer who wants to buy two houses but can qualify for a mortgage on only one, arranges to have them close on the same day. That way, the debt from one is not counted in the expense-to-income ratio of the other.

However, the application for whichever loan closed second would contain false information because it would not reveal the loan that closed first. This could be caught in a post-closing audit of either loan. It would also be caught if both loans ended up being serviced by the same entity. Since servicing is becoming increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few large players, the chances of that happening are not insignificant.

Scams by Home Sellers: Scams by home sellers are directed against lenders or borrowers.

Fictitious Down Payments: Down payment assistance programs are widespread and often involve gifts by home sellers offset by a price increase equal to the gift. The practice is legitimate, provided it is done openly and conforms to the guidelines of lenders and mortgage insurers. See Down Payment/Home Seller Contributions.

Down payment assistance becomes a scam when it is done without the knowledge or permission of the lender. For example, buyer and seller agree on a price of $289,000 but the buyer cannot meet the down payment requirement of $15,000. So they agree to raise the price to $304,000 and for the seller to lend the borrower the $15,000 needed for the down payment. After the closing, the loan is forgiven. This is a scam because the lender is tricked into believing that the borrower has made a down payment when that is not the case.

For this scam to work, the appraisal of the property must come in at $304,000. The appraiser either is hoodwinked by the fictitious sale price or is a party to the scam.

The buyer is a party to the scam as well. For the loan to close, the buyer is obliged to lie about the source of the funds used for the down payment.

Assuming the deception is not caught and the loan goes through, it might be caught in a post-closing audit, in which event the lender could elect to call the loan. All mortgage loans contain an “acceleration clause,” which allows the lender to demand immediate repayment if any information provided by the borrower turns out to be false.

Borrowers with good credit don't need to cheat in order to get 100% financing. It is available in the form of combination loans—80% first mortgage and 20% second mortgage. 100% first mortgages are also available. Find a mortgage broker familiar with these options.

Builder Concessions: Many builders have a financial interest in a lender to which they want to refer business. While the law prohibits builders from requiring buyers to use their preferred lenders, they can offer financial concessions contingent on using those lenders.

Since the builder will include the concession in the price of the house, buyers who agree to the price are going to find it difficult not to deal with the preferred lender. The lender can charge an above-market rate or points, but with the concession buyers are still better off than if they financed elsewhere.

Suppose, for example, the builder pads the sale price by $5,000, but offers a concession of $5,000 for using the preferred lender. If the lender prices the loan $3,000 above the market, the buyer using that lender is still ahead by $2,000.

The only way a buyer can avoid this trap is to refuse deals that tie concessions to use of a preferred lender. Offer the builder the asking price less the concession.

“Wrapping” a Mortgage: Home sellers sometimes have compelling reasons to avoid repaying their mortgage when they sell
their house. The interest rate might be well below the current market rate. Or they might have a willing buyer who is unable to qualify for a new mortgage.

To keep the old mortgage going, the seller may lend to the buyer him or herself while continuing to make the payments on the old
loan. For example, S, who has a $70,000 mortgage on his home, sells his home to B for $100,000. B pays $5,000 down and borrows $95,000 from S on a new mortgage. This mortgage “wraps around” the existing $70,000 mortgage because the lender-seller will make the payments on the old mortgage.

Wrap-arounds, like down payment gifts, are OK if the lender knows about them and agrees. They are a scam when used to cir-
cumvent restrictions on assuming old loans. The home seller who does this violates his or her contract with the lender and may or may not get away with it. In some states, escrow companies are required by law to inform a lender whose loan is being wrapped. If a wrap-around deal on a non-assumable loan does close and the lender discovers it afterwards, watch out! The lender will either call the loan or demand an immediate increase in interest rate and probably a healthy assumption fee.

Spotting a Common Mortgage Broker Tricks and What To Do About Them

By Darin Sewell

When you apply for a home loan with a mortgage broker you expect that broker to be professional, honest and work on your behalf to get you the best loan rate and terms. That's what happens in 99% of all mortgage broker transactions but what about that dishonest 1%. What are the common mortgage broker tricks they play and how can you protect yourself from them?

The Common Mortgage Broker Tricks

The Old Bait and Switch: This is the most common trick played on borrowers. Usually the mortgage broker will advertise and extremely low rate. Borrowers respond to this advertising and find out that the low rate offered is either on a short term ARM or that it will cost the borrower thousands of dollar in points and fees to buy the rate down to the low level.

Solution: Always ask the mortgage broker to provide yo with a Good Faith Estimate for the loan program being offered. The Good Faith Estimate will break down loan terms and fees so that you can make an informed decision. You should also avoid mortgage companies that use this tactic altogether.

Rate Switched at Closing: One of the classic mortgage broker tricks and very obvious to spot but it is still used by the slimiest of the slimy. Basically the mortgage broker promises all along a rate and loan program the borrower wants. Then the borrower gets to the closing table and what was promised to them is completely different. This mortgage broker trick is more common in purchase transaction then in refinances but is equally frustrating to the borrower in either situation.

Solution: Always get a Good Faith Estimate and a Rate Lock Letter that is signed by you and the mortgage broker.But the bottom line is that if you were lied to you should get up from the table and walk away. There is no law that says you have to close the loan if you are unhappy with it.

Scaring The Borrower: This is one of the most common mortgage broker tricks but it is not as well known as the other ones but is used a lot more. What the mortgage broker does is find out why you are refinancing and use it against you to charge more fees and get a higher commission. For example if you are adding an addition onto your house the broker will tell you to go ahead and start the project because your loan is 100% guaranteed. They will then call you usually a day before closing telling you either your credit score dropped or loan program guidelines changed and you now need to pay for a lower rate or switch to a higher interest rate loan program. Many borrowers may be startled and stressed into closing the loan. Because it is so effective this is the most popular of all the mortgage broker tricks that dirty brokers play!

Solution: Ask for documentation to support the credit changes. Any change in credit status can be clearly shown on the credit report. If the mortgage broker cannot support their claims call another mortgage company or bank and ask them to quote you a mortgage loan.

Although the vast majority of the nations mortgage brokers are honest there is that small percentage that are not, knowing the mortgage broker tricks that they play and how to spot them can save you unnecessary emotional and financial stress when you need a new mortgage!

Darin Sewell is a Wisconsin Mortgage Broker that compiled a HUGE Mortgage Library for consumers to educate themselves on all things mortgage related and protect themselves against bad brokers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darin_Sewell

Duane Michael Wagner Chief Marketing Strategist Vero Beach Fl, Palm Beach Gardens Fl

Duane Michael Wagner Chief Marketing Strategist Vero Beach Fl Palm Beach Gardens Fl

Highly accomplished, visionary executive manager with proven ability to impact financial, social, and political goals through commitment to global issues, innovation, and diversity. Results-oriented, decisive leader offering 15+ years of success in sales, operations, and marketing. Deliver excellence in training and service, utilizing international / multicultural experience to provide unique perspective and creative solutions, achieving high performance within diverse organizational cultures. Demonstrate rapid advancement based on high performance, with the ability to quickly transfer skills across industries. Self-starter with strong entrepreneurial spirit, high integrity, and solid work ethic; creative, highly analytical, and able to successfully manage multiple concurrent projects with keen attention to detail, excellent organization, and outstanding persuasive skills. Able to skillfully inspire, motivate, and lead teams for consistently winning outcomes. 

Core Competencies

• Strategic Planning 
• Operations Acumen
• Analysis & Problem Solving
• Market Research & Trend Spotting
• High-level Negotiations
• Coaching & Development
• Project Management
• P&L / Budgeting / Forecasting
• Ability to Influence & Lead

The Evolution of Eric Soelstra!!! Miami Heat World Champions

Erik Spoelstra might not get the credit he deserves from those outside the Heat organization, but that might change after he led Miami to its second NBA title in two seasons.

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and Miami Heat President Pat Riley congratulate each other after winning Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, Florida on Thursday, June 20, 2013.

Al Diaz / Staff Photo

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BY GEORGE RICHARDS

grichards@MiamiHerald.com

Erik Spoelstra may be 42, but he doesn’t look much different than he did 20 years ago.
Spoelstra, who just completed his fifth season as coach of the Heat, still wears the same kind of things he did back in the 1990s from retro Air Jordans to a gold-toned Casio diving watch complete with a thick black rubber strap.
During Heat practices, Spoelstra isn’t shy about getting out on the court and demonstrating what he’s trying to teach — much like he did as an assistant coach under Stan Van Gundy and Pat Riley during his 30s.
It may be his boyish looks or his good fortune of being the Heat coach when LeBron James and Chris Bosh were lured to Miami to join Dwyane Wade, but Spoelstra doesn’t get the respect other coaches who have won a pair of NBA titles would get.
Perhaps that is changing.
“We used to call him the best young coach in the NBA,” Heat TV voice Eric Reid said at Monday’s rally at AmericanAirlines Arena. “But now, after two straight championships, why don’t we just call him the best coach in the NBA?”
Spoelstra has said he doesn’t care what others outside the Heat organization think of him. Spoelstra has the complete support of Riley and the rest of the Miami front office and, truthfully, that’s all that matters.
If more respect is headed his way, Miami being able to outlast Indiana and San Antonio by winning Game 7s could be a big reason why.
“That’s what competition is about,” Spoelstra said after Miami’s win on Thursday. “I mentioned that all series long. If people say it’s only because of us that we lost or we struggled and we should have had an easier run, that’s not giving any credit to the Indiana Pacers or the Spurs. They were great teams. They were incredible challenges to us that we had to overcome.
“It’s never easy. As tough as last year was, it seemed like this year was even tougher. Particularly these last two rounds.”
One of Spoelstra’s biggest champions — aside from Riley — is former Knicks coach and current ABC/ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy.
Van Gundy, former Heat coach Stan Van Gundy’s older brother, said in the closing minutes of Thursday’s Game 7 win against San Antonio that Spoelstra was the best coach the Heat had ever had.
A former assistant under Riley with the Knicks, Jeff Van Gundy said Monday he meant no disrespect to the Heat president. But he says he’s not the only one who believes Spoelstra is deserving of that title as the Heat’s best coach.
“I know Pat Riley, have coached for him and competed against him. He’s already a Hall of Fame coach,” Van Gundy said. “But after what Spo has accomplished, I think coach Riley would agree with me. Look at what he’s done. He’s won 11 series in three years, has been to the Finals three straight years and has won back-to-back titles.
“Erik has gotten the most from his talent at hand.”
Spoelstra is a basketball junkie who started working for the Heat 18 years ago as a video coordinator. He spent countless hours going through tape before moving up through the ranks within basketball operations.
Since joining the team, Spoelstra also has been an advance scout and was the director of scouting in charge of getting the Heat prepared for future opponents.
Spoelstra, who coached the Heat’s summer-league team for three years, took over when Riley stepped away from the bench in 2008.
“He had every job imaginable on the basketball side leading into him becoming a head coach,” Jeff Van Gundy said. “That was a great benefit. He was well-prepared when he took over in all facets of the organization and what the job entailed.
“I remember Stan always talking to me about Erik before anyone knew too much about him, always said how good and talented he was. Pat Riley does a great job of picking people before others recognize their greatness. He did it with Erik. He has absolutely fulfilled what Pat saw in him long ago.”
Spoelstra inherited a Miami team that won 15 games in 2007-08 and led it to the biggest improvement in franchise history as the Heat went 43-39 in his rookie season.
The following year, Miami went 47-35. Both years, the Heat got knocked out of the playoffs in the opening round — by Atlanta in 2009 and Boston in 2010.
Jeff Van Gundy credits the job Spoelstra did in his first two years as head coach in Miami for helping Riley sell James and Bosh on joining forces with Wade in 2010.
This year, Miami set a franchise record for wins in a season and had the second-longest winning streak in NBA history.
“I thought the job he did in his first two years [is] as impressive as what he’s done over the past three,” Jeff Van Gundy said.
“He absolutely got the most out of those first two teams as they were playoff contenders. That got the attention of Bosh and James. It opened their eyes as to how things could be if they came down to Miami. That played a big part in them coming. All five of Erik’s years [have] been incredible.”
Things would soon change in the summer of 2010 as expectations were raised. Miami became the most scrutinized team in sports, and some thought Spoelstra wouldn’t survive the storm.
He did.
On Monday, he got to celebrate another title atop a bus on the streets of Miami. Spoelstra did so wearing his Jordans with his championship cap on backward.
“Miami,” Spoelstra said, “knows how to party.”

Michael Wagner Vero Beach Fl and Palm Beach Gardens Fl
Chief Mortgage Strategist

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/06/25/v-fullstory/3468878/miami-heat-coach-erik-spoelstra.html#storylink=cpy

Duane Michael Wagner Vero Beach Palm Beach Gardens Chief Marketing Strategist

Dan Le Batard: Not very much — only a little luck — separated Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs - Dan Le Batard - MiamiHerald.com

Dan Le Batard: Not very much — only a little luck — separated Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs - Dan Le Batard - MiamiHerald.com

Duane Michael Wagner Vero Beach Fl and Palm Beach Gardens Fl Chief Marketing Strategist

"Michael Wagner"

Duane Michael Wagner Vero Beach and Palm Beach Gardens

Duane Michael Wagner
Vero Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, and Jupiter
Chefe Marketing Officer

Duane Michael Wagner Vero Beach Fl, Palm Beach Gardens Fl

NBA FINALS GAME 7 | HEAT 95, SPURS 88

Miami Heat defeats San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 to win second consecutive NBA title

Led by Finals MVP LeBron James, the Heat clinched back-to-back titles to etch a place in South Florida sports history.

Miami Heat fans celebrate the team's championship outside of AmericanAirlines Arena on June 20, 2013.

EMILY MICHOT / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

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BY JOSEPH GOODMAN

JGOODMAN@MIAMIHERALD.COM

That’s three titles for a town and two crowns for its king.

With a season, a playoffs, an NBA Finals and a Game 7 that will echo for years to come, the Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 95-88 on Thursday night at AmericanAirlines Arena to win its second NBA championship in a row and cap the most exciting two weeks in South Florida sports history.

LeBron James played stunning, brilliant basketball to earn the NBA Finals MVP for the second straight year and Dwyane Wade, who played throughout the playoffs despite knee problems, saved his best for the final game of a grueling postseason. James finished with 37 points, 12 rebounds and four assists, going 12 of 23 from the field, 5 of 10 from three-point range and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line. Wade had 23 points, 10 rebounds and an assist and made 11 of his 21 attempts.

“This team is amazing, and the vision that I had when I decided to come here is all coming true,” James said. “Through adversity, through everything we’ve been through, we’ve been able to persevere and to win back-to-back championships. It’s an unbelievable feeling. I’m happy to be part of such a first-class organization.”

FINALLY, BACK TO BACK WINS

To repeat as champion, the Heat had to win back-to-back games for the first time since Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. Miami won Game 7s in back-to-back series, providing South Florida with one of the most exhilarating rides professional sports can offer.

It was the Heat’s first Finals Game 7 in the 25-year history of the franchise and it was a classic. The teams seemed to swap the lead on nearly every possession throughout the third quarter, and the final period provided nail-biting drama until the final minute. Game 7 was tied 11 times and the lead changed hands seven times.

“This was a tremendous game,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It wouldn’t end any other way.”

James, who scored 22 points in the second half, nailed a 19-foot jumper with 27.9 seconds left to give the Heat a 92-88 lead and then, to seal the championship, stole a pass from Manu Ginobili after a timeout. He then made a pair of free throws to kick-start the celebration.

James scored 69 points in the final two games of the Finals and here’s a jaw-dropping statistic: Throughout his career, James has averaged 34.4 points in five career Game 7s.

“He made enough shots to make us change our defense over and over again,” Heat center Tim Duncan said. “We just couldn’t find a way to stop him.”

CHALMERS HITS KEY THREE

Mario Chalmers banked in a long three-pointer at the end of the third quarter to give the Heat a 72-71 lead. From there, the madness began. Consider this for a measure of how crazy Game 7 truly was: Only five players scored for the Heat, yet James, Wade, Chalmers and Shane Battier outscored the Spurs 92-88.

“Shane ain’t hit a shot since I don’t know when and tonight he was unconscious,” Wade said.

Battier, who redeemed himself 1,000 times over for his performance in the Eastern Conference finals, scored 18 points, going 6 of 8 from three-point range. Chalmers had 14 points, and Chris Andersen had three points to round out the uneven scoring. Ray Allen, Mike Miller and Chris Bosh shot 0 of 14 combined.

“It’s better to be timely than good,” Battier said. “I believe in basketball gods and I felt like they owed me big-time.”

For Duncan, the Spurs’ four-time NBA champion and future Hall of Famer, it was his first loss in a Finals. He finished with 24 points, going 8 of 18 from the field, but went 2 of 6 in the fourth quarter. As a team, the Spurs shot 30 percent (6 of 20) from the field in the final period.

San Antonio led by three with 46.4 seconds left in the third quarter before Battier tied the score with his fourth three-pointer of the game.

“Game 7 is always going to haunt me,” Duncan said.

A STORYBOOK SEASON

Alongside the 1972 undefeated Dolphins, the 2013 Heat will go down as one of the greatest professional sports teams in South Florida history. The unforgettable run began with a franchise-best 66-win regular season, which included a 27-game winning streak, and ended on a makeshift stage in the middle of AmericanAirlines Arena with Heat owner Micky Arison raising his franchise’s third Larry O’Brien Trophy.

“Go party,” someone screamed into the stage’s microphone to the 19,900 fans in attendance and an entire city watching from homes and parties and bars throughout South Florida.

Thursday night marked the seven-year anniversary of the Heat’s first championship. In that time, Miami has celebrated more NBA titles than any other city. But this party was different. It was ecstasy borne from endurance and wonderment crafted by willpower.

For Heat players, coaches and fans, the back-and-forth nature of the final month of the postseason was a gut-wrenching exercise. Beginning May 22 and not ending until the final game on the last possible day of the postseason, the Heat swapped wins for losses and kept an entire city wrapped in dueling emotional states of despair and joy.

Last year, when the Heat won its first title of the Big 3

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/06/21/v-fullstory/3462544/miami-heat-defeats-san-antonio.html#storylink=cpy