Gene's Bit of Blogging

Family Issues

A Tale of Two Brothers and One Roller Coaster of a Home Sale and Mortgage Transaction

Gene Mundt, Mortgage Lender: Posted on Tuesday, April 10, 2012 2:33 PM

A Tale of Two Brothers ...

and One Roller Coaster of a Home Sale and Mortgage Transaction

The headline in a local paper recently caught my eye. The ensuing article contained the obituary of a man that I had once been involved with in a mortgage transaction, years and years ago.

This transaction had taken place when I worked at my first job ... a Savings and Loan ... and it was perhaps what I'd call the most "interesting" mortgage transaction I've ever taken part in. It certainly made an impression on me.

Now it wasn't the actual financing portion of this transaction that made it so very interesting. No, it was the human drama that was introduced into it by the sellers of the property being financed by my borrowers. There was a "divorce" of sorts involved with these sellers, but they were not the typical couple going their separate ways.

Getting Mortgage Advice & Assistance Doesn't Have to be a Battle. Contact Gene Mundt, Mortgage Lender Now!

You see, the sellers were not a man and a woman, but two brothers. Nevertheless, there was just as much "he said this" and "he said that" as any battling couple I had run into to that time, or have since ... if not more.

The processing of this mortgage transaction took forever because these warring brothers couldn't agree on anything. In fact, they were very lucky that their buyer hung in there throughout the arguing and many frustrations like they did.

These brothers had inherited a property from their mother when she passed away many years prior. They had finally agreed that they would put the house up for sale. After many disagreements, and first this brother and then that brother dragging their feet over unending silly and minor issues, they had negotiated a solid sale and found their buyer.

You'd of thought that would have pretty much ended it, wouldn't you? Happy ending, all is forgotten? But no ...

Made Dizzy by the Lack of Good Mortgage Advice? Contact Gene Mundt, Mortgage Lender Today!

The emotions that were driving this roller coaster of a deal from the beginning just kept rolling on ... and picked-up speed! I tell you, this was no typical family feud. These brothers had such serious issues between them, that one brother had actually legally changed the spelling and pronunciation of his last name so no one would suspect he was related to the other. That's serious!

The Savings and Loan carefully arranged accommodations to handle the Closing as delicately as possible ... and as swiftly. (Remember this was back in the day when Closings actually took part at the lending institution itself.)

The Board Room where most Mortgage Closings took place, would house one brother when they arrived. The other brother would occupy the President's office at the opposite end of the building. That way each brother could arrive by widely located, different doors to the building and not even see one another.

Still, the Closing took hours. And neither brother ever searched the other out to make peace before, during, or after the transaction was completed. To say that this Closing transaction demanded a lot of time and attention from the real estate professionals involved, the Savings and Loan's entire real estate department, and S&L staff ... would be an understatement. Everyone was physically and emotionally exhausted when this transaction was finally over.

But seeing that obituary made me wonder ...

Did these two brothers realize what havoc their "issues" played during that transaction? Or were they so wrapped-up in themselves that they didn't care?

Did they ever get past their dislikes and disagreements with one another? Or did they carry those bitter feelings to their grave?

I'll never know, but the thought of the latter is rather sad ...

Work with a mortgage lending professional that can lead you through your home buying and mortgage processing successfully. Contact me today! I will be happy to hear from you and have the opportunity to earn your trust and mortgage business.

Click Here to Contact Gene Mundt, Mortgage Lender!

I can be contacted through any of the following means:

Direct: 815.277.4036

Cell/Text: 708.921.6331

Email: gmundt@thefederalsavingsbank.com

Website: www.genemundt.com

The Convenience of Skype: 630.2191316

Click Here 4 a: NO Cost NO Obligation

Mortgage Consultation

0 Comments

Trackback Link

Naperville, IL Graduating Seniors! Apply Now for the Naperville Junior Woman's Club 2012 Scholarships

Gene Mundt, Mortgage Lender - The Federal Savings Bank: Posted on Thursday, March 29, 2012 3:21 PM

Naperville, IL Graduating Seniors! Apply Now for the

Naperville Junior Woman's Club 2012 Scholarships

Are you ... or do you know ... a graduating senior that resides in Indian Prairie School District #204 or Naperville School District #203 in the Naperville, IL general area?

Contact me today to get educated about mortgages! Gene Mundt, Mortgage Lender

If so, you'll be interested to know that The Naperville Junior Woman's Club (NJWC) will once again be awarding $1,000 scholarships to deserving graduating seniors this May.

Scholarships are awarded on the following merits:

Scholastic Achievement
Community Service
School Involvement
Financial Need

To apply for these $1,000 scholarships, go to the Naperville Junior Woman's Club (NJWC) website/pdf, at: http://www.napervillejuniors.org/2012%20Scholarship%20Application.pdf ... and download the scholarship application.

Fill-out the application and send to:

NJWC Scholarship Committee

5032 Switch Grass Lane

Naperville, IL 60564

All Naperville Junior Woman's Club (NJWC) scholarship applications must be received by April 15, 2012. Scholarships candidates will be notifed by email or telephone of the Club's committee decision. Scholarships themselves will be awarded at the Naperville Junior Woman's Club's May general meeting.

Good luck to all the Naperville, IL area graduating senior candidates applying for these 2012 Naperville Junior Woman's Club (NJWC) scholarships ... and for success during your upcoming college ventures.

* To receive information and assistance regarding mortgage financing to purchase a home in Naperville, Du Page County, or Chicagoland ... please contact me. My entire 35 years in the mortgage business has been served benefiting home buyers and home owners in Naperville and the surrounding Chicagoland region. I'd love the opportunity to earn your trust and your mortgage business.

I can be contacted through any of the following:

Direct: 815.277.4036 Cell/Text: 708.921.6331

Email: gmundt@thefederalsavingsbank.com

Website: www.genemundt.com/Contact.html

Skype: 630.219.1316

Click Here 4 a: NO Cost NO Obligation

Mortgage Consultation

Via my Mobile Website: m.genemundt.com

0 Comments

Trackback Link

Baby Boomer Series ~~ Cleaning Out the Attic

Peggy Chirico, REALTOR® - Hartford & Tolland County Real Estate, Prudential CT Realty, Guest Blogger: Posted on Tuesday, February 07, 2012 11:50 AM

* This is a great blog I came upon on the ActiveRain website, written by Peggy Chirico, Realtor from Hartford and Tolland County, Prudential CT Realty.

I thought Peggy's information of such value, that I immediately asked her if she would be willing to share her post here on my website blog. She was gracious enough to say, "yes".

I hope that.should you be in need of professional real estate representation out in Hartford and Tolland Counties in CT ... that you will contact Peggy Chirico. You can do no better than utilizing her expertise as you navigate the area's housing market and sales.

Should you be in the process of downsizing and buying a new home in the Chicagoland area ... I hope you will contact me. I'll be happy to assist you in all phases of the mortgage process, from initial credit check to successful closing and beyond.

Hope you find Peggy's post beneficial and as interesting as I did ...

Baby Boomers Series ~ Cleaning Out the Attic

In the Baby Boomer Series, I am going to address topics that pertain to people of my generation--baby boomers who are planning for the next steps in their lives.

Baby Boomer Series ~ Cleaning Out the Attic

Contrary to conventional wisdom, at least in my opinion, the most important step is not deciding where or how one wants to spend his or her retirement years; the most important step is CLEANING OUT THE ATTIC!

Contact Peggy Chirico, Prudential CT Realty

Regardless of whether you plan to stay in your home, move across town, or relocate to the sunny south, you must clean out the attic. If you are like me, you have lived a considerable number of years in the same house and have amassed a lot of memories in the attic.

Why do I think cleaning out the attic is the most important step? Because it will allow you make a quicker decision if you have to. If you clean out the attic now, well in advance of any decisions you need to make, you will be able act upon your decision quicker. And if you choose to spend your retirement years in the same house, you won't be leaving the dreaded task of cleaning out your attic to your family.

This post was prompted by two events:

The first was a showing I recently had where the buyers wanted to close in six weeks. The seller, however, had so much stuff everywhere (and the attic was jam-packed) that it would have taken her a month of Sundays to clear it all out. Her stuff included tons of memorabilia, restaurant menus, knickknacks, books, clothes, and some stunning antiques and artwork. There was a lot that would simply have to be thrown out, and some of it shouldn't be thrown out. But in the heat of the moment, when someone is under pressure to clear out the house, mistakes will be made. Valuable things may be thrown out and worthless things will remain.

The second event was my own trip into my attic. I call my attic Limbo because that's where I throw everything that I don't know what to do with. It's also a one-way street. It goes up, but it never comes down. So after 35 years of living in the same house, I know there is a vast amount of memories up there.

Cleaning the attic is an onerous chore; no one really wants to get caught in the trip down memory lane that will take years to complete. Trust me, I know. I had boxes of cards, gifts, memorabilia, and stuffed animals for each of my children. It took me an entire afternoon because, of course, I had to read every card! And that was just one box.

So here are some of the suggestions that worked for me; maybe they will work for you.

Get some help. Enlist the aid of your children, spouse, or a professional service. They will keep you on track.
Tackle it one box at a time. Bring the box down from the attic and decide on the contents' final destination: garbage, recycling, donating, giving to a family member, selling it, or having it appraised.
Set up a minimum goal of how many boxes you will deal with each week and hold yourself to it.

Toss It

I am all for recycling and reusing wherever possible, but there is probably a good amount of junk that simply must be tossed, such as old Halloween costumes, decomposing papers sprinkled with glitter, melted plastic items, etc.

Give It Back

If you have been saving someone else's memories, put the stuff in a pile and give it to the person. Chances are they will have a much easier time of throwing it out than you would. When I presented each of my children with boxes of their kindergarten homework, they thought I was nuts. They looked through it for old time's sake and just as quickly tossed it.

Give It Away

You may have useful items in the attic that someone else would love to have. I had 16 place settings of Christmas dishes that I hadn't used in twenty years and knew I would never use them again, so I gave eight place settings to each of my daughters. My son decided he would rather have an old turntable that was up there. If there are things that your family or friends can use, offer it to them. Wouldn't you rather see them enjoy it than have it rot in the attic? There are also plenty of charitable organizations that would be glad to accept donations. A rule of thumb: If you haven't seen it, used it, or thought about it in five years, you probably don't need it now.

Appraise It

For the valuable things in your attic, like silver candlesticks, old collectibles, or antiques, consider having them appraised to see if they really are worth anything. You may just have cash in the attic that will help pay for your next vacation!

Sell It

If you have valuable items that you want to sell, consider selling it to an appraiser, on eBay or Craigslist, or at a tag sale. If you have things that are not really valuable but that someone might want to buy anyway, a tag sale may be the quickest way to get rid of a lot of stuff.

Save It

You don't have to get rid of everything! There may be some items that you want to hang on to, and that's fine. Just make sure to keep them in the open so you can truly enjoy them and not just have them collecting dust in a storage area.

Cleaning out the attic will be the hardest task, but it is the most important task. By paring down your stuff, separating trash from treasure, and keeping only what is essential, you will be ready when you want to make a decision about where and how you want to spend your retirement years.

0 Comments

Trackback Link

Wishing All a Very Happy Thanksgiving!

Gene Mundt, Sr. Vice President - Chicago Bancorp: Posted on Wednesday, November 23, 2011 1:09 PM

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

I was planning on writing and posting this sentiment a bit later today ... but my schedule just went a bit topsy-turvy about an hour ago.

You see, my wife and I received a call from our oldest son, Tom and his wife, Jenny. Seems our little grandson has decided to make his entrance into the world today and his mom and dad are on their way to the maternity ward of Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago at this very moment. His grandma and I will be joining them there shortly to await his much-anticipated arrival.

But before we go, I wanted to write my wishes for a very Happy Thanksgiving to you ... all my friends and referral partners. I am so very thankful for your existence in my life.

May you have a wonderful, peaceful, and restful holiday ... enjoying it as you will most enjoy and treasure.

I know that Marilyn and I will have extra to feel blessed and thankful for this Thanksgiving holiday. Please keep our new baby, his mommy and daddy, and entire family in your thoughts and prayers. It will be greatly appreciated.

Once again, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours ...

Gene

0 Comments

Trackback Link

Recommendations on Rear Facing Child Seats Extended

Anne M. Costello, Weidel Realtors, Newtown/Yardley Office (PA) - Guest Blogger: Posted on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 10:21 AM

Recommendations on Rear Facing

Child Seats Extended

The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that children in car seats face the rear for a total of two years - a full one year longer than previously suggested.

The change was prompted by car crash studies that show a toddler is less likely to be injured in a rear facing seat. During a crash, the impact forces are spread out over the back of the seat, while a front facing child's head and limbs are flung forward.

For the last decade, the Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that children in car seats face the rear for at least one year or until the child weighs 20 pounds. Although this suggestion was designed as the minimum, parents and other caregivers often considered it the absolute.

For any caregiver, rear facing child seats offer some challenges on how to entertain the children, how to check up on them, when in the preferred back seat, how practical for the solo adult in the car, etc. Some have also suggested that the children facing the rear may become uncomfortable as their legs grow. Experts suggest that all these issues should take a back seat to the child's safety.

Current "convertible" car seats are designed to be rear facing until the child is 30 to 35 pounds, which is well above the average two year child's weight. The seat can then be turned to face forward.

Check out The Academy of Pediatrics Guide to car seats and a list of products at: http://www.aap.org/.

Anne M. Costello

Weidel Realtors Newtown/Yardley Office

10 North Main Street

Yardley, PA 19067

Cell: 215 771-1642

Office: 215-493-1954

Email: acostello@weidel.com

URL: www.AnneMCostello.com

0 Comments