Van Dyk Mortgage - August 2017

Van Dyk Mortgage - August 2017

Aug 2017

Letters From The Hart Give us a call! 239-437-4278 or visit www.TimHartJr.com Corporate NMLS #3035 www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

A VOICE FROM ABOVE My Buddy Travis Smith’s Inspiring Mid-Life Career Shift

He was amazed that I had called. Just 30 minutes before, he’d received an email from his wife, assuring him that, no matter what decision he made, they could

Back in ’07, in the middle of the Great Recession that hit Lee County so hard, I was driving back to my office from what had been a horrible, useless seminar. My business was in ruins in the wake of the housing crisis. I had hoped that this seminar would miraculously be the one to solve all my problems. It wasn’t. So there I was, driving down some side street alone in my truck, in a garbage mood, when a voice spoke to me, plain as day. “Call Travis and tell him everything is going to be okay,” it said, in my voice, as clearly as if it were spoken from the passenger’s seat. But, of course, nobody was there. My brother’s name is Travis, but in my heart I knew I was meant to call one of my best friends, Travis Smith. When that voice spoke, whatever it was, I listened: I called him right away. He answered the phone in his typical way, with a funny voice that I couldn’t help but laugh at. “Okay, Travis,” I said, “This is going to seem a little awkward, but a voice literally spoke to me and told me to tell you ‘everything is going to be okay.’” I paused a second. “So, here I am telling you: Everything is going to be okay.” The line went silent. For a solid thirty seconds, I just waited. “I don’t know what’s going on, man,” I finally managed to say, “but I ain’t hanging up.” It turned out that, like me, Travis had been going through one of the most difficult times of his life. I had known that he wasn’t passionate about the work he was doing in the construction industry, selling heavy equipment, but I didn’t realize how much he actually despised it. He hated chasing the commission money, but mostly, he just wasn’t happy in his career. What he wanted to do, he told me, was go back to school, finish out the rest of his degree, and coach high school football. It had been his dream for years, but smack dab in the middle of that brutal economic crisis, he was terrified he’d be leaving his job for a lower-income pipe dream.

make it work. She’d encouraged him to chase his dream. Not only that, but earlier that same day, his mom had called to check in on him, saying that “something seemed off.” All these signs were pointing him in one specific direction, giving him guidance. Travis made the decision to change his life, on the spot, that day. “I gotta do this.” He gradually quit his construction sales job and headed back to school. Right after securing his degree, he was out and coaching almost right away. Within just a few years, he was coaching at our alma mater, Mariner High. A couple years back, he was promoted to head coach. Travis’s dream came true, in the most incredible of ways. I always use him as an example of the possibility for change. If you hate your life or your job, don’t slug it out until you’re able to retire on a tiny amount of Social Security. Chase that part of you that strives for something better, something more in tune with who you are. You’ll hear more about Travis in this month’s Rates and Reels. You’ll see he’s the real deal, a great guy dedicated to making a positive impact on kids’ lives. He’s definitely an inspiration, but really, to me, he’s just a close, longtime buddy. I have to say, I’m proud of him, for everything he’s accomplished. It just goes to show that you should make sure you listen to that inner voice when it speaks to you. You never know what God has in store for any of us.

– Tim Hart NMLS #354676

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Watch our show “Rates and Reels” now on YouTube and Facebook!

Pretty soon, we were back fishing, this time for bull sharks to catch and release. Yet again, Travis got a monster on his hook. The thing was cruising from one end of the boat to another, pulling on the line so hard I was worried it would snap. But after a long time working with him, Travis reeled in a medium-sized bull shark. As we took the picture, the thing was snapping at the air. Wouldn’t want to end up between those jaws, I can tell you that. Looking back on it, this was an action- packed episode to kick off “Rates and Reels,” and it’s obvious I picked the best guest possible. Travis is one of the best guys around, and if you’re thinking about getting your kid onto the Mariner High football team, don’t hesitate: He’ll shape them into driven, model citizens.

On August 21, 2017, the greatest show of the summer will take place in the United States: a total solar eclipse! In the last 100 years, only 14 solar eclipses were visible from the U.S., and none have occurred in the new millennium. This eclipse will be visible across North America, but the path of totality — the area where the moon completely covers the sun — will only fall in the continental U.S., leading this cosmic event to be called the Great American Eclipse. If you’re already in the United States, a day’s road trip is all you need to grab a front row seat for this rare astronomical occurrence. Columbia, South Carolina Need a place to watch the eclipse in the southern U.S.? Then get yourself to South Carolina! The state capital, Columbia, is almost right in the middle of the path of totality, with the duration of totality lasting a full 2 1/2 minutes. Plenty of hotels make Columbia a great viewing location for those who don’t want to camp out, and the vibrant city life means Travis has strong opinions on his players playing multiple sports. “I want them to do multi-sport … if they’re not going to be playing a sport, they’re definitely going to be running track … it keeps the competitive edge in the off-season.” What has he learned in his years as head coach? “Every kid comes from a different background, and you can’t treat every kid the same … you never know what a kid’s going through in the evening. Some kids, they don’t have moms at home, they don’t have dads at home, they’re going home and taking care of their little sister, and you gotta kind of treat them a little differently because of what’s going on at home.” With everything Travis says, it’s obvious how committed he is to shaping his players into better human beings than they were when they entered the football program.

Watch our show “Rates and Reels” now on YouTube and Facebook! turning us onto some monster fish, and everybody who watches the show every week. Once football season starts up, head out to Mariner High on Fridays to see his team in action. Go Tritons!

Thanks to Travis Smith for being on the show, Captain John Conway for

VIEW OF A LIFETIME Where to Watch the Great American Eclipse

you’ll have a lot to do even when the eclipse is over.

Sandhills, North Platte, Nebraska In the heartlands, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more perfect viewing location than the Sandhills of western Nebraska. The August weather in this area has a reputation for ideal conditions for watching the eclipse, so there’s less of a chance cloudy skies will block your view. With wide-open skies, low rolling hills, and no towering buildings to get in the way, the Sandhills are sure to be a popular viewing spot. Why not view the eclipse from an official NASA broadcast station? The Museum of Idaho has been designated an Official NASA Observation Site, and the museum is hosting four days of events to celebrate. Enjoy live presentations, technology demonstrations, and special exhibits as you prepare to watch the total eclipse with NASA scientists. The Museum of Idaho, Idaho Falls, Idaho

A total solar eclipse is an event like nothing you’ve ever witnessed before. Be sure to visit the official website of the Great American Eclipse at greatamericaneclipse.com for everything you need to know about this once-in-a- lifetime sight!

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WHAT MORE DOES YOUR HOME HAVE TO GIVE? Exploring Home-Equity Loans

and your home is now worth $300,000. A second mortgage for the full 80 percent could leave you with $120,000 in cash to use for unexpected medical bills, to build your dream cabin in the woods, or to take that vacation to see the pyramids in Egypt — maybe even all three. A home equity line of credit (HELOC) might be better used for something with money due over a longer period of time, like sending your child to an Ivy League school. You can make recurring withdrawals against the available equity in your home for a specified draw period — usually five to 10 years. During the draw period, you only make interest payments on the HELOC, and then once the repayment period begins, you begin payments on the full balance. Whatever you choose, don’t be afraid to explore what else your home has to offer your financial future.

big science fair win; it’s where you threw your mother’s surprise 50th birthday party. We all know the intangible ways that being a homeowner pays off, but are you reaping all the financial benefits of being a homeowner as well? Home equity loans are a fantastic way to take advantage of your home’s financial assets. Maybe you’ve paid off a significant percentage of your mortgage, or your home has increased in value since you purchased it. Whatever the case, you could be sitting on tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in home equity that you could be using to help with some of life’s expenses. The first type of home-equity loan is a second mortgage. Your second mortgage is cash you can receive for up to 80 percent of the value of your home, minus the amount you still owe on your original mortgage. Say the remainder of your mortgage is $120,000

Your beautiful home is where you kiss your spouse goodnight; it’s where you wake up early to make chocolate-chip waffles with your child to celebrate that

SUDOKU

“It had been 35 years since our last real estate purchase, so there were definitely changes. Tim and staff were there with us every step of the way, which gave us peace of mind. In our minds, Tim and VanDyk Mortgage are the BEST if you need a mortgage.” VanDyk Testimonials

– MICHAEL & ROBERTA BECK

Yes they are my in-laws. I really did their loan. I did not pay them to say this.

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

Open this and get millions from a Nigerian Prince

Give us a call! 239-437-4278 or visit www.TimHartJr.com

Inside this Issue 8280 College Parkway Suite #101 Fort Myers, FL 33919 A Voice From Above PAGE 1 View of a Lifetime PAGE 2 What More Does Your Home Have to Give? Testimonials Sudoku PAGE 3 Talking Tritons and Snagging Sawfish With Coach Travis Smith PAGE 4

Talking Tritons and Snagging Sawfish With Coach Travis Smith This Month’s Episode of Rates and Reels

it swims past. Definitely one of the craziest fish I’ve ever seen, clocking in at easily 7 feet long. They’re federally protected, so we were happy to send it on its way, but it was a cool opportunity to see Travis reel in such an otherworldly, weird creature. As always, I took some time to interview our guest while we were on the boat. First, I asked him why he decided to move into coaching. “I just got tired of chasing money, and thought I could do something more to help out kids that go to Mariner. I got into coaching, started teaching, and it just kind of fell into place,” he said. Besides talent, he looks for “kids that are coachable. They don’t necessarily have to come from a good family background, but, you know, they have to be good human beings.”

Travis joined Captain John Conway and I on the boat.

We limited out on keepers in that spot. A cormorant looked on while I brought in a particularly wily jack, who I flung, right away, straight into Captain John Conway’s chest. He didn’t seem too bothered by it, though. I guess when you work running fishing boats, a fish slap or two is an occupational hazard. A couple of hours later, Travis had something huge on the hook. His fishing rod bent almost 90 degrees under the weight of whatever was on the end of the line, thrashing around deep below the surface. After a solid minute of wrangling the thing, a serrated snout poked up through the surface of the water. It was a sawfish, a rare type of ray with a long, flat “saw” as its nose, which allows it to sense prey, dig out buried crustaceans, and stun food as

My fishing show, “Rates and Reels,” has come a long way since our first episode back in September. But while I was sharing Travis Smith’s story on the cover, I realized I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to talk about the first installment of the show when

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