VanDyk Mortgage - August 2022

AUGUST 2022

Letters From the Hart Give us a call! 239-437-4278 Or visit www.TimHartJr.com Corporate NMLS #3035 www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org HOW CAN I SERVE YOU?

Talking Leadership With Pastor Akers

Eight years ago, I kicked off a personal journey that led me to some unexpected places — like podcasting with a pastor. If you listen to “The HartBeat Show,” you know that I have all kinds of guests. I’ve talked to other mortgage brokers, coaches, authors, convicted felons, and everyone in between. But it’s pretty rare for me to have a pastor on the show. I invited Jimmy Akers of First Christian Church because he’s such a positive, upbeat guy. He puts everything of himself out there and is always trying to help others. I also figured he’d have thoughts about a topic that has been on my mind for the last eight years: servant leadership. Eight years ago, I was a little frustrated with my business. I was putting up decent numbers, but I thought I could do better. Something just wasn’t right! I’m a competitive guy, and making a Top 10 list just doesn’t cut it for me when I know I can be No. 1. So, I hit the books. I started to consume a lot more content from business leaders like Jim Rohn and Gary Vaynerchuk. Pretty soon I spotted a pattern. Both of them went on and on about the same idea: giving. In order to succeed, they said, you have to “bring value to the marketplace.” Gary V. has a whole book about this called “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook.” Each “jab” in the title stands for “give,” and “right hook” stands for “ask.” Basically,

he’s quoting Luke 6:38: “Give, and it shall be given unto you.”

This really messed with my head. I started looking at my company in a totally different way. Sure, maybe I was pulling in good business, but what was I doing to deserve that business? I was working hard and I was available, but at the end of the day, I was still just taking . It felt like a switch had flipped in my brain. I knew I had to start giving without expecting anything in return. It would be a smart business move and the right thing to do. Why had I waited so long? Within a year, I was giving back in as many ways as I could. I started a “Rates & Reels” series on YouTube where I took other business owners, politicians, and public figures out fishing. I’ve pulled in fish with my pastor, Mayor Henderson, radio host Big Mama, and Rob Whan from Caleb’s Crusade Against Childhood Cancer. The day was all about them, and we put the whole promotion on YouTube. (I swear I only cracked mortgage jokes once or twice.) I also started sharing more free education on my podcast and YouTube channel and giving other businesses the spotlight. If I hear something cool — like a tip from an electrician on why Christmas lights short out — I’ll pull out my phone and shoot a video about it. If I think it’s cool, maybe you will too. It’s a win-win for my customers and guests.

Plus, it feels good! I love it when those videos do well and I get to brag on my rock star guests. Offering that value to other people is what servant leadership is all about. Today, I’m constantly asking myself this question: How do I bring value to my borrowers, referral partners, and other people I’m connected with without barfing all over them about mortgages? How can I serve you ? When I sat down with Pastor Jimmy Akers, he took the reins and basically gave a 30-minute sermon on servant leadership. I loved it! I know he wasn’t talking about me the whole time, but it sure felt like it. If you’re a leader in any part of your life (business, family, etc.,) I hope you’ll check out Episode 115 of “The HartBeat Show” on iTunes, Spotify, or TimHartJr.com.

NMLS #354676

VanDyk Mortgage | www.TimHartJr.com | 239-437-4278

Page 1

SETTING BOUNDARIES FOR YOUR TEENS

• Priorities — define what matters to your family first • Honesty — creating a judgment-free space to be open and speak freely • Responsibility — taking accountability for one’s mistakes • Respect — learning how to communicate boundaries effectively Be Supportive, Not Enabling Supporting someone is helping them do something they might not be able to do themselves in the right conditions, whereas enabling is stepping in and mitigating consequences that would otherwise be a result of a negative choice. Enabling is an undesirable behavior that can occur when parents give in to complaints or demands to avoid conflict. Instead of avoiding possible conflict, it’s best to support your older children while they navigate through your rules. Allow them to have questions or make mistakes. That way you can provide a framework where they have the ability to act and make decisions on their own. Setting rules or boundaries for your older kids is an essential tool that aids in their development. Over time, the process will help lay the foundations for them to become self-regulating adults. their vehicles at high speed, on straight and curvy roads, and on all types of terrain, pavement, gravel, mud, snow, and ice. Because the cars are going exponentially fast, they need a co-driver to give the driver directions. These co-drivers use code and abbreviations when talking to the driver. For example, the co-driver could say, “Right five over crest, one hundred, caution! Left two.” This may not make sense to us, but to the driver, they understand it as “There is an easy right turn over a crest in the road. Then in 100 yards, the road will turn into a hard left.” The sport requires an abundance of trust between the driver and co- driver because they are dependent on one another to complete the race in a fast, but safe, manner. Why is rally racing considered dangerous? Because these cars are often running fast on common roads, there is always a chance of crashes and oversteering. The sport is dangerous for the participants, but the spectators could also be in danger. Most viewers are watching from the side of the road, putting them at risk if the racers make a mistake. There are no protected barriers to keep rally watchers safe from the racing circuits.

As children grow older, some tend to engage in more risky behaviors. They like to test their parents’ patience and limits to see what they can actually get away with. But when you

establish boundaries with your older children, it can set them up for success and teach them a thing or two about responsibility.

Creating Boundaries That Reflect Your Values You cannot simply say the rules — your actions must reinforce them if you want them to be followed. They must also reflect the positive values that mean the most to you, as they will influence how your children see you. The clearer your values are, the easier it is to express and communicate them to your older kids, and the more likely they are to follow along with the boundaries that respect those values.

Here is a list of core family values to consider:

• Positive relationships — whether that be with family members, friends, coworkers, or even strangers

When people think about racing, the first thing that comes to mind is usually NASCAR, the most popular auto racing sport today. But it’s not the first style of racing that took place. NASCAR began in 1948, but rally racing can be traced to 1894. It’s considered one of the most dangerous sports ever. What is rally racing? This motorsport takes place on public or private roads with either modified or specially built cars. Their racing style is unique THE NEED FOR SPEED What Is Rally Racing?

because although cars are racing against each other, each driver takes turns driving the same track. They compete to have the fastest time along the narrow, curvy, and oftentimes dangerous course.

Rally racing is a popular sport in Europe and is gaining popularity in the United States. If you’re ever curious about what these races look like, search them online. There are tons of videos you can watch that will show you the excitement these races produce for the participants and spectators.

Rally racing drivers are regarded as some of the best drivers in the world because they can control

VanDyk Mortgage | www.TimHartJr.com | 239-437-4278

Page 2

... CONTINUED FROM PG. 4

3. Communicate with your service providers regularly. Your mortgage team exists to serve you, so don’t be afraid to call, text, or email your Realtor, lender, etc.! You’re not bothering anybody. This is your transaction, and it’s one of the biggest investments of your life. You deserve to be kept in the loop. Here at VanDyk Mortgage, we make sure our borrowers and their Realtors get regular updates during the loan process. But not every lender is the same way. If you’re working with a “silent” lender, reach out. I promise your team would prefer to answer your questions than have you lying awake at night, staring at the ceiling, and wondering what’s happening with your loan. Hopefully you found these tips helpful. Sometimes it feels like an act of God when all of the parties involved in a mortgage come together and close a loan, but it happens all day, every day. If you follow these three steps, you’ll be able to count your loan among the successes sooner rather than later.

another scan of your driver’s license, and the form you sent over twice already. It will be constant and annoying, but in order to keep the process going, you need to get back to everyone as soon as possible with all of the information they need. Your future self will thank you. 2. Put yourself on financial and credit lockdown until your loan funds. If you want your loan to close smoothly and in a timely fashion, you need to avoid any major changes to your credit lines, income, or bank balances until the day you close. Remember, your lender is monitoring your credit. If you head to Rooms to Go and buy a boatload of furniture on a new credit line, they will notify your lender, and your lender will pause the loan process to find out more about your new account — they’ll want information on the balance and monthly payment, so they can factor it into their lending decision. Opening a new line of credit in the middle of the loan process could delay or kill your deal, even if it’s a “no payments, no interest for 12 months” loan. The same thing could happen if you switch jobs or income structures. Even a new promotion could kill your deal if you transition from a steady paycheck to a commission-based system. It’s a huge red flag for your lender! It’s also important to avoid injecting cash into your deal while it’s in progress. Leave your money in your savings until you close, just to be safe.

NMLS #354676

P.S. For more insider information like this, subscribe to the Tim Hart Loan Officer YouTube channel.

SUDOKU

Solution on Pg. 4

Trivia Question: Who wrote "Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook"?

VanDyk Mortgage | www.TimHartJr.com | 239-437-4278

Page 3

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

Tim Hart, NMLS #354676 8280 College Parkway, Suite #101 Fort Myers, FL 33919

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

Inside This Issue

Tim and a Pastor Talk Leadership PAGE 1

How Established Rules Set Teens Up for Success

This Is the Most Dangerous Sport That Exists PAGE 2

Testimonial From the Hart PAGE 3

3 Tips for a Smoother Home Loan Process PAGE 4

EXPERT TIPS FOR FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS USE THESE FOR A SMOOTHER LOAN PROCESS!

Buying or refinancing a home can be scary. There are a lot of steps to the mortgage process, and the sheer number is enough to intimidate anyone without a background in finance. Fortunately, you can do more than hope and pray things will go smoothly with your loan! You have a home loan expert right here, and I’m going to share three insider tips with you that will bring down your stress level and make sure your home loan process goes without a hitch. These are tips specifically for buyers who are already in the middle of the loan process — meaning you’re pre-approved, under contract, or already own a home and want to refinance your loan. If you’re not there quite yet, give my team a call and we can help you with those first few steps. If you are in that position (or will be soon) and want to learn from an insider, here are the top three tips I share with borrowers. 1. Don’t be your own worst enemy during the process. When you ask to borrow money for a mortgage, everyone wants a piece of you. Those people include your surveyor, lender, Realtor, buyer’s

agent, listing agent, title company, appraiser, insurance company … the list goes on and on.

These folks will have your phone ringing off the hook day and night asking for things like pay stubs, a better copy of your W-2,

CONTINUED ON PG. 3 ...

VanDyk Mortgage | www.TimHartJr.com | 239-437-4278

Page 4