VanDyk Mortgage - June 2021

JUNE 2021

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

PRESSING ‘PLAY’ ON MY HIGH SCHOOL SOUNDTRACK

How Country Music Takes Me Back

It’s easy for me to time travel to the year 1994: All I have to do is put on Clint Black’s first album, “Killin’ Time.” The songs on that album take me right back to high school. Instantly, I feel like I can smell campfire smoke, hear the sounds of the woods, and taste the awful Natural Light beer we used to drink. (If you can’t tell, there wasn’t much to do in South Florida when I was a teenager.) My high school soundtrack was all country music from the '70s, '80s, and '90s — not just Clint Black but Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, and Alabama, too. A lot of those '90s artists were popular or up-and-coming at the time, and I discovered them all the year I got my driver’s license. Before then, I never really cared too much about music. My dad was always jamming out to Jim Croce tracks like “Time in a Bottle” and “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” but I just listened to what was on the radio. Then, all of a sudden, I was going places and hanging out with my friends on my own, and I realized I could create my own soundtrack.

Country music sounded pretty good coming out of the speakers of my white Ford F-150 truck! Back then, I had all of my favorite albums on cassette. Now, it’s hard to believe we ever had to press rewind or fast-forward. Landing in the middle of a song was my teenaged first-world problem. It’s funny how music can bring you back to a different place and time. To this day, when I hear “Muddy Water” or “Loving Blind,” I feel instantly relaxed. (I also feel tempted to go for a walk in the woods or crack open a beer!) I like to listen to those songs after a long day. They help me relax and unwind. In the car, when I’m not listening to Christian music with the kids, sometimes I’ll tune in to the newer country singers on the radio. I like Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, and Tyler Childers. Those guys still know how to sing, and their voices remind me of the good old days of country. There are other times, though, where I have to turn the radio off. I can’t stand some of the new pop-country stuff. Sam Hunt drives me nuts when he tries to talk and sing

at the same time (I can’t be the only one who thinks he sounds like William Shatner, right?) and Florida Georgia Line throws too much rap into their melodies. Call me old, but I can’t get behind their flowing flat-ironed hair or vests-with- no-shirts look, either. When one of those guys comes on, I turn off the radio and enjoy the silence. Speaking of silence, I could use your help filling it. Now you know my music preferences, so what do you think I should listen to next? Am I missing out on a great country artist who sounds just like Clint Black or Waylon Jennings? Let me know, and I’ll add them to my playlist.

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A FRESH CUP OF … WATER IN THE MORNING? Tips for Drinking Your Daily Limit

The human body needs water. We are, in fact, 60% water, so we require replenishment on a daily basis! And first thing in the morning, when you haven’t had any water for at least eight hours, it’s important to start rehydrating as effectively as possible. So, before you go for that cup of joe, go for a glass of water. You might even end up skipping the coffee. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, dehydration may be a part of why we feel groggy and disoriented in the morning in the first place. Mild dehydration has been linked to lower brain function in general, with a wide range of effects on our cognition and performance.

period isn’t usually enough to cause mild dehydration. But coupled with the fact that most Americans aren’t drinking enough water to begin with, odds are good that when you go to bed, you haven’t had your daily intake. In general, you should be drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. Morning is the perfect time to start that process. One trick is to fill a water bottle each night (bonus points for ice!) and leave it by your bed. That way, when you wake up thirsty at night, you don’t have to go anywhere — and your first few glasses of the day are right there as well. You may be tempted to reach for other beverages throughout the day to keep hydration up. But the reality is that most of your water intake should just be water.

If you really need some extra kick to stay hydrated, you can try club soda or sparkling water, which can be purchased cheaply at any grocery store. It’s also important to remember not all water is created equally. Packaged water is an option for people who don’t have access to good drinking water at home, as are in-fridge filters, on-sink filters, or jug filters. You want the water to taste as good as possible to increase your odds of drinking enough. So, what are you waiting for? Fill a glass today and change tomorrow for the better.

Can all that really happen overnight? Yes and no. By itself, an eight-hour

Light Up Your Life

GET THE MOST OUT OF EACH LIGHTBULB

We’ve all stood in front of the lightbulb section at the home improvement store. There are so many to choose from. But most of the time, we just grab the one we know will fit in any given spot. We don’t always consider things like color temperature, brightness, wattage (outside of compatibility with lamps or sockets). However, the bulb you choose does matter. The type of light it puts out can dramatically change a room — and not just in appearance, but functionality, too. Consider the following: Working Spaces (Kitchen and Bathrooms) These rooms, more or less, are utility rooms. They serve specific functions. In the kitchen, you prepare meals and cook. Kids may do homework in the kitchen. In the bathroom, you get ready for work. You may choose outfits, put on makeup, groom yourself, and so on. In these rooms, you need to see detail.

As such, brighter lightbulbs are essential. These bulbs give off 5,000–10,000 lumens and have a bright or cool white color

need to be less energetic. Bright, white light is more of an “awake” light, but it’s not ideal when you’re just chilling out (or even working behind a computer screen in a home office).

temperature (the packaging may say 4,100 kelvins). Day lightbulbs are a good option as well (5,000–6,000 kelvins). The type of bulb (incandescent, compact fluorescent, LED, halogen, etc.) isn’t as important as the first two features. A bright bulb that emits cool light will open up the room, allowing you to clearly see the job at hand.

You want bulbs in the

2,000–6,000 lumen range that give off softer, warmer light

around 2,700 kelvins. This type of light is just as the naming suggests — warmer. It gives the room a more inviting feeling. It’s easier on the eyes and

looks more natural in these types of rooms. In the home office, warmer light helps balance the light emitted by monitors, which can be harder on the eyes. Softer, warmer light reduces eye strain. This is also why it’s ideal for reading areas!

Living Spaces (Dining Rooms, Home Offices, Bedrooms, Reading Areas) These rooms are more casual than the utility spaces and don’t require as much light as in the kitchen or bathroom. These are rooms where you may be relaxing or

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1. ‘Can Your Survey Delay Your Closing?!’ — Youtu.be/i9JmDaxNurE

appraiser to mention it to the lender in their report, then all parties involved work to fix the issues. Check out the video to learn more.

As if appraisal delays weren’t enough, you can add survey delays to the list of items to keep an eye on now when buying or selling a home. Most title companies are not ordering the survey until the appraisal is completed. With appraisals taking longer and surveys being ordered later, surveyors are experiencing the same amount of volume as appraisers. Find out what that means for you in this video.

5. ‘Should I Pay Off Collections Before Buying a House?’ — Youtu.be/nurVsePZYkw

When buyers call us and say, “I paid off my collections, and now I’m ready to buy a house!” it hurts my heart. I know what’s about to happen. Paying off all of those collections to increase your score and buy a house in the short term is not good, and this video explains why. Here’s the teaser: If you have open collections right now and aren’t in need of financing, then pay those things off and move on with your life. I hope at least one of these videos sounds interesting to you. They’re all just a few minutes long. You can find our channel under my name, “Tim Hart.” Check it out, and if you think a friend or family member could use the advice, send them a link, too. I’d love to see our channel grow even more. With your help, we can make it happen!

2. ‘Should You Accept FHA/VA Offers?’ — Youtu.be/crFI6WAEqf0

More and more, we are hearing from our buyers and referral partners that U.S. FHA and VA buyers aren’t having their offers accepted. I understand this if the sales price is over the estimated appraised value. You don’t want to enter that mess! I don’t understand if the FHA or VA buyer is the best offer. This video explains why I think sellers should be open to accepting FHA and VA buyers, even if it seems scary.

3. ‘Why Do Lenders Use the Middle Credit Score?’ — Youtu.be/MFQcohE1npQ

When I’m talking with buyers about credit reports, they always want to know why we use the middle credit score instead of the average score, the highest score, or the score from Equifax. If you’re in the market to buy a home and have wondered the same thing, this video is for you. I lay out the details in less than three minutes.

4. Do the VA and FHA Require Home Inspections? — Youtu.be/y_qxdJLouvs

Many agents and sellers are scared to accept VA or FHA offers because they think they won’t pass the organization’s “inspection.” The joke is on them: VA and FHA don’t require a home inspection! The “inspection” is actually the appraisal, which is done by a licensed appraiser. If anything is wrong with the house, it’s up to the

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TRIVIA QUESTION: What color was Tim's Ford F-150 in high school?

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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

Listen to Music With Teenage Tim PAGE 1

A Nice Cup of Water in the Morning?

Lightbulb Primer: Choosing the Right Bulb for the Right Job PAGE 2

Testimonial From the Hart PAGE 3

5 Must-Watch Videos You Missed on Our YouTube Channel PAGE 4

Have You Checked Our Channel Out Yet? 5 MUST-WATCH VIDEOS YOU MISSED ON YOUTUBE

I’ve been running a YouTube channel for VanDyk Mortgage for a few years now, but in 2020 I decided to take it to the next level. Since then, my team and I have made a concerted effort to put out a mortgage-related video at least once a week. The goal is to help people like you learn a bit more about our business without having to leave home (or even your couch). This isn’t always easy — a lot of work goes into those little videos! But I really enjoy it, and I think my clients and our other viewers have found the tips, tricks, and reminders useful. Usually, I pick a question that I get all the time and answer it in the video in less than five minutes. It’s another fun way for me to spend my time when I’m not working on my podcast, “The HartBeat Show.” We’ve put out some awesome content in the last few months on both of those platforms. In case you’re not caught up on YouTube, here are just a few of the videos you’ve missed:

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