The Mortech Blog

Top 4 Reasons Every Lender Needs an App

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:38:00 GMT

The following post was written by partner company, LendersApps' founder, Einar Vollset.

Mobile apps are all the rage, and I’m sure you’ve seen more and more competitors beginning to offer apps capable of various degrees of sophistication. However, you might still be thinking to yourself: “What’s the point? Why can’t my prospects just visit my website from their smartphone?” - Well, I’m here to give you the top 4 reasons why getting a mobile app will give you a distinct advantage in today’s marketplace:

4. You Will Become Better At Converting Mobile Visitors

Each month, more homes are viewed via real estate website, Zillow, on a mobile device than on a desktop. Do you think these same people are looking for a quick way to get an accurate monthly mortgage quote for the houses they’re considering buying? You bet!

Now, have you tried visiting your website from an iPhone to get a quick quote? Be honest – Was it a cumbersome experience? If it was, then it’s easy to realize why you’re potentially losing leads to competitors that offer well-designed and intuitive mobile apps offered directly from their website.

By offering a mobile app from your site, you can easily detect when people are visiting from an iPhone and offer them the option of installing your app instead. Once the potential buyers install it, they are much more likely to turn into quality leads.

3. You Will Get More Referrals

It’s no big secret that unless you’re exclusively focused on doing paid lead generation, the success of your Loan Officers (and your firm) is largely related to how many referrals your team gets from sources such as local Realtors.

By equipping your network of Realtors with a mobile app capable of answering customer questions such as: “How much will this mortgage cost per month?” two things happen:

Your loan officers’ existing referral partners will generate more leads
It gives your Loan Officers something new and cool to show their potential referral partners.

2. You Can Warm Up Cold Leads

Leads go cold often, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stay cold forever – personal obligations, available houses, and high mortgage rates can occasionally cause the mortgage process to be put on pause for may potential borrowers.

Unfortunately, a lot of these prospects will most likely unsubscribe from your emails during their time away from searching for a home – leaving you no way to reach them when rates start trending down again or their schedule becomes free.

However, lenders that have invested in a mobile app can eliminate this worry by incorporating push notifications into their marketing strategy. Push notifications are similar to sending SMS messages, but are specific to your app. A quick push notification with the message “rates now at yearly lows” might just bring them back into your pipeline.

1. You Can Buy Installs

The number one reason you need to at least consider having your own app is also the least known reason, namely:

If you have your own app, you can take advantage of CPI (Cost Per Install) advertising. CPI is a way to advertise an iPhone or Android app and only pay when someone installs your app.

This is different from CPC (Cost per Click), where you pay per click on your ad, or CPM (Cost per Mille) where you pay for each thousand impression of your ad. In many ways you can think of it as a CPA (Cost per Action), where the action is a potential customer installing your app.

CPI is an interesting new marketing channel for two reasons:

It is very scalable.
- The number of people with smartphones is skyrocketing (over 50% of Americans now own one), meaning that the number of people that can be exposed to your ads on their smartphone is very large and growing.
- It is currently cheap.
  - Currently, there is no cost differentiation between advertising to have a free game installed and having your app installed. However, the value per install is obviously much greater for you - when someone installs your app, it’s pretty likely that they are in the market for a new mortgage and have your contact information in their hand.

In order to take advantage of the CPI model, you need a mobile app, and there are two ways to accomplish this: you can hire an iOS Consulting firm to build you a custom app (which will cost you in excess of $20,000), or you sign up with LendersApps.com and get your own quality app tied directly into your pricing engine starting at $199/month.

If you have any questions or want to learn more about running a CPI campaign, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Einar at einar@lcrnd.com or by visiting the LendersApps website.

Mortech Partners with LendersApps

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:56:00 GMT

We've partnered with LendersApps to provide you with an affordable, company-branded mobile app for your tech-savvy prospects.

The team behind LendersApps are some of the most experienced mobile developers in the world, and they've been working for years with partners from leading mortgage technology companies to provide an app that not only looks good and performs fast, but also converts extremely well.

Your app can include features such as:

Personalized Rate Search
Lead Capture
Loan Officer Listing and Assignment
Push Notifications
Loan Status Updates

Check out the Plans, Pricing, & Features.

The ECHO experience, the finale.

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:31:00 GMT

The ECHO Experience, The Final Steps
- Guest Author, Miranda Tharp, CSR @ Mortech

The last portion of the ECHO process has been a little less exciting than the other two (you can read about them here: Part 1 & Part 2.) I spoke to an ECHO representative twice since the last blog. The ECHO process has been a huge help though, it actually works very well. The process takes patience and understand that when they say it will take six months, that is an average time frame and it could be longer, since each person’s situation is different.

At the beginning of this process I had very poor credit, but after eight months of writing letters to the credit bureaus to drop things off my credit report, my score has improved by 49 points - to me that is amazing. Plus, things still come in the mail every day to be disputed and fall off my report, so that number is increasing every day.

It’s a learning experience and takes life altering dedication. This process has taught me how to manage my credit report, watch for things that should not be on my report, and provides me the details on how to improve my score. I will continue to work on things that are in my control and continue to monitor what I can’t. This process has helped me with so many aspects of life. I cannot recommend ECHO enough. They did all the hard work, even some things I wasn’t aware could be done and guided me on how to get it done.

A big thanks goes out to the ECHO process and all the people that make it possible!

Exciting News to Share: We're Joining Zillow

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 21:30:00 GMT

Just a few minutes ago, we announced some exciting news. Mortech has agreed to be acquired by Zillow. You can read details in the press release here.

When we first launched Mortech 25 years ago, we started with a simple objective of bringing the power of technology to help mortgage professionals grow their business. 25 years later, we are extremely proud of the software solutions we have built to expand on our core product and pricing engine. As of today, we have hundreds of customers using our suite of software solutions that include our pricing, lead management, lock desk, and custom website solutions.

Today, we’re excited to join Zillow because we believe that their resources, brand and team will enable us to broaden the reach of our products and deliver even better products to the mortgage professionals who use our service.

We've been impressed with the massive audience Zillow has been able to attract - in September, more than 35 million unique users visited Zillow site and mobile applications, and 1 million borrowers submitted loan requests on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace. In addition, they're led by a team that deeply understands technology and the mortgage industry and shares our commitment to arming mortgage professionals with the tools they need to do a great job serving their borrowers.

With Zillow as our partner, we can help our clients attract and convert even more borrower contacts to funded loans. Having a well-financed and growing company like Zillow behind us will also allow us to invest heavily in our product and support teams to deliver powerful new innovations for our lenders.

The ECHO button experience, Part 2.

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:48:00 GMT

Part 2 of 3: How the ECHO button helps consumers prepare for a home loan.

- Guest Author, Miranda Tharp, CSR @ Mortech

I’ve been using the ECHO program since May and wrote about my initial experience when I started the program. The beginning of the process was very smooth and helpful with understanding what would happen and what to expect. Midway through this process, I have heard from two of the three credit bureaus, I have been setup with a credit rebuilding credit card, and a few dispute letters have been sent to creditors. ECHO has told that me this part of the process would take some time due to waiting on the letters to be received and depending on the legal process with each creditor.

Last week I received an email from my account representative from American Family Office (ECHO.) She wanted to make sure that things were still moving forward and to see if I had heard from any of the credit bureaus. Since I did hear from them, I let her know that I will be sending them to her this evening. She told me the next step would be for her to review them and then she’d contact me back immediately to explain what each meant. I can assure you, if anyone has seen a credit dispute then you’d know how confusing they can be.

I’m pleased to know that they’re incredibly patient and willing to explain this process, the things that I don’t understand, and the timeframe it’ll take. I really appreciate the representative that I’m working with and the fact that she understands my situation and makes sure that I stay on track. I was very impressed when she asked me how my children were doing, I feel like more than just a client to her, I feel she cares about my well being. The personal touch and understanding goes a long way.

One ECHO button customer’s experience.

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 19:36:00 GMT

Part 1 of 3: How the ECHO button helps consumers prepare for a home loan.
- Guest Author, Miranda Tharp, CSR @ Mortech

I’m going through the process with America’s Family Office Or Home Trac (ECHO button) to prepare myself to be in the position to buy a home in the next year or so. Buying a house is not something that I can afford as of right now; however, after hearing about the ECHO button’s process I was excited that someone was giving me a chance, and I regained hope.

I started out talking to a gentleman that was very friendly and easy to talk to; he was knowledgeable about the credit process and answered all of my questions. He even explained the process to me - including what would happen next and what to expect.

I got a phone call the very next day from a lady who was also very kind. She asked me questions about my credit history, my situation, and what I thought that I could afford in a house. We talked about a budget, savings, and my credit score. She explained that the process will take a while but to be patient. She told me to expect an email or call from the lawyer that they use and the process was set in motion.

I received an email with a financial analysis that next day. It was personalized to me with my credit information, the budget that we had discussed and what the plan was to work on my credit. Additionally, it broke down the monthly payments for a house based on my price range that we had discussed and included strategies I could participate in to help my credit.

All I had to do was set aside 30 minutes for a consultation, send in a copy of my driver’s license, a current bill in my name, and be patient. The process is very easy and stress free. I have been very satisfied with the experience and can't wait to write more about this process!

Read Part 2:

Good Customer Service is Great for Business

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 15:56:00 GMT

Customer Service. We all hear about it. We’re taught about it. We’re told we need to do it well. Heck, we expect it ourselves from others. Most likely if we’re honest, it’s not always the easiest thing to do. We all have bad days. Not to mention customers that don’t always lend kindly to us wanting to treat them well.

The mortgage business adds a very unique set of circumstances to customer service. Most likely your clients are making the biggest, most expensive purchase of their lifetime. The money is big. The terms are big. But more than that, it’s a home. Memories are going to be made here. Families are going to be raised here. And the majority of their life is most likely going to play out here. Doesn’t THAT kind of decision deserve some customer service?

Recently I refinanced our home with a different lender than I originally made the purchase with. In all honesty, I expected the refinance to go like a breeze. Looking back now, it really did. However the customer service aspect was completely different than when I purchased the home. Which makes a drastic difference when I’m referring others to a lender.

Obviously comparing a purchase to a refinance transaction are a little different. When comparing the service you receive though, there’s really none. I really found three different things that affected my experience with different lenders.

Communication
Accuracy
Trust

All in all, these three things things really went hand in hand. Most importantly, when communication was bad, it seemed like the other two followed suit.

The biggest difference between my two mortgage experiences was the communication factor. My first loan officer kept me up to date on everything that was happening. Returned every single email I sent within a timely fashion. And made sure I knew what was going on during each step of the process. All of this lead to me trusting him and the numbers I was seeing. When something changed, he told me honestly. When I was missing documents, I knew. The appraisal came back, and I found out immediately. Sent to underwriting, approved, closing date set. I was up to date. It made me comfortable with my decision. All of my questions and concerns eventually vanished. I expected the service and I got it. The only part I didn’t know, not every mortgage purchase goes this way. Not all loan officers were like him.

My refinance was the polar opposite. Now don’t get me wrong, this loan officer was extremely nice. But that only gets you so far when you are talking about my finances. I constantly had to email, call, and update the loan officer on what I was doing. Which seemed a little backwards. I felt like I was the one pushing the transaction ahead. Emails were hardly returned without a follow up email from myself. The numbers for closing seemed to go up and down all of the time. Once time higher. Then lower. Then by closing higher again. When documents were missing and underwriting needed them, I had to call to ask if everything was moving along fine. Approval from underwriting? No idea. Closing date. Once I emailed to see if underwriting went through, I got a return email asking me if I can close in 2 days. Frustrating to say the least. But I pushed through because, well, rates were LOW!!

Maybe my expectations were set too high because of my first loan officer. Maybe he spoiled me and ruined any chance for another loan officer to live up to the expectations he set. Possibly he set the bar too high for everyone else. But most likely, he’s closing a lot of deals. Gaining customers for life. Gaining referrals from every single customer he helps get into a house. He’s got every one of my referrals. Did he do something so extraordinary that no other loan officer could possibly ever do. No, he just used the tools he had and the understanding to make a customer feel important and involved.

He’s also on vacation right now in the Caribbean reaping the benefits of what he’s sown.

*Photo Courtesy of 401(K)2012

Is Your Appraisal Process Slowing You Down?

Thu, 03 May 2012 18:25:00 GMT

How many times have you heard the mortgage industry is changing? After all, isn’t change what defines an industry? If there were no variables and barriers, everyone and anyone could be a successful mortgage banker. Truth is, the only constant in our industry is change. Some changes are temporary and some are inflection points that are sure to change the identity of the industry forever.

While ten or fifteen years ago it was understandable to be a skeptic of incorporating online tools into your loan process, today’s most successful businesses, whether a fortune 500 company or a local boutique, have accommodated online strategies into their former strictly brick-and-mortar model.

In the mortgage industry it’s understood that getting to the lead in an efficient manner has a big impact on your bottom line. What happens when your competition gets to the prospect before you? The online customer experience starts at lead inception and doesn’t stop there.

Take for instance ordering appraisals. Some loan officers are still ordering appraisals through phone lines and on pieces of scratch paper. The appraisal process boils down to two things you should be concerned about:

Is my appraisal compliant with industry standards?
Is my appraisal accurate?

Not only does ordering your appraisals online meet these two requirements, but most online appraisal ordering platforms have the capability to transfer this content securely to your LOS - making it the most efficient median.

It comes down to one question. Do you want to embrace the future of lending or resist it until it’s an industry standard?

How do you currently order your appraisals? Learn how to order appraisals the MarksmanLMP way.

photo courtesy of degelia

Two Marketing Essentials for the Modern Day Mortgage Banker

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 21:01:00 GMT

So you know how to close loans once they get in your pipeline - but that’s only half the battle. Conversion means nothing if you can’t get your company name in front of peoples’ eyes to gain their initial business. Today’s society is saturated with advertisements. If you’re not advertising yourself while simultaneously offering the potential customer something of value, chances are they won’t remember you. This dilemma raises a very reasonable question: How do I get my brand in front of more people through a targeted and reasonable median?

Below are two, easy value-adding ways to get your brand in front of more people online:

Marketplaces and loan comparison tools

No more junk prospects - a lot of loan comparison tools now require customers to enter personal information before they allow them to receive a rate quote, so you can be sure the prospects coming into your pipeline are genuinely interested. Moreover, some of these tools are becoming more intuitive; for instance, Closing Corp's SmartClosing mortgage calculator features closing costs and other vital home buying information built into them.
Even for banks without the lowest rates, loan comparison tools are a great way for you to keep your brand on the top of consumers’ minds. There is no denying that your competitors are already present on these tools, why not compete with them for the brand recognition of your logo and rates at the same time?

Social Media

Some think social media is a complicated time drain and that’s not always the case. Blogs are a fast, easy way to stay relevant in your market. You’re already an industry expert, why not share some of that knowledge with a potential homebuyer and earn their business? They’ll be a better informed homebuyer while also viewing you as a knowledgeable resource.
Twitter and Facebook also require minimum effort. It’s as simple as posting a link to an article you found interesting that pertains to the mortgage industry along with one or two sentences describing its relevance. Then start engaging in online conversations.

If you’re not moving forward with your marketing efforts, you’re moving backwards. Be louder and more valuable than your competition.

photo courtesy of Victor1558

Do you like to manually gather mortgage application information?

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:10:00 GMT

I hope not...

One of the common occurrences mortgage originators run into is gathering all the necessary information from a potential borrower. This can range from basic contact and loan scenario information up to a full mortgage application.

What if I were to tell you there is an easier way?

Would it be worth exploring that option?

What if this same option was something you already have as part of your current technology?

I understand the daily struggles and manual processes operation and production managers want to eliminate. That’s why Mortech has developed the Connect feature as a part of the new MarksmanLMP.

I’ve had too many conversations with originators that force borrowers to either:

Print off a PDF from their website and return to them via email or worse yet, send them a hard copy through mail.
Visit their website to submit an application that generates a duplicate file in their Lead Management System, Loan Origination System or Point of Sale System.
Communicate information over the phone from the borrower on a notepad, bar napkin, or some other method that’s not electronic and will need to be re-entered manually into your tracking system.

Next time you engage with a borrower and need more information, try sending them the Connect invite from MarksmanLMP. After they accept your invitation through their email, you and the borrower can work on the mortgage application together. If the borrower can't do it on the spot, they can login to Connect at any time and add to their information. Plus, it’ll track their progress in MarksmanLMP so you can see their changes.

We’ve already given you one more tool to close more loans efficiently, you might as well use it...it’s paid for!

If you want to make your life easier and get started on Connect, feel free to contact me.

Doug Foral

Director of Operations

doug.foral@mortech-inc.com

402.441.4647

Photo Courtesy of katerha

MarksmanLMP, Mortgage Insurance at the Touch of a Button

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:15:00 GMT

Technology today is so useful, with the touch of a button on a phone app, you can start your car, lock its doors, activate the security system... and as you read this, there's probably an app to parallel park it too.

All of this can be done without even leaving the comfort of your home.

MarksmanLMP is exactly like that. Automation with the touch of a button, without leaving the comfort of your account, no more opening seperate browsers or windows just to hunt down mortgage insurance rates. The latest integration with Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC), brings in one more powerful tool, getting competitive mortgage insurances rate quotes through MarksmanLMP's product and pricing engine.

It's a hassle free way to get mortgage rate quotes simply with a few clicks of your mouse. It requires minimal effort to get mortgage insurance rate quotes plus, there are options to make it customizable and adjustable for specific loan scenarios.

It's just another handy automation, that uses the two-way data exchange to simplify and streamline your lending strategy, creating faster loan closing processes and increased profitability. If technology can can make your car automatically comfortable, secure, and ready to roll, it can do the exact same thing for your clients.

Connect Q&A with Mortech President, Don Kracl

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 15:42:00 GMT

With the March 1 release of MarksmanLMP, Mortech introduced an all-inclusive, online mortgage application portal called Connect. Below is a brief Q&A interview with Mortech president, Don Kracl, about the release of Connect.

What makes the Connect application different from other online mortgage applications?

I realize it’s easy to see Connect as just another online mortgage application, but it’s much more than that. Connect is an opportunity for loan officers to get in touch with a potential borrower within seconds regardless of median – walk-in, phone call, or internet. As long as you have the prospect’s email address, you can invite them to Connect. When designing the product, we focused on three key aspects:

First, was making sure the branding of the bank was not lost. We knew we had to make it simple and transparent for consumers, so it wouldn’t dilute the credibility of the platform and confuse the user. Even the email initially sent to the customer is company-branded, so whether you're a mid-tier bank with 50 loan officers or a boutique with 3 employees, Connect constantly puts the consumer in touch with the lender's brand.

Second, Connect is also a place for consumers to search for and build a team of real estate service providers around the home closing process. They can search by zip code to locate the right provider. By adding this feature we're allowing the customer to stay on the site, gain familiarity and build trust with the bank's brand.

Lastly, the application auto populates any information the consumer enters back into Marksman (our lending management platform). So loan officers only enter mortgage details once and from one platform. Moreover, the application doesn't need to be completed in one session. When consumers create an account, Connect automatically saves their progress for the next time they work on it - which makes the application process less intimidating for consumers.

Could you elaborate on the integration with your lending management platform?

The back-end side of the portal is completely controlled by the loan officer through our lending management platform, MarksmanLMP. The loan officer simply clicks on the "Connect" button when they pull up the prospect's information page. The loan officer receives email notifications when the consumer has started and finished the mortgage application. Also, the loan officer can view how far the consumer is in the application through a progress bar on the prospect's page within MarksmanLMP. Any information entered by the consumer into Connect is automatically populated into Marksman, so loan officers never have to rekey a prospect's mortgage application.

So consumers need an invitation to fill out the mortgage application?

Eventually, consumers will be able to access the application on their own, but right now they need an invitation from their loan officer who is a MarksmanLMP user. It may seem backwards, but by requiring an invitation for consumers to participate, we can be sure the communication between loan officers and consumers is solid. Plus, all of mortgage professionals who will use Connect already rely on us for product, pricing and lead management tools - now those customers have the same trusted source for the next step in the mortgage process.

Are you interested in learning more about Connect? Mortech is hosting a demonstration webinar on March 8.

Build Your Own Robot With MarksmanLMP Widgets

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:48:00 GMT

Building an effective and functioning mortgage homepage to help borrowers is like building your very own homemade robot. It doesn't have to be complex, but instead of using second-rate electronics and old metal garbage cans in your garage, why not use the best tools to make the coolest robot possible?

If you're an admin looking to gain an edge on your website, MarksmanLMP's widgets can be embedded directly into your site, making it a slick and valuable tool to attract borrowers. Simple, easy-to-implement tools on your homepage help your borrowers make smart and fast decisions. Best of all the only thing you need to do to utilize these powerful tools is "copy" and "paste" their coding. Then let these widgets do all the work:

Instant Rate Finder - Just a few clicks and borrowers can access rates with laser-like speed.

Max Mortgage Calculator - Borrowers can precisely check the maximum amount they can afford on a home.

Mortgage Calculator - Break down loan answers, such as loan amount, type, interest rates and taxes throughout the term of the loan.

Rate Snapshot - Place up-to-date rates in front of your borrowers so they can choose when it's the right time to purchase.

Rate Tracker - No more hunting down rates, they're delivered via email, right to the borrower.

Short App - Borrowers can start the loan process with just a few pieces of information.

Should I Refinance - To refi or not to refi, that is the question. This widget can help the borrower with that answer.

Any mortgage data borrowers input is automatically populated back into your MarksmanLMP account. So start "programming" your borrower communication strategies and embed the widgets today. Or sit in on one of MarksmanLMP trainings to see how its done.

One BIG Deal: Mortech is a Giant of Innovation

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:00:00 GMT

Mortech was recently selected as one of HousingWire's Giants of Innovation. Being an innovator takes HUGE ideas with titan-like capabilities. Mortech is proud to be recognized by the publication.

HousingWire's Giants collection is a series of publications featuring the top Default Lawyers, REO Agents and Mortgage Technology Innovators. Each Giant was selected to be a part of the ensemble because of the reputation they hold, their commitment to superior customer service and their dedication and hard work in the industry that they serve.

According to HousingWire “The firms within this site are some of the most innovative, forward-thinking companies in the industry. We proudly feature the products or services that have made their businesses–and the companies they do business with–leaders and innovators. The profiles within contain detailed descriptions and visually stunning representations of the products or services they offer.”

As the industry’s first and only Lending Management Platform, the Giants of Innovation article highlights MarksmanLMP. Mortech's Lending Management Platform is a new way to look at the mortgage sales process. Managing and tracking your leads is essential. The solution encourages lenders to prospect potential borrowers before they enter your LOS. Check out the article to learn more about the innovative process.

Mortech Makes Mortgage Banking Software Look Good | 3 New Changes

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:03:00 GMT

Mortech never took its tuxedo off from the New Year's Eve extravaganza... and guess what? That fancy new look is here to stay. The next release is sure to be filled with all sorts of eye-appealing, benefit-filled features. What does this mean for our users?

Intuitive, inviting interfaces, so everything's easier to find.

1. NEW Dropdown Menu (Available in March's upcoming Release)

Easily access rates, prospects, products and reports from every page within MarksmanLMP with the newly revised menu.

2. NEW Dashboard (BETA version available now)

MarksmanLMP's new home dashboard equips administrative users with:

lead source scorecards
loan officer scorecards
prospect pipeline snapshot
MBS Quoteline Graphs and news (for current subscribers)

3.NEW Prospect Landing Page (available in March's release)

Updated from November's release, users will be able to modify fields without leaving the page. Moreover, users can easily take notes and keep track of a prospect's status while setting up task reminders.

Why isn't there a picture of the new prospect landing page? Well, that's because it is too intense for a blog posting. You'll have to wait for March's release to witness its capabilities.

Do you remember the last time you were this excited about mortgage banking software? Us either!

Mortech Gives Back

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:31:00 GMT

The employees of Mortech love nothing more than giving back to their community. Just last month, they got scruffy for Movember and raised over $1,300 for issues affecting men’s health.

This warm December, employees decided to donate to the Salvation Army.

Every holiday season, Salvation Army organizes a toy and food drive. Families are given a two-day span in which they can go to Salvation Army and collect items that will help them have a better holiday season. This year, The Salvation Army teamed up with Toys for Tots, enabling the organization to offer two gifts, a stocking stuffer and book for every sponsored child!

Each family also receives groceries to prepare a home-cooked holiday meal.

This year, the four employees chosen to relive their childhood and go on a shopping spree were Doug, Jared, Jessica and Chantelly (pictured above from left to right). Eleven carts packed full of toys and three hours later, the toys were delivered to The Salvation Army.

Mortech matched every dollar the employees donated out of their own pocket. This year they reached a grand total of $5,190 – topping last year’s $4,100 donation to Cedars Home for Children.

Happy Holidays and safe travels from everyone at Mortech!

Have you met MarksmanLMP's new neighbor? OrderProUSA

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:09:00 GMT

Guest blog by Dan Hermanson, OrderProUSA

'Tis the holiday season! Joy is in the air, parking spots are rare, our wallets are getting lighter, and our jeans are even tighter. The stores are packed, the gifts are wrapped, homes are glowing, oh my it's snowing!

This time of year we spend it with those most important to us, our families. Our families are our core, our support, our backbone. The holidays should be cherished with our loved ones.

Here at OrderProUSA, we take great pride in our family. We are more than an appraisal management company, we are a family. Made up of some of the most unique people around, each of us at OrderProUSA brings our own personality to the table.

We would like to introduce ourselves as the new neighbor who just moved in. While we've been around a while, we enjoy meeting new people. Like your family, OrderProUSA is here for you. No annoying prompts or operators to go through, just a helpful smile on the other end to assist you.

Try us out! Simply place an appraisal order with OrderProUSA through your MarksmanLMP, sit back and relax. We cover all 50 states including Puerto Rico. We have the tools and experience to keep you updated throughout the process, or simply give us a call! We have headsets permanently glued to our highly trained staff’s heads all day long waiting to talk to you. And we don’t take breaks or sleep or even blink! Once the report has been completed by our network of Quality Certified Appraisers, we run it through an extensive Quality Control review to meet all guidelines including USPAP, Dodd-Frank, Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac UAD, FHA, and USDA, so you can spend your time on more important things like selling and closing loans, not revision requests. And oh yeah, “Compliance! Compliance! Compliance!”, are all met with ease. As easy as Compliant Santa eating Compliant cookies. With our lightning fast turn times, your present will be waiting for you under the tree in no time!

OrderProUSA wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday. We look forward to you being a part of our family!

Photo courtesy of fathero9

Got Moustache? Mortech does.

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:37:00 GMT

Been seeing a lot of moustaches lately? Well, so has Mortech. That’s right; Mortech hopped on the good ol’ healthy bandwagon and participated in Movember this year.

What’s Movember you ask?

On November 1, freshly-shaven participants begin growing a moustache and continue growing and nurturing it throughout the course of November. They essentially become a walking, talking advertisement for men's health issues. Moreover, participants get people to donate money out of the kindness of their heart ...or by promising them they can choose what kind of moustache you grow - either way!

The proceeds go to charities such as the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG, The Lance Armstrong Foundation. In addition, Movember raises overall awareness for prostate cancer and other health issues affecting men.

Employees raised $688 with Mortech matching that number dollar-for-dollar - all together raising $1,376. Congratulations to our three top-raising participants and our best moustache and facial hair winners.

Top-Raising Participants:

Dale Preston: $241 (top right)
Jared Nielsen: $170 (the guy in the sunglasses)
Jason Zelenda: $90 (bottom right)

Category Winners:

Best Moustache: Dale Preston (top right)
Best Facial Hair: Justin Baker (the guy in the Hawaiian shirt)

Did you or anyone you know participate in Movember?

Avoid a Rope-A-Dope with Lender Connect

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:30:00 GMT

When a consumer begins the long journey of finding a mortgage, they are like a boxer whose career has just started - completely unaware of the proper technique and most likely expending too much energy.

It is your job to act as their trainer. You have to give them the proper tools they need to finish the deal as quickly as possible. After all, the quicker the fight, the quicker you get paid - don't be afraid to give them all of your resources upfront.

Marksman's Lender Connect allows you to act as their trainer; it delivers all the essential homebuying tools to consumers and adds to your credentials as an industry expert.

Feature the following tools on your website:

Market Snapshot - Show off your company's daily rates on an easy-to-use grid
Rate Tracker - Send rates to interested prospects via email
Calculator Widgets - Allow consumers to calculate how much of a mortgage they can afford and whether they should continue to rent or buy
Dynamic Rate Look Up - Deliver real-time rates to consumers based off of their individual scenario and FICO score
Web Applications - Gather information and prequalify consumers directly from your website (short form or long form loan scenario applications)
Consumer Connect Access - Invite consumers to fill out a 1003 application and search for real estate service providers
Landing Page - Educate consumers about all of the tools they need to succeed (Coming Soon)

*Photo courtesy of binkybink

MarksmanLMP Is The One That You Want

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:53:00 GMT

Sound the music. Marksman has evolved.

Lately, Marksman has been feeling like Sandy Olsson from Grease - out of place. We're not a Pink Lady product and pricing engine - we're different. We have a perm and cherry red lipstick.

Long story short, we got a makeover and have expanded into the industry's first Lending Management Platform.

While we didn’t put on skin-tight black pants (although a few of the guys in the office still choose to wear them on casual Fridays), we did give Marksman a snazzy new user interface emphasizing expanded functionality.

The new MarksmanLMP simplifies, automates and organizes your lending process. From lead acquisition, assessment and marketing to processing, the lending management platform qualifies leads long before they get to your LOS.

Core features include:

Expect MarksmanLMP's releases to be more saturated with lending management platform goodness. Moreover, don't forget Mortech always takes suggestions on how to enhance its functions, so contact customer support if you have any ideas you'd like to see implemented.

If you liked what you just read, feel free to take a look at the new website.

If you hated what you just read and like to dance, check this out.

Now if we could only get one of those flying cars like at the end of the movie...

Photo courtesy of cupcake_s

Mortech "Best of Worst" Contest Winner

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:34:00 GMT

Congratulations to Janet Duffy of Towne Mortage of the Carolinas - she was our Grand Prize winner for Mortech's Best of Worst iPad 2 contest! The contest was created to uncover the obstacles the mortgage community faces when attempting to connect with real estate service providers.

Janet kindly agreed to speak with us, beyond the 400 characters maximum for the contest entry, about her winning entry, and we got an in-depth, personal account of some of her obstacles.

She mentioned she spends several hours going over people's personal financial information, the customers trust her to give them all-around good advice - including service provider recommendations. Janet said currently "it can take an hour to find someone and try to figure out if they will be an acceptable provider," and when searching for providers the old-fashioned way (Yellow Pages or Google), you're most likely going to get a tech-savvy company or a company that has paid for an advertisement rather than the best person for the job.

Janet also talked about how everything that touches a mortgage transaction is a reflection of herself, considering she is the face of the transaction. She said "If I recommend an insurance agent and they don't respond, the borrower will start to think I'm inept."

The Solution:

TheMorty.com. Streamline the process by searching for service providers through an unbiased search engine, so you can ensure that the top companies are not just people paying for advertising space.

Thanks again for your input, Janet.

A Snapshot of PMI Over the Last Four Years

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:18:00 GMT

The recession that sparked in early 2008 is still having effects in today's economy; but the once distraught housing market is making a slow but sure rebound - and here's a little evidence.

Present Day

The number of August defaults was 48,187; and for the last seven months PMI defaults have been under 50,000. This number is comparable to the number of defaults in August 2006 (before the housing crisis), which was 44,918. This recent activity may indicate that the housing market is rebounding.

The Peak of the Housing Crisis

PMI defaults rose above 100,000 for two months (December 2008 and January 2009). Typically the number of PMI defaults falls around the low 40,000’s.
The number of applications received for PMI in December 2008 was 61,597. This number is double the number of applications received in August 2011 (30,702). This statistic is supported by the idea that it is presently harder for potential borrowers to qualify for a loan – especially when the LTV is above 80%

Obviously the entire housing market can’t be summed up into a five digit number; but, nevertheless, the number of defaulted loans doesn’t lie. Green pastures are on the horizon.

Luckily for loan officers that have weathered this storm, MarksmanLMP automatically determines PMI guideline eligibility for every loan scenario and supports all major PMI companies, such as MGIC, MGIC Credit Union, Genworth, Genworth Credit Union, United Guaranty, Essent, CMG Credit Union, Radian Credit Union and Radian Platinum.

*source: PrivateMI.com

Mortech Ventures to the MBA

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:57:00 GMT

...please give a warm round of applause for our next poet.

(golf claps and snaps)

(clears throat)

Away fly the account executives
If only for a brief stint
Headed to the MBA annual conference
Hoping to mingle and mix

Mortech has some brand new news
And plans to give away an iPad2
So please leave a business card
Unless your wish is to lose

All of this is available at booth three seventeen
Followed by nights with business meetings in suites
All with the hopes to fill loan officers' lending management dreams

The windy city's cold this time of year
Oh won't you please say hi to us
While you're here

*Photo courtesy of prithis

Marksman Marketplace: Mortech's Newest Masterpiece

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:40:00 GMT

What if Van Gogh never contrived a miraculous starry night on canvas?

What if Michelangelo never shared his interpretation of the creation of Adam?

What if your mortgage rates NEVER saw the light of day?

Don’t undersell your mortgage rates. Your rates are an intricate, detailed masterpiece. Isn’t it time that you shared those masterpieces with the world? After all, is there anything more beautiful than to share art with the world? It’s so beautiful it almost makes us want to cry. Almost.

Think of The Marksman Marketplace as an art gallery- a tranquil venue to show off your real-time rates, so they can be admired by potential homebuyers across the nation. By populating rates directly from your Marksman account, you can promote your company to national outlets such as:

HouseHunt.com - real estate search engine with 2.6 million listings

Paradigm Visions - member-only website with foreclosure and government owned listings

FSBOAmerica.Org - all-inclusive FSBO resource center with 40,000 visitors per month

MortgageDaily.com - nationally-recognized mortgage news source

PinchLeads Mobile App - the #1 downloaded mortgage rate app on the iPhone

Marksman Mobile App - free application supplies your real-time rates to any iPhone or Android user

AND COMING SOON...

Closing.com- provides up-to-date information about real estate closing services and rates across the nation to help real estate professionals and consumers find and compare service providers in their area. Closing.com will soon be available on the Marketplace

Think of these interested prospects as enthusiastic art lovers. Earn some new admirers. Make some new friends. Get yourself out there.

Find out more about Marksman Marketplace today!

Photo courtesy of Banalities

3 Ways Mortgage Bankers Can Defeat Boring Emails

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:43:00 GMT

In this week’s episode, our caped loan crusaders find themselves fighting the genetically mutated generic emails.

Pow! Zoink! Wham!

Holy vampire fad, Rateman. These emails were once a much more inspired kind of creature, but it appears they're becoming more and more generic, heartless and uninformative. Email campaigns are losing their human compassion at a cataclysmic rate. We once were able to get borrowers to respond, but it appears consumers have stopped responding to the old techniques. And now our leads aren't closing...

Oh look! The rate signal! Let’s talk to the commissioner, hopefully he'll know what’s been going on.

Hey commissioner, what could possibly be causing these email campaigns to turn into mind-numbing drones and make our leads disappear into thin air?

Commissioner: Rateman and Robin, I'm only going to say this once, so for goodness sake listen up! You're going to defeat them with three strategies that will reverse their genetic makeup:

Get your leads attention: Nobody wants to read an email just about how great you are. Sure they want to know you have some credentials, but what they really want to know is you have something to offer them: something with interest and substance, something that will lead them on the right path… No pun intended. Create a captivating subject line and capture their attention in the first couple of sentences.

Be enthusiastic: Don’t mistake this for being laid back. Too laid back could diminish your expertise, while at the same time being too professional could hint that you don’t have a personality. So let your personality shine and tell them why you're the best man/woman/product for their problem.

Always stay relevant and Consistent: Make sure you setup follow-up email campaigns relevant to the lead’s first product inquiry. For instance, Marksman’s email campaigns and RateTracker feature allow you to include real-time rates that are relevant to a particular lead’s original loan scenario. On another note, if there was no initial inquiry, make sure your initial email offers tangible, educational information about the product you’re trying to sell them. Be a mentor and maybe they'll trust you enough to move forward with the deal.

Thanks commissioner! Boring emails beware; we’ve now got the skills to take you down!

Photo courtesy of balenski