8th Annual Client Appreciation Night

Food Drive in Response to President Obama’s Call to Service Surpassed Expectations

[singlepic=459,320,240,,]To everyone who so generously responded to President Obama’s call for Americans to join in service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., THANK YOU!

On the eve of President Obama’s swearing in as the first African-American President of the United States, men, women and children from around the San Gabriel Valley joined me in my effort to collect food for the Foothill Unity Center, demonstrating once again Obama’s ability to inspire average citizens.

I decided to help in a simple way, by putting out a request for others to join me in collecting food for the Foothill Unity Center. I got the word out in two ways; I emailed everyone in my personal address book (190 contacts) and also put out the call by word of mouth. In addition, I used USAService.org to announce my event online. Many people registered there and committed to dropping off food during the Call to Service on MLK day. [singlepic=463,320,240,,right]

Thanks to your generous contribution, close to 2,000 food items and toiletries were donated to the Foothill Unity Center. Items donated included canned goods, cereals, pastas, rice, beans, and health items such as, shampoo, toothpaste, soap and toilet paper. The Unity Center offers assistance to low-income neighbors from eleven local cities: Altadena, Arcadia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Bradbury, Duarte, Irwindale, Monrovia, Pasadena, Sierra Madre and South Pasadena. Last year, they distributed over two million pounds of food to over 2,200 unduplicated very low-income local families. They also provide clothing, limited motel vouchers, and referrals to the homeless and people in crisis. So rest assured that your bags of groceries will make a difference for families here in our own neighborhood.

[singlepic=471,320,240,,]I take very seriously Obama’s urging to make this year a continuous effort of community service. Therefore, I commit to coordinating these food drives every quarter to help feed those who need food for their families. As this year’s Monrovia Citizen of the Year, I feel compelled to reach out in other ways, as well, to help my fellow community members in any way I can.
Contact me for more information about volunteering opportunities

MLK Food Drive’s Participants

Arden, Felice
Arguijo, Denise
Balsamo, Diane
Barltlett, Sylvia
Barnier, Christine
Baum, Jordan
Baum, Linda
Baum, Mar
Bead, Ann
Bencosme, Andy
Brown, Cheryl
Bull, Sheldon
Carmack, Allison
Carnighan, Deanne
Carter, Charles
Cash, Francie
Cervantes, Pat
Cervantes, Ray
Chattersee, Saswati
Cole, Britt
Connally, Kate
Conway, David
Cote, Jessie
Crowell, Cyndie
Ezin, Max
Faibis, Nancy
Forbeck, Betty
Gandy, Margaret
Garcia, Tony
Garemore, Margaret
Geltz, Christine
Giangregorio, Kathy
Girl Scout Troops 637 & 366
Gonzales, Pamela
Hansen, Vicky
Hastings Family
Hiestand, Laurel
Hiestand, Richard
Johnson, Karen
Lawless, Elaine
Leavens, Hal
Lopez, Samantha
Lutz, Mary Ann
Macy, Maryanne
May, Nancy
McCabe, Rosemarie
Mills, Alycia
Mills, Vanessa
Miner, Paula
Murphy, Deborah
Mullenix, Sharon
Norton, Barbara
Norton, Ralph
Nunez, Diego
Olsen, Joey
Olsen, Lindsey
Otis, Julieane
Phillips, Annemarie
Reck, Jan
Reck, Melissa
Reilly, Collen
Riko, Tom
Rosas-Petty, Yvonne
Savan, Adolfo
Scafidi Leiva, Gia
Scott, Jeanine
Shelton, Kirk
Shelton, Rachel
Shevlin, Chris
Singer, Jeri
Smith, Stephanie
Sotelo, Aaron
Soto, Pam
Sparks, Cameron
Sparks, Dave
Sparks, Deb
Sutherland, Gary
Sutherland, Karen
Taylor, Vermel
Wilson, Barbara
Wong, K.K.
Wray, Amanda
Zucco, Alexandra
Zunino, Ellen
Donna Baker, Dickson Podley Realtors, Monrovia

What’s Really Going on Out There? And How Will This Affect Me?

A few years back I read former Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neill’s, autobiography “Man of the House” and found it very entertaining. The master politician had, throughout his career, made observations about life and human nature that had served him well in achieving his goals. His political savvy came to my mind this week as I watched some of the unprecedented negotiations going on in Washington. In my opinion, his famous quote “All politics is local” rang truer than ever. I might paraphrase that today and say, “All economics is local.

I received several calls this week, asking the question, “what’s really going on out there?” and many asked “how will this affect me?”

As I have repeated in the past, we just don’t have all the answers. That being said, in an attempt to try and answer, factually, a very small portion of the questions in many of our minds, I want to recap some of the mortgage industry’s current circumstances.

Fact #1: As an industry, lenders have returned to more traditional underwriting standards. Many of those standards are the same ones that were in place when I started in this business 23 years ago. At this time, with good credit, a reasonable down payment and verifiable income, you can get a loan at pretty remarkable rates. Without those items, it’s tough.

Fact #2: Lenders are scared. They may not verbalize it to you that way but the reality is, they are scared. That is not a criticism, heck most days I am scared. Everyone is looking over their shoulders, questioning every move they make. The affect of that fear is that they scrutinize every loan and ask questions to the point we often say “you’re kidding, right? But they are not, and answer we must.

Fact #3: Every one is treated the same. What I mean by that is, because “all economics is local” and there is nothing more local than our own households, we tend to take it personal when an lender asks us to dig a little deeper with an answer or verify a particular circumstance. You should see my face turn red with frustration and I wish I could tell you that will change soon. I do not think it will.

Fact #4: What can change is our preparation and our ability to take a “can do” approach. We must know that it is not us personally being challenged but an industry, attempting to right the wrongs of the recent past and we are all caught in the current. No need to fight the current, it is stronger than us as individuals and it will only wear us out. Swim with the current, like it or not, and look for the opportunity and we will make it through. A bit tired, somewhat bruised but make it we will!

I hope this information is useful this week. I wish I could offer more but truth be known, I know little more than most, supplemented by what I read in the industry news, and of course what I experience in my small world. All economics is local, even at BWA.

All the Best!

Floyd Walters

BWA Mortgage
1035 Foothill Blvd
La Canada, CA 91011

818 952-2726
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