Stressed?

What do you do to when you’re feeling stressed? We don’t all have the perfect lives and things don’t always go according to plan so you should have structures in place to help you cope. Some of the great strategies I use are starting my day with a 20 min meditation thanks to the Headspace app and other than it’s regular daily exercise. A nice 5K run or 30 clean & jerks for time are great ways to clear my head. I also find that listing to classical music particularly relaxing when going for a run is not possible, and who doesn’t live a great piece by Rossini???

Whatever you do to cope with life’s stresses just make sure it’s constructive and doesn’t make your life overall worse. Chances are someone has already gone though what you currently find yourself struggling with. Having friends or family members to speak with always helps as well.

Today I am thankful for the fact that my teenaged girls have summer jobs to get them out of the house, great friends and family who are there to check in with when the road seems rough and the delayed onset muscle soreness from a great workout.

“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” William James

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Square pegs into round holes

They say that trying to get someone to do something that they didn’t intend on doing is like trying to fit square pegs into round holes. I view my position as a mortgage broker the same way. I am not doing this to convince you to get a mortgage or heck to even convince you to work with me. Both of these things you must decide to do on your own.

Lots of people ( less now actually given the price of real estate) buy homes with out mortgages, and there are plenty of other people doing the same thing I am doing. My role as I see it is to provide the potential clients with the best information possible so they can make an informed decision about this process. If they decide that they need a mortgage and they want to work with me then fantastic otherwise I am off to help the next clients.

Today I am thankful for the support and encouragement of close friends as I faced a surprising challenge recently, for seeing deer on my walk with the dog last night in the middle of Halifax and for always having options for solutions to current problems.

“Defeat is a state of mind; no one is ever defeated until defeat is accepted as a reality.” Bruce Lee

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Impossible to it’s possible

If you are reading this right now and you are going through a hard time in your life and you’re wondering how it will ever improve, just know that it is most definitely possible. The internet if full of stories of people who bounced back from what appeared to be absolute failure.

JK Rowling was a single mother living on government assistance, now you would be hard pressed to find anyone who has not seen or read the Harry Potter Books. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and it now known as the greatest basketball player of all time. Colonel Harland Sanders struggled from odd job to odd job most of his life, unsatisfied with his first Social Security cheque he started selling his secret recipe for chicken from restaurant to restaurant for what would now become KFC. Last but certainly not least, newly minted Olympic Champion Kelsey Mitchell didn’t own a bike 4 years ago and now she has a gold medal in track cycling.

Today I am thankful for the ability to start again but better each and every day, that I was able to fit in a quick run before the rain started and the sacrifices made by our Olympic athletes to succeed at the games this year.

“Start by doing what’s necessary, then do what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible”. St Francis of Assisi

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

A very fine line

There is a very fine line between being consistent in your follow up and taking it way too far. One way shows that you care and you want to help and the other will end up getting your calls blocked and being a pest. If you go on a date with someone and you have a good time you don’t call them 24 times the next day as that is not the way to get a 2nd date. Open and honest communication is the best way to manage expectations.

Our business development managers and underwriters at the banks are dealing with 100’s of files all at the same time. To our clients they have only one loan request but expectations must be managed. The best way I find is by providing all the necessary documents up front and upon submission of the file.

Today I am thankful that our Canadian Women’s Soccer team finally won the gold medal at the Olympics, a file complete just before a deadline expired and the beautiful warm rain of this morning.

“Courage is crossing a starting line.” Amby Burfoot

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Golden

Our lone Canadian medal winning man just won his 2nd this Olympics and it was a good one. Watching Andre De Grasse win the 200M race was amazing. Donovan Bailey who won in Atlanta in 1996 commented how that although he did’t win many races in the Diamond League leading up to the games, he fine tuned his technique so it was perfect at the right time.

What are you fine tuning currently so you will be ready for the big day? Since I am a mortgage broker, what are you doing to prepare for the purchase of your home? Are you improving your credit, if not you should be as better credit will get you better interest rates. Are you saving for your down payment, although there is a lender locally who will do 100% financing you will pay higher rates than if you had the minimum 5% down payment. Focus on your daily improvements and you will get there.

Today I am thankful for Andre’s gold medal performance and the 1st win for a Canadian man in that event since 1928, fiercely proud of all our Canadian women athletes as they showed all the men how it’s done and weather the Canadian women win gold or not tomorrow in the soccer ( football) final I could not be more proud of them.

“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.” Pierre De Coubertin founder of the modern Olympic games.

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here


Emancipation Day

Although yesterday was the official day, we are off today to mark the 188th anniversary of the abolition of slavery across the British Empire on August 1st 1833. It is important to mark this day as we all deserve freedom, justice and equality and should not be treated any different based on the colour of your skin, your religion or sexual orientation.

Today I am thankful for freedoms that we have today that were fought for by the past generations, a trip to the gold medal match for our Canadian Women’s soccer team and having more options for solutions to previous problems.

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Learning

If things went right the 1st time you did them how would you ever learn. We crawl before we walk, and walk before we run and frequently we fall in the process. It’s by failing and getting up and doing it again that we learn to perfect our approach.

Today I am thankful for all the learning experiences that have brought me to where I am today, the rejuvenating nature of a mid afternoon nap and the smile that comes from hearing someone’s big bell laugh.

“Every champion was once a contender who refused to give up.” – Rocky Balboa

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Practice what you preach

There is no easy way to say other than yesterday was a monumentally challenging day on many fronts. Nobody died or was diagnosed with a terminal illness but was challenging none the less. I talk about positive mindset all the time and yesterday it was time to put into practice what I preach on a daily basis.

Today I am thankful for my support system as I would be lost without them, that inside every challenge is an equal sized opportunity and that I read all those personal development books for a reason and now it’s time to put them to work.

“We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, to fall to the level of our training.” Archilochus Greek Solder 650BC

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

WFH

WFH or Work From Home is what many of us have been doing since the start of the Pandemic. Although I have always had a home office and worked from home, it has been an adjustment for many others. Those who have small children or live by themselves may not have enjoyed the transition as much. My wife has been working here since last March. Although she has wonderful co-workers we do not miss the two hours of commuting 5 days a week. Thankfully our children are older ( 16,16 and 14) and tend to entertain themselves, they loved having her home.

What has really made this possible is all the advances in technology. Years ago when I started working from the house I had to have separate phone lines installed and frequently had to leave for face to face meetings. Now we have Zoom for virtual meetings. VOIP for the phone system so no extra line needed. VPN and remote desktop for secure connections to all our important stuff. I am sure there are people who missing going into the office, sadly it’s not us.

Today I am thankful that my will be able to continue to work from home, early morning Olympic action before anyone else got up and a happy clients closing on her first home.

“If working remotely is such a great idea, why isn’t everyone doing it? I think it’s because we’ve been bred on the idea that work happens from 9 to 5, in offices and cubicles. It’s no wonder that most who are employed inside that model haven’t considered other options or resist the idea that it could be any different. But it can.” Jason Fried

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Mental Health

So often people don’t realize the stresses and struggles that others are going through until they are forced to take a “Mental Health” break. This has recently been brought to light by two prominent female athletes namely the greatest American Gymnast Simone Biles and Japanese tennis phenom Naomi Osaka.

While physical ailments such as breaks, sprains or tears are seemingly straight forward to address and treat, mental health struggles go undetected until the pain or stress is too much to take. While I would never profess to know the amount of stress these athletes are under I would imagine I would imagine it is monumental. I applaud them both for coming forward and asking to take a break for the sake of their own mental health.

Arranging clients mortgages can be challenging and stressful at times. My preference is to remain calm and cool at all times and focus on solutions in stead of on potential or existing problems. Getting all paperwork up front is the biggest help in making sure that stress is kept to a minimum. Things do come up from time time, it’s how we deal with it that counts.

Today I am thankful my built in alarm clock that wakes me everyday, the great support system I have with my family and friends and glad I have exercise as my outlet when the days have been tough.

“Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind always.” Robin Williams

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here