On Sunday my wife received a liver transplant. Four days before that I asked all of you to say a prayer for her. This blog goes to 7,000 people, and on average I get 400-500 replies on my weekly trivia question, but last week I had over 1,500 of you reply to me saying how much you cared and giving us your thoughts and prayers! From the bottom of my heart – and from the bottom of my wife’s new liver – we want to thank you so much!!! I had never believed in the power of prayer before this because every time I prayed for the Bears to win a big game or for my Rogaine to work it never happened. But last week’s responses – man, they really blew me away – I love you all and can’t thank you enough! Okay, moving forward – I’m leading off the blog with a couple liver quotes – and let me tell you, Mortgage Fans, I had to research 75% of the total data on the internet to find any quotes on livers – they both are weak so no complaining!
Liver Quote of the Day: “A bad liver is to a Frenchman what a nervous breakdown is to an American. Everyone has had one and everyone wants to talk about it.” – Art Buchwald
Today in Economic History: It was on this day in 1836 when the U.S. Mint, in keeping up with the latest technology, began using a steam-powered press to make coins. And in continuing today’s lesson about the Mint, here are some fun facts.
Wuss’up This Week: Lots and lots of economic reports coming out that can impact interest rates this week. Today we’ve got the New Home Sales Report (expected: 820k), tomorrow Jobless Claims and Durable Goods Orders (*this is a report of how many consumers are buying big-ticket items that last more than three years, i.e. refrigerators, cars, and the tangerine-pumpkin scented candle my mother-in-law bought me 11 years ago), and tomorrow the U of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Report (*while we are speaking of colleges: Let’s go, Jayhawks!! Kansas gave me the best 7 years of my life! Just kidding – 4.5 years. Hey, speaking of 4.5 is that where rates are today???)
Interest Rate Update: I imagine if I fell into a coma in December 2021, woke up now, and you told me rates were near 5% I’d be thinking I was asleep for years. And truthfully, I could use a good nap right now because these rates are making me tired. Okay, let’s get this over with: Today’s 30yr conforming fixed rate (*that’s for any loan amount at $647k or less) is around 4.75%, and a conforming 7yr ARM at 3.75%. Jumbo 30yr fixed rates (*over $647k) are at around 4.0%-4.375%, and jumbo ARMs in the middle 3s. As usual rates will vary based on type of home, equity in the home, your credit score, and if you’ve ever come up with a brilliant design.
Don’t Forget to Remember: Any purchase or refinance that closes with me I will waive $575 in lender fees! Grab yourself a cup of instant karma and pass my info along to any friends, family, coworkers, or people who discover cool details about their clothes that can use this gift!
Liver Quote of the Day 2: “I wear my heart on my sleeve. I wear my liver on my pant leg.” – Steven Wright
Timeout for Trivia: Congrats to those who guessed Ice Cube last week. Want to be entered into a drawing to win a Slinky T-shirt? Simply email me the answer to this week’s Who Am I? question. Good luck: “It was on this date many years ago when I won an Academy Award for Best Actress, and wow – can it get any better than that, or is this….?? I made some other movies too that you might’ve liked: Remember that one in ’96 about a certain kind of weather that happens this time of year (R.I.P my costar, great guy), or the one in 2000 where me and my costar spent a helluva long time apart, he almost left me in that movie for another man. Well, not man, but an object that identified as a man. In real life, I was married for a minute to a guy who was a lot of guys (i.e. Moe, Chief Wiggum, and Apu to name a few).”
