Happy Holidays!

Wishing you a Happy Holiday Season!

This year we started a new tradition, prompted by yours truly, of putting out Santa pictures since we had our first child (Luke) in 2004.  What I always find fascinating is how frightened little ones are of Santa. I wonder if it’s the beard, hat or just the whole red/white combination. Anyway, we’ve had kids crying in pictures most years, but this year has to be the best non-crying picture we’ve been able to get thus far. Libby & Darcy (18 months), Seth (3), Luke (6) Libby & Darcy (5), Seth (7) and Luke (10) As I started to look at the pictures I was struck by the changes in our family as we grew from one child-to four-in a five year period. Then, another five years later how we’ve graduated from the baby/toddler stage to the little/big kids stage.  While I loved it while they were little, I cannot tell you how grateful I am to be able to go out without a diaper bag, changes of clothes or back-up snacks. Now that I’ve come out of that parental haze created by a perpetual lack of sleep, I now realize that they grow up too quickly…..and that in less than five years my oldest will be driving a car! So, here’s what I want for Christmas…for my kids to stop growing up so fast.  In the meantime, I’m going to savor every minute and try to make the most of this Christmas season. Whatever holiday you celebrate, I wish you many blessings and a Happy New Year. May 2015 be the best year ever for you and yours!

Worlds Greatest dad

So my kids told me I was in the running for the Worlds Greatest Dad competition again this year but I told them #Frisco has tons of great ones!! Great work to you the great dads!!!!

Happy Summer!

My hope is you are having a great start to your summer. It is tough to get up each morning as we tend to stay up later each year as the kids get older.  I am sure that this trend will reverse as the kids get older and don’t want to hang out with us as much as with their friends – so happy for this time and seeing them enjoy this awesome time of the year.

Like in the recently released LEGO Movie (that we have seen each day since it was released) Everything is Awesome!

Happy Mother’s Day!

It’s Mother’s Day and time to celebrate those mothers around us!  Mothers are powerful influences in our lives and not one of us would be around if it wasn’t for their presence. I am the kind of guy who cannot wait until my kids are old enough to start coming up with ideas of things to do for their Mom on Mother’s Day vs. me trying to patch something together. It’s not that I don’t want my wife to feel special, but I’m not a Pinterest kind of guy. Today, however, I’m going to share some of my favorite ideas gathered from friends and previous years of trial/error.

Don’t let her do any “Work”

One of my most successful years was when I didn’t let my wife lift a finger. Not for dinner, not for diapers and not for dishes. Not ONE finger. The only challenge is figuring exactly which chores my wife really did, and did not, want to do. This is when I learned that best part about this approach is that it lets her be around the kids while avoiding chores she detests.

Homemade Gifts from the Kiddos

This is pretty much a slam dunk! I’m happy to say that if you’re lucky enough to be in a school system like mine, the Art Teacher kindly plans a craft for the kids to take home for Mother’s Day. It’s awesome. If not, head on down to Michael’s/Hobby Lobby and pick up some craft paint, wooden garden stakes, chimes, door sign, etc. Then you just have your children paint up a storm and present her with their original artwork. If you have time, throw on a coat of clear spray paint to help them last longer.

A Late Sleep.

It’s been ten years since we had our first child. Followed in close proximity by three others, Julie and I have just recently have been able to sleep in beyond 7:00 a.m.  Two weekends ago we rolled over it was after 8:00 a.m.-WOW! The point of this is that it has probably been years since either of you have really slept in. Give her the gift of sleeping in or just a lazy morning with coffee delivery. She’ll love it.

Pick Three!

This isn’t my original idea, but one I learned from a friend. Just ask her the three things she wants to do on Mother’s Day and the three things she doesn’t. That’s it-no mystery and 100% what she wants on her day.

Kid’s Choice with Dad Veto.

While it can be a bit risky, I do like asking the kids what they would like to do for Mom on her special day. About 80% of the time the ideas have merit and the other 20% require you to exercise a Dad Veto. These typically fall along the lines of “Hey-let’s take Mom to McDonald’s and play at the indoor playground!”  Ummm…..No.  I am pretty much sure that is more for you than your Mom. You get the general idea.

No matter what you choose, if you just make sure everyone tells Mom how much they love and appreciate her–I’m sure she will be happy. The above ideas are just a few things that might help make the day even more special. Let each of us be grateful for our own Mother, as well as the other ones in our lives.

The freedom of a bicycle

Today was a big day in our home – my boys road their bicycles to school! Maybe the best part is I got to ride with them and hope to keep doing that as my schedule allows!

Do you remember the freedom the bicycle gave you when you were younger! A time as a kid when you had mobility and could be even more adventurous.

But as a parent – the fear I have is the cars seeing my boys. With narrow roads, cars parked on the streets and tall fences that seam to come right to the curb – visibility is poor at best. Please keep your eyes open drivers – you have two of my favorite people now out there “commuting” with you!!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is almost upon us–a time of much cheer in the Davis House! I’m grateful for another awesome year of mortgage business, with over $25 million in closed loans. I could not have done it without my clients, an outstanding processing/underwriting team and the support of my family.

My family is what grounds me, and I always like the vibrating excitement that comes from my kids this time of the year.  They make the holidays so festive with their various Christmas activities and the ever-present longing for that special gift from Santa.  This year on the Santa list we have a Fire Station and Pirate Ship Legos (Luke-9, Seth-6) a teddy bear (Libby-4) and the Doc McStuffins Check-Up Center (Darcy-4). Santa might have a bit of a challenge with getting the Doc McStuffins one down the chimney as that thing is huge but we’re sure he’s got a plan!

Meanwhile, on my wish list is to be the lucky winner of at least one of the two categories I was nominated for in Frisco Enterprise’s Reader’s Choice awards; Best Financial Services and Best Mortgage Lender categories.  If you haven’t had a chance to vote yet, please take a moment to do so, I would greatly appreciate it. Julie’s hoping for a keyboard for the iPad so when she helps me with research on some of my articles, she can actually type.  It’s been great having her home the last two years, but I can tell she misses working and that a change on that front is likely. So, if anyone wants to hire someone part-time with fifteen years of marketing and HR experience you might want to give her a ring.

No matter what Santa brings, we are grateful for all of our many blessings and the real gift of Christmas: Christ.  May you have the best Christmas ever and I look forward to seeing everyone in 2014.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

I hope you’re all enjoying the day with your friends and family!

Invest in the people who’ve invested in you: Your Parents

Over the past few weeks we’ve been talking about a variety of ways you could take advantage of the continued historically low interest rates. This week I would like to focus on how you can take advantage of certain programs to help your parents. One of the biggest challenges for parents can be transitioning from one home to another both financially and emotionally. If your parents are transitioning to another home, or looking to downsize, or perhaps just want to have a second residence near grandchildren-there’s a way you can help.

Currently, adult children can purchase a home for their parents at the same rate for which they would normally qualify when purchasing a primary residence for themselves. Like any other loan, you have to qualify for it using your credit and income, but it offers a way for you to help your parents at the best rate possible. Let’s walk through some scenarios where this could be helpful:

Challenge #1: Parents don’t want to liquidate investments, limited cash access

Even if retirees have investments, it can take time and be fee intensive to convert those funds into cash to purchase another home while they transition out of their original residence. Then, they have to go back and reinvest the proceeds from their original home after it’s sold. Between that, and boxing/sorting through a lifetime of household goods, moving is HUGE pain.  Financing your parent’s new home on a temporary basis could help ease the burden of the overall transition for them.

Challenge #2: Parents cannot afford to transition to new home without selling their current home

Few of us could afford to move to a new home without selling our existing home. The timing between getting everything out of your existing home, and closing on your new home can be fairly short. Many parents could really benefit from being able to transition over a few months, rather than the “rip off the band aid” move experience that most of us suffer through.

Challenge #3: Credit Worthiness

Each of us has had different levels of credit worthiness during our lives, including our parents. Health issues, medical expenses and other life changes can all contribute to making things more difficult financially. Depending upon your parents circumstances, you might be in a position where your financial and credit position is better at this moment.  If your parents are looking to downsize, etc. and need to finance a home, working the loan through you could help lower their monthly payment.

Challenge #4: A Second Residence would be beneficial to your Parents…and You!

When I was a kid, almost all my family was within relatively easy driving distance. Today is seems families are spread all over the country and it can be hard to see each other as often as we would like. A second home can offer a way for your parents to be closer to what’s important to them-which is most likely is either you or (let’s face it) their grandchildren.

Nothing is better than giving back to your parents a little slice of what they’ve always given to you: love and support. If you’d like to learn more about this loan program, please feel free to reach out to me to discuss. These are just some of the ways in which adult children can give back to their parents.

Union Pacific Big Boy 4018’s move home to the Museum of the American Railroad in Frisco

Union Pacific Big Boy 4018 made the trip from Fair Park in Dallas, Texas,  up to its new home here in Frisco!  This thing is huge and, for the most part, this was the first time it had really moved in over 50 years!

Because I am “that dad”, I took the kids on a picnic lunch below the Windhaven bridge near Plano to watch. It did not disappoint and they were good sports about it.

Did you track the train’s movements and go see it? Read all about Big Boy and the new Frisco Museum here.

Happy Father’s Day!

 

 

Happy Father’s Day to all the great dads! Enjoy your day!