The 5 Step Plan
To Making An Impact

I would like to start off by wishing everyone a Happy Holidays and thank them for the hard work and dedication this past year. 2005 was a stellar year for AMS, with a 40% increase in sales. Keep up the good work.

The philosophy I live by and that I founded this company on is this: I believe every one of us has the opportunity and responsibility to make an impact on the people around us. You never know when you can make a positive impact on a person's life. To translate this into a business philosophy: You never know when you will have an opportunity to receive a referral or create a business relationship. I use a five-step plan to help develop new recruits and relationships.

The Five-Step Plan:

Step 1. Modeling - The trainee will "watch and learn" and follow the experienced person through the entire process. They watch every move that is made and learn what they can.

Step 2. Mentoring - The mentor and the trainee continue to work side by side but the mentor takes the time to explain every move and why it is done.

Step 3. Exchange - The trainee actually performs the tasks while the mentor assists and corrects any mistakes made along the way.

Step 4. Motivation - The mentor makes sure that the trainee is at the point where he or she can succeed and that in itself is motivation.

Step 5. Multiplying - The trainee becomes a mentor and both can begin the process again.

Obviously this is a perfect model for a branch manager/loan officer relationship, but can also be modified to recruit realtors into a partnership.

It is more important to develop quality relationships by using all five steps rather than trying to develop more relationships too quickly by skipping steps.

Anyone that is involved in teaching will realize that the teacher gets more out of the relationship, because they have to be prepared to teach and in the preparation they grow personally.

• Help your borrowers reach their financing goals with The AMS - Argent
        Fully Amortized 40/30. With no balloon payment!

• Pays down interest and principle during the entire loan term, building equity

• Lower monthly payments for a longer time

• Starting payment used for qualification

• Applies to Prime Advantage and Credit Advantage loans

Hi from Compliance,

Remember: You can download disclosures into point. Specific instructions were in the last issue of AMS Insider. Archived issues of AMS Insider can be found at www.amsbank.com/
newsletter_archieve.html.

Another helpful web site is www.calyxsupport.com/down/index.htm. Calyx provides the latest forms from here if you need them before the next version is released. It is a good idea to check the site monthly for new forms and helpful hints!

I hope each of you had a great Thanksgiving Day!

Elaine Ashton 21 years of wedded bliss!

Elaine Ashton at her desk

The room full of flowers from Elaine's Husband Brian

Elaine and Brian in Vegas

Elaine Ashton (AMS Branch Processing Manager) and husband Brian enjoyed their 21st wedding anniversary on Nov 17, 2005. As teenagers, the couple met at a rodeo in Montana and has been inseparable ever since. After their beautiful wedding in Montana, they lived for a short period in Brian's home country of Canada. After Elaine became pregnant with their first child, Dannielle, they moved back to Missoula, Montana. Soon after Dannielle was born, they had a son, Jared and another daughter, Sabrina. The couple moved to Arizona in 1998 to pursue their dreams in a bigger city with many more opportunities for their entire family. Brian currently owns and operates a closing agency called AtoZ Notary. They enjoy spending time watching their son play football and their daughter in cheer. Their oldest daughter is the head processor for AMS Branch Operations Processing Dept and also is pursuing her degree in Business and Science at Arizona State University.

Mortgage Rates Drop According To Most Recent Surveys

Fixed mortgage rates barely budged during the week ended November 17 according to Freddie Mac's Weekly Survey. Both the 30 and the 15-year fixed rates increased 1 basis point over the previous week, averaging 6.37 and 5.90 percent respectively. Fees and points were also up from 0.5 to 0.6 for the 30-year but remained unchanged at 0.6 for the 15-year.

The two adjustable rate mortgages tracked by the corporation increased by a more marked amount. The 5/1-year ARM was up 5 basis points from 5.81 to 5.86 and the 1-year jumped from 5.12 percent to 5.20 percent. Fees and points were unchanged at 0.6 for both products.

The Mortgage Bankers Association, however, recorded across the board decreases in its weekly survey for the week ended November 18. The 30-year fixed rate mortgage was down to 6.26 percent from 6.33 percent the previous week with points, including the origination fee, decreasing from 1.26 to 1.11.

The 15-year fixed rate mortgage also decreased, averaging 5.83 percent compared with 5.87 percent a week earlier. Points were down to 1.12 from 1.24.

Even the one-year ARM, was down five basis points from one week earlier at 5.41 percent although points did rise slightly from 0.97 to 0.99.

Mortgage application activity was off on a seasonally adjusted basis from the previous week and down substantially from the level one year ago. There was a 3.4 percent decrease in the Market Composite Index from the week of November 11 on an adjusted basis and a decline of 11.8 percent from the same week in 2005. On an unadjusted basis, however, activity was up 4.8 percent from last week.

Refinancing as a percent of total mortgage volume dropped below 40 percent for the first time in months, decreasing from 40.4 to 39.9 in a week. Adjustable rate mortgages, however, continued to hover around 1/3 of all applications, increasing to 33.2 percent from 342.9 percent during the week of November 11.