So I opened my mail today and I got a letter from Direction Financial, Inc.  The first paragraph reads:

"Your name was given to me by Equifax Credit Bureau and the Better Business Bureau for considering a refinance or a new purchase at this time.  Please be very careful as to the unethical tactics of many of the brokers currently in the business.  The reason that your name was given to is because of my honesty and attention to detail in regards to the biggest investment of your life:  your mortgage."

Now, what's wrong with that paragraph?

1. What's the likelihood Equifax or the Better Business Bureau just called up DFI and said, hey contact Regina Thurston. She wants to refinance or buy a new house?
2. I am not looking to refinance or purchase at this time, although I was in November 2007.
3. Unethical tactics?  Well, the letter doesn't actually reflect pure honesty, nor is it blatanly full of lies.  It's just that the entire letter is a sales pitch designed to persuade me to consider DFI as a mortgage broker source.

The irony of this letter is that I have credentials for debt consolidation and could process my own refinance with CitiGroup, if I so choose, which I do not at this time.

I guess I was supposed to be impress that DFI offers rates as low as 5.25%.  Low is relative.  Currently, the prime rate is 6% and could conceivably be lowered to 5.5% on March 18, 2008.  I'm already eligible for a home equity line of credit for prime minus 1% which means a 5% interest rate and possibly a 4.5% interest rate soon.  So I should be impressed by by 5.25%?  I think not.

The letter is accompanied by a one page company brochure that indicates that DFI is a member with perfect standing with the Better Business Bureau.  Whatever!