If your response was, "that's me," then you are not alone. There are literally tens of thousands of loan officers and real estate agents who are in your situation. I am personally right with you. In fact, in what seems like overnight, I went from earning $20, 000 to $30, 0000 in gross fees every month to about half that. Worse yet, it is taking double the work to get those results! Sound familiar? I am not going to go into the challenges we are all facing as mortgage and real estate pros. We all know what is going on. The bottom line is this; it is much more difficult to originate loans and sell homes today than it was just 1 year ago.

So what to do? Well, you could stick with it and try to outlast the market. You could change directions altogether and find a new profession. Or, perhaps you can look at the mortgage meltdown as an blessing in disguise. I can hear you saying, "what in the world is this guy talking about?"

I am not going to sit here and sugar coat things. So here's the deal. I am definitely a glass half full type of person. I would argue that most people who are in a commission only career are that way or else they would have chosen career paths that come with a guaranteed salary. So, while many may look at the mortgage meltdown as the end of the road, many have made the decision to look at it as an opportunity to start something big. Let's face it, as 100% commission loan officers or real estate agents, you have been running your own business anyhow. I think that is the reason many are starting up home based businesses.

When choosing to make the change to a home-based career, there are a few main areas that are directly impacted. These include family, income, time and freedom.

Families are the reason we go to work everyday. It is our responsibility to provide our families with a good home, and other basic needs. Make sure you talk it over with your family about your home business so that you have their support and understanding. The last thing you want to do is start something without the support of your family.

Makes sure you plan a budget for home and business. Typically, there is a start up period before businesses create a steady income, so planning ahead and making sure your bills are covered for a minimum of a couple months. You should plan on the costs of operating your own business. Will you need to build a website? And what about advertising?

You will free up more time by starting a home business. However, you have to create a healthy balance between personal and business events in order to achieve that. Becoming a workaholic will end up in less family time, while excessive time spent for your family will lead to less focus on business needs.

Therefore, spend time to research, plan and communicate before deciding to start a home business. It could be the difference between your success and failure.