Award-Winning Canadian Artist Paints U.S. Flag on Indiana-Built Hummer Driven by Romanian-Born and German-Raised Mortgage Broker

How to Get a Smile in Today's Real Estate Doldrums

MIAMI, Nov. 6 -- Life's tough these days working in the south Florida real estate industry. Put all the sellers, brokers and agents together and you'll barely find a smile in the bunch.

Miami mortgage broker, Stefan Dragitsch is on a personal, and professional, mission to change that.

As such, he commissioned award-winning graphic designer Jason Gateman to create a one-of-a-kind mural on an H2 Hummer. The mural, an artistic representation of the US "Stars and Stripes" graphic, was chosen as it was symbolic of the United States' history of fulfilling patriotic dreams.

Dragitsch, a U.S. citizen since 1992, explains his motives this way: "I came to the U.S. in the mid-1980's with 2 suitcases, $1,000 and a ton of hope. And though I have been realizing my dream on a daily basis I know a lot of folks have lost that spark. I truly hope this artistic gesture helps remind people that the dream can still be lived."

"Even if you work in the real estate industry, in Miami," he quipped.

Getting someone talented enough to do the job was no easy task. And in a bit of irony, he needed to source the skills from outside the U.S. Donating his time and expertise to the project, Toronto-based Jason Gateman became a willing accomplice, who specializes in motor vehicle murals and who had recently won an award in a motorcycle design competition sponsored by the Discovery channel.

The hand-painted mural required 19 different steps and took the artist nearly three weeks to complete.

"I went through two gallons of clear coat, just to seal the artwork," stated the artist, "but it looks so good, I didn't want to chance getting it scratched up."

"I saw it when it was probably a mile away ... you can't miss that thing," said local resident Yvette Betancourt. "And you can't help but smile when you see it."

The Hummer will be available for public appearances in addition to its regularly planned street tour within the greater Miami market.

About Wall Street Mortgage Corporation

Founded in 2004 by Stefan Dragitsch, Wall Street Mortgage provides comprehensive mortgage broker services for individuals and businesses.