why i got into the mortgage business

I was recently asked why I got into the mortgage business 20+ years ago, and I thought it might be a story with sharing…

When I moved to SC I was working in software, and decided to buy my first home. I had zero knowledge of the mortgage industry. My REALTOR (who I met at an open house) referred a great loan officer who presented some reasonable options to me. BUT, I had dreams of being a real estate investor and ran into a seasoned investor who also did mortgages (and eventually tried to hire me). He told me about this “amazing” pay option ARM loan (also known as a pick-a-pay loan, and now more or less illegal to close). If you are not familiar with that loan, good for you, but it is characterized by a variable rate, and multiple payment options each month, one of which is negative amortization.

I did close on the house, and a few weeks later that loan officer brought me over to his office to see if I would be a good fit. He told me all about the pay option ARM. Most notably to me, how much money he made on these – typically 5% to 8%. I asked about conventional and FHA loans – he told me they didn’t pay. I really didn’t know what I didn’t know at that point, but I knew I didn’t want to do this.

But I was hooked on real estate. I responded to a Craigslist employment ad (remember those) and met with a manager that was willing to take a chance on me. Mostly because I had a software background and no one at the office there knew how to spell PC 😊

Within a year, I was competing for the top spot at the office, and within 2 years, the crash happened. I was one of the only people at the office that had kept a list of their past clients, and actually reached out to them regularly, and that got me through the crash.

Cut to 20 years later and I am running my own boutique brokerage based on doing everything the right way for my clients and referral partners. I have brokered, worked for big banks, done correspondent lending, etc. I have trained over 50 loan officers and been a top producer most of my career.

But what gives me the most joy is providing a truly awesome experience to home buyers. And I know of no better way to do that in our current market than a hands on personal experience combined with the low cost and flexibility of brokering.

And even though they paid a lot, I never closed a pay option ARM. I’ve never raised the fees on a client mid-process. I’ve never ducked a tough phone call.

It’s an honor to have the chance to work with you, and I take that responsibility very seriously. But I also want you and your clients to have some fun, and feel the joy that comes with getting a great deal, great service, and a lifelong relationship. I am here to help!