As a loan officer with Ruoff, I like to think of my role as a facilitator. If I can be the link to a better life or financially improved circumstances for a family, then I want to help them get there. In a way, I suppose my role is to simplify the process and make things as stress free as possible. I work to put my clients’ minds at ease. So many people feel like getting a mortgage would be too complicated, too time-consuming, or expensive. I love walking them through the (sometimes) daunting process of refinancing and getting preapproved. I feel so thankful when I’m trusted with their personal information and the very roof over their heads. I take that responsibility seriously.
I thought being a single mom would be the greatest challenge of my life, but it wasn’t. Convincing myself that I could go back to school and start a new career so close to 50 years old was really the biggest obstacle. Once I convinced myself I had it in me, I realized everyone else believed in me all along. I don’t think success is something that can be judged by a dollar amount or a shiny car. I think it’s in the way a person carries themselves. It’s in the way a person walks confidently or the lines of worry across their face. I know that my daughter is watching me and how I deal with the ups and downs of life. If I don’t give up, maybe she won’t give up when she gets to a crossroads someday.
I’m not the type of person that gives up easily – I’ll just find another way. I strive to be kind and helpful. I want to know that I have made a positive impact on someone every day. Working as a loan officer with Ruoff has given me this opportunity. Ruoff seems to have found a way to keep a loan flowing through a system seamlessly. The group goal of keeping that loan moving and getting it closed is so refreshing in an industry that can, at times, appear to be fighting amongst itself to prove why it shouldn’t close. I think the difference is in its people. We are genuinely passionate about our jobs, our work, and making things happen. Not to mention that I work on the Bernhart Team! This team is firing on all cylinders and works as one to get things done right and as soon as possible. What an amazing feeling to know that I’m not alone in working on each loan!
The best advice I would give someone looking to buy or refinance is to ask if your lender makes you feel that they are in this with you and for you. If it feels like you and your loan is lost in the shuffle and your circumstances aren’t that important – you’re probably right.
