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Top 100 Loan Officer 2015

Cambria Mortgage’s Loan Officer Joe Metzler, out of their St. Paul, MN Office, has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Loan Officers in the Nation by Origination News, coming in at number 98. Read the list at http://tinyurl.com/ljqqkbj

Top Loan Officers 2015This is another is an ongoing set of accomplishments for Mr. Metzler, as he was also recently named the Minnesota Mortgage Associations 2014 Loan Officer of the Year.  Joe Metzler has been a top producing Loan Officer for Cambria Mortgage since 2000, and has over 20-years industry experience.  Joe has received other awards in recent years in recognition of his outstanding service and dedication to the mortgage industry, including:
  • 2011 – Top 40 Most Influential Mortgage Professions to Watch (NMPM)
  • 2010 – Top 150 Loan Officers in the Nation by Dollar Volume (Origination News)

Joe Metzler is a certified MMS (Minnesota Mortgage Specialist). Less than 1% of Mortgage Loan Officers in Minnesota have completed the requirements to earn this designation. This is just one of many ways that shows Joe’s dedication to his career.  His track record is exceptional by any standard. He believes in doing the job right the first time and providing a service you can depend on.

If you’d like to have Joe as your Loan Officer, he is licensed in MN, WI, IA, ND, SD. He can be reached at (651) 552-3681, or you can apply on his web site

Advantages of a Mortgage Professional vs Application Clerk

Advantages of a Mortgage Professional vs Application Clerk

Buying a home is an expensive proposition, and usually the largest single financial transaction of the average persons life.  Not all mortgage loan officers are created equal.  It is important to understand the advantages of a true licensed mortgage professional,  versus an unlicensed application clerk.

A deserved premium is always given to those Loan Officers who have deep knowledge and understanding of the dynamics of mortgage financing and loan programs. They are an asset for different kinds of clients because of their life experiences, loan experiences, wisdom, and resourcefulness.

Most people simply contact their bank, and whomever answers the phone is who they entrust with the mortgage.  Why?  The next biggest group of people use whomever their Real Estate Agent suggests.  Why do you blindly trust these people?

Licensed versus Unlicensed

If I asked you if you preferred to work with a licensed or unlicensed Loan Officer, the answer is pretty simple. Just about everyone would say a licensed person. Yet the vast majority of Loan Officers do NOT have an individual Loan Officer License.  Depending on where they work, they are not ever required to have a license.

licenseIf they work at a bank, credit union, or mortgage company owned by a bank or credit union, no licensed required. If they work at a mortgage broker, or other non-bank owned lender, a license IS required.

But just because a licensed is not required, does not prevent someone from getting a license. If they really cared about you, and being the best they could be, they would show it by obtaining a license. This proves to clients they have met the requirements for background checks, schooling, passing testing, and continuing education.

How to Check for a License

All Loan Officers must have a tracking number, known as an NMLS number (Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry).  This is NOT a license number!

nmls

To verify a Loan Officer is Licensed, not simply registered, go to the NMLS Web Site at www.NMLSconsumerAccess.org.  Type in the Loan Officers name or NMLS number.

Towards the bottom of the page, it will say State Licenses/Registrations, or Federal Registration.

If it says: Federal Registration, and Federal National Mortgage Originator. This means the person is NOT Licensed

If it says: State Licenses/Registration, then lists one or more states, this means the person IS Licensed.

Who to Choose?

I am not saying that the person who is simply registered and NOT licensed is a bad person. I am not saying they don’t have experience. I am not saying that a person with a license is a good person…

But what I am saying, is someone who has taken the time to pass the required background checks, taken the schooling required, pass the required state and federal tests, and receives mandatory continuing education each year show you the consumer that they are true professionals. If the person you are working with doesn’t have a license, ask they why? An answer of “I don’t need one” is a poor answer.

Clients enjoy a peaceful mind knowing that an important aspect of their lives is in the hands of a highly professional Loan Officer. This draws the line between application clerks and real professionals.

In the context of service, respectfulness, dedication, and commitment to helping others, I am choosing a Licensed Professional, regardless of the industry!

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Joe Metzler is a Senior Mortgage Loan Officer for Minnesota based Cambria Mortgage. He was named the 2014 Minnesota Loan Officer of the Year, and provides Home Mortgage Loans in MN, WI, IA, ND, SD.

He can be reached at (651) 552-3681

Is a Bank Better than other Mortgage Companies?

Is a Bank Better than other Mortgage Companies?

Need a Mortgage Loan?  Where do you get the best deals? Banks?  Brokers?  Direct lenders?

Minneapolis, MN:  Getting a mortgage loan feels complicated and overwhelming for many people, as they worry about getting the best mortgage deal.

ScreenShot12345Generally speaking, there are three ways to get a mortgage loan:  From a Bank or Credit Union, a Mortgage Broker, or a non-bank direct lender (also known as a correspondent lender). All three will get you a mortgage loan, but which one gives you the best deal?

Almost without fail, your best bet is with mortgage brokers and non-bank direct lenders, and your most expensive is with banks.

Why are banks usually more expensive?

It is actually really simple. All lenders get their money from the same bond market on the same day at the same time.  All lenders closing costs are virtually the same.  All lenders have the exact same base fees, and third party expenses to pass along (appraisal, credit report, state deed taxes, title company expenses, origination, processing, etc).

So if all lenders get their money from the same source, have the same basic costs, and underwrite to the same guidelines, why are they more expensive? Profit margin. Profit margin is where it is really at when comparing lenders. The bigger they are, the more they advertise, the faster you should run away. This also included big internet lenders – like the so called “Quick” one.

You see, if my wholesale cost of the loan is the same as everyone else, but I don’t have all the overhead of bank branches on every corner, and I don’t have the overhead of all the advertising they do – I can offer better deals.  It is no more complicated than that.

The other big items is that there are shopping advantages as well to not use a bank. When a customer uses a bank, they only get the bank’s loan products, that one banks rates, and generally a Loan Officer who is more than likely an unlicensed application clerk versus a fully licensed professional Loan Officer.  Non bank lenders generally have multiple wholesale lender contacts so they can shop between them for a better rates, and more product choices.

Why Brokers and direct lenders are better 

The whole concept of mortgage brokers is they are usually smaller, they can do it faster, and with less overhead.  They get a wholesale price for the money from the big banks for delivering a loan to them dramatically cheaper than the bank can do it for themselves, and that better deal is pass on to YOU!

Correspondent direct lenders are even better, as they are sort of really like a broker on steroids. These companies, unlike brokers, actually shop various lenders nationwide for final placement of your loan, but underwrite and close the loans themselves before sending it to the big banks after closing.  Because correspondent lenders do even more of the process than brokers, , many of their relationships often produce significantly better deals for the consumer.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that there is no one source that is always the best or cheapest for every situation. If one lender was always the cheapest, eventually, everyone would know about it, right?  The only other way most lenders can compete with one another is to somehow convince the public that they have some “secret way” of providing lower than market rates.  The market is the market and you pay for it one way or another.

Only work with a professional mortgage company where the loan officers are skilled at the mathematics and can explain it in plain English.  Don’t feel pressured, and stop looking at just rate, or just cost!  Don’t gamble with something as important as your mortgage.  LET US “DO THE MATH” by giving you our Total Cost Analysis report. 

Let us show you how you can free up a LOT of money for investments… We provide visual calculations that show how “paying off” the home, versus “financing” the home isn’t always a great idea.

Buy a MN Home for as little as $1,000

YES, you CAN buy a home with as little as $1,000homeowners

First Time Home buyer? Down payment and closing cost assistance is available in Minnesota

Lack of down payment money is the biggest problem for most people wanting to buy a house.  Cambria Mortgage has an amazing program to help most modest income families achieve the dream.

1) Be a first time home buyer (or not owned a home in the past three years)
2) Have a 640 or higher credit score
3) For a family of one or two, make less than $82,900 a year in the metro area
For a family of three or more, make less than $95,335 a year in the metro area
4) Buy a home under $310,000 in the metro area
5) Put “at least” $1,000 of your own money into the transaction.

Of course you still have to meet basic conventional, FHA, or VA loan guidelines.

Loans available for up to 5% of purchase price for down payment and closing costs.

Learn more at http://mnhomesandloans.com/mhfa-startup-program.html