Shock and Awe

I got into the mortgage business by accident. A friend who was already working as a loan officer sold me on joining the ranks by extolling the amounts of money I could make and pointing out that I could drink at lunch while making all this money. Brilliant!

So it was. In 2004, I became a mortgage consultant (mortgage ho) and started in the industry with no training, no experience as a loan officer, and no fucking clue what was in store for me.

I remember my second day at work vividly. My friend was showing me the ropes and was explaining how to put loans through automated underwriting and shop different lenders for the best programs and rates for our valued customers. About this time she gets a phone call from someone who wants to buy a home but had recently filed for bankruptcy. She explained to the customer that it wasn't likely that she could find anyone to do the loan but promised to check it out and call the potential borrower back.

Turns out there was not only one lender willing to finance this recently bankrupt borrower to purchase a home, there were many. In fact, multiple lenders would let the customer buy their new home only 1 day out of bankruptcy. My shock manifested itself in two loudly high pitched questions: 1. Are you fucking kidding me? 2. Why the fuck would someone lend Mr. Recently Bankrupt money?

The sad thing is that reaction became less frequent as I became more savvy and aware that most anybody could get a loan, regardless of whether they should or not. That shock and confusion as to why money was lent didn't really return for me until I left the business in 2007. I fondly remember the bankruptcy borrower day as the beginning of the Shock and Awe portion of my life and the day I realized there really are jobs where cocktails are acceptable at lunch.