Genius?That's probably questionable.

As I write this, I know it will come across as corny or "made-up," but I mean this very sincerely: I love helping people get mortgage loans. I don't think there is any job better than this.

Why do I Love Being a Loan Officer?

It's a job in which you have the opportunity to make someone really happy. First-time homebuyers are a great example. Throughout the process, they're the most nervous buyers. It's almost as if they can't believe they are really going to have a home of their own. They call me all the time and ask me are-you-sure questions. I don't mind at all; in fact, I'm smiling as I type this. I find it adorable, to be honest. I'm great at listening, and then saying very calming things. :)

Or a refinance that drops somebody's payment down $200 and eats up some of that expensive grocery bill. Really — anything I do regarding loans is something that makes me feel happy and satisfied. It's the same feeling you get when you clean and organize your garage. You feel good; you feel satisfied — but most of all, you know you did good work.

And that's why I love being a loan officer. It's hard work; it can be stressful; but at the end of the day I feel good and I sleep well.

Life Experience (and some mortgage experience too)

I earned a BS from the School of Business at Oakland University, in Rochester Hills, Michigan. My specific major was Management Information Systems, which is about two-thirds business school and one-third computer science and engineering. While there, I earned at least four scholarships, including Volkswagen Scholar of the Year (1997 and again in 1998), Oakland County Scholar of the Year (1999), and the Oakland University Applied Technology in Business full scholarship. If you ever want to double-check my education, here are my transcripts.

I worked as a systems analyst for General Motors, and I thought I would stay, but my wife had different ideas.

Phoenix, Here We Come!

In 2001, two things happened: Michigan had one of the coldest winters in a long time, and I earned my BS in MIS from Oakland University (School of Business) and married the incomparable Karen Blodgett. We were married in May and living in Arizona by mid-June. We moved to Scottsdale, AZ, with $3,000 in our pockets, and not much else. We'd worry about jobs once we arrived in Phoenix. To be young! Am I right?

We were fresh out of college and looking for work. Karen couldn't find an engineering job, so she worked at a bar. I took a job selling very specialized lab equipment to academic labs and plastics manufacturers. One day, I was talking to a gentleman in a shoe store, and he told me that there was room at his employer.

He gave me a card, and I haphazardly put it into my pocket. Later that night, I pulled the card out and told my wife Karen, "You know the guy I was talking to earlier? He gave me a business card to become a loan officer."

I was about to toss the card, and Karen encouraged me to call. "What's the worst that could happen?" — and she might have also said, "Don't be such a wimp. Just call!"

I Love Helping People as an MLO

However, a few months later, I had finished my training and I started taking clients. I loved being a loan officer — it had everything I needed. And as so many men have said before, "My wife was right!"

Not long after I started in the business, Karen joined me and quickly became the primary face of the business. People loved her pretty face and sweet disposition, and I'm no dummy! Together, we had a very successful business until Karen passed away in 2008.

She will always be remembered as one of the best people I've ever known.