Close That Loan!: Originating and Processing Residential Real Estate Loan Applications
Cheryl Peck has over 30 years of experience in business. Her first job out of college was as a "repo man" where she began her interest in finance and heard every excuse known on why someone doesn't pay their bills. Her career culminated with ten years as a mortgage broker building her business from one employee, doing one loan the first month, to a company with over a dozen employees closing more than 70 loans a month. She has also spent time as a federal employee and as a federal contractor leading to a job as the regional manager of over 300 employees supporting various parts of the Defense Department and other federal agencies. Through all of this, in her heart she was always an entrepreneur. Having had several businesses "on the side" she finally quit her job and started her Mortgage Brokerage. Despite having no real experience in this area, she took a short course, incorporated herself, navigated the minefields of government regulation and succeeded in a business that some say has a worse reputation than selling used cars. She built her business on honesty and integrity and with the guiding principle to treat clients the way she would want to be treated. In an industry not known for good customer services, she did more than 80% of her business through referrals and "word of mouth" advertising. She even had family members of her competition coming to her for loans! After 10 years of working 12 to 14 hours a day and never really having time off, Cheryl closed her business in 2007 and now lives a "semi-retired" life. In addition to taking care of her husband and her dog Harley, she spends some time writing and working on various new less intense entrepreneurial pursuits.