Eps #5 - Building Trust Through Exceptional Service: Billy Swofford's Mortgage Philosophy

Meet Billy Swofford, a mortgage broker with Edge Home Finance who brings a refreshingly personal touch to the often complex world of home financing. After trading the bright lights of Las Vegas for the charm of Davie County eleven years ago, Billy has built a reputation for exceptional service and unwavering commitment to his clients.

What sets Billy apart isn't just his access to 160 different lenders, but his fascinating journey to the mortgage industry. From his roots growing up on a farm to managing grocery stores, creating wedding cakes as a pastry chef, and working in various other fields, Billy has developed an impressive attention to detail that serves his clients well. This diverse background gives him a unique perspective and the ability to connect with people from all walks of life.

The frustration of being passed between multiple representatives during the mortgage process is something Billy eliminates entirely. He personally stays with clients from application to closing, working alongside just one processor to ensure consistency and clear communication throughout. This approach has proven especially valuable for first-time homebuyers, whom Billy particularly enjoys guiding through unfamiliar territory. There's nothing he finds more rewarding than helping someone who didn't think homeownership was possible make that dream a reality—even if it takes 14 months, as one memorable case did.

Unlike larger operations where business growth often comes at the expense of personal service, Billy intentionally limits his expansion to maintain direct involvement with every client. He's committed to sustainable growth of about 25% more clients each year, but would rather scale back than sacrifice the hands-on approach that defines his practice. This dedication extends to his availability—don't be surprised if you text him on a Sunday and receive an immediate response. Ready to experience mortgage lending with a truly personal touch? Reach out to Billy at [e-mail] or 702-336-1326 to discuss your financing needs.

Billy Swofford 

Edge Home Finance 

702-336-1326

[e-mail]

https://edgehomefinance.com

Episode Transcript

Announcer (00:01):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Karen Wood.

Karen Wood (00:11):
Well, hello Billy, how are you?

Billy Swofford (00:14):
Good morning.
How are you?
I'm good.

Karen Wood (00:16):
I am doing well.
I am excited that you havejoined us.
We've got Billy Swofford herewith Edge Home Finance today and
he is a Davie County resident,so we're excited to have him on
the Good Neighbor podcast.
So tell me, Billy, tell alittle bit about you and your
business and how you got started.

Billy Swofford (00:37):
So I have been here going on 11 years in Davie
County.
Came from the West Coast withmy wife and two daughters and we
love Davie County, we love ithere.
We're so happy we made thedecision to come here and so I
have been in the mortgagebusiness for a few years now.

(00:59):
I do residential and commercial.
Residential and commercialmortgages.
We do pretty much any loanimaginable there is for a home
need and work with a lot ofdifferent lenders and a pretty
large company, about 1500employees that we have agents

(01:20):
all over the United States.
So, yeah, I love helping people, love the mortgage business and
that's kind of what I do rightnow.

Karen Wood (01:29):
Okay, awesome.
So you came from the West Coast.
Where on the West Coast did youcome from?

Billy Swofford (01:34):
Las Vegas.

Karen Wood (01:35):
Get area of.
Davie County.

Billy Swofford (01:45):
Yep, we're advanced, that's right.

Karen Wood (01:48):
I love it, one LA to another.

Billy Swofford (01:51):
That's right.

Karen Wood (01:52):
That's so fun.
That's so fun.
So in your brokerage or yourfirm I assume you're more of a
brokerage that you have accessto a lot of different lenders,
not just a single company.

Billy Swofford (02:04):
Correct.
Yes, so we.
Right now we have access toabout 160 different lenders.
So you know, that gives us theopportunity to be kind of
independent and really shoparound for what a client needs
that meets their specificrequirements, their goals, and
break down something that reallyfits into their situation.

Karen Wood (02:28):
Okay, awesome, awesome.
So before the mortgage industry, what did you do before that?

Billy Swofford (02:34):
I have been kind of all over the board.
I grew up on a farm so I was,you know, I grew up on a farm so
I was immersed in that for along time and I got into the
grocery business for quite awhile, managed grocery stores.
I am a pastry chef so I used todo wedding cakes and catering

(03:01):
quite a bit, and I've been inthe fuel and lubricant business,
used to sell fuel and a lot ofbartending and restaurant work
along the way.

Karen Wood (03:22):
Wow, you have a vast background and it's fascinating
Literally from all ends of thespectrum.
The pastry chef has meintrigued.

Billy Swofford (03:26):
That's really cool.
I had a lot of fun with thatfor quite a while, yeah.

Karen Wood (03:31):
That is really, really cool.
So in doing that with like,with grocery, all the things
that you've done have a lot ofdetail work involved in them too
, which I'm sure has lendeditself well literally over into
the lending business and themortgage, because there's a lot
of detail that goes into that.

Billy Swofford (03:48):
There is, there is a lot of detail, yep, yep,
absolutely.

Karen Wood (03:51):
Planning detail and all that good stuff.
So I'm sure that's translatedwell for you over there.

Billy Swofford (03:57):
We need the details to get things done
properly and get you the rightyou know into the right
situation.
So, yeah, details are good,right, right.

Karen Wood (04:23):
As far as your company, you know, obviously you
have a lot of choices andplaces that you can shop for
lending.
What are some other things thatset you apart with home edge
finance?

Billy Swofford (04:38):
So we just I mean, we have so many employees
and everybody kind of works fortheir self, but we have such a
vast area of people that we canreach out to and you know, have
you come across this situation?
What, what, what, what have youheard about this?
So so many people are there tohelp and we have trainings

(05:02):
available.
You know, with our company,every day, I can, I can, I can
find any information that I needto.
It's right at my fingertips andwe just have people there that
they their goal is for you tosucceed.
They want to help you, you know, make the right choice for your

(05:23):
client and be have all theinformation available to you.
So that's that really kind ofyou know, does set us apart.

Karen Wood (05:31):
Right Right to you.
So that's that really kind ofyou know does set us apart,
right right.
So one thing that I hear a lotof people talk about that they
get frustrated with sometimes isthat they feel like they are
talking to a lot of differentpeople throughout the process.
So how do you guys streamlinethat to where that person
doesn't get overwhelmed or feellike maybe they're saying the

(05:54):
same thing to several differentpeople?

Billy Swofford (05:57):
Yeah, so and that is true A lot of people
they have that They'll go to oneperson to fill out an
application, then they getpassed on, they get passed on,
they get passed on, and it is alot.
So, with you know, with me andwith our company, I am there
with you from start to finishand then even after into the
future, and the only otherperson that you will talk to

(06:21):
will be a loan processor thatworks with me, and I am still
there with them.
We'll both be included onemails to the client and they'll
be kind of talking to both ofus as a team, but that's it.
There's no one else that you'regoing to need to talk to.
It is just me and my processor,and we're there with you the

(06:43):
whole time.
Nobody else is going to beinvolved.
So that's very nice.

Karen Wood (06:48):
That's awesome, because some of the other
companies that you will findmaybe online and stuff like that
you do your loan application,then you get pushed on to this
person and then the next and thenext and you're communicating
with two, three and fourdifferent people and it's kind
of like once they pass it to thenext one, they don't really
communicate or know what'shappening.

(07:09):
You know on up the stream andit can get kind of frustrating.
I'm sure you know on up thestream and it can get kind of
frustrating, I'm sure you know,for the client as well as just
everyone involved.
So that's very good to know thatthere's less people involved
and you're there the whole time,so what's happening from start
to finish, and can help withthose issues if they come up

(07:29):
along the way and not you know,because time is of the essence
when it comes to this kind ofstuff.

Billy Swofford (07:34):
Absolutely, it's of the essence, and if you
don't know something, then youdon't know and you don't know
how to fix it quickly andefficiently.
So, yeah, it's very importantthat I'm involved in, you know,
the whole aspect.

Karen Wood (07:48):
Yes, love it, love it.
So do you have a vision foryour business?
Do you look to stay just like,as far as your own, just an
individual broker working withEdge Home Finance?
Do you plan to expand, or whatdoes that look like?

Billy Swofford (08:03):
So for me personally, I do not want to.
I don't want to grow so bigthat I need to have people
working for me.
I like to be hands-on witheverything, do everything myself
and just be involved 100%.
So for me, my goal is always togrow year over year by 25% 25%

(08:29):
more clients year over year.
That's my short-term, shortterm, long term goal.
And then you know, if I everget to a spot where I say, you
know what this is, it's too manyclients?
No, I would.
I would scale down and, asopposed to bringing someone on,
OK, OK.

Karen Wood (08:49):
Who's your favorite kind of client to work with?

Billy Swofford (08:52):
I would have to say a first-time homebuyer,
because it's really fun lettingthem know there's so much
involved and letting them knowall the aspects, helping them
understand what they're going tobe paying for, why they're
going to be paying for it, andshowing them that we can use
some strategic strategies to dosome things.

(09:15):
So that's that's really myfavorite.
And and especially somebodythat doesn't think they can get
into a home and then and then wemake it happen.
That is, you get a lot of makesyou feel real good, you know.

Karen Wood (09:28):
Yes, what's the longest timeframe that you've
worked with a client, frominitial contact of meeting you
to closing on a home?

Billy Swofford (09:39):
Gosh, I would say probably 14 months, about
yeah.
Yeah, they had some some somespecial needs that we had to
take care of and we knew it wasgoing to be a long process, but
we both stuck it out and it tookabout 14 months, but in the end

(10:02):
it works out, so that, to me,is worth it.
I do not mind putting in asmuch time as it takes to get you
what you need.

Karen Wood (10:11):
I love it.
I love it.
And something else that I lovethat I heard you say before,
which was and it makes sense,why you love working with first
time homebuyers, is you don'tmind getting that text or phone
call and what someone wouldconsider off hours from that
typical Monday through Friday orin the evening, or even on the

(10:31):
weekends.

Billy Swofford (10:32):
I know, and the thing is for me, I always have
my phone.
If I'm at home on a Sunday,it's no bother for me to answer
a question.
I think I probably had threedifferent clients that we did
things yesterday and Saturdaythis weekend.
So it's no big deal for me atall.
I'll take calls after hoursSaturday, sunday, I don't care

(10:55):
when it is, I'm going to talk toyou.

Karen Wood (10:57):
I love it.
I love it and that says a lot,because sometimes it can be
frustrating with that.
You know any client.
You want an answer, or need ananswer, at least you feel like
in your own mind in your owntime, and so the fact that
you're willing to do that'sawesome.
Yes, I think it's awesome.
Well, tell everyone the bestway to get in touch with you if
they have immediate needs oreven thinking about buying or in

(11:22):
the near future.

Billy Swofford (11:23):
Yeah, absolutely .
I mean, you know the best wayto get a hold of me is through
phone or text and or email, youknow, honestly.
So you know anybody can reachme at email is Billy.
swofford @ edgehomefinance.
com.
And you know, send me an email,shoot me a message and we can,

(11:43):
you know, go from there.
You want to give me a call?
Phone number 702-336-1326.
Feel free to call or text andwe can see what we can do for
you.

Karen Wood (11:56):
I love it.
I love it.
Well, Billy, thanks forspending a few minutes with me
today.
And what is that fun sayingthat you always introduce
yourself with?

Billy Swofford (12:06):
Anyone on edge today?

Karen Wood (12:09):
I love it, and today is a Monday.
I don't feel like I'm on edge,so this has been awesome.
Thank you again and we lookforward to chat with you,
hopefully again in the future,maybe getting even more detailed
on what's happening in themarketplace Awesome.

Billy Swofford (12:23):
Thank you so much.
I appreciate your time.

Karen Wood (12:25):
Sounds good.

Announcer (12:29):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to gnpdaveycom.
That's gnpdavie.
com, or call 336-559-3044.