March 7, 2025 • 17 mins
Stephanie Philipos, mortgage loan officer with Succedo Mortgage, shares her journey from stay-at-home mom to helping clients navigate the modern mortgage landscape with personalized service and digital convenience.
• Grew up in the mortgage industry with father working as realtor and loan officer
• Transitioned to mortgage industry after being a stay-at-home mom for seven years
• Today's mortgage process can be completely virtual - applications, signatures, and closings
• Can provide pre-approval in 24 hours and close loans in just over two weeks
• Offers more flexibility, better rates, and faster service than traditional banks
• Maintains relationships with wholesale lenders and advocates who can expedite files
• Focuses on explaining options in plain language and breaking down complex terms
• Offers soft credit checks so exploring options doesn't hurt your credit score
• Advises potential homebuyers to start the process early even if not ready to buy
• Partners with credit specialists to help clients improve their credit profiles
Reach out to Stephanie Philippos on Instagram and Facebook @steph.theloaner or call/text 972-537-8446 for mortgage questions and consultations.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Storie (00:15):
Welcome back to Market it with Atma, where we share the
tips, tools and strategies tohelp your business be successful
.
I'm your host, dori, and todaywe have on the show Ms Stephanie
Philipos, who is a mortgageloan officer with Succedo
Mortgage.
Welcome.
Stephanie (00:32):
Thank you, Story.
I'm excited to be here.
Storie (00:34):
I'm so excited for you to tell me more about everything
you do.
Can you tell me a little bitabout, well, our audience, a
little bit about your journeyinto becoming a business owner
and where you are now?
Stephanie (00:47):
Well, I grew up in the mortgage industry.
My dad was a realtor and a loanofficer, and so, having seen
that all my life, I saw theflexibility in it, and, after
being a stay-at-home mom for thepast seven years, I wanted to
come back to the workforce and Iwanted something that would
give me flexibility to bepresent with my kids, to go on
(01:11):
field trips, something I can dofrom home and still help people,
and this was the perfect fit.
Storie (01:17):
Wow, staying home for seven years and then coming back
into the workforce, it's a hugeculture shock.
Stephanie (01:23):
I'm sure so much changes in just a couple of
years, absolutely, even the waythat our business is even done
now it can be completely virtual.
Storie (01:34):
So is it very, is it astronomically different from
when your dad was in theindustry, compared to the
service you provide now?
Absolutely.
In what way would you say the?
Stephanie (01:44):
most he would have people coming over to the house
to fill out the application orgo to their house to physically
fill it out, where now it's aphone call and we can just do it
over the phone, wherever theyare on their lunch break and
virtually do it all.
Storie (01:58):
Man, that's wonderful, even the signatures, and
everything can be done virtually.
Stephanie (02:02):
Everything, the whole closing you can.
Storie (02:03):
You don't even have to ever be in a physical office, so
that almost makes takes thedread out of you know having
this industry.
I know real estate agents, forinstance, that you you'd want to
work with or work with.
They are always on siteeverywhere, but now it seems
like there's so much more freedup time because of the digital
(02:27):
aspect of it.
Is that really allowing you tobe more present with your kids?
Stephanie (02:31):
Absolutely.
Yeah absolutely, while I'm notsacrificing the quality that I'm
giving to my clients.
Storie (02:39):
That's awesome and almost giving them an extra
service.
It's like you're giving themthat availability to call on
their lunch break and make thewhole process easier.
I wish I had you when I waspurchasing my home.
This would have been a loteasier.
Can you walk me through, say,if I wanted to sell my home and
purchase a new home?
If I reached out to you becausewe've gone to a couple
(03:01):
networking events together andsaid, hey, I want to do that,
how would that process work forme and you?
Stephanie (03:07):
So first I would hear you out and listen to what
exactly you are wanting, becausewe do have different products
for different types ofsituations and everybody is
different.
So I would also go through justa list of questions for you and
try to understand your needbetter so I can tailor your
(03:29):
specific product.
Storie (03:32):
Yeah, no, that honestly, just having you be more
conversational, I don't feellike I'm being sold to, and I
think that's a buyer's numberone dread is I don't want
someone telling me things that Idon't understand, that I don't,
I'm not interested in, and youactually being able to
(03:53):
personalize it, I think isreally important, especially in
such an AI generated world rightnow.
I mean, it's just, we want realrelationships.
We want real relationships.
So what differentiates you?
Is the online accessibility toyou, which I don't think a lot
of other mortgage loan officershave the availability of, or is
(04:15):
it becoming more common?
Stephanie (04:16):
It is becoming more common, but especially Like our
biggest competitor are banks.
Oh, okay, and so to get a loanwith a bank is a very long
process.
It's very stringent, there isnot a whole lot of flexibility
(04:37):
and their rates are what theyare, versus coming to us as a
mortgage loan officer.
We can get you pre-approved inas little as 24 hours.
Wow, we can close on your loanin just a little over two weeks.
We have relationships withwholesale lenders.
We actually have specificadvocates that we talk to, so
(05:00):
that comes in handy, becausesometimes you need to rush a
file, you need to rush a closingif you know some catastrophic
event happened to that personand they need to get out of the
country, for example.
You know, they want to rush thatclosing.
So we have those relationshipswhere we can do that.
Storie (05:18):
Wow, that is incredible.
So I know I didn't mention thisto you before before, but I
came from the financial industryin my past and I know through
closing um, I mean even lines ofcredit or or you know, that
first down payment it could takeus up to three months to get it
(05:38):
completely processed and, and,depending, if everybody did
their job in the right way atthe right time.
So you're pretty much sayingthat not only can you offer
better rates to people withoutgoing to the bank and going
through that process, but it's asignificantly shorter amount of
time because of yourrelationships.
Stephanie (05:56):
Yes, and my relationship with my client.
I take that very seriouslybecause I protect that.
So I don't let them, I don'tjust take their information,
give them their possibilitiesand hand them off.
I like to hold their handthroughout the whole process.
That's really important to me,so I don't want to pass them off
(06:16):
to the processing team and thenthey go hear things.
You know that they still needto provide documents and stuff.
No, I want to be there toprovide clarity throughout the
whole.
Thing.
Storie (06:28):
Yeah, and even maybe, after they've processed their
experience with you, could theyreach out to you down the road
if they had a question aboutsomebody else that wanted it
Absolutely.
Stephanie (06:39):
Absolutely.
I would definitely be lookingforward to referrals and even
return customers when they wantto refinance when the rate gets
better.
Oh, that's a good point.
Storie (06:49):
So do you keep track and kind of really stay on top of
the fluctuation of the rates?
Stephanie (06:55):
Absolutely, we check it every day.
Yeah, yeah, that's wonderful.
Storie (06:59):
So when is the best time to buy?
Stephanie (07:01):
It depends on the market.
I mean it depends on PresidentTrump right now, right, right.
I mean everything revolvesaround that, I guess at the core
.
Storie (07:09):
But oh, let me clarify.
You are a mortgage loan officerfor residential.
You don't do commercial, right,I do not.
Okay, so you are proficient inthe residential.
If anyone needs one, yes, andnot only for DFW, but for all of
Texas, all of Texas anywhere.
Stephanie (07:26):
Yeah, because there's so much that we can offer.
We can do VA loans.
We can do unconventional loans,which is like a jumbo loan.
We can do conventional FHA.
We have a lot of products, sojust depending on the person's
need, we can tailor that.
Storie (07:45):
Yeah, I know that buying a home and the fear of having
to pay that down payment and notknowing what to expect or how
much it'll be is the mostdaunting, I think, for
first-time homebuyers.
It was for me because it's likeyou don't know until you're
almost closed what that downpayment is going to be, and it's
(08:07):
a hefty amount.
So what would you suggest tofirst-time homebuyers that are
going through that process, andhow?
Stephanie (08:13):
it works.
So my approach is to breakeverything down in plain
language.
I like to focus on what is themost important to them Is it the
interest rate or is it theirmonthly payment?
And breaking down everythingprior to getting to closing
really makes them comfortable,helps them have a better grasp
(08:38):
on what's going to happen andwhat to expect.
There's no surprises in thefees, nothing like it's all very
smooth, so I like to educatethem.
Storie (08:49):
Yeah, you don't treat them like just a number and in
your client base, you reallycreate a relationship with these
people and truly care.
I know that being over-informedis always better than being
under-informed.
For me, if you just give mecommunication, whether I
understand it or not which mostof the time in your industry I
don't um, it still makes me feellike like you know what you're
(09:11):
doing and and that's anotherreason I wanted you on the show
because of from the first time Imet you, I knew she knows her
stuff, she knows what she'sdoing and how to do it.
But this is the people thatshould be in this industry, the
ones that do want to treat youlike a person, the ones that do
want to walk you through it soyou're not blind, because, um, I
didn't have one of you, I hadto figure it out on my own and
(09:32):
that's stressful.
It is when you're trying tofigure out something that you
you've never gone to school for,you've never educated yourself
for.
So thank you for being therelationship that you have.
So what?
Um, we work off of the buildlaunch, grow scale kind of
methodology at Advent Trinity.
Where would you say you're atin that build launch, grow scale
(09:54):
?
Stephanie (09:54):
phase.
I'm definitely building Okay,I'm building my clientele, I'm
building relationships.
Storie (10:01):
So you said you're in the build phase of your business
right now.
Stephanie (10:06):
Yes, that's correct.
So I am just looking to market,getting the word out there in
my circle and beyond that.
I have shifted careers and I ama loan officer and I'm here to
service your needs and buildingmy client base and creating
these partnerships with realtorsand just networking.
(10:31):
That's great.
Storie (10:32):
Yeah, we met at a networking event and we have a
lot up here that's how we met,and NuvaDesk or Avid Trinity,
but of course we host this atNuvaDesk and so we have two a
month.
But where, would you say, hasbeen your primary marketing
focus in the build phase?
(10:54):
Was it on social media?
Is it networking with people?
Is it asking for referrals toother people in your industry?
Stephanie (11:03):
I've done some on social media, but I think right
now just getting the word outthat I am here and I am
available will cause tractionwhen the rates fall and when
people begin to start lookingagain you know to keep me in
mind.
Storie (11:22):
Absolutely, if anything, for the sheer availability of
doing everything online.
That's what appealed to me mostabout you, cause you've kind of
seen me run around up here.
Life's busy and you know as amom it can get even busier, so
having that is, I think, wouldbe my primary focus as a mom, um
(11:42):
, as I'm sure it is yours aswell, and you're teaching your
kids Like.
I think that's an amazing thingthat we as women business women
can do is, yes, we have stay athome jobs, but our kids are
truly watching us create abusiness from scratch and put in
that effort, and I think itinstills it in them as well.
(12:03):
So where are you?
You're in the build phase rightnow.
Where are you wanting to be inthe launch phase?
What are your goals for thenext year?
Um, what's your main focus andwho are you wanting to help?
my goal is to be well known inall of texas so that brand
awareness and just lettingpeople know you're out there
(12:25):
because you stay at home, right,um, for as long as you have.
It's almost just letting themknow hey, all the people that
loved me before I'm doing thisnow, right, exactly.
Yeah, it's like you went in acave for a minute it's um.
Stephanie (12:39):
It's funny because someone posted a friend of mine
um posted on my on my coming outyou know post that I was a loan
officer.
He posted and said is thereanything you can't do?
Storie (12:57):
You know that's a compliment.
I've worn a lot of hats, butyou know what it creates such a
knowledgeable person.
You're a great networkingpartner.
You connect people, can't you?
Because you have that knowledgeof so many different things and
industries, right?
I love it.
And you even helped yourhusband kind of start his
business, right, you're a jackof all trades.
I love it.
So, going forward, what wouldyou say?
(13:18):
One piece of advice is that youwould give to our listeners
either wanting to be anentrepreneur, looking into being
a mortgage loan officer, orsomeone who's a mom that wants
to go back in the industrywhat's something you wish you
would have known or advice youwould have been given before you
(13:38):
started your business that theycan take hold of my advice is
just simple is Don't wait.
Stephanie (13:45):
There's nothing to wait for.
Get your foot in the door andstart doing.
Storie (13:50):
Yeah.
Stephanie (13:51):
And stop dreaming and actually do it, because you
have nothing to lose.
Storie (13:57):
That's right.
I guess that is very true,there's nothing to lose.
Stephanie (14:01):
I mean, when you're ready, you're ready, and at
least, even if you are not readyright away, you still are done
with the coursework, thelicensing, all of that.
So when you're ready to launch,you'll be ready.
That's awesome, yeah, becausesometimes it's scary, yeah, and
that's kind of my same advicethat I would give, for you know
(14:24):
someone that's looking at buyinga house.
That's looking at buying ahouse, I would say, even if
you're just dating the marketright now you know, and just
randomly checking out openhouses, I would start the
conversation now.
Start exploring your options nowso that you have all these
(14:45):
ducks in a row and everything'sin place, so that when you want
to put down an offer, it's avery strong offer and you don't
lose out on the house that youwant.
Right, because now you'restarting from scratch.
Storie (15:00):
So you're saying you're pretty much offering free
consultations.
Whether they're purchasingright now or not, starting that
process early is very important,definitely Okay, all right.
Stephanie (15:12):
It gives them time to gather the documents, it gives
them more knowledge tounderstand what fits within
their budget and what they arewanting to do, and we offer soft
credit checks so they don'thave to be hit hard, even if
they change their mind.
That's okay.
Storie (15:31):
I love that because I think one of the biggest issues
most people have is every timeit hits your credit hard.
It hits your credit hard and wedidn't like that.
Um, it doesn't look good.
So soft credit pulls areamazing.
I didn't even know you guyscould do that.
So the earlier they get withyou, at least you can set up a
(15:52):
game plan is what you're saying.
So, even as next year, if wefind out that your credit isn't
where you need to be for thehouse you want, you have time,
yeah, and you can kind of helpthem walk through that process
as well.
Stephanie (16:03):
Absolutely, I can.
I have someone that I partnerwith at Evolve Credit and she
will help work with you to getyour credit where it needs to be
.
We can advise on, like what youshould pay off to you know,
reduce your debt to income ratio, all of that.
Storie (16:20):
So that is important to know.
I need to consider that when Iget ready to sell.
Stephanie (16:25):
Where is my credit now?
Storie (16:26):
So I'll give you a call then to sell.
Where is my credit now?
So I'll give you a call then.
Um, so where can anyone reachout to you if they want to learn
more, if they want to start?
You know, just making sure theyhave everything in line for
where they want to be in a yearor two years.
Stephanie (16:38):
Absolutely so.
I try to keep um my Facebookand my Instagram up to date with
any current programs that areoffered Um.
so for a while we had like afirst time home buyer $6,000,
you know credit, Um, but that'skind of running out soon.
Um, but where you can follow mefor tips and advice, um, is
(16:58):
Steph S T E P H dot, the loaner.
So, um, it's Steph dot thelonerand that's my handle for
Instagram and Facebook, and thenyou can call or text me at
972-537-8446.
(17:20):
And I am happy to answer anyquestions.
Storie (17:24):
Well, thank you so much for coming on the show and
sharing all that information.
A lot I still didn't know about, but I really appreciate you
educating our entrepreneurs andour listeners.
Stephanie (17:34):
Thank you for having me Story.
Storie (17:35):
Of course, and for all of our listeners out there,
thank you for coming on to seeanother episode of Market it
with Atma.
If you have any questions,please shoot me a call and I
will send it over to Stephanie.
See you next time.
Welcome back to Market it with Atma, where we share the
tips, tools and strategies tohelp your business be successful
.
I'm your host, dori, and todaywe have on the show Ms Stephanie
Philipos, who is a mortgageloan officer with Succedo
Mortgage.
Welcome.
Stephanie (00:32):
Thank you, Story.
I'm excited to be here.
Storie (00:34):
I'm so excited for you to tell me more about everything
you do.
Can you tell me a little bitabout, well, our audience, a
little bit about your journeyinto becoming a business owner
and where you are now?
Stephanie (00:47):
Well, I grew up in the mortgage industry.
My dad was a realtor and a loanofficer, and so, having seen
that all my life, I saw theflexibility in it, and, after
being a stay-at-home mom for thepast seven years, I wanted to
come back to the workforce and Iwanted something that would
give me flexibility to bepresent with my kids, to go on
(01:11):
field trips, something I can dofrom home and still help people,
and this was the perfect fit.
Storie (01:17):
Wow, staying home for seven years and then coming back
into the workforce, it's a hugeculture shock.
Stephanie (01:23):
I'm sure so much changes in just a couple of
years, absolutely, even the waythat our business is even done
now it can be completely virtual.
Storie (01:34):
So is it very, is it astronomically different from
when your dad was in theindustry, compared to the
service you provide now?
Absolutely.
In what way would you say the?
Stephanie (01:44):
most he would have people coming over to the house
to fill out the application orgo to their house to physically
fill it out, where now it's aphone call and we can just do it
over the phone, wherever theyare on their lunch break and
virtually do it all.
Storie (01:58):
Man, that's wonderful, even the signatures, and
everything can be done virtually.
Stephanie (02:02):
Everything, the whole closing you can.
Storie (02:03):
You don't even have to ever be in a physical office, so
that almost makes takes thedread out of you know having
this industry.
I know real estate agents, forinstance, that you you'd want to
work with or work with.
They are always on siteeverywhere, but now it seems
like there's so much more freedup time because of the digital
(02:27):
aspect of it.
Is that really allowing you tobe more present with your kids?
Stephanie (02:31):
Absolutely.
Yeah absolutely, while I'm notsacrificing the quality that I'm
giving to my clients.
Storie (02:39):
That's awesome and almost giving them an extra
service.
It's like you're giving themthat availability to call on
their lunch break and make thewhole process easier.
I wish I had you when I waspurchasing my home.
This would have been a loteasier.
Can you walk me through, say,if I wanted to sell my home and
purchase a new home?
If I reached out to you becausewe've gone to a couple
(03:01):
networking events together andsaid, hey, I want to do that,
how would that process work forme and you?
Stephanie (03:07):
So first I would hear you out and listen to what
exactly you are wanting, becausewe do have different products
for different types ofsituations and everybody is
different.
So I would also go through justa list of questions for you and
try to understand your needbetter so I can tailor your
(03:29):
specific product.
Storie (03:32):
Yeah, no, that honestly, just having you be more
conversational, I don't feellike I'm being sold to, and I
think that's a buyer's numberone dread is I don't want
someone telling me things that Idon't understand, that I don't,
I'm not interested in, and youactually being able to
(03:53):
personalize it, I think isreally important, especially in
such an AI generated world rightnow.
I mean, it's just, we want realrelationships.
We want real relationships.
So what differentiates you?
Is the online accessibility toyou, which I don't think a lot
of other mortgage loan officershave the availability of, or is
(04:15):
it becoming more common?
Stephanie (04:16):
It is becoming more common, but especially Like our
biggest competitor are banks.
Oh, okay, and so to get a loanwith a bank is a very long
process.
It's very stringent, there isnot a whole lot of flexibility
(04:37):
and their rates are what theyare, versus coming to us as a
mortgage loan officer.
We can get you pre-approved inas little as 24 hours.
Wow, we can close on your loanin just a little over two weeks.
We have relationships withwholesale lenders.
We actually have specificadvocates that we talk to, so
(05:00):
that comes in handy, becausesometimes you need to rush a
file, you need to rush a closingif you know some catastrophic
event happened to that personand they need to get out of the
country, for example.
You know, they want to rush thatclosing.
So we have those relationshipswhere we can do that.
Storie (05:18):
Wow, that is incredible.
So I know I didn't mention thisto you before before, but I
came from the financial industryin my past and I know through
closing um, I mean even lines ofcredit or or you know, that
first down payment it could takeus up to three months to get it
(05:38):
completely processed and, and,depending, if everybody did
their job in the right way atthe right time.
So you're pretty much sayingthat not only can you offer
better rates to people withoutgoing to the bank and going
through that process, but it's asignificantly shorter amount of
time because of yourrelationships.
Stephanie (05:56):
Yes, and my relationship with my client.
I take that very seriouslybecause I protect that.
So I don't let them, I don'tjust take their information,
give them their possibilitiesand hand them off.
I like to hold their handthroughout the whole process.
That's really important to me,so I don't want to pass them off
(06:16):
to the processing team and thenthey go hear things.
You know that they still needto provide documents and stuff.
No, I want to be there toprovide clarity throughout the
whole.
Thing.
Storie (06:28):
Yeah, and even maybe, after they've processed their
experience with you, could theyreach out to you down the road
if they had a question aboutsomebody else that wanted it
Absolutely.
Stephanie (06:39):
Absolutely.
I would definitely be lookingforward to referrals and even
return customers when they wantto refinance when the rate gets
better.
Oh, that's a good point.
Storie (06:49):
So do you keep track and kind of really stay on top of
the fluctuation of the rates?
Stephanie (06:55):
Absolutely, we check it every day.
Yeah, yeah, that's wonderful.
Storie (06:59):
So when is the best time to buy?
Stephanie (07:01):
It depends on the market.
I mean it depends on PresidentTrump right now, right, right.
I mean everything revolvesaround that, I guess at the core
.
Storie (07:09):
But oh, let me clarify.
You are a mortgage loan officerfor residential.
You don't do commercial, right,I do not.
Okay, so you are proficient inthe residential.
If anyone needs one, yes, andnot only for DFW, but for all of
Texas, all of Texas anywhere.
Stephanie (07:26):
Yeah, because there's so much that we can offer.
We can do VA loans.
We can do unconventional loans,which is like a jumbo loan.
We can do conventional FHA.
We have a lot of products, sojust depending on the person's
need, we can tailor that.
Storie (07:45):
Yeah, I know that buying a home and the fear of having
to pay that down payment and notknowing what to expect or how
much it'll be is the mostdaunting, I think, for
first-time homebuyers.
It was for me because it's likeyou don't know until you're
almost closed what that downpayment is going to be, and it's
(08:07):
a hefty amount.
So what would you suggest tofirst-time homebuyers that are
going through that process, andhow?
Stephanie (08:13):
it works.
So my approach is to breakeverything down in plain
language.
I like to focus on what is themost important to them Is it the
interest rate or is it theirmonthly payment?
And breaking down everythingprior to getting to closing
really makes them comfortable,helps them have a better grasp
(08:38):
on what's going to happen andwhat to expect.
There's no surprises in thefees, nothing like it's all very
smooth, so I like to educatethem.
Storie (08:49):
Yeah, you don't treat them like just a number and in
your client base, you reallycreate a relationship with these
people and truly care.
I know that being over-informedis always better than being
under-informed.
For me, if you just give mecommunication, whether I
understand it or not which mostof the time in your industry I
don't um, it still makes me feellike like you know what you're
(09:11):
doing and and that's anotherreason I wanted you on the show
because of from the first time Imet you, I knew she knows her
stuff, she knows what she'sdoing and how to do it.
But this is the people thatshould be in this industry, the
ones that do want to treat youlike a person, the ones that do
want to walk you through it soyou're not blind, because, um, I
didn't have one of you, I hadto figure it out on my own and
(09:32):
that's stressful.
It is when you're trying tofigure out something that you
you've never gone to school for,you've never educated yourself
for.
So thank you for being therelationship that you have.
So what?
Um, we work off of the buildlaunch, grow scale kind of
methodology at Advent Trinity.
Where would you say you're atin that build launch, grow scale
(09:54):
?
Stephanie (09:54):
phase.
I'm definitely building Okay,I'm building my clientele, I'm
building relationships.
Storie (10:01):
So you said you're in the build phase of your business
right now.
Stephanie (10:06):
Yes, that's correct.
So I am just looking to market,getting the word out there in
my circle and beyond that.
I have shifted careers and I ama loan officer and I'm here to
service your needs and buildingmy client base and creating
these partnerships with realtorsand just networking.
(10:31):
That's great.
Storie (10:32):
Yeah, we met at a networking event and we have a
lot up here that's how we met,and NuvaDesk or Avid Trinity,
but of course we host this atNuvaDesk and so we have two a
month.
But where, would you say, hasbeen your primary marketing
focus in the build phase?
(10:54):
Was it on social media?
Is it networking with people?
Is it asking for referrals toother people in your industry?
Stephanie (11:03):
I've done some on social media, but I think right
now just getting the word outthat I am here and I am
available will cause tractionwhen the rates fall and when
people begin to start lookingagain you know to keep me in
mind.
Storie (11:22):
Absolutely, if anything, for the sheer availability of
doing everything online.
That's what appealed to me mostabout you, cause you've kind of
seen me run around up here.
Life's busy and you know as amom it can get even busier, so
having that is, I think, wouldbe my primary focus as a mom, um
(11:42):
, as I'm sure it is yours aswell, and you're teaching your
kids Like.
I think that's an amazing thingthat we as women business women
can do is, yes, we have stay athome jobs, but our kids are
truly watching us create abusiness from scratch and put in
that effort, and I think itinstills it in them as well.
(12:03):
So where are you?
You're in the build phase rightnow.
Where are you wanting to be inthe launch phase?
What are your goals for thenext year?
Um, what's your main focus andwho are you wanting to help?
my goal is to be well known inall of texas so that brand
awareness and just lettingpeople know you're out there
(12:25):
because you stay at home, right,um, for as long as you have.
It's almost just letting themknow hey, all the people that
loved me before I'm doing thisnow, right, exactly.
Yeah, it's like you went in acave for a minute it's um.
Stephanie (12:39):
It's funny because someone posted a friend of mine
um posted on my on my coming outyou know post that I was a loan
officer.
He posted and said is thereanything you can't do?
Storie (12:57):
You know that's a compliment.
I've worn a lot of hats, butyou know what it creates such a
knowledgeable person.
You're a great networkingpartner.
You connect people, can't you?
Because you have that knowledgeof so many different things and
industries, right?
I love it.
And you even helped yourhusband kind of start his
business, right, you're a jackof all trades.
I love it.
So, going forward, what wouldyou say?
(13:18):
One piece of advice is that youwould give to our listeners
either wanting to be anentrepreneur, looking into being
a mortgage loan officer, orsomeone who's a mom that wants
to go back in the industrywhat's something you wish you
would have known or advice youwould have been given before you
(13:38):
started your business that theycan take hold of my advice is
just simple is Don't wait.
Stephanie (13:45):
There's nothing to wait for.
Get your foot in the door andstart doing.
Storie (13:50):
Yeah.
Stephanie (13:51):
And stop dreaming and actually do it, because you
have nothing to lose.
Storie (13:57):
That's right.
I guess that is very true,there's nothing to lose.
Stephanie (14:01):
I mean, when you're ready, you're ready, and at
least, even if you are not readyright away, you still are done
with the coursework, thelicensing, all of that.
So when you're ready to launch,you'll be ready.
That's awesome, yeah, becausesometimes it's scary, yeah, and
that's kind of my same advicethat I would give, for you know
(14:24):
someone that's looking at buyinga house.
That's looking at buying ahouse, I would say, even if
you're just dating the marketright now you know, and just
randomly checking out openhouses, I would start the
conversation now.
Start exploring your options nowso that you have all these
(14:45):
ducks in a row and everything'sin place, so that when you want
to put down an offer, it's avery strong offer and you don't
lose out on the house that youwant.
Right, because now you'restarting from scratch.
Storie (15:00):
So you're saying you're pretty much offering free
consultations.
Whether they're purchasingright now or not, starting that
process early is very important,definitely Okay, all right.
Stephanie (15:12):
It gives them time to gather the documents, it gives
them more knowledge tounderstand what fits within
their budget and what they arewanting to do, and we offer soft
credit checks so they don'thave to be hit hard, even if
they change their mind.
That's okay.
Storie (15:31):
I love that because I think one of the biggest issues
most people have is every timeit hits your credit hard.
It hits your credit hard and wedidn't like that.
Um, it doesn't look good.
So soft credit pulls areamazing.
I didn't even know you guyscould do that.
So the earlier they get withyou, at least you can set up a
(15:52):
game plan is what you're saying.
So, even as next year, if wefind out that your credit isn't
where you need to be for thehouse you want, you have time,
yeah, and you can kind of helpthem walk through that process
as well.
Stephanie (16:03):
Absolutely, I can.
I have someone that I partnerwith at Evolve Credit and she
will help work with you to getyour credit where it needs to be
.
We can advise on, like what youshould pay off to you know,
reduce your debt to income ratio, all of that.
Storie (16:20):
So that is important to know.
I need to consider that when Iget ready to sell.
Stephanie (16:25):
Where is my credit now?
Storie (16:26):
So I'll give you a call then to sell.
Where is my credit now?
So I'll give you a call then.
Um, so where can anyone reachout to you if they want to learn
more, if they want to start?
You know, just making sure theyhave everything in line for
where they want to be in a yearor two years.
Stephanie (16:38):
Absolutely so.
I try to keep um my Facebookand my Instagram up to date with
any current programs that areoffered Um.
so for a while we had like afirst time home buyer $6,000,
you know credit, Um, but that'skind of running out soon.
Um, but where you can follow mefor tips and advice, um, is
(16:58):
Steph S T E P H dot, the loaner.
So, um, it's Steph dot thelonerand that's my handle for
Instagram and Facebook, and thenyou can call or text me at
972-537-8446.
(17:20):
And I am happy to answer anyquestions.
Storie (17:24):
Well, thank you so much for coming on the show and
sharing all that information.
A lot I still didn't know about, but I really appreciate you
educating our entrepreneurs andour listeners.
Stephanie (17:34):
Thank you for having me Story.
Storie (17:35):
Of course, and for all of our listeners out there,
thank you for coming on to seeanother episode of Market it
with Atma.
If you have any questions,please shoot me a call and I
will send it over to Stephanie.
See you next time.
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