I am a relative newcomer to the mortgage industry as a loan officer. What I like about loan origination is the ability to help people with their dreams of home ownership, as well as the tremendous income potential and ability to be your own boss.

The more I learn about the industry, the more I find just how complex it can be with all the slough of products and lenders available, and loan processing procedures. It is overwhelming sometimes because I want learn everything quickly. Right now, I only know bits and pieces of products, loan processing workflow, and marketing strategies. I don't have an integrated system and feel I don't have the knowledge to even know where to start. This is so disconcerting to me because I don't want to appear incompetent or unknowledgeable to my clients. I want to be confident in what I'm doing. I want to be a mortgage expert specializing in the first time homebuyer market.

The biggest issue I have run into is that there is just so much information out there, that I don't know what I should be concentrating on. I know a loan officer can't be all things to all people, but if someone could point me in the right direction as to the areas/info/tools/skills I should be focusing on this would be very helpful.

I really want to be great at my job and right now I have nearly no support from my broker. I am pretty much self taught and on my own. I do however have a great drive to succeed.

Wow- what an awesome note! I am interested to know if you are still in the industry? You are exactly what I was 23 years ago- anxious, excited, and scared to do the wrong thing and searching for where to go, what to do- help help help~

Well, I am hoping you are still here. It's been a tough year. But the ones that are still plowing the fields will be the better for it. I am worried about those of us who are true mortgage brokers. My company has credit lines and we can close in our name, we chose not to, but it looks like we are being pushed the direction of a mortgage banker and not a broker. I don't know the future of lending- I can only offer what I see is now-

If you are in the same emotional state, and I would bet,after this time, you have settled yourself somewhat- I would say to you- take a moment and decide what you like about helping people in the mortgage business, and you can like making the income, but let's hope that's not your whole reason for being here!

If you like putting people into homes the best, that's awesome, but I am talking digging deeper.

Do you like helping them settle in (refi with remodel); getting into the investment (new homebuyer's or early investors); brand new homes (work with builders); you get the idea.

You can guide yourself- once you discover what you like the best, take a minute to discover where you can learn the most about whatever it is- after you discover this, talk with your lenders-learn what sets them apart- do they give great service at the end- fast docs, etc? That's a good refi lender- while you need that for a purchase, you need them more in a refinance because of the recission period; with that wait time, you want to be sure that those docs get out and the borrower signs so that they can fund when they need to.

A good purchase lender is one that issues up-front pre-approvals so that you have your list, you can get to your realtors and buyers and get them going.

You have the answers you are looking for- and your potential clients are all around you. I would love to hear if you are still around and what you made your focus!

BEst of luck to your future success!

I'm still in the business! I've been finding out that as I've grown my sphere of influence and as I've built up a client base, I get almost as much business as I need to survive right now just by being a good friend to my database. I'm sooooo glad I came across Velma when I did! My ability to keep in regular, friendly, personalized contact with my database has never been easier. Thanks for the great advice. I read the book Referral of a Lifetime and it dove-tails in nicely with the Velma philosophy.

Thanks again Lisa!