Editorial
Front Page - Friday, September 24, 2010
Coach’s wife goes the distance for her home loan clients
David Laprad
Debbie Daniels is the wife of Red Bank High School’s football coach and a loan officer at Community Mortgage. She says she works nonstop to help her clients purchase homes or refinance homes.
- Photo provided
As the wife of Red Bank High School’s football coach, Debbie Daniels knows even small gains can add up to a win. And as a loan officer at Community Mortgage, she’s seen how one or two minor issues can keep a client from securing the money he needs to purchase a home. Football games have been won and lost over inches; likewise, the American dream sometimes hinges on a person’s credit score edging him past the goal line.
As Daniels sits down at her computer, she celebrates putting one in the win column.
“Yesterday, I quoted a client an interest rate. Today, I was able to lock him in at a better rate. It’s just one-eighth of a percent, but I’m excited about telling him the good news. He’ll know I did everything I could for him, and then pass that on to others,” she says.
Positive word of mouth and referrals are the bread and butter of what Daniels, who works on commission, does, so she follows a few simple guidelines to make sure her clients have a positive experience.
“I treat people the way I like to be treated, so I call my clients back as soon as possible. They know I’ll get back to them if they leave me a message,” she says.
Daniels says she also tries to be upfront with her clients when she sees they won’t be able to secure a loan.
“It’s hard to deliver bad news, but they key is to handle it right from the start. When I interview someone, I cover all of the bases, and I ask them before I pull their credit if I’m going to find anything detrimental. Then I go over the results with them right away. That’s less painful than if you drag it out,” she says.
If Daniels thinks a client might be able to obtain a loan, but she can’t get them to that point, she’ll go to extraordinary lengths to make it happen, including referring the person to a loan officer at another company.
“It’s like I’m married to making the loan happen. I get so involved, I even try to find someone else who can do it,” she says.
However, there are times when no one can make a loan work. In those cases, Daniels believes it’s her responsibility
to tell her client why he can’t borrow money for a house and to show him what he can do
to get a different answer down the road.
“It’s my job to teach my clients and give them advice. If someone is paying 6.5 percent, and the going rate is four, my clients are going to want the lower rate. But maybe they’ve had financial problems and need someone to guide them to where they can get a yes,” she says.
Having been a full-time loan officer since 1994, Daniels has the experience to back up her counsel. She used to specialize in financing new construction, but now handles every kind of loan. Daniels has also worked with a broad range of clients, from first-time homebuyers to people trying to secure a VA loan, and from individuals hoping to purchase a $50,000 property to customers who can afford a $5 million home. She’s licensed in Tennessee and Georgia, and is working on being licensed in Alabama.
“My commitment is to this community. I’m here to help people,” she says, adding that her association with her clients doesn’t end at the close of a deal. Rather, she stays in touch with her customers through the years, always ready to help them finance or refinance a home.
While Daniels is proud of what she’s accomplished as a loan officer, her success has come with a price. Her weekdays begin at 6 a.m. and continue long after the sun has set, and weekends are simply two more days in which to work. She even takes her laptop and cell phone with her on vacations to her hometown in Ohio.
“I’m on commission, so I never stop working. I don’t like losing a sale or leaving someone hanging. Plus, I’m just wired to respond,” she says.
Even though Daniels feels compelled to spend every waking moment working, she says she experienced more stress when she worked as a loan officer for a large bank.
“People would come in to get a loan because that’s where they did their banking, which was nice. But I was expected to be there all the time, even though I was working nights and weekends, too. Here, I’m on my own; everything I do is self-generated. I still feel less pressure, though, because no one is expecting me to be at my desk all day,” she says.
As the mother of an active high school senior and the wife of a busy coach, Daniels appreciates the ability to set her work aside and tend to her family.
“I cook dinner every night. I might pull out my laptop while I’m making a meal, but I make time for the things I love,” she says.
Although Daniels says football is on the list of things she loves, she seems reserved. Regardless, the sport has been a big part of her life since she and her husband, Tim, married as high school seniors 30 years ago. From watching her husband play in high school, to rooting him on as a Tennessee Vol, to supporting the various teams he’s coached in Ohio and Tennessee since 1985, football has been a constant presence.
“I laugh when people say I must be glad football season is over. It never ends,” she says.
Her work never ends, either. There are moments when it slips into her peripheral vision, such as when she and her husband are entertaining friends or attending a UT home game, but it’s always there. She’s grateful for the support of her husband, whom she calls her biggest cheerleader, but says there have been times when she’s questioned her career choice.
“My true love would be to own a small restaurant and catering business. I love to cook. But that’s a dangerous place to go unless you have a lot of money,” she says.
Daniels might not be in a position to make her dream come true, but she does enjoy helping others achieve their goal of owning a home. Like a skilled running back that won’t stop until he’s gained every possible yard, she’s a driven and consummate professional who does everything she can to make things happen for her customers. As a result, she’s guided many of her clients into the end zone.
Maybe one of these days she’ll call for a timeout and catch her breath.
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