I was a founding member of the CMPS Institute in 2005 because I felt it was important to differentiate myself from the many unscrupulous lenders in the mortgage industry at the time. The CMPS designation was a rigorous, peer-developed and reviewed set of standards, and I maintained my CMPS certification for many years. But after the mortgage meltdown, the local company I worked for, Integrated Mortgage Strategies, was absorbed in 2009 by a national correspondent lender, Guaranteed Rate – and Guaranteed Rate did not allow their loan officers to carry any certifications, and for this reason I was forced to let my certification lapse.
Since 2010, regulators have been required to check the credit report, take finger prints, and complete a criminal background check for all prospective loan officers. New loan officers must also pass a rigorous national licensing exam, and this process has weeded out the riff-raff, and helped the mortgage industry regain credibility. I hope that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau does NOT ease regulations on the mortgage industry – although we have heard hints of this as a possibility under the Trump administration.
Now it is 2018, and I have worked with thousands of clients and earned a solid reputation in the local real estate community. Every day, I demonstrate a willingness to go beyond the cookie-cutter approach of banks and brokers who are simply interested in just getting the job done – but aren’t particularly interested in stopping to interview a client about how their life situation and financial goals may have an influence on the kind of mortgage they get.
I offer highly competitive interest rates and speedy approvals, now working with the locally owned leader in residential mortgage financing here in the Research Triangle. Corporate Investors Mortgage Group is made up of professionals who well understand the ever-changing landscape of home financing. Just as important, our team is made up of individuals who recognize the difference between that cookie cutter approach and one that creates true value for you. For all of these reasons, I no longer feel it is important to carry the CMPS designation.