National Mortgage Professional Month is a designated time where HOMESTAR celebrates our achievements, loyalty, and hard-working professionals. This is a dedicated time in September to honor and thank all who make the dream of homeownership happen. Below, hear from HOMESTAR's Chief Financial Officer, Stacy Mohr, on her professional journey in the mortgage industry.
Q: How long have you worked in the mortgage industry, and were you always in this role? Can you explain a little about each role?
SM: I have been in the mortgage industry for 16 years.
When I started, I worked as an Accounting Supervisor and had come from a manufacturing company. That was in 2006, so my first few years were about surviving the housing market crash. I thrived on the challenge. Eventually, I worked my way up to Controller and oversaw all the company's accounting aspects, but the secondary marketing activities were still a mystery to me. My boss at the time allowed me to learn that side of the business, and I absolutely loved it. I gave up my Controller role to become Vice President of Capital Markets.
After that, my roles and responsibilities continued to grow. I added Post Closing, Loan Servicing, and Human Resources to the list of departments I oversaw. Finally, I had the opportunity to join HOMESTAR as Chief Financial Officer. This gave me the opportunity to combine my Accounting and Capital Markets backgrounds, along with Post Closing and Servicing. This broad background allows me to make connections across the departments to enhance knowledge and efficiency.
Q: What's something that has surprised you about your chosen career path?
SM: I thought I was an Accountant for life. I liked the consistency and reliability of the numbers, but I knew I was hooked once I got a taste of the capital markets world. I was surprised at how much I liked the excitement and uncertainty.
Q: What could you give a 30-minute presentation about with no advance preparation?
SM: The purpose and process of hedging loans. I could probably easily go over 30 minutes on that topic.
Q: How do you describe what you do for a living to family and friends?
SM: I usually tell them I work for a mortgage company and stop at that, but that often leads them to believe I'm a Mortgage Loan Originator, so I explain I'm more on the financial side of the business.
Q: What's the best piece of professional advice you've ever received?
SM: Oh, so many that I love! To pick just one, I would say it's always to understand the "why." Why does the company exist? Why does your role exist? Why do you enter that one piece of data into that specific field? There is so much knowledge, understanding, and improvement to be gained in understanding the "why!”
Q: What do you like most about working at HOMESTAR?
SM: This company has such a helpful and caring culture. We want to meet our borrower's needs, take care of our employees, and give back to our communities.
Q: What's your best professional advice for someone newly entering the mortgage industry?
SM: This industry has its challenges, its ups, and downs. Helping our borrowers is extremely fulfilling, so keep that "why" in mind when things get tough.
Q: What would you like to highlight about being a mortgage professional?
SM: It's fun! There is SO much to learn. The industry is constantly changing, so you will never run out of learning opportunities.
Want to see more of what HOMESTAR Nation has to say about working in the mortgage industry? Learn more here.
