Carolyn Minor is a home loan consultant with Countrywide Home Loans.
HOW LONG HAS SHE BEEN THERE?
Five years. She started out as a processor and became a home loan consultant about six months after she started.
WHAT DOES SHE DO?
“I get mortgages for people. I get the application and then I have an assistant that I hand it off to and she hands it off to the processor.”
HOW DOES SHE LIKE IT?
“I love it. You have much more flexibility in your schedule. I feel sorry for people who don’t like their jobs.”
WHO ARE HER CUSTOMERS?
Mostly Realtors, but she also has a lot of referrals from past customers. “I get a referral business from clients that I have worked with who come back to me for refinances and they send their friends over.”
HOW DOES HER PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AS A PROCESSOR HELP HER NOW AS A HOME LOAN CONSULTANT?
“I can tell if a loan is going to make it or not because I know what the guidelines are and everything. It really does help an awful lot, especially with tough loans, like FHA loans.”
WHAT IS THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE LOAN PROCESS FOR THE CUSTOMER?
“The toughest part of the loan process is usually their documentation. So many people throw away their W-2 forms, bank statements and pay stubs.”
HOW CAN REALTORS HELP THEM WITH THIS?
“They can tell them to make sure they save important documentation needed for the loan process. There are other ways to get them, but it sure would help if they saved them.”
WHAT IS ONE BEST THING THAT YOU COULD TELL A REALTOR?
“Make sure their clients get pre-qualified before they send them out. If they get them pre-qualified right up front, then they know how much they can go for and be more realistic in their hunt.”
WHERE WAS SHE BEFORE COUNTRYWIDE HOME LOANS?
She was a processor with Cornerstone Mortgage for two years and Watson Mortgage for six months. She’s been in the business since 1990. “My sister got me into it. She had a mortgage company in Tampa and she told me I needed to try it.”
WHAT DID SHE DO BEFORE THE MORTGAGE BUSINESS?
She was a freelance writer for travel, Civil War and other types of magazines. “When you live in Florida, you can hit all those destinations and people in Maine enjoy reading stuff like that.”
DOES SHE STILL WRITE?
“No, I don’t have the time. I wish I did because I really liked doing it.”
AREA DOES SHE WORK?
All of Jacksonville. “I spend a lot of time with Realtors at the beach. Where there is a loan, that’s where I will be.”
HOW ARE REALTORS IMPORTANT TO YOU?
“That’s where I get the majority of my business. As long as you can produce quickly and efficiently, they will send their business to you.”
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS?
She is a member of the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors and she is currently the secretary of the Jacksonville Women’s Council of Realtors and will be treasurer next year.
WHY GET INVOLVED?
“The networking. I’ve met a lot of good people there. It changed my view on Realtors because I always thought they didn’t get along and were out after each other. They get along great!”
WHAT HAS HELPED YOU MOST TO GET YOU WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?
“Diligence.”
WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED?
“To think before I open my mouth. I used to just spew out what I think and now I’ve learned to be quiet and think.”
HOMETOWN?
Franklin, Penn. She moved to Tampa in 1970 and to Jacksonville in 1993.
RESIDES?
Isle of Palms at the Beach. She and her husband just bought a house this past February; prior to that, they lived on a 45-foot Morgan sailboat for seven years.
FAMILY
She has been married to Ted for 28 years. They have three daughters, Lisa, Jacque and Robin.
WHAT DOES SHE LIKE TO DO WHEN NOT WORKING?
Travel. “We do unusual vacations. We have hiked in the Andes up to Machu Picchu, sailed through the British Virgin Island, went to the rainforest in Costa Rica and camped in the Outback in Australia. Next year, we are going to Kenya on a photo safari.” They also have a 17 foot speedboat they enjoy spending time on.
FAVORITES
She cites her favorite movie as “White Knights.” She doesn’t have a favorite book, but she does have favorite authors including James Patterson and Patricia Cornwell. When relaxing at home, she enjoys watching “American Justice” on the A & E channel. Her favorite place to visit is Costa Rica and her favorite place to eat is Berns Steakhouse in Tampa or Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Jacksonville.
- by Michele Newbern Gillis