Carrie Budds has been a mortgage banker with AmSouth since November 2004. Before that, she was with Countrywide Home Loans for about a year and a half.
HOW DID SHE GET INTO MORTGAGES?
“I started out as the production assistant for Laura Smith of Countrywide Home Loans. She taught me everything I know about this business. We left Countrywide together when she went to open Gibraltar Mortgage, so of course I went to support her. When she went back to Countrywide, I went back as well.”
BEFORE MORTGAGES?
She was a real estate agent with Re/Max Coastal Real Estate for two years. “I worked as a buyer’s agent with Denise Demico.” Before that she worked at Target Stores in human resources as a team relations leader for two years.
COLLEGE
She has a bachelor’s degree in German international trade with a minor in business from Auburn University.
WHY LEAVE REAL ESTATE TO GO INTO LENDING?
“I like the financial end of real estate. I found myself focusing more on the numbers and liked working with the financial end instead of showing homes.”
BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED FROM A CO-WORKER?
“I have a small card that is up on my board that was given to me by our city president, Marty Lanahan. She always says ‘Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it.’ It is an old Chinese proverb. It is just another way to say that you can do anything when you
set your mind to it. I truly believe it about my career and life in general. I have never allowed anyone to hold me back. I plan to continue. The sky is definitely the limit.”
LIKE ABOUT LENDING?
Budds said she enjoys the challenge of making a deal work and getting someone financing. “I like taking into consideration everything that they are looking for, everything that you know will work well for them and making it the perfect situation for their home buying experience.”
CUSTOMERS?
Budds deals with Realtors and builders. “I am one of the preferred lenders for Watson Custom Homebuilders.”
ONE BEST THING
THAT YOU COULD TELL A REALTOR?
“The importance of the pre-approval rather than a pre-qualification, because any borrower can give a pre-qualification by taking a look at the information that the borrower provides you. But, making sure that the borrower is actually pre-approved where someone has actually pulled a copy of their credit report taken a look at it and requested verification and knows what that borrower is actually pre-approved for, is very important.”
WHAT IS THE BEST
WAY TO GET CLOSER TO REALTORS
AND BUILDERS?
Networking functions and organizations where you can sit and talk one-on-one and build and create relationships. Relationships are the most important part of this business.
HOW ARE REALTORS IMPORTANT TO YOU?
“Realtors are the lifeblood of our business. They ultimately are the best marketing that we have because they are the ones that are directly working with the borrowers.”
PET PEEVES?
“Not returning phone calls and disorganization. It’s hard to expand your business and grow if you don’t have some sort of organization in place.”
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS?
Northeast Florida Builders Association’s Sales and Marketing Council and The Northeast Florida Realtor Association.
WHY ATTEND THESE ORGANIZATIONS?
“It makes me feel well-rounded in the business to know other people that are doing the same thing that I am doing. We learn the tricks of the trade from each other.”
LESSONS LEARNED?
“A quick decision is not always the right decision.”
HOMETOWN?
St. Helen, Mich.
RESIDES
Intracoastal West.
PERSONAL SIDE?
She is married to Jason, construction superintendent for the St. Joe Co., for a year and a half. They have a baby boy, Brady, 8 months. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family outdoors. “I love to travel.” A movie she saw recently and would recommend is “Hitch” “It was great and funny.” A book she read recently and would recommend is “Who Moved My Cheese” by Spencer Johnson. “It really helped me to deal with all the recent changes in my life.” When dining out, her favorite restaurant in Biscotti’s.
- by Michele Newbern Gillis