Melissa Breeland

Ahh...the age old question. As I drive to work over the illustriousArthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6Y4rie-dOs ) I ponder my existence as a Loan Officer. When I started in 2001 I was so full of energy and excitement..the world was my oyster and I was hungry and driven to succeed. I had a baby to take care of and no other means of support. I started off making cold calls out of the phone book! Can you imagine. Wow, can't do that today...thanks to the National Do Not Call Registry. Well, since then I have transitioned from a sales girl to a Mortgage Loan Professional and I really do understand the value of my profession. I understand that I am here to be of service on what ever level possible...not just as a Loan Officer, but as a friend, mother, wife and daughter.

I wanted to blog this morning because I was starting to get a little down from all the crazy money making schemes out there designed to rip off the home buyer and home owner (Foreclosure Rescue Scams and Reverse Mortgage Scams). You would think..after the demise of the sub-prime market and all the interception of the federal government into Fannie and Freddie affairs we might be able to go back to basic lending practices. But NO...there are all sorts of hard money loan sharks and pyramid schemes (realtors signing up to act as Loan Officers to earn even more money off their clients) and just plan illegal operations popping up all over the place. You need a Mortgage Loan Professional that you can trust more than ever before.

As a consumer you may have questions regarding the home buying process. I highlyrecommend that you stop by the Federal Trade Commissions website and check out their Mortgage and Real Estate section.

Any woooo....I decided to write down a few reasons to validate my existence or to maybe just pump myself up a little....

1. I love people and I know that I have a particular knowlege base that can really help them make sound financial decisions when it comes time to buy a home.
2. I'm dedicated and won't give up or hide when the deal gets a little difficult.
3. I have a top notch team behind me to solve problems and to close loans on time.
4. I'm willing to work 24/7 (Yes, I take applications at 10:00 pm on Sunday nights)....how many service providers do you know who are willing to do that?
5. I know my local market (Charleston, SC) and all the players (attorneys, appraisers, home inspectors, Realtors) and who to work with to help my clients save time and money.
6. I'm a good communicator and will keep all parties informed as we go from point A to B.
7. I read and study like crazy to makes sure I'm up to date on market trends and program guidelines.

Yep, I still love my job. :)

We all need to eat lunch...well, maybe not all of us, but when we do we like to have some fun and enjoy some good Charleston food. Today, Residential Mortgage of SC decided to take the staff to California Dreaming on the Ashley River for lunch. California Dreaming serves lunch and dinner daily starting at 11:00 am. Reservations are suggested for dinner (843) 766-1644. Take Hwy 17 South to Albemarle Road or Take SC 30 to Exit 1 and follow the signs.

Here are some pictures I took to commemorate the event. Our head Underwriter and our I.T. wonder woman are in town from Alaska for the week so we plan to eat this town UP! Oh ya, thats right. Bring on the fried oysters and don't hold back on the remoulade sauce. Stay tuned for more restaurant reviews from your favorite Mortgage Maven.

California Dreaming

Residential Mortgage of SC takes a break from some training. We are always on top of industry changes and cutting edge technology!

The Caesar Salad with Fried Oysters ($10.50) was to die for! That means it was Delicious with a capitol D!

OH, and those light and fluffy butter honey drenched croissants should be illegal. The scenery wasn't bad either...well, if you like fluffy white clouds, blue skys, historical bridges and someone's amazing boat! Who ever owns the "Carolina Girl"...we would just like to say, "Need any extra deck hands"? Looking for any wayward adult children to adopt? Give us a call." :)