I recently had an elderly woman contact me from Sedona, Arizona. She was referred to me from a friend who I had done a loan for a year or so ago. Immediately she began to explain her situation to me and I could hear that she was having a hard time just talking to me. I found out later that she was very ill from emphysema and had her oldest daughter living with her to help her get around. She was in dire need of help. 
She is 83, owns two homes, and is about to foreclose on his primary residence.
Once I pulled her credit I realized I just couldn't do a good loan for her. She told me that the bank who was about to foreclose on her home had offered her a "one time" fixer loan at 12%. She called me for advice and wanted to see if I could get her 10% or better.
I immediately began to do some research and found that her home was worth 3 times what she owed! I was shocked that she was convinced that losing her home or refinancing was the only option. What is sad is when I told a fellow loan officer about this she told me to just charge her 5 points and get her into a new loan.
Unreal isn't it?
I called my client back and told her the best thing for her to do is sell her home. I told her to use the money from that to help pay her mortgage on her other property and to let the rest build interest. Her house was listed a week ago, 2 good offers have been made.
What did I get from this in terms of loans? Nothing. Not a single red cent.
Now I'm no different than most of you. That is why we are successful in our business, we do what is right when it is called of us. What is sad that I had a loan officer laugh at me for "throwing away business". He couldn't understand why I was "wasting my time" with this little old lady.
It reminded me of a story I once heard, and I felt like I was living it...
One day a young man was walking down the beach when he saw something weird in the distance. As he approached he noticed that a man was throwing something into the ocean. The closer he got he saw that the man was throwing star fish into the sea over and over again. When he got close enough he noticed that the tide had washed hundreds of thousands of star fish onto the beach. They would be dried up by midday.
He shouted out to the man, "Sir what are you doing?"
The man replied, "I'm throwing these star fish in, they will die if I don't."
Shocked the young man answered "Surely you don't intend to throw all of them in? There are thousands of thousands of star fish out here. It won't matter, there are too many of them."
The man stopped and without speaking picked up another star fish. He threw it into the ocean. He gazed for a moment at the young man and said, "It mattered to that one".
Every day we have people cross our path that don't always pan out to a commission or any monetary benefit to us. Remember that sometimes taking the time to help the helpless is what matters most.
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oh my goodness Jacob - I loved that story and it is so GREAT to know there is a lender out there who believes in doing the RIGHT THING by a client. You may not have made one cent off of this woman but that woman will talk and her kids will know all about you and what you did for their mom. I truly believe that what comes around - goes around and based on this post I would say that you have good fortune coming to you.
Very well done!