I have Leslie Stewart to thank for this honor.

That said, I think that it was totally unfair for her to tag me. I am filing an official complaint and want witnesses to the conspiracy that has landed me, a lender, with the title of a Real Estate Professional. Oh, what a name to hang on someone in this marketplace.

However, I must say that I am actually proud to be part of the Real Estate Profession. I take great joy in helping people to get their first home. I know that the "Great American Dream," has been misused in the past, but it is true. People actually dream about owning their own homes. And, I am a big part of the process. I don't stop at taking an application. I work with my clients to improve their credit, to establish a savings plan to gather the down payment. I instruct and train and counsel and commiserate. I partner with Realtors that are as committed to their clients as I am. I count many of my clients and partner Realtors as friends that I have gained for life.

I started in the lending business after 10 years in the U.S. Air Force with a company called Pacific Finance. They took me into their management training program....that was a way to work you as many hours as they wanted and not pay overtime. Pacific became TransAmerica Finance and I transferred to LaGrande from Salem as the new manager. In the finance industry, you spent 5% of your time giving people money (the fun part) and 95% of your time trying to get it back again (the not fun part). From there I went to building the second largest independent finance company in Oregon (owned by a savings & loan). Anyone remember the S&L meltdown?

Eventually I was offered a job with Oregon Revenue as a revenue agent. I couldn't see doing that, I wouldn't even have had the 5% fun part. Can anyone tell me why OR Dept. of Revenue isn't called ODOR when OR Dept. of Transportation is ODOT?

Now, I get to spend 100% of my time on the fun part. Yeh, sometimes it keeps me up at night trying to figure out how to make a deal work that I know is a the right thing for my clients and the lender, but it is still the fun part. I have been doing this since the late 90s and have learned so much over the years that I think sometimes my brain has no more room in it. I solve that by forgetting things that no longer matter, like where my pickup is parked. I have filled my head with government lending programs and think that I have a pretty good grasp of what will probably be 70% of the financing for the next 3-5 years. I LOVE my job. I would do it even if they didn't pay me.....oh that is what is happening now. LOL But, I will survive as I know Leslie will. I am - the Loan Gy!

I have decided to share this new tag with Sandy Shores in Florida and Thesa Chambers in Oregon. I think they both can use the experience. Also, I know that both of them are very proud of what they do. Beside that, they are both really in the Real Estate Profession. There are at least 20 more I would like to add, but I have to leave them for someone else.

Authored by Fred Chamberlin, a mortgage loan consultant, Eugene/Springfield Oregon