Tag Archives: Mortgage banker Houston

From Phones to Loans: The Hottest Mortgage Banker in Texas

. Interviews . , ,

You know the lady who talks on the phone in the handicap stall in the women’s restroom on our floor? The one who gets perturbed when we flush the toilets because it interrupts her calls? Well she just bought our old office refrigerator. Our front desk receptionist hung signs all over the building advertising our steal-of-a-deal $50 fridge sale, and thirty minutes later Stall Lady showed up with a fifty dollar bill.  I’ll bet she plans to roll that thing into her stall so she can set up shop properly. I’ll keep you posted.

Speaking of office scoop, if you’ve been reading here for any amount of time (and if you have, bless your heart), you’ve heard me mention Hayley. If not, you can check her out here or here. Hayley joined my ole Bosses’ team several years ago, but before that, she worked for our corporate office. The reason I want to brag on Hayley is because I don’t think most people know everything she does around here, and everything she can do for our clients. I pulled her in to give you the full scoop.

From Phones to Loans

An interview with the hottest mortgage banker in Texas, Hayley Rudy

Just the Assistant: First things first: How is Ryder?

Poor Ryder

Hayley: He’s way better. But he’s hyper and likes to jump on things, so now we have to pick him up and place him on the floor when he wants down from the bed. Thank for asking!

[Please note, Hayley’s dachshund, Ryder, pulled a neck muscle last month. We considered forming an office prayer group for him, but it sounds like he’s on the up and up, so that won’t be needed.)

JTA: So you’ve been with Envoy a long time, right?

Hayley: I started working for the corporate office when I was 19.

JTA: And what was your job?

Hayley: I was a receptionist. I answered phones, got the mail, things like that.

Hayley at Envoy

And I had to Google “What is a mortgage?” If they would have seen my Google history they probably would’ve fired me. During the interview, Dana Gompers [one of the founders of our company] asked about my experience and I was like, ‘I was the receptionist at a hair place and I’m really nice on the phone.’ And he hired me. And if he’s reading, tell him thank you! I wouldn’t be where I am today had he not hired me all those years ago.

[Hey Dana, you reading? No? Busy running a mortgage bank? Well maybe one of your friends can pass along the message – Great job in hiring Hayley! You, sir, know how to pick ‘em!]

JTA: Ha! Then what happened?

Hayley: I stayed in that position for about two years, and then I went on to work in HR for a couple of years. The company was so small back then that it was easy work. We only had three branches.

[Now there are 100 branches, of which we are the smartest and most famous.]

JTA: Then what happened?

Hayley: I wanted to go into sales. I had Googled enough at that point that I knew what a mortgage was,  [She’s so funny!] and so I moved into the position of loan coordinator. And less than a year after that, James and Chad asked me to start working as the loan coordinator for their branch. And that’s when we met!

JTA: Yay! Okay, but now you’re a mortgage banker. How’d that happen?

Hayley: I’d been working for James and Chad for about a year when all the laws changed. All of a sudden, because I wasn’t a licensed mortgage banker, I couldn’t talk to their clients about interest rates, even though I knew about interest rates. So James and Chad encouraged me to take classes and get my mortgage banking license. Basically they wanted me to take on more responsibility. I wanted that, too, but I wouldn’t have gone for it had they not encouraged me and been there for me.

When I passed the test I screamed and hugged the administrator. I don’t think you’re supposed to do that.

[Note: I Googled it, and hugging the administrator is, in fact, generally frowned upon.]

JTA: So now you still work some for the ole Bosses James and Chad on their loans, but you do your own loans now, too, right?

Hayley: Yes! It’s the best of both worlds because James and Chad have a lot of tricky loans, like borrowers that are self-employed and stuff. So I get the experience from the tricky files from them, and I’m getting to grow my own business in the meantime and work on my own loans.

JTA: You have your own clients – I love that! What do you want people to know about you?

Hayley: I love what I do. Being at the closing table and seeing people getting a house – that’s why I do this job. I really love seeing people happy. And I love that every situation is different. I like figuring out their story to get them to a loan.

Hayley Loves Her Job

Just the Assistant: Hayley, you’re a rock star. Now go answer all those phone calls!

Y’all, the girl is golden. She practically runs her own business here between managing her own loans and helping James and Chad on theirs. Want to know how much house you can afford? Want to refinance the one you already own? Want that loan from the hottest mortgage banker in Texas? Of course you do! And while you get in touch with Hayley – 713.858.6169 or hrudy@envoymortgage.com – I’m off to grab a Dr. Pepper from the ladies’ room handicap stall.

UPDATE: After posting the above, people started contacting Hayley thinking she’s the toilet lady. What are y’all smoking? Stall Lady and Hayley are two different people. I wouldn’t encourage you all to get mortgages with someone who offices in a bathroom.

The Supermodel

. Office Happenings . ,

I was feeling kind of cute in my stripy Anthropologie saleroom skirt and snappy sweater today, until I bumped into her.

Remember how I told you there is a modeling agency in our building? Well get this. I parked my car in the garage just a bit ago, strapped on my backpack laptop bag and grabbed my water bottle. As I crossed the street, heading to our building, I noticed a very tan woman of about seven feet in height wearing a spandex hot pink mini-dress, walking a bit behind me. So you know what I did for you all? I slowed down in hopes of catching the same elevator together. Upon entering the building I saw a man in a business suit stepping onto the elevator. Then I really slowed down so the guy wouldn’t hold the door for me. I just had to get a good look at this lady.

As I approached the elevators, eyeing behind me like I’d just remembered something that should’ve been back there, I reached toward the up button excruciatingly slowly, much to the annoyance of the middle-aged woman directly behind me who was on her way to an attorney’s office. But it worked! We’d be riding the same elevator up. As I waited, that model stared at herself in the marble walls and fluffed her hair. Then she dropped her phone and I turned away quick-like as to not see too much of my supermodel.

At last, the doors open and the middle-aged woman, my supermodel and I stepped into the elevator. The modeling agency is on the second floor, which only gave me about ten seconds with her (I’m going to have to ask that agency to move up a few floors).

I remember in a sociology class learning about social norms. A very common social norm is facing forward in an elevator.  We all do it without even thinking, and anyone who doesn’t is totally deviant. The professor dared any of us to, upon our next elevator ride, walk in and not turn around to face the front. Oh what a hoot.

Well, because our elevator walls are also marble, my supermodel stood backwards the whole ride up, staring into the marble and tugging at her dress (that thing would simply not cooperate, being spandex, miniscule and one-armed). I got the feeling her backwards posture was not a sociological experiment. She also smelled like smoke, which I don’t think will be a plus for her, but I didn’t say anything.

Now that I’m here in the office, things seem quite drab compared to my supermodel. Everybody is quietly working on loans, James and Chad are both wearing their boring blue shirts, and neither smells like smoke.

Boring

Boring

Come on, guys! Spice things up a bit! Geez, you’d think we’re a bunch of mortgage bankers around here.

I may spend the rest of my afternoon in the modeling agency.

Speaking of models, our dear Hayley is away this week. I told you all a while back that she got engaged, and now she is married and on her honeymoon. James and Chad are busy filling her role while she’s gone and I think each is about on the verge of tears at this point. That said, it’d be an awesome week to call for a loan. They’re both so emotional right now that they may forget to charge you for your appraisal or something. Okay maybe not, but it’s still a good week to call.

Lastly, it’s time we have another giveaway, don’t you think? I’ll go badger the Bosses for some green to put towards that, and you all let me know what you’d like the prize to be. Spa day? Restaurant card? Free dog grooming? Hot pink spandex mini dress?

Okay, ponder that, and I’m off to the second floor.