Career Change: Leaning Towards Loan Origination

[Brandon Allenczy]

Hello BP Community!

While accumulating small multifamily through househacking, our (my wife and I) strategy requires that I maintain a W2 job for a bit longer. Since I have to keep a W2 job, I would like it to be productive towards my real estate business in some way. I'm looking for something where I get paid to help people do real estate deals, while also gaining education and experience. If I have to have W2 income, I want it to be involved with something I love and am passionate about, which has now become real estate investing.

That being said, I'm thinking about moving towards a career in loan origination. Below are some reasons that I'm leaning towards this area.

1. I love math and problem solving

     - I have a master's degree in Business Analytics, so I'm a huge math nerd. Anytime I'm looking at deals, I obsess over the           numbers and become a full analyst about them. Additionally, I love problem solving. We've had to get creative a few             times in our investing, so I love looking at all the pieces in a financial situation, and trying to put together a deal that           works for everyone.

2. I believe Financing/Funding is the meat of the deal

    - I've seen first hand how much of a difference a great lender can make in a deal. Everything from getting                              prequalifications done quickly, to clearly explaining exactly what a person needs to close a deal. The financing/funding        is where the rubber meets the road in the transaction; finding all of the best deals in the world doesn't matter if you            don't have a way to fund them.

3. Lending/Financing is where I need the most education

    - Throughout our investing so far, the part that I've been the most 'in the dark' about has been financing. Gaining                    education in this area will (I believe) help accelerate our growth and allow me to create incredible deals for other                investors.

4. I love making investing/home buying possible for others

    - So many conversations I've had recently have involved a friend saying something like 'I would love to buy a house, I just        have no idea where to get started'. Explaining the process of buying a home or purchasing a rental is life giving to me; I        love being able to give people options and open doors for them they didn't know existed.

So, what do you think? Any loan originators/officers out there, do you think I have the right idea about what it is you do and how you work with buyers? What do you think are the good/bad faces of loan origination? What am I not thinking about here?

Investors, what do you love/hate about the lending process? What experiences have you had with different lenders in your career?

Any insight is appreciated!