Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Bunning.
Hi Leah, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Back when I was in college I decided I wanted to have a “backup” career while I was working on my degree in psychology. I had a family friend who was a processing manager at a mortgage company, and she offered me an entry-level position and the opportunity to start learning the mortgage business. It only took a few months for me to go from a processing assistant to a full-time processor. I had an amazing mentor who took the time to train me, and I just got the business; understanding mortgages came very easy to me. After a few years, I decided to move across the country (from AZ to NC) with my ex-husband, and ended up transferring to a mortgage sales office in NC and became their in-house processor.
Eventually, I left the company I was working for and decided to make a transition to a new mortgage company, and at this same point in time I was working on leaving an abusive marriage. I had so much support from my co-workers at the time, and honestly, my career in the mortgage business gave me the financial means to be able to stand on my own and leave my ex-husband. During this time I was also processing for a loan officer, who would eventually be the person to get me down here to FL. Fast forward, once I got down to FL I decided I wanted to grow more in my career and ended up getting my NMLS license and switched to being a loan officer assistant so that I could start learning the sales side of the business. I finally took the leap to be a full-time loan officer in March 2020, right during the COVID lockdowns. The transition from an hourly/bonus role to a 100% commission role was absolutely terrifying but so worth it. My mission as a loan officer is to make mortgages both entertaining and educational. Mortgages, and just lending in general, can be an incredible tool.
But it can be very overwhelming if you don’t understand it. This is ultimately what led me to start my mortgage podcast; Lending with Leah. It’s a mortgage, lending, and real estate podcast that’s specifically geared toward consumers, rather than industry professionals. I’m looking forward to not only growing my business as a loan officer but also helping people take their home-buying/mortgage process into their own hands.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve experienced many struggles and challenges along the way. My first challenge was managing to work full-time in the mortgage business while also going to school full-time. I got my master’s degree at 23 but had been working as a loan processor since I was 20. I was utterly exhausted and living with tunnel vision for those 3 years, and right at the end of finishing my master’s degree is also when I was in the middle of leaving an abusive marriage. That was an incredibly challenging point in both my personal and professional life. The amount of personal stress I was under made it more difficult to concentrate at work, but I needed my job to make sure I could stand on my own. What ended up being so beautiful about this particular struggle is that I was open with my managers and co-workers about what was going on and they offered me so much love and support. This love and support really helped me to get out, and begin to do the long work of healing.
After this point in time, life was absolutely beautiful; personally and professionally I wasn’t really running into any challenges. A couple of years without struggles ended up giving way to what I consider, my most difficult challenge.
One evening, after a real estate event, I was assaulted by a friend and a previous co-worker. I ended up going to the police and was able to get a restraining order against the person who had assaulted me. Not only was this a personal trauma, but it became a professional trauma as well, being that this person was in the same industry as me. This event ended up being a catalyst for me to finally step out on my own as a 100% commission loan officer; I needed to leave the city I was living in for my safety and well-being.
Now, when I feel scared about taking a new step in my life (whether personally or professionally) I just think back to this moment. I stood up for myself and held someone accountable for their actions. I did it with honor and integrity and it was absolutely the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done. But having done it, it’s given me the courage to make bolder moves.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am a mortgage loan officer with CrossCountry Mortgage and I’m the owner of the Lending with Leah podcast. As a loan officer, my job is to originate loans. I connect with people who are looking to get a mortgage either by purchasing a new property or refinancing an existing home. I work with all kinds of different clients, but I would say that I specialize in helping first-time homebuyers and clients with lending challenges (i.e. bad credit, minimal to no funds available, and other unique situations). The Lending with Leah podcast is my baby. The podcast is for anyone thinking of potentially owning some day, in the process of buying, or already own their own home. There are a lot of wonderful mortgages and real estate podcasts out there, but I noticed that most of them are geared toward industry professionals rather than the consumer.
Even though the mortgage/real estate industry is better than it was prior to the housing crash in 2008, there are unfortunately still a lot of people that get taken advantage of. In my opinion, this is because it can be a difficult industry to understand. My goal with the podcast is to educate the consumer on all aspects of lending and real estate, while also being entertaining at the same time. My brand, whether it’s my loan officer business or my podcast, is to make mortgages both entertaining and educational. This is what I’m most proud of when it comes to my brand. I want my readers to know that I’m here for them. I want them to feel empowered and knowledgeable so that they can take their home buying/lending process into their own hands. Mortgages and real estate have changed my life in ways I never would have dreamed of. I want my clients and listeners to be able to experience the same thing.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was always on the go; school, after-school activities, church, and spending time with friends. I was extroverted, but still shy at the same time. I experienced a large amount of bullying growing up, and I think this played a role in my shyness.
The extrovert in me showed through theatre and dance. I loved (and still love) being on stage and performing for others and had big dreams of moving to LA to become a movie star. Even though there was a creative aspect to me, I also had a very analytical aspect as well.
For example, I loved math, and I really loved statistics in particular. Math came more easily to me than reading, writing, and science did. I think this is because most things in math have specific answers; you’re either right or wrong, and there’s no middle. The certainty of math was comforting to me, but the freedom of theatre and dance was exciting.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lendingwithleah.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lendingwithleah/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LendingwithLeah
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiDlCOA6mSnNMb37UbbMZFA
Image Credits
Hannah Dougan
