“I’m a huge Alice in Wonderland fan,” confesses Alison Everest (or should that be Alison Wonderland?) “I even have a large
tattoo on my leg dedicated to the story!”
Like her literary hero, the equally adventurous Everest left a placid circumstance—in her case, a middling job in banking—for a world of crazy ups and downs: the mortgage industry,
with its fluid regulations, tricky variables, and other surprises.
Like Alice, though, the blue-eyed Everest survives it all—thrives even. Part of the team of licensed professionals at The Mortgage Advisors working out of Perth, the seventeen-year industry veteran consistently collects accolades from her clients, for whom she offers a dependable, forthright, and transparent experience—oh yeah: and a mortgage or property at the best available rates.
By her own admission, Everest likes to keep things basic. “I’m a small-town country girl,” she explains. “I’m simple, I’m dressed down, I steer clear of the city. I prioritize a peaceful life for myself.” So, she keeps it rudimentary for her clients too. Everest does all of the leg work (that’s a lot of wear’n’tear on that tattoo!), sparing home seekers the headaches of negotiation. “All they have to do is fill out one simple application and my team takes care of the rest—that’s it!”
To say that people appreciate the approach is an understatement. Business is growing the way Alice did after sampling that mysterious mushroom. “I’m proud to be a small-town business that’s excelling in this industry. We’re in the top ten for our company and our referrals are consistent. I’ve exceeded even my own expectations.”
Everest’s long, brave, and successful journey began when she was pregnant with her daughter. “I wanted to find something that would allow me to have a more flexible schedule. I applied to become a mortgage agent when she was six weeks old.
By the time her first birthday rolled around, I was a licensed agent. I knew that if I kept myself busy and got the clients, I could be in control of my own destiny rather than settling for a position that would cap my earnings and growth potential. I took matters into my own hands.”
Photo by Sean Sisk
In an arena with so many moving parts, no less.
“This industry changes so much, from the stress test that the government introduces, to rates dramatically dropping then increasing. As mortgage agents, it’s our job to stay on top of these changes and adapt for our clients. Every week there’s something new to learn.”
And learn them she does. Then, she imparts that knowledge to her clients. Everest is a veritable Wikipedia of practical advice. Her Number One piece of precaution? “Don’t put the cart before the horse. Make sure that before you go out looking to buy a house, you’ve had your prequalification done, you’ve had your credit checked, you’ve had your documents reviewed. There’s nothing sadder than breaking the news to a client that they don’t qualify for a mortgage on their dream home. This can be prevented by pre-establishing what you qualify for. In doing this, clients can set out with reasonable expectations, and they won’t even look at the house that’s out of their means. My second piece of advice is to consolidate debt into your mortgage sooner rather than later. Don’t spend years living paycheck to paycheck with interest payments due on credit cards when it can be simplified––you can save thousands of dollars.”
Sage as Everest is, it’s not uncommon for her to have to throw away the playbook and switch to another tack.
“Something that you set up one day for a client may prove to be unusable the next. Every case and every individual is different and has a different set of variables that go into calculating their rate. These variables include credit score, down payment, the location of the house, the acreage––among many others––and each of these factors is used to determine a client’s rate. Oftentimes, people will just want to know what our best rate is without taking into consideration the fact that every circumstance is unique. This can be challenging, as no two cases are the same.”
Still, everybody walks away satisfied. Whatever question or concern they have, Everest is there to address it, whether she’s working from Mexico, BC, or from a nearby campground. “You’ll rarely find me working with four walls around me,” the ever-adventurous Everest confesses.
For a woman who can’t be housed, she’s pretty good at finding housing for others.
By Dan Lalande
Photography by Sean Sisk
