Monthly Newsletter for June 2017

NW REGIONAL NEWSLETTER HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE Summer is here, the days are heating up and the harsh winter is beginning to be a distant memory. June sizzled, we had the highest closing month since August of last year at 48M. Applica- tions were 2 best in a 10 mo. span. Our purchase centric focus over the years is paying dividends as nd our market share continues to grow and some of our branches and sales team members are seeing record performances. Shout out to the Legacy group who experienced a record month, 13.8M since joining Academy 2 ½ years ago. At the midway point of the year it is a good time to review if you are tracking for your professional and personal goals. Please use the One Page Business Plan to direct your focus for the next 6 months. I am proud of our Sales team who are chasing one of the company’s three production trips. Shout out to Jason Oswald who qualified in June for President’s Club and a trip to Barcelona Spain. I am also happy to see some of our LO’s seeing an uptick in their business, amazing how the right ac- tivities at the right time of the year can produce sweet pay checks! Our Operation Team has made branch and LO volume records possible. Our processors and support staff deliver quality files that allow our underwriters to keep turn times low and to allow our closers and funders the opportunity to keep our on time closings above 90%. Ev is doing a great job helping to fine tune our flow, critical for us is to lower our application to fund time, we have slipped a little and at the end of the day “Speed Win’s” we need to be faster than our competition which also means we need to put ourselves in a position to have doc’s to title a minimum of 48 hrs before sign- ing. There were some fun events in June from Mastermind in Vegas to Top Producers Club in Whistler. Visiting Academy’s Recruiting Social was Steven Marshall who is puts on the annual Mastermind Event, along with Industry leading Mortgage Coach Tim Braheem, also on hand was Barry Habib, Mortgage Executive and TV Commentator. Those attending Top Producers in Canada had a wonder- ful time listening to Rudy Ruettiger and his story told in the movie “Rudy.” Don’t ruin a good day by thinking about a bad yesterday, LET IT GO. We keep Laurie Funston in our thoughts and prayers. -Dave Schile

EVELYN COX Wow, the month of June was busy and I’m seeing that July may be busier. We will maintain the challenge of turning our files in and out of underwriting and closing as fast as we can. We appreciate the fields due diligence in helping Processing getting the completest pictures possible before submission of files. The month of June has gifted us all with life challenges, some are expected, some are shocking and some are just down right adventures. Be sure to keep a life/work balance, there are some things we can’t ever get back or have re-do’s on. On a business side, what an amazing month! Volume has been crazy, all things considered, we rocked it. I see that July is going to be equally as busy, so please focus and get files submitted early and try hard to limit the number of “rushs” thrown out in the end. We welcome Becky Godina into underwriting from processing, she has passed all her FHA and conventional test cases – Go Becky! Tolerance cures – sore subject. Remember if you change anything, and I seriously mean ANYTHING… you need to be re-verifying the fees… addendum changes; increases/decreases in sales prices – will result in a change in title fees and origination – did you re-disclose when you got the addendums? Did you re-verify the fees with title – double check the recording fees? By doing our due diligence; we will reduce the chance of needing a tolerance cure. Life’s Little Instruction Book Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know. Measure people by size of their hearts, not the size of their bank accounts. Live your life so that your epitaph could read “No Regrets.” Every day look for some small way to improve the way you do your job.

CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE: Laugh a little!!

I would like to take a minute to thank the following people who put up with me daily: Craig Ballhagen, Dave Baldwin, Maureen Karamales, Stephanie Johnson, Susie Manweller, Terry and Tressa Anderson. THANK YOU, for all you do, and for helping make my job easier. You are all appreciated more than you know!!! I am lucky to work with such amazing people!!! ~Paulette Martinez I want to thank Carole Condon for her dedication in covering for a processor who was on a 3 week European vacation. She has been calm and carried on in a very busy time of year. I know 4 of July weekend will be a th special time of celebration for her. ~Lynn Hergenreder Stacia Page She closed 23 loans for the CDA branch, while also helping out the Spokane and the Montana offices. Awesome job Stacia!!!!! ~Scott Petersen SHOUT OUT TO DAVE SCHILE FOR CLEARING Simply put - Lacie Zachary is AMAZING! She is always willing to OFF EVERYONE’S CARS DURING A SNOW DAY jump in and help regardless of what she has going on. She is a book of knowledge and I am grateful to have such a wonderful mentor and trainer. Thank you, Lacie! ~Miranda Bosely

I would like to thank Pearl Smith for always being there for our team and for being so helpful. Pearl works hard and welcomes each new day with a happy heart. She is a great listener and is always the first to volunteer to help out. I am blessed to be able to work with someone with the kindness and work ethic that she shows each and every day. She is an incredible example to all that work with her. Thank you Pearl for being so amazing!!  ~Paulette Martinez It's unbelievable to me how much more one can accomplish surrounded by good people and hard workers. Tara Haglund, Natalie Svaty, Lacie Zachary, Laurie Funston, and Brandi Albers somehow make this crazy mortgage business fun (at times)! Thanks so much for working so hard for each other and our clients. So many compliments and good things to say!! Gotta give a holler to Evelyn Cox, She's stepped in and excelled at her new role. I appreciate her help and the fact that she takes my calls. :-) ~Jason Oswald Shout out to Carole Condon in Spokane for balancing so many plates, at one time, in June. You covered for your short staffed office and took on the files of two other offices. Once things get back to normal it’s going to seem easy for you. Thanks for your hard work and keeping your chin up. ~Dean Gilmore Thanks to Teresa Metz for her superior guidance, kindness, and leadership. Thanks to Ela Conner for her timeliness, skills, work ethic and patience. ~Austyn Shuman I would like to give Christy Milliren a BIG SHOUT OUT for always backing me up while I’m on vacation or just overloaded. She is the true meaning of a Rockstar! ~Fran Larsh

LAURIE FUNSTON...you are one of the most incredible women I know! Not only are you irreplaceable in our office but you are one of the strongest women I have ever met! Thank you for being such an inspiration to me and teaching me so much! I seriously love your guts!! MODESTY MARTINEZ...you are an absolute life saver!! You came just in time and hit the ground running for us! We appreciate you so much and we’re so grateful to have you in our office!! Your work ethic and teamwork is so awesome!! Thanks for being you!! TARA HAGLUND...you girl are so awesome!! You are always going above and beyond for our team and we’d never accomplish the amazing things we do without you!! Thank you for always having my back and giving me great files to process!! We are so lucky to have you!! ~Lacie Zachary Shout out to Maureen Karamales, Paulette Martinez and Stephanie Johnson! I hosted our 1 annual Team Awesome BBQ and st we had a blast with our families. Thank you Team Awesome for all you accomplish every day serving our borrowers and referral partners. ~Susie Manweller Left to right: Stephanie, Susie, Maureen & Paulette.

As I approach my 3 year anniversary with Academy Mortgage, I wanted to take a moment and thank those who have helped me along the way. To Kelly Beebe, Whittney Curran and Vicki Leavitt, I say thank you for giving me the opportunity to “reinvent” myself with a new career that has stretched me both personally and professionally, in ways I never dreamed of. To my Processing family Becky Godina, Paulette Martinez and Jeanne Armstrong you ladies act as cheerleaders, counselors and help desk, delivering tough love and shoulder to cry on when needed. Academy Mortgage is truly a family and I am grateful every day that I get to come to work and rub shoulders with all of you! ~Pearl Smith I want to “shout out” to Laurie Funston. She’s just flat out amazing, and is some- one that I respect & admire. Her work ethic, tenacity, and ability to accomplish as much as she does is nothing short of unbelievable. Can’t say enough about the work she does and the person she is! ~Dave Perry Would love to give Brandi Albers a shout out. She has gone above and beyond to help accommodate timely CD deliveries and always willing to go the extra mile for us – even clocking in late in the evening to help make sure we meet our closing dates. As a producer, timely closing mean everything. Having a team who works so well together and members of that team such as Brandi that go above and beyond help me to continue to drive in new business. I couldn’t do it without her or any of the gals on my team. ~Tera Davis I would personally like to give a big thanks to Heidi Williamson, because ever since I started she has always been very helpful & friendly. In fact the very 1 weekend here on that 1 Friday I was just kidding around with everyone one st st in the office that if they was bored, I could use some help in moving the next day. And she said yes I would love to help. And by dang her & her husband showed up to help me move. That was very appreciated, so a big thanks to her. ~Kim Jasperson

How about a shout out for Paulette Martinez, who always has my back especially when we get a little hectic. June was an awesome month, but I definitely relied on our tight team a little more than usual. Also Fran Larsh who is consistently on top of things. Even when I can’t get a loan’s CD requested as soon as I’d like due to missing some needed items, when I do get all the pieces together she’s still always able and willing to pick up that at ball at the 11 hour and run with it! I’m amazed at how she does this. th Sure do appreciate your extra efforts, Fran! Thank you  ~Maureen Karamales Huge shout out to DAVE SCHILE for giving me time, in between Vacation, to get this newsletter out. Thanks Dave! ~Angie B. I just want to say THANK YOU to this whole supportive, wonderful group of people that make up our “tribe”… lo- cally and regionally. So many of you have touched my life these last weeks in amazing and unexpected ways. I ap- preciate every kind word, every hug and every spark of positivity. Cancer stands no chance in the face of such overwhelming support! ~Laurie Funston

FUN AND GAMES The Red Bull Girls brought us free drinks! Ist Picture—Legacy Group -Left to right: Ami Browen, Natalie Svaty, Lacie Zachary, Tara Haglund, Darla Austin, Miranda Bosely, Amy Hobbing, and Chealee Carstensen 2nd picture—Meridian Left to right: Pearl Smith, Becky Godina, Casja Law, Jeannie Armstrong I had a Great Birthday weekend. I went out in the motorhome and did some Brandi Alber’s Birthday fishing North of Anchorage. July 3rd - Photo with ~Leon McKean Heidi Williamson

ANCHORAGE WARRIORS TAKE THE GOLD!! Each year in early June, the state of Alaska holds the Special Olympics Alaska Summer Games. This year the Anchorage Warriors Unified Basketball team won the Gold Medal in the Championship tournament. Unified teams are made up of Special Olympic Athletes and Partners that train together twice a week over a three month period each year. Leon McKean, Branch Manager, Anchorage, Alaska, has worked with Special Olympics Basketball as a Partner for the past 4 years; and this year as Coach of one of the two Anchorage teams. “This is an extremely competitive event with teams from throughout Alaska vying for the championship.” This year’s championship game included two dunks, many steals and fast breaks, a number of critical free throws, and a 3 point shooting exhibition by Special Olympics athlete Matthew Maillelle. Matthew scored more than 30 points, with many of them 3 pointers. It was the second time these two teams played that weekend, and both games went down to the last couple of baskets. The championship game came down to the last few minutes of the game, with the lead in jeopardy until the last minute. “My primary goal as coach is to help each athlete achieve success and enjoyment playing the game I love. It’s very special working with these athletes, and I am truly honored to be given the opportunity to know and befriend each of them. They are truly special to me.” ~Leon McKean, Branch Manager, Anchorage, Alaska

OFFICE GIVE BACK Courtney Gabel (Right) and Teresa Thomas (Left) Achorage Alaska Office, had the opportunity to participate in the Out of the Darkness on May 20 . This is a suicide th awareness and prevention walk. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death of people between 10-44 so bringing awareness is key to prevention. Walla Walla, Washington Branch Tera Davis led and supervised all the volunteers in this year’s Care and Share Food Drive Golf Tournament. This is an annual event to raise money for our local food bank. Tera sits on the committee year round and puts NUMEROUS hours each year in making the golf tournament and food drive seamless and a success.

MEET OUR NEW EMPLOYEE MERIDIAN, IDAHO BRANCH Welcomes CASJA LAW New Hire in May 1, 2017 Casja Law and Family CHERYL LIPP HUSTLING BUSINESS IN COLVILLE, WASHINGTON CELEBRATING INDEPENDENCE DAY Coeur D’ Alene High School Annual Golf Tournament Fund Raiser Left to right: Left to Right: Dave Schile, Angie Prendergast, Danielle Costa, Angie Prendergast, Lynn Hergenreder & Danielle Carli Daniels & Scott Peterson Costa

TOP PRODUCER’S CLUB Whistler, Canada Dave Schile with the Canadian Mounties Above: Dave Schile, Lynn Hergenreder and her friend Tootie, Scott Petersen and his wife Ginny. RUDY RUETTIGER AND SCOTT PETERSEN (on the Left)

Left to Right: Steven Marshall - Event Host Keynote Speaker Magic Johnson Aaron Nemec Tim Braheem - Mortgage Coach Discussion Panel Left to Right: Ellie Traeger, Alaska Branch Barry Habib Mortgage Executive/ TV Commentator Kate Pettique, Senior Marketing Manager

JUNE NUMBERS TOP THREE BRANCHES IN THE NORTHWEST REGION LEGACY MERIDIAN 13,399,783 MERIDIAN 13,083,984 COEUR D’ ALENE 3,784,241 TOP FIVE IN VOLUME TOP FIVE IN PURCHASE VOLUME Jason Oswald 7,625,898 Jason Oswald 7,406,898 David Perry 5,082,315 David Perry 4,975,315 Tera Davis 3,418,226 Tera Davis 3,418,226 Leon McKean 2,710,245 Ryan Shelby 2,615,467 Leon McKean Maureen Miller 2,657,547 2,546,245 “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward” ~Martin Luther King, Jr. “I walk slowly, but I never walk backward” ~ Abraham Lincoln

NORTHWEST LOAN OFFICERS LoanOfficer Total Volume 18. Mike McLean $716,086 1. Jason Oswald $7,625,898 19. Dalton Clark $658,000 2. David Perry $5,082,315 20. Tina Clarke $648,797 3. Tera Davis $3,418,226 21. Craig Ballhagen $525,620 4. Leon McKean $2,710,245 5. Maureen Miller $2,657,547 22. Adam Zachary $444,439 6. Ryan Shelby $2,615,467 23. Dean Gillmore $431,675 7. Whittney Curran $2,516,928 24. Sheryl Ossello $362,000 8. Scott Petersen $2,308,454 25. Lynn Hergenreder $343,250 9. Susie Manweller $1,937,553 26. Dave Baldwin $331,704 10. Terry Anderson $1,828,882 11. Jennifer Bender $1,725,117 27. Alice Thomas $320,498 12. Teresa Metz $1,321,204 28. Anne Erickson $307,417 13. Vicki Leavitt $1,214,423 29. Frank Keller $307,000 14. Cheryl Lipp $1,198,480 30. Teresa Thomas $259,000 15. Mike Lipinski $1,916,098 31. Steve Linnenkamp $172,000 16. Aaron Page $1,168,370 17. Kristi Lacroix $888,370 Total Loans $47,961,063

President’s Club Conference Barcelona, Spain Fall 2018 Qualified: Jason Oswald Tracking: Dave Perry, Leon McKean, Tera Davis, Whittney Curran and Kelly Beebe Executive Club Conference (will be joined by the President’s Club) Maui, Hawaii March 2018 Tracking: Ryan Shelby Top Producers Club Conference Laguna Beach, California June 2018 Tracking: Scott Petersen, Jennifer Bender, Mike Lipinski Terry Anderson, Maureen Miller & Lynn Hergenreder





A Legacy of Respect The habits of successful originators haven’t changed in a quarter century By Malcolm B. Hollensteiner, regional director, George Mason Mortgage LLC | bio Chris Warner, one of the most respected residential mortgage leaders and sales trainers in the industry, retired last year to little fanfare, but his legacy carries on throughout the Washington, D.C., area. As president of 1st Washington Mor tgage Corp. during its heyday in the early to mid-1990s, Warner was instrumental in teaching the origination business to dozens of industry newcomers with diverse backgrounds ranging from aeronautical engineering to commercial fishing in Alaska. Warner helped build 1st Washington into a top home lender despite a “rookies-only” hiring policy that discouraged the traditional mortgage industry practice of exclusively recruiting experienced originators. In fact, many of his hires had been referred by competing companies that were unable to provide the necessary support required to give those new originators the opportunity to succeed. Warner had been a high school English teacher and a real estate agent prior to finding his way into mortgage banking. 1st Washington’s motto — “We will be here for you” — attracted many top real estate agents and builders throughout the District of Columbia/Baltimore corridor and produced a generation of mortgage banking leaders who occupy influential positions at organizations such as Caliber Home Loans, First Home Mortgage, George Mason Mortgage LLC and SunTrust Mortgage Inc., to name just a few. HABITS OF SUCCESS Ten years after the mortgage meltdown, our industry continues to be defined by the media and the public as inefficient, irresponsible and even immoral. Television commercials today promote technology solutions as a way to ease the burden on borrowers seeking mortgages and borrowers often compare applying for a mortgage to getting a root canal. In that context, it might be time to return to the practices that made originators successful a quarter of a century ago. Perhaps we should revisit Chris Warner’s sales sermons and seminars targeting those bright-eyed, young originators in 1993. Even today, Warner’s advice provides originators with a blueprint to build the required foundations behind every long-term partnership they will ever need with both referral partners and borrowers. Warner’s most effective sales training technique wasn’t even originally designed for the mortgage industry and dates back another half-century. In 1940, an insurance-industry executive by the name of Albert E. N. Gray delivered a talk in Chicago before the National Association of Life Underwriters titled: “The Common Denominator of Success.” Gray’s speech to a roomful of life insurance salesmen became a living document that Chris Warner positioned as a mission statement for every successful originator he taught, and this advice is still relevant today. Page 1 of 2

Continued - A LEGACY OF RESPECT Gray — and Warner after him— said successful salespeople formed the habit of doing things that failures don’t like to do. “Why are successful people able to do things they don’t like to do while failures are not?” asked Gray. “Because successful people have a purpose strong enough to make them form the habit of doing things they don’t like in order to accomplish the purpose they want to accomplish.” So what are the habits originators need to be successful and compete against slick advertising and builder-owned mortgage companies? Warner’s rules of engagement are simple to understand, repetitive in nature, but challenging for the overwhelming majority of originators to follow because of the discipline and mental toughness required in following them daily:  Return phone calls promptly;  Always write at least five personalized thank you notes every day;  Be an expert at your trade, and study your industry at all times;  Be honest with clients and referral partners, and deliver the truth at all costs; and NEVER STOP LEARNING. PRACTICE PROFESSIONALISM Whether you are an originator or a branch manager, ask yourself how frequently you practice Warner’s traits or how often you see your teammates and employees consistently perform these simple tasks. Today’s top producers, regardless of how large their origination teams might be, are implementing daily some version of this business strategy in their own unique style. Visiting open houses on Sunday afternoons with just your business cards so you have to engage agents in conversa- tion and then sending each of these agents a handwritten note as a follow up isn’t complicated, but it takes disci- pline. Learning how to perform a complete prequalification for a challenging first-time homebuyer may not be ex- citing, and it may not even result in a closed loan, but it demonstrates an expertise and a level of integrity and professionalism that does not go unnoticed. Gray told that audience of insurance salespeople in 1940 that every single qualification for success is acquired through habit. Today, whether it is attending open houses, teaching “New Agent Financing 101” classes, or helping first-generation homebuyers decipher the complexities of obtaining a mortgage, performing these habits well and consistently allows you to separate yourself from the pack. These activities may seem incredibly simple and straightforward, but executing them on a daily basis is challeng- ing. These practices do not lead to immediate results and they are not flashy tactics by any means, but consider the impact they will have on your competitors. Are any of them more consistent than you with a disciplined ap- proach to creating habits? Consistency, reliability, consideration and effort will never fail you in the long run. Page 2 of 2