Today we’d like to introduce you to Maggie Buchanan
Hi Maggie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I graduated from Lake Washington High School in Kirkland, Washington in 2001 with a 4.0 with honors, and went to directly to Concordia University in Irvine, California to play soccer, but with no other direction for my studies. In one semester, I changed my major from Communications to Art, played one season of soccer, trained with the track team, went to the beach 532 times… and then withdrew myself from school. College wasn’t for me, so I moved back to Seattle, got a job at Red Mill Burgers near downtown Seattle and a roommate, and lived a normal 19-year-old life..? It didn’t take long to realize I needed to find an actual career (and stop eating fries and milkshakes daily), so I went to a temp agency, and they placed me as a temporary receptionist for Chase Manhattan Mortgage in a 9-story building on the skirt of Pike Place Market. That was 2002, I was 20 and that was where my mortgage career began. I quickly moved from temp receptionist to full time loan officer assistant. I continued to grow. I moved into processing, then into underwriting for years. I worked for a bank, a broker and a lender in the years to follow. My ladder-climbing in operations landed me as Assistant VP at Citibank at the age of 28. I was the youngest and one of the few women in leadership. The wonderful people who worked on my team were all at least 10 years my senior and I was approving their timecards and putting them on improvement plans. It was an interesting dynamic, but I learned so much about people, leading by listening, etc.
I have never followed the typical path for anything. I have found there is a certain amount of confidence that is born from taking chances, daring to be different and finding success in it. It also often-times means learning the hard way, but you learn, and keep walking forward. Do it better next time.
I was encouraged around 2015 to move into the sales side of mortgages. It was an insane suggestion in my mind, since I was 100% financially responsible for my 2 amazing girls. The points my friends and mentors were making was that I had the experience and ability to make at least as much as I was making already, and would then have no ceiling, no cap. No limit to what I could achieve. I liked that idea. 2 years later in 2017, I made the leap. The first year in full-time sales as a loan officer, I made the same amount of money in 100% commissions, that I made the year prior. In my second year, I made it to President’s Club.
Eventually I got back into leadership, given my wide array of experience and eventually built a branch of 22 people in Las Vegas where we closed $10M – $15M monthly. I had sales managers, loan officers, processors, assistants and a receptionist all working in unison and we were all achieving success together.
But life is interesting, isn’t it? My family and I were hit with a curve ball when the father of my children passed away unexpectedly in November of 2021. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do- tell my kids that their dad was gone. It also presented me with a choice- where to go from here.
Admittedly, Las Vegas never felt like “home”. In December of that same year, we made our trek to Greenville, SC to visit with my girls’ oldest brother (their dad’s oldest son) for Christimas. We were shown around and hosted by his now wife and her family, I instantly fell in love with Greenville. I feel like it is the perfect combination of big and small town.
To stay in line with my track record, we traveled outside the norm and started looking at houses- yes, while on vacation. Long story short, by February I owned two homes here in Greenville. One for me and one for nana. I moved in April and my mom followed shortly after in June. When it’s meant to be, it ALL works out.
For the first year (plus), I was focused on my girls only. Getting them plugged in, getting them set up with doctors, therapists and keeping them engaged. Covid happened in 2020- changing their social landscape, and everything they knew at the time, then their dad passed in 2021 and then we moved to another state in 2022. Their world had been shaken up and I was fully dedicated to getting them back into some type of rhythm. Needless to say, they are thriving, both with straight A’s and great friends.
In June of 2023, I finally started working on my business again. Building relationships with people in rapid-fire fashion. I started networking with Greenville Networking Group, which was a soft place to build a runway. I met caring people who were instantly on board to help and work together. I experienced the magic of Networking in Greenville- wildly different, in the best way, than anywhere else I’d been. The growth started through events- Real Estate Industry BINGO, classes at real estate brokerages, happy hours, ladies’ luncheons, etc. I started podcasting and inviting guests who I wanted to learn more about. I joined CureSearch and started training for the Ultimate Hike – which raises funds for childhood cancer research. I met some of the best humans on Earth that I am still blessed to know today. I will be hiking for my third year.
Fast forward to 2024, I joined Liberty Networking and really started dialing in events and got more intentional with who I was building with and what events I was focusing on. Some of the alignments that have come about- intentionally and unintentionally, have been momentous. As it sits now, I have 5 planned events already this year- Treat Yourself – a focus on self-love on February 13th (strategically placed the day before Valentines Day), a Virtual Assistant Masterclass at Flywheel on March 13th, LinkedIn Class at City Club in downtown Greenville on May 8th and a Community Day celebrating our local heroes in June with a Cornhole tournament, live music and food trucks, benefitting CureSearch… and of course my annual GRAND Holiday Party with silent auction in December.
Within my makeup, I have an undying belief that everything will be better than ok. I call myself a hopeless optimist. Not in a toxic positivity way, but more in the vein of what Henry Ford said: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right”. I believe all people can create their own luck, and there is no greater joy than helping another person see that, through their circumstance.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Smooth roads are boring, at least that’s what I tell myself. How do you appreciate a smooth road if you haven’t been bounced around first and thrown across the car on a sharp curve? My journey has not been smooth overall, but its birthed creativity and ingenuity. Too rocky? Bigger tires. Steep downhill? New brakes. On the Audobon? Install turbo injection and a V8!
By 26 years old, I had moved 26 times. Two main things come to mind when I think about that fact- I have a hard time truly letting people in (because I’d move away), and I am incredibly adaptable.
I have always had anxiety and used to have multiple panic attacks per day, starting when I was 14. When I was 22, I felt it happening one night before bed, and I was so exhausted dealing with it, that I just decided to invite the panic in. We took a walk together- panic and I. At that time I realized that no one was doing anything to me, the panic was coming FROM me, which must mean I had the ability within me to stop it… AND I DID. That was a huge mental turning point for me. And I truly believe it is part of my life’s mission to help people with that specifically.
I am a mortgage lender, so 2008 hit pretty hard in our house. Not only had we (myself, my 1st daughter, her 3 brothers and their dad) just moved to Las Vegas- which was one of the hardest hit recession areas in the US, but being in mortgage, my job transfer fell through, and so did dad’s. I remember we sold all the furniture we had. We were down to a quilt on the floor and a TV and our last 3 packs of ramen. Food stamps kicked in the next day and we rebuilt our lives from that day forward. Fortunately, the rebound from a recession in an area like Las Vegas is pretty strong as well.
Obviously Covid was a challenge for every person. It was really sad and hard to see my kids have their social world and life as they knew it, drastically changed. The view of kids is already so myopic and I think it’s easy to forget that. In an effort to keep the economy going the rates dropped tremendously and 2020 and 2021 were actually 2 of my highest earning years so far.
Losing the kid’s dad in November of 2021 was the hardest thing we’ve ever been through. It was unexpected and changed the fabric of our lives. Relocating to South Carolina and being near our extended family has started to re-weave that fabric and mend some of those wounds. The overall welcoming nature here has been healing to say the least.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Neighborhood Loans?
I am a Producing Branch Manager at Neighborhood Loans in Greenville, SC. I am “Mortgages By Maggie” on socials and that also happens to be my website www.mortgagesbymaggieb.com
Because I have been doing this for 23 years, there isn’t really a scenario I haven’t seen.
I never just give a flat-out “no” to anyone. If someone applies for a mortgage with me, and they aren’t ready at that time, they will know exactly what they need to do to be ready, and approximately how long it should take.
I believe the fact that I have worked in every position in this industry is what sets me apart.
As a loan officer in a real estate transaction, you’re kind of the conductor of the whole thing. Knowing every piece of what happens on my own side is incredibly helpful in being efficient.
I like to take a teaching approach with my clients, so they understand as much as they want to about what’s happening. I am definitely more relational than transactional.
I am known for staying calm and finding solutions easily and quickly.
I am proud of the way people feel at the end of a transaction. The majority of the reviews and feedback I get are that it was easier than they thought it would be, they felt heard and that they didnt need to worry about the loan.
One takeaway I’d like to convey is that it’s never too soon to see where you stand. Until you can actually see a plan and numbers in front of you, it’s impossible to know if and when it will work. That goes for buying your first house or investing.
We have a multitude of programs for first time homebuyers including down-payment assistance options, as well as creative financing for self-employed people and real estate investors. I welcome any scenario and timeframe!
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is that at the end of the day, I know I did the best I could do that day and that I made the best choices I could make, with integrity and empathy. I can sleep at night if I know I acted in a way I’d be proud to see my daughters replicate.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mortgagesbymaggieb.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mortgagesbymaggie/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MortgagesbyMaggie
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-buchanan-1809b77a/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mortgagesbymaggie
