Hello

If you somehow made it here, you probably went through at least a dozen mortgage broker websites that…

 

All. Look. The. Exact. Same.

 

If every mortgage is different, shouldn’t your mortgage broker be different too?

Hi, I’m Hansel. I wasn’t always a mortgage broker.

Please – I challenge you to e-mail me a Zoolander or Brothers Grimm joke that I haven’t heard yet. Just like everything else in life, I believe that having fun is just as important as being professional. And, of course, doing a great job!

My journey is a bit of a winding one. I finished a degree in Kinesiology (study of human movement – Google it, it’s not quite as weird as it sounds) and after working in the industry for a while, I realized that not everyone who needs treatment can afford $60 per session or $1600 for an arthritis knee brace.

I asked myself, “What can I do to help solve that problem?” Naturally, I answered, “Help people save money so they can afford those things!” Along with the alarming revelation that I talk to myself, I decided to study to become a financial advisor.

Speaking of talking to myself, here’s one of my favourites as an award for making it this far. Really dating myself here but Meteora was one of my first CDs. RIP Chester.

Even in my first year, I quickly learned that most people have a tough time saving. With housing prices this high, it’s no wonder! Most folks are focusing on making sure they have a place to live. They don’t have enough left over to put into savings.

This time, there was no need to talk to myself. The solution made sense: learn about how mortgages work so that maybe, just maybe, people can have more resources to spend on what they want – and hopefully with a little bit less stress than before they met me.

So, I became a mortgage broker. I know.

I’ve got a chip on my shoulder because my first mortgage broker didn’t let me be a part of the process – and didn’t disclose his fees until it was too late to look elsewhere. I took it upon myself to peek behind the curtain of the industry and I’m here to share what I’ve learned with you.

Hopefully I come off as way less sketchy because let’s be real, most mortgage brokers out there have the dodgiest-looking websites and are making the rest of us look bad! It’s made me hate the term “mortgage broker” so call me a consultant, planner, or whatever – I don’t care – just don’t lump me in with the rest of them.

Here’s a taste of my style – click here to take my crash course on mortgage history (it’s only a page).

If you want to learn more about rates and what the process looks like, feel free to click here.

Also, in case you’re in the mood to be equal parts amused and horrified, here’s a Wikihow guide on How to Stop Talking to Yourself:

For the record, there’s nothing wrong with talking to yourself – at least, that’s what I tell myself.