For many, the military is a relatively short career. The average length of service in the armed forces was about seven years for enlisted personnel and 11 years for officers, according to a Pew Research Center survey from a decade ago.
Although some military personnel continue to serve in the Reserves or National Guard, millions of veterans go on to long and varied civilian careers, including in the mortgage industry. In fact, many of the skills learned in the military translate to sales positions, according to Military.com, a leading website for military members, veterans and their families. These skills include the ability to problem solve, work both independently and within a team, and have an understanding of personal accountability.
This year, Scotsman Guide is highlighting veterans who also have reached the top of their profession as mortgage originators. Taking information from our annual Top Originators rankings, Scotsman Guide has broken out veterans by Top Dollar Volume, Top Veteran Women and top producers of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loans.
Larry Gonzales of Aligned Mortgage, who served 24 years in the U.S. Navy as a surface warfare officer, led the way in the Top Dollar Volume rankings with $101.9 million in loan production in 2019, according to the rankings. TowneBank Mortgage’s Ray Shanahan came in second at $94 million, while Homebridge’s Daniel Chapman, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and former captain in the Marine Corps, placed third at $92.2 million.
Marine veteran Amy Goss of Residential Mortgage Services Inc. was tops among women originators who also are veterans, closing $74.7 million in loans. Alicia Blackwood of American Dream Wholesale Brokers came in second at $73.1 million, while Army veteran Jackie Wampler of MVB Mortgage placed third at $70 million.
Gonzales capitalized on his familiarity with the military in his origination work. All of his volume was through VA loans, making him the top producer for veterans on that type of government loan.
Verification: Mike Gagle, Brian Warr
