Proud To Be A Work At Home Mom
 by: Diane St. James

I am a WAHM and proud of it! After all it took me long enough to get here!

I started a website while still commuting 100+ miles/day to my mortgage underwriting job near Philadelphia, PA. I came up with the idea nearly 2 years ago out of a desire to help people understand mortgages better and guide them as to the best type for them. Let me back up a little. I have spent the last 8 of my 20 years in the mortgage business as an underwriter. What is an underwriter? To put it plain and simple, it is the person who approves or declines <gulp> your mortgage.

Through the years I've seen too many people get into a mortgage that wasn't right for them, just because someone talked them into it. Also I've seen people paying more in mortgage points or closing costs than they really should have. By the time I got a file, it was just my job to make a decision on the loan. It had always been too late for me to tell the borrowers this wasn't really the best thing for them.

So I thought about what I could do to help people outside of my day job and turned to the Internet. I set up my unique mortgage consulting website to be 'different' from the other mortgage websites out there in cyberspace. People who come to my site looking for mortgage rates, won't find any. I am not a mortgage broker, (even though there are a few links on my site for those wanting to check out mortgages). I started out offering live on line consultations and then added personalized written reports since people have such busy lives! A quick questionnaire and they'd have their answers.

My day job was keeping me swamped though, and it was to the point where I was constantly bringing work home evenings and weekends. Weeks turned into months, and months into over a year of so much work, my poor girls were forgetting my name!! Not really, but they might as well have. I worked so much, and my website suffered for it, not to mention my family! Talk about your guilt trips! The sad part is, my girls were growing up before my very eyes. How many times do we all say that? Last year when my oldest daughter turned 12 I realized she was going to be a teenager soon and where had I been?? Stuck with my face in yet another loan file.

So last August after I had been working in an office environment most of the last 20 years, and doing this long commute for 2 years, in order to make the big bucks (and make it I did), I informed my boss that I was offering to do my job at home. After all I had a computer, phone and fax machine and my brain...what else did I need? She turned me down of course, which I could have predicted. So, what did I do? I didn't logically say "Just thought I'd ask" and go back to my desk. I gave my 2 weeks notice and never thought twice when I walked out the door 2 weeks later. Luckily I have a husband who supported my decision.

People thought I was crazy since I didn't have another job waiting for me but I was determined to make family my priority and be there for my girls. At least this way I will have more memories of the last years of their childhood.

So what happened? I'm doing great! I picked up some work doing post closing audits part-time. Then over the winter I wrote my first ebook "How to Get a Mortgage" filled with vital tips to save borrowers headaches and money! I publish a great mortgage e-zine called Diane's Mortgage Tips + Other Tidbits. I've also expanded my website to include, Automated Underwriting Services, Mortgage Related Resources, Realtors, and a full page for Work at Home Resources since I believe in it so much!

My girls? Well, my older daughter played on the basketball team at school for the first time, my youngest is on a softball team, also for the first time. When either of my kids are sick, they know they can stay in bed and have Mom wait on them hand and foot, then slip out to 'work' in the room next door. I actually can volunteer at their schools once in a while and dinner is never at 7:00 p.m. anymore!

Looking back, I know this sounds so cliche but I honestly can say the only regret I have is not having done this 10 years ago.

About The Author

Copyright 2001 - Diane St. James http://www.abcmortgage.net
KNOWLEDGEABLE, FRIENDLY AND CARING MORTGAGE ADVICE
Author of "How to Get a Mortgage" New e-zine Diane's Mortgage Tips + Other tidbits