Rian Roberts and Marianne Lagerstrom | Pitfalls To Be Aware Of When Buying A Home
In this episode of Around Flower Mound, we’re sitting down with not one, but two special guests who are both longtime residents of Flower Mound and my favorite, go-to mortgage lenders— Rian Roberts and Marianne Lagerstrom. Rian and Marianne both work for the Serving Families Team at AMC Mortgage.
Rian is the branch manager at AMC Mortgage and has been a mortgage professional for over 20 years! On the same team as Rian, Marianne works in business development and is responsible for making sure both their mortgage and Realtor clients have a “wow” experience! We’ll chat with Marianne and Rian about their favorite part of living in Flower Mound, who they want to be a hero to, as well as…
What they enjoy about working for AMC Mortgage
Why it’s important to understand the mortgage industry
How they got started in the mortgage business
Pitfalls to avoid when buying a home
The first thing to do when buying a home
And more
Mentioned in this episode:
Transcript
Nicole Smith Woodard: Today I'm so excited to introduce you to two absolutely fantastic Flower Mound residents. As you know, Around Flower Mound is all about bringing light to community leaders, business owners, parents and charities within our fantastic community. I am so excited about our two guests today. Both longtime residents of Flower Mound and my absolute favorite go-to mortgage lenders, the serving families team with AMC Mortgage.
Rian Roberts: Hey, what's up Nicole?
Marianne Lagerstrom: Hi Nicole.
Nicole: Hi. So before we get to our questions, I want to share with our audience a little bit about each of you. Rian Roberts. Rian is the branch manager at the Flower Mound location of AMC Mortgage located in Parker Square. He is an honors graduate from Texas A&M University. I was pausing for a little, what do y'all always say?
Rian: Luke.
Nicole: Thank you. With a degree in finance and a 20-plus year mortgage professional. Rian, his lovely wife and their three very athletic boys have made Flower Mound their home for the past 20 years. In Rian's spare time, though, from his speedy response time, it doesn't seem like he has much of it, he is an accomplished and committed youth soccer coach. We are so glad you're here, Rian.
Rian: Thanks, Nicole. I'm glad to be here too and got to compliment you, I'm really, I really love this and love the idea and you're such a great connector and I appreciate all you do for our community and connecting us to each other, whether it's business owners or folks who work outside the city. It's always great to talk to you, Nicole.
Nicole: Well, I appreciate that so much. So Marianne Lagerstrom, also here. Marianne works with business development with Rian and she, and I can tell you firsthand, is responsible for making sure their mortgage and realtor clients have a wow experience. She and her husband, Steve, moved to Flower Mound over 25 years ago. They're the proud parents of a US Marine and a college student studying theater.
Marianne is a graduate of Texas Wesleyan University, we were sorority sisters, by the way, where she earned a degree in theater and then proceeded to have a career in theatre where she toured with two Broadway shows and has performed with both the Dallas and Fort Worth opera and other theatre companies. She's very involved with the Denton County Children's Advocacy Center and Cross Timbers Rotary where we reconnected after a very long time. So welcome, Marianne.
Marianne: Thank you, Nicole. I'm so happy to be here. And, you know, I'm just so thrilled that somehow our paths crossed again as they have. It's just been amazing to get to know you again. And then to recall fun times we had, you know, back at Texas Wesleyan.
Nicole: Exactly. I love it. Well, welcome. Well, so first question about my guests, Rian, what is your favorite thing about Flower Mound?
Rian and Marianne’s Favorite Things About Flower Mound
Rian: Oh, that's a good question. So is Nothing Bundt cakes a good answer?
Nicole: It absolutely is.
Rian: Okay, good. Yeah, I love the people. It's just a great town. You know, it's one of the few places I can imagine living where you really don't have to leave to get everything you want in between church, school work, working out, great restaurants, great people. I mean, it has it all. And in fact, a lot of times whenever people ask me where I live, my first question is I live at Disneyland. It's a fantastic place to live here.
Nicole: Agreed. Agreed. So Marianne, what's your favorite thing about Flower Mound?
Marianne: Yeah. So I would have to say that having been here 20, 25 years, it is definitely the people that live here. But for some reason, we're just in a magical magnetic place that draws people who are intent on helping each other and lifting each other up and taking care of each other, and as you know, I've volunteered, as you know, with some nonprofits, and then I've been involved with our Rotary Club. And the deeper you go, you really find that it's just true. I mean, people are just good people up here. So I love it.
Rian: Yeah, and I see that with Marianne all the time, too. And she's living proof that the world is round. There's so many circles that we run in that we wouldn't think that we would know similar people who are running similar circles. But yet, we show up at a coffee shop together and turns out we know several people from different circles that we just happened to both know. And it's one thing I really love about our town.
Nicole: I completely agree. I love it. Well tell us, tell this audience about AMC Mortgage. What do you do? And who do you want to be a hero to? And I know this answer will be a little different for both of you. So Rian, you go first.
Marianne and Rian’s Position at AMC Mortgage
Rian: Yeah, that's, wow, that's a big question. As far as this particular mortgage company goes, I've had a lot of different iterations of working this in my career between having my own company and then selling it. And then that company selling to another company. So kind of seen a lot in the last 20 years. But what I really enjoy about this is it allows me to do the things that I'm good at and doesn't force me to do things that I don't like. That's been a really big blessing in my career over the last few years is to get back to doing the things I love, which is helping people.
So when you ask who do I want to be a hero to, you know, after my family and the kids that I coach and youth soccer, I really want to be a hero to my customers. And now that I've been at it for a couple decades and I've seen people's financial situations more, with me playing a small role. It's an advisory role, but ultimately, it's their decisions, their actions that get them where they want to be.
But what I try to do to set them on the path. And I tell people all the time that if they don't get the debt management side of their finances right, they're never going to get the asset side of their management right, of their financial plan right. So, my goal is to make sure that they don't mess things up too badly on the debt management side so that they can build wealth on the asset side. And, you know, there are just so many cases where I've seen that. While I don't know if I'm a hero to them, I feel like a hero sometimes because I can see it playing out in real life.
Nicole: You definitely are for sure. So thank you for all that you do. So Marianne, tell us about what you do and who you want to be a hero to.
Marianne: So my job is probably, if I could dream up a job, Nicole, it would be the one I'm doing right now.
Rian: Oh, come on.
Marianne: No, it's true. I mean other than being on stage and singing somewhere, you know, for millions. But this is a close second. No, truly though, I, you know, I never had an inkling that I would be in mortgage at all, you know, until, you know, six years ago when this all came to be. So what I do is I have kind of a, I have a platform where I get to use a two-pronged approach. So Rian and I are a team.
He is, you know, obviously the financier or the financial mind behind all the loans and talking to people about that situation with them. But I get to work with our real estate agents and our customers. So that's what I mean by having a two-pronged approach. My marketing is mostly done to our business partners. But then I also get to do it with our customers. I get to touch them a couple of times throughout the loan process and make it more fun. Make it more personal.
Rian: Yeah, she makes me look good.
Nicole: She does, I agree.
Marianne: I guess I want to be a hero both to the customer and to the real estate partner. Probably more to the realtor on my, Rain's the hero probably more for the customer. And maybe I could be seen as that for the partner because I like to make them look good. That's what I'm here for, to help our partners with their marketing and to help them be able to focus more on their clients while I might take, you know, take a little bit off of their plate. So that's what I'm there for.
Nicole: Well, that's awesome. Thank you so much for sharing that with us. And I can affirm you both for that you do such a great job for sure. And Rian, so you are a 20-plus year respected expert in the mortgage business. So why do you think it's so important for people to understand this topic?
Easing America’s Biggest Stressor
Rian: Yeah, it's a great question. So what I think it boils down to is just how much people think about money. Whenever you look at surveys that are done and Americans are asked no matter what their demographic is, and when they're asked what are the things that stresses them out, it's usually money in their health are the two biggest answers. And most of the time, money is the leading answer to that. So a lot of times it seems like it doesn't matter how much you have in your bank or how little you have in your bank account, it's still a stressor for people.
And so what's important for me is I've got to go into each conversation, each customer knowing that this is a stressful conversation. And then also, you know, frankly, it's probably the biggest check they're gonna write every month and we're about to be the people that walked them into it. So we got to get it right. Make sure that we don't put them in stressful situations, put them in manageable situations and then also if they feel like they're stressed out about money, show them a way out.
Nicole: That's awesome. Well, I know that you have literally helped thousands of families and that this is very personal to you. So how did you get started in the mortgage business?
Rian: That's, thank you for asking that. It's a long story, obviously, like most of them are, but I always knew that I wanted to be involved in the financial world. And for me, I got my first job in the financial world when I was, whenever I was in college. I worked for a local financial advisor that worked at Edward Jones. Big company, but they have small branches and they're very localized. And I would sit at that front desk and Dave was, Dave is and was a great guy and would hear him down the hall. And in fact, I met him by coaching his kid in soccer. That's how I got the job. I was his kid's soccer coach was a student in college.
But I would hear Dave down the hall and he would be talking about municipal bonds with sweet little ladies that were widowed for years and he would be looking after them and so forth. But I kept thinking about all the things that he does and all the people he's helping. Well, he was helping people that had really high net worth. And I came from a personal background where we're probably at a negative net worth, to be honest, most of my childhood looking back. And so I was thinking if I really wanted to help people, I didn't want to necessarily be a stockbroker, which is what I thought I wanted to be.
And so I eventually found the mortgage world where we have to know a lot more about people than most financial advisors do because we have to see it all. Whether it's your income, your job history, your credit, your assets, your debts, the whole thing. And so having that financial desire led me eventually to be in the business to where I can help people out to where hopefully, by the time I'm done, whenever their sweet little ladies, they can be working with guys like Dave, to manage all the millions that they have because I didn't get them into too much debt to begin with.
Nicole: That's awesome. I love that. Well, Marianne, you went from this stage to mortgage and I know you took care of a lot of personal business and raising kiddos and things like that in the middle of that, but how did you get into the mortgage business?
Marianne: So, you know, I think I want to start by just kind of connecting a few dots. So, you know, my stage experience helped me with my first job in the corporate world, which was becoming a sales manager with a hotel chain. And, you know, that was, it wasn't quite as big of a leap as you might think because being on stage equipped me to be able to talk to all kinds of people and to, you know, make myself, Oh, I don't know seem like someone that people could relate to because just that acting background really helped me in sales.
So I loved that. And then fast forward past, you know, raising my kids, as you said, and staying home, whenever I decided to go back to work, it was just a fortuitous chain of events that put me in, put Rian and me together. But once we got together, we formed just a fantastic team and it's been six years of us being together.
But mortgage, you know, there is an element of sales if you're a loan officer, and that's how I came into the business. And I enjoyed that part. But there's more to, you know, the sales side really is what I do now and it's all I do now and I absolutely love it because I'm marketing I'm working with, you know, with our realtor partners trying to develop deeper relationships with them, and, you know, while bringing in new business. So it just all, it all flows together. And I love looking back and seeing, you know, a thread of how it began with me on stage. It's so fun. I love it.
Rian: Yeah. Yeah, when we synced up to one of the best parts about it is that she is excellent at the things that I'm not good at and I love doing the things that she doesn't like to do. So it's a really nice complement to each other. And I think that's why we get along so well.
Nicole: That is awesome. And it really shows, for sure. So it's nice to have best of both worlds for sure. Okay, so we're going to switch gears a little bit and we're actually going to talk again about the mortgage process. You know, our audience is primarily folks who are considering making Flower Mound their home, possibly buying a new home. And so as experts in that industry, for someone who is considering buying a home, what should they do first?
Rian: Definitely should call Nicole first.
Nicole: Yes, please.
What To Do First When Considering Buying a Home
Rian: Get, obviously, having that good professional advice on the real estate side is the number one thing because without that the rest of it doesn't really help. We're just a supporting role. So we come in the supporting role early in the process to make sure that all the financial ducks are lined up in a row and make sure that people can qualify but then also have those conversations about things they can do to prevent those money stresses that we talked about earlier. So we're just playing that supporting role that first step is get with you and get the real estate side started.
Nicole: Well I love that because, you know, my first step whenever I talk with a client is the first thing you need to do is get your mortgage lined up. So win-win they're for sure. We're definitely thinking along the same lines. We, none of us can do what we do for the clients we serve without a team of amazing professionals around us and it just makes, you know, just like you I think you mentioned earlier on about the stresses.
You know, this home buying can be a very, very stressful process. So the more competent the professionals are in the process and the more client-centered they are like I know y'all are and certainly I am as well, just the more, the less stressful ultimately it is, and hopefully very much enjoyable. So we definitely see eye to eye on that. So in that same context, in your experience, if you could tell potential homebuyers what pitfalls to avoid, what would you tell them?
Rian: Yeah, that definitely leads, and the last question definitely leads into this one. Because in thinking about it, one of the biggest issues that we face is the unknown. You know, a lot of people don't do this on a regular basis and so they aren't really sure where to go for information. So of course, most people go to the Internet, and there's good information out there, but unfortunately, there's a lot more bad information than good information. And so a big part of my job is guiding them through what pieces of that are correct and pieces of it or not.
We see people who think that they have to put huge down payments in order to get into home or no downpayment to get into a home. Neither one is always true. You see people that have the wrong idea of what their monthly payment's going to be like. That's the most common thing, especially here in Texas where our property taxes are high but we have no state income tax. Sure, it makes your house payment look higher, but reality is you're probably going to pay fewer taxes than you would in a lot of other states anyways.
So we just got to walk through that with people and just kind of overcome the misinformation out there and just stick to the basic facts. And also too, how they can use those facts for their own particular situation. Because as we all know, everybody is so different. And all we do is try to make sure that they understand what's available to them so they can choose the right product and so forth that fits them best.
Nicole: Awesome. I agree with that completely. Now what about refinancing? So what is, for homeowners, what is the general rule of thumb for a homeowner who is wondering if maybe, if or when they should refinance the mortgage they currently have if they're not considering a move anytime soon?
All About Refinancing
Rian: Sure, yeah. So on refinancing, it's really a different ballgame. And it's been a long time since we've had such a, steep rate drops don't have very often. And so whenever they do, they just kind of remind you of the differences between the customer looking at refinancing versus purchasing. And as far as saying, well, you should take at least 1% off, half a percent off, whatever that may be. I don't really subscribe to that because so many situations can be different. So for example, maybe, yeah, you can take capital percent off and it may not sound like a lot, but you owe a million dollars on your mortgage.
You're gonna save a lot of money doing that because a lot of the closing costs involved in a refinance are a fixed number. There's only one that's a true variable. And so someone who might be saving a full percent but only owes $100,000, it may not make sense for them. Or maybe they think they might move within a year, then it probably wouldn't make sense. So as much as I would love to say, yeah, you should only call me if. reality is, it's really difficult to say that to be honest.
Nicole: Yeah, so they just need to call you. And then let you kind of, and y'all talk, I mean, you know, you and I had a conversation just recently about that. And you said, No, you're good. Just continue doing what you're doing. So I can always trust you to be somebody to shoot straight for the benefit of the client. So again, another reason why I enjoy working with, very closely with y'all.
And to that point, you know, review, online reviews are a really big deal in our business these days. And y'all have a real knack for getting your past clients to refer you, or not, well, to want to refer you but also to give reviews. And I know that because I read them and I've read numerous reviews online, many of which came from our mutual clients, of course, but when you see those reviews, what about a review makes you most proud?
Rian: Wow, you should have warned me before asking me that question.
Nicole: Well, you have so many to choose from.
Rian: Yeah, yeah, the first thing that comes to mind is just the fact that they took the time to do it. I mean, that is really a gesture that they don't, people don't have to do but the fact that they do it, it just means the world to us. And it just reaffirms a lot of the things that we do, whether it's returning phone calls and texts late at night or weekends.
And, you know, a lot of times there are phone calls that we make on a weekend to listing agents, not even to the buyer's agent, that make all the difference in the world and the customer even getting the house in the first place. And I'm just the mortgage person, I'm not even, all I'm doing is trying to make sure everybody knows that they can trust us, that the deal is solid.
And to see the customers compliment us for things like that and for staying on top of things, they know. You know, people vote with their own eyes, they're gonna read reviews, and they're going to see what other people have to say and it's a great first impression, but once they get into it, they're going to see with their own eyes and they're going to make their own judgments. So when they write their own review after the fact, it really tells me that they care about their vote and choosing me as their mortgage person and choosing Marianne as my teammate, but it matters so much to me just that they took the time to do it.
Nicole: That's awesome. Well, okay, selfishly, y'all know how much I love to read so I'm always looking for good recommendations. And I say good, you know, it's everything's relative, but it helps me get to know y'all even better. So, Rian, what book or books would you recommend to others?
Rian: Oh, come on, Nicole. You know, this is a Marianne question.
Marianne: There was a time when it was but now I think I'll let Rian answer first.
Rian: Fair enough. You know, here's lately I've gotten into listening to somebody on podcasts. So I've started to enjoy podcasts a bit, but I would say in terms of books, one of my favorites has been around for a few years. A couple of former Navy SEALs wrote it called Extreme Ownership with the basic, it's by Leif Babin and Jocko Willink and got to meet the guys whenever they're rolling the book out a few years ago, and it's just a great book about whatever is going on in your role, take ownership of it.
You know, if something's going wrong, be responsible for it. You control your own outcomes. We all have equal opportunities but you control your outcome. And so they just talked about the grit, perseverance, the hard work, you know, all the freedom that we have to do those things and to outwork somebody else, or outwork our own negative instincts, if we take ownership of that, and we will succeed. It's a great book.
Nicole: Love it. Thank you. Thank you. Marianne?
Marianne: Well, okay, so let me preface this with saying that when I was homeschool, I did homeschool our children for about four years and during that period, I read voraciously. And I was, a lot of it was history. So that is my, I would say some of my, you know, my favorite books have to do with history. And it's funny, I would have thought Rian would have said the same thing because I know he's quite the student of history. But so if I can just say one of the ones that I love so much is 1776 by David McCullough. I love that book. It just really, I don't know, it stirred something in my heart for the love of this country and how it, you know, began.
And through that, I fell in love with George Washington and then I started teaching the kids how to go back, George Washington had a book of rules to live by that he wrote and so we use those for handwriting. We use those for memorization. Anyway, so that was just, history is one of my things and the other that I used to focus on spiritual formation. I read a lot of CS Lewis, but fast forward to today, I'm not reading a lot right now Nicole. I am listening. Ryan mentioned podcasts. I walk around with my air pods in and I'll get a little, you know, 20 or 30 minute TED talk like, from the TED hour.
And I know that I could probably go back through and tell you who some of the people were that they've interviewed but I can't tell you right now. But I know that I can tell you that I look for things that are kind of out of the box for me that I wouldn't normally listen to. Because right now, I'm kind of searching for points of view that I, maybe I haven't considered. And that's just where I am right now. So I'm trying to see things from different sides. So I find that TED talks are very helpful.
Nicole: I love that. Well, considering you're guests on a podcast, I think it's really cool that you both listen to podcasts. So yay. Well, thank y'all both. Thank you, Rian and Marianne. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Around Flower Mound Podcast. How can people connect with you if they want to learn more?
Rian: Sure, yeah. Appreciate you asking. So go to our websites first place, servingfamilies.net, plural. So servingfamilies.net. And obviously look us up on Facebook or give us a phone call.
Nicole: Fantastic. Well, thank you again so much for being our guest. And thank you our sweet audience for tuning in and stay tuned for the next episode of Around Flower Mound.
