Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacey “the Loan Lady” Van Roosendaal
Hi Stacey, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
In early 2012, while living in Arizona, I received an email from my dad about a receptionist position at his mortgage company. Despite my initial hesitation, a strong gut feeling convinced me to take the job. I returned home on May 29th and started May 30th I eventually got my mortgage license in 2014. At the time, I wasn’t super interested in the mortgage industry. The stress, coupled with frequent conflicts with realtors, made the job challenging. There is a reason the turnover is so high in Real Estate! Panic attacks on Sunday nights became a regular occurrence.
That year, an article came out naming Loan Officer as the number one job for job satisfaction. I remember wondering what I was missing.
During this time, I was also grappling with my mom’s illness, I felt helpless. My goal was to work in advertising for a health company, teaching kids about healthy living. I wanted to make a difference in health, even if I couldn’t help my mom. However, a conversation with a family friend made me reevaluate my path. He pointed out that pursuing that career path might not be as beneficial as I thought, noting that I was already making more money than I would in my so-called dream job. I didn’t know what to do.
A turning point came when I helped my cousin refinance. They spoke with me and another lender. While the other lender could save them $150 a month, I could save them $225. That’s extra $75 a month she got to keep for her family! That loan made me realize I can have a real impact on people’s lives; that loan made me fall in love with what I do.
Buying a home with my husband in 2015 further deepened my understanding of the mortgage process. Experiencing it firsthand helped me appreciate the importance of my role and see things from various perspectives—buyer, buyer’s agent, seller, seller’s agent. That loan is when I learned we all had one common goa; that loan is when I learned that that teamwork truly makes the dream work.
In 2019, I took a bold step and left my dad’s company to start my own. I have to give a hat tip to my husband for encouraging me to make the jump. Thanks, Mike! There were people at my old company (not my family) that held me back. That is when I learned “If they won’t give you a seat at the table, build your own dang table”.
Starting my own company was a catalyst to the creation of systems and processes that fuel our success. Hiring my loan partner, LeeAnn, was a game-changer. Together, we help people every day. Every business class I’ve taken said you can offer the best pricing or the best service, but not both. We choose to defy that notion, striving to excel in both every day. Our mission is to give people peace of mind through education, clear communication, and strategic planning. I also now coach at the Women’s Business Center, which I find incredibly rewarding.
No little girl dreams of becoming a mortgage loan officer, but if 10-year-old Stacey could see me now, she’d be thrilled with how things have turned out.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My favorite story comes from the TV show “The West Wing”
This guy’s walking down a street when he falls in a hole.
The walls are so steep, he can’t get out.
A doctor passes by, and the guy shouts up, “Hey you, can you help me out?”
The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on.
Then a priest comes along, and the guy shouts up “Father, I’m down in this hole, can you help me out?”
The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on.
Then a friend walks by. “Hey Joe, it’s me, can you help me out?”
And the friend jumps in the hole.
Our guy says, “Are you stupid? Now we’re both down here.”
The friend says, “Yeah, but I’ve been down here before, and I know the way out.”
This story resonates deeply with me because my own journey through mental health has felt like that hole. I had my first panic attack my junior year of high school, followed by another one in my senior year. I didn’t know what had happened either time. No one had ever described a panic attack to me.
A panic attack for me feels like the scene from “The Count of Monte Christo” when Edmond gets thrown into the ocean in the body bag- suffocating and trapped, with no clear way out and the threat of being pursued.
In 2018 I had a personal interaction that made me feel unsafe around certain people, triggering panic attacks whenever I interacted with them.
Just a few months later, a close friend murdered someone. This shook me to my core. I know a murderer… But I also know her well enough to understand her actions were way out of character. She was very, very sick. This made me realize I had to get my mental health under control.
I started therapy. A few months later, I started medication. I would get better, then I would get worse. I kept clawing my way out of the hole only to fall back in. In 2021, my coach suggested Neurofeedback. Neurofeedback saved my life. It took time, but eventually my panic attacks subsided and I was able to get off of medication.
Hearing the cliff notes only, this story sounds like it was short, but I promise it was long and horrible. It felt like it would never end.
The proudest moment of my life was texting my therapists (I have 3) to share the news that I was pregnant. We had decided to wait until I felt stable enough to start a family. I was finally ready. Baby girl is over a year old now and my mental health is as great as it has ever been.
I have been in that deep, dark hole. If you’re struggling, please seek support from someone who has navigated the same path and found their way out. I promise you – it gets better!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Sundance Lending Company?
At Sundance Lending Company, we make mortgages simple and we care about you.
We know that buying or refinancing a home can be stressful, but truly the loan doesn’t have to be. When you work with a professional who has streamlined every step, the process can be simple. In fact, if you’re looking to purchase, we can have most of the loan done before you even put in an offer. This makes your offer stronger and your life easier.
One of our core values is “we will put your needs before ours.” We will always walk you through the pros and cons of certain decisions. We will suggest what’s best for you even if it’s not best for us. We put people before commissions.
We have over 115 5-star reviews. Our clients often praise us for our ability to make the complex mortgage process understandable and manageable. They appreciate our thorough follow-up, clear communication, and the fact that we are always accessible and ready to assist. Our personalized approach and dedication to building lasting relationships with both clients and realtors are key reasons why people choose us.
One of the proudest aspects of our brand is our mission to provide peace of mind through education, clear communication, and strategic planning. We’re also proud of the strong community of partners and clients we’ve built, reflecting our core values of honesty, transparency, and mutual respect.
We want everyone to know that at Sundance Lending Company, you’re not just a number. You matter to us!
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
When I was 8 years old Miss Murray 1998, Jenny Jones, told me I could change the world. I chose to believe her. My mom says I changed that day. My childhood and life has been in pursuit of changing the world through kindness. I later was crowned Miss Murray and my platform was “Pay it 4ward.” The goal was to change the world- one person at a time. We had over 10,000 “chains of change” from the schools in Murray city. I can say with certainty, we definitely lifted our community.
Today, I continue this mission though a group I founded called “REPServe- Real Estate Pros who Serve.” We are representing our industry and serving our community. We connect with local organizations and provide the volunteer support they need to drive positive change.
I actually reached out to my Facebook friends for this interview. I asked them what the most interesting thing about me was. I thought people would talk about how I was voted Miss Congeniality 5 times, or how my favorite color is sparkle, or how my brother was the World Nintendo Champion.
Instead, the overwhelming response was that I am kind. And if that’s how I’m remembered, I’m happy.
Pricing:
- First-Time Homebuyer Loans
- Move Up Buyer Loans
- VA, Conventional, FHA, USDA loans
- Hard Money Loans
- Non-QM Loans
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sundancelending.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/staceytheloanlady
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/staceytheloanlady
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/staceyloanlady
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/staceytheloanlady
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/stacey-the-loan-lady-sundance-lending-company-salt-lake-city-2
- Other: https://www.sundancelending.com/links
