Ben Strube
A Texas native, I graduated from the University of Texas at Tyler with a degree in Economics and Political Science after a Bill Archer Fellowship at the United States Senate.
My undergraduate honors research was on the impact of Student Loan Debt for Millennial Home Buyers. Ironic…. I had no idea I would 10 years later own a mortgage company!
Upon graduating, I went to work at one of the Big Banks selling their in-house financial products. It was a valuable experience that I will forever be grateful for, to see first-hand the challenges people face interacting with corporate finance.
I left banking (and my 401k and health insurance!) looking for a better way to serve the people in my community. I went to work for a local, independent Mortgage Broker where I gained the experience I needed to serve Texas Home Buyers with a wide variety of skills, from Pre-Approval, Lender Negotiations, selection of the Appraisal Management Company, Underwriter Escalations, Loan Program Comparisons and Recommendations.
After 8 years in the Mortgage Industry, I now own Mortgage On A Mission. My company handles about 50-60 mortgages each year, with a network of 10-15 REALTOR partners that share us with their communities, all across Texas (mainly DFW).
Education is my mission. That’s why I became a Texas REALTORs Certified Instructor, to reach another 100+ REALTORs who are serving 1000+ buyers every year in Texas, buyers that I’ll never reach personally and who are working with other Lenders. I share my knowledge of the mortgage industry with Agents in North Texas, by teaching Continuing Education. My company is an Affiliate supporter of the Greater Collin County Association of REALTORs.
Fun facts about me. I grew up in East Texas on a 70 acre farm. I am a member of the Native Plant Society of Texas, a Texas Master Naturalist, and a past supporter of the Texas Homeless Network and International Rescue Committee.
I enjoy cooking, gardening, and reading great books. My partner and I live in Garland, and we are blessed with a lot of Nature Trails to enjoy the outdoors. I believe that success is shared, that doing the most good means sharing that success with others. Having been in this industry awhile, I am a firm believer in the government regulations of my industry to avoid predatory lending.
Favorite Books for 2023
Financing the American Dream
Countrywide lent $1.5 Trillion for home loans, between 2002 and 2005, and created extraordinary profitability for their owners. But the profit was created from loans they knew to be fraudulent.
Illegal Profits
Countrywide loan officers made higher commission when they charged higher rates and fees than home buyers qualified for. Between 2004 and 2008, the company earned profits and paid their employees for conduct that was unlawful under the Fair Housing Act.
Eyes Wide Open
Countrywide was aware that its loans were low-quality, even as they promised otherwise. Their awareness of their fraud resulted in financial losses of almost $1 billion to the US housing market.
Consumer Protection Needed
Problems of ethics and integrity continue to persist in the mortgage industry. In December 2020, a mortgage lender agreed to pay nearly $90 million to assist 115,000 home owners it was accused of harming, some of whom lost their home to foreclosure.
