Jan/Feb 2022 RMM

CRMP: Across the Kitchen Table Today, she is a CRMP licensed in seven states, providing reverse mortgages in California, Florida, Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Texas and Idaho. Whether in massage therapy or reverse mortgages, her work has always been “a lifestyle. It’s never been a job.” “I love being of service,” she says. “That’s really what drives me in anything that I do in my life. It’s just fun for me. If I can, I help people. That’s my personality. It’s something that I want to do and need to do, and it’s who I am as a person—a Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional.” To her, reverse mortgages are applied to achieve wellness. “If you’re in pain and you’re not feeling good, it really throws off everything else in your life,” she says. “It’s the same with finances, but they’re at the bottom of the pyramid. It’s really important to have that good foundation. When there is some precariousness there and that foundation is not solid, you don’t feel good in the rest of your life.” Conrard lives in a “small and sleepy” town famous for its world-class surfing, although that is not her thing. She’s a yogini. However, she is not native to the Golden State. She grew up in Minneapolis, moving to Orange County in the mid-1980s to help her parents with a business they founded there. Soon, she acclimated to southern California and founded her first, successful business. When she chose reverse mortgages for her second career, she eased in gradually. She is a perpetual learner. “When I attend meetings, I’m oftentimes in the first couple of rows because I like to pay attention,” she explains. So, she soaked up information from classes, meetings and her NRMLA membership. “I asked a lot of questions and wanted to learn more, and still, I am continually moving with it. The industry changes all the time. You need to be committed to be a good professional and a helpful professional.” Because today’s Baby Boomers are usually familiar with reverse mortgages, initial meetings with potential clients are listening sessions focused on understanding their needs. “Why are you interested?” she’ll ask. “What do you think it might do for you? What’s your situation? Do you have a special need or special purpose in mind?” Conrard is comfortable working online and virtually, which facilitates her work across state lines. The work exposes her to different cultures and lifestyles, from horse owners to gardeners to clients who have easements on their properties. “Different states have different cultures, and I like learning about them,” she says. “It’s more entertaining for me.” She recalls an elderly, retired rocket scientist and his wife who were leveraging a reverse mortgage for purchase to move from Oregon to a manufactured home in California. The loan was small, around $95,000, but the complications were large. The brothers who co-owned the manufactured home weren’t on speaking terms, making the transaction one of the more challenging loans she CRMP: Across the Kitchen Table continued on page 16 REVERSE MORTGAGE / JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022 15

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