As a Senior Mortgage Loan Representative, Ed Zamarron said, “I help people get into homes and make their dreams a reality.” He explained that the “niche” he works for are individuals who have “challenged credit” or “need unique lending.”
Among those with challenged credit, Ed works with people who have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), a tax processing number for certain nonresident and resident aliens, their spouses, and dependents who cannot get a Social Security Number. “Those individuals possess a slim to none change with other lenders,” Ed shared. He explained there are not many lenders who offer loans to people with an ITIN. Working for MCU, Ed said, “You impact people in a real way. “The model of our company is to serve the underserved,” Ed shared. “We help people get in and grow a better financial position. We serve as a bridge to get them in and help them.”
Ed now lives and works in the Waukesha area. “I’m a 100% girl’s dad,” Ed shared. “I love my two daughters. They are my world … my why.” Ed explained that he moved to Wisconsin from Southern California 11 years ago to be closer to his oldest daughter.
Ed was in banking and lending on the west coast prior to his relocation. “I started young,” he said explaining he was a teller, then a manager and then a banker. He said he always had a passion to impact people’s lives in positive ways.
“My parents were immigrants,” Ed shared. “When my parents closed on their home, my dad broke down in tears. Buying a home is the biggest purchase in their lives,” he said of those he now serves as a loan representative. He said a big part of what he does is about “giving people hope … especially to those who don’t think they have that possibility.”
“I have a spirit to serve people,” Ed added. “I have loved helping others since I was a young kid.” Ed said he started by mowing lawns and helping his neighbors when he was a child. “My parents were very kind and helpful and humble. I served my parents translating for them. They gave me the spirit to help people who have challenges.” His family, Ed said, were role models in helping the less fortunate in their community.
“Family is everything,” Ed shared. He said he comes from a large family having 9 siblings. He has 10 uncles on one side and 18 on the other and “all those beautiful cousins.” Ed said of his family, “No matter what, we always have each other’s back.”
Ed said when he works with members who are working three jobs, it reminds him of his dad. “I want to help them. I will do anything possible to help them achieve their dreams.”
“It was emotional and fearful,” Ed said of his dad taking the little house he purchased and making it his own. “He now owns it free and clear.”
Ed said he still remembers the realtor who helped his parents purchase their home. He was five years old then. “I grew up in that home,” he added with a smile. “I love that house.”
Ed said that he knows there is power in being a homeowner, that it is a form of wealth building. “This is the first company I’ve worked for that we truly do our mission statement and empower lives.”
Ed started working at MCU in 2015. Along with being bilingual, Ed became certified, receiving special training to work with ITIN loans and other unique lending. Ed’s special training helps those he serves past what he called “cultural curveballs,” such as language barriers, and a lack of financial literacy. “There is also a fear of government and lack of trust,” he said of many members he serves. He said it is part of his job to educate them and show them how to build credit.
Ed said he understands that fear because his own family experienced it having immigrated to the U.S. “They live in fear,” he said. “They live in the shadows.” But he assures them that he is there to help them. “I’ve been there,” Ed said saying that is what he believes makes him relatable. It is what helps him build a connection with those he serves. “I am here to serve you … to help you,” he added.
He said he does get paid for what he does to help others, but it also just “feels good” to help members get to the “finish line.”
Of the MCU core values of compassion, collaboration, commitment, and courage – Ed says he relates most to “compassion.”
“I like to connect and identify with people. I like building people up. I like giving good vibes to people,” Ed commented. What he learned from his family was to “work hard, be kind and always stay humble.” Ed talked very passionately about his daughters, Mariah (13) and Thalia (6) who he calls “Bubblegum.” He said his aim is to teach his daughters to be “great human beings and contribute to help the world. No matter what in life,” Ed added, “stay humble and kind.”
