New Member Profile: C2 Reverse Mortgage
Meet Star Darden, Certified Reverse Mortgage Specialist with C2 Reverse Mortgage. To welcome them as a new member of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, we recently spoke with Star to find out more about her and the company.
Tell us a little about C2 Reverse Mortgage and the services you offer.
C2 Financial Corporation is one of the largest mortgage brokers in the nation. C2 Financial was founded on the idea that choice results in better opportunities. They have spent almost 30 years building the largest wholesale lender network in the nation. I am the local Certified Reverse Mortgage Specialist and I educate and assist seniors on options available to unlock their home equity and create a retirement they didn’t know was possible. Here is a video that explains what we do.
The C2 Mortgage office and support team
Where and how did you get your start in the industry?
I got my B.A. in education, which launched a successful career in teaching. On top of enjoying my work, this also gave me skills to be flexible and innovative. After teaching, I started my real estate lending career as the HUD CBDG housing program manager for the City of Bellingham, Washington. Since then, I have been a commercial loan officer with signing authority for loans $2 million and above, as well as a real estate subdivision construction manager. I worked in the secondary marketing national channel group of CITI Corp. In 2003, I became a Washington State residential loan officer with my current broker, C2 Financial Corporation. Becoming a Certified Reverse Mortgage Specialist entailed passing extensive training courses developed by many of the top 10 Reverse Mortgage wholesale lenders.
What makes C2 Reverse Mortgage unique?
There are many companies that offer reverse mortgages, but C2 has local, expert loan officers (like me!) who live and work near the communities we serve. Additionally, C2’S proprietary certification programs ensure that every Certified Reverse Loan Officer has access to continuing lender education and training. Some of my affiliations include McKenzie Professionals BNI, Lane County SPIN, Springfield Chamber of Commerce Greeters, and National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA). I’m also a National Certified Senior Advisor (CSA), which means I have proven knowledge and education to assist seniors from many different angles.
What do you like most about your work?
My background ranges from title, escrow, construction, and real estate sales to commercial and residential lending – but serving the senior community has been my passion since 2015. I love meeting people, and I have a family-oriented view of business. Helping seniors find the retirement they never dreamt was possible is what I do, and what I love. I really enjoy being in the Pacific Northwest. When I was in California, a referral client took me up to Brookings, Oregon. Not too long after that, I dropped my California real estate license to move here, and have fallen in love with the Pacific Northwest and its wonderful people.
C2 Reverse Mortgage is one of the largest mortgage brokers in the nation. Star Darden educates seniors on how a reverse mortgage could change their lives to create a more comfortable retirement.
