About Us
Tory was born in the Paul Bunyan state of Minnesota and grew up in the beautiful town of Stillwater, MN. Stillwater is a relatively small town located on the National Scenic Riverway of the St. Croix River. It is a great place to grow up as the crime level is very low and it still has a small town feel. There are year-round activities, but summertime is a real celebration and the downtown area, which is located on the beautiful St. Croix River, always has something special happening. Growing up in a town like this helped to instill family values and the importance of friendships in Tory. Many of those friendships are still maintained and he values the friends and family that he has assisted in purchasing their homes
Tory started in the mortgage lending business after serving in the United States Marine Corps and obtaining his college degree. He served in the Wisconsin National Guard while finishing his college education in River Falls, WI. The same high standards that the military requires also apply to helping you obtain your dream home, own a vacation home or investment property, or refinance your current mortgage for extra spending cash. While in college, Tory began studying real estate investments and purchased his first home in Stillwater, MN while in college. This home was a duplex and he was able to rent out one half and live in the other half. This, of course, helped to pay for the mortgage. Tory continued to purchase investment properties which he rented out to college students in an area close to the University of Wisconsin – River Falls.
After college graduation, Tory started his mortgage career with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in Stillwater. His first year was as a mortgage processor and that is where he learned the meat and potatoes of the business. This year was extremely valuable as Tory learned what goes on in the background to get your loan approved. He worked directly with underwriters and learned what documents are needed and how they make their decisions. After one year as a mortgage processor, Tory became a mortgage originator with the company and maintained that position for 12 years. The training that he had obtained as a mortgage processor catapulted him into becoming one of the top mortgage originators. Following this, Tory began working with a mortgage lender Tampa FL broker. The value of working with a mortgage broker is that he can search many different lenders and find the best fit for you.
Tory is licensed in WI, MN and Florida. The warm winters of Florida were tempting and Tory’s primary residence is currently in Florida but he maintains his friends and business associates from Wisconsin and Minnesota and visits up there often – sometimes spending the majority of the summer in Wisconsin and Minnesota. As some family and friends are approaching retirement age, they are starting to look for a part-time or permanent home in Florida so being licensed in the 3 states works well together.
Since Tory began in the mortgage industry immediately following college graduation, it is what he has done for his entire career. He knew he wanted to be involved in real estate. He has survived the housing crisis of 2007-2008 when home values were crashing and jobs were being eliminated right and left. He has survived all the ups and downs of interest rates. During covid in 2020 and 2021, interest rates were at record lows and we at mortgage lender Tampa FL planning enjoyed lowering the interest rates of our past customers. We also were able to help others purchase their dream home at these low rates. 2022 saw an increase in the interest rates and they have remained higher since that time. However, interest rates go up and interest rates come down. The rates will go down and it should not deter refinancing, if you need to pay off debt, or purchasing. When the rates go back down, if you keep your credit score high and your finances in order, it should be easy to quickly refinance and take advantage of the lower rates when that occurs. We always say: Date the Rate, Marry the Home, and Divorce the Landlord. In other words, the rate can change but if you love a home you could buy it and therefore you would be divorcing your landlord. There was a time in the 1970’s when the interest rates were between 14 to 16%!! To get a home many people could only afford a balloon mortgage.
Tory’s parents purchased their new home in 1976 and they were ecstatic that they could get an interest rate of 7.5% as that was much better than the 14% rates from just a few years earlier. Historically speaking, the interest rates are not that high right now. Tory’s great grandparents thought a 4% interest rate was a low interest rate that would never been seen again! From 1920 until 1934, the conventional mortgage rates averaged close to 6% and then began to decline to a low point of just under 4.5%. In 1900 the mortgage lender Tampa FL interest rate was 5.11%. It’s amazing when we look at those figures as it shows that historically the rates are not that high right now. We have been spoiled with several years of lower rates – historically lower rates. Looking at the figures from 1900 to now is 125 years which is a long time! However, we do feel that the current rates are going to drop and all of us in this industry are waiting eagerly for that day. If you have a high rate, we at mortgage planning will be contacting you the minute that the rates drop enough to be of financial benefit to you.
With over 20 years in the mortgage lender Tampa FL business, Tory’s knowledge and experience can benefit you. He wants to provide top notch service that will ‘Wow’ you and at the same time desires to establish a relationship that, after your transaction is complete, will make you will feel that you have made a friend.