Guardian Angel: SMU Alum Wade Betz is a Man With a Plan

Sure, he’s from New Orleans, but as most Dallas transplants, Wade Betz got to North Texas as soon as he could, which was to attend SMU. And sure, there’s some tension between his LSU-loving family and his SMU ties, but we’ll forgive him! There’s so much more to Betz, though, a loan officer at Guardian Mortgage and this month’s Guardian Angel.

As Betz sees great things ahead for Dallas, we see great things ahead for him, especially because Betz takes great care of his relationships with this friends, family, and his customers and enjoys an extremely high referral rate compared to his peers. Find out what makes Betz an exceptional mortgage professional after the jump!

CandysDirt.com: How did you get into the mortgage industry?
Wade Betz: My wife met someone in the real estate field who mentioned a networking event happening in the near future. One thing lead to another, until I ended up meeting with a headhunter who just refinanced his mortgage with Guardian. Marcus [McCue] had mentioned that they were looking at hiring a new loan officer and put me in contact. The entire process from my wife’s initial lead until my interview with Guardian was months in the making.

CD: Were you born and raised in Texas?
Betz: Born and raised in New Orleans. Came to Dallas to attend SMU and stayed after graduation.

CD: What trends do you see coming in 2015 for the Dallas housing market?
Betz: I see great things ahead for our city. The local job market is so strong with several companies relocating their employees here. Also, the oil and gas boom will continue to benefit our community for years to come.

CD: What drives you to do what you do every day?
Betz: My “Life Plan.” I spent a long time contemplating where I want to end up in several key aspects of my life (family, friends, health, career, etc.). I then laid out actionable steps to incrementally get to where I want to end up. By reviewing this “Life Plan” every day, I stay focused on what is most important to me so that later in life, I can say I lived a life of purpose.

CD: We’ve heard you’re a huge fan and supporter of LSU. How do you stay involved while living in the Dallas area?
Betz: My family has had season tickets for as long as I can remember. With LSU playing at Cowboys Stadium every other year, I have been able to catch a local game here occasionally. Other than that I take my kids to one game a year and my wife and I make it a point to see at least one game a year together. Over the last several years, I would say I have attended anywhere from two to four games in the season. When I can’t attend in person, I watch on TV now that we have the SEC network. Sadly, it is just about the only TV I get to watch all week that is not a cartoon, thanks to my 4- and 6-year-old.

CD: Knowing your love and involvement with SMU, how do you handle your “house divided” (LSU vs. SMU) during football season?
Betz: Since SMU is not really competitive at football, this is not really an issue during football season. Although SMU did play LSU in men’s basketball during last year’s NIT tournament, so that was a bit of an issue for me. Since I am a SMU basketball season ticket holder and actually attended the university, I cheered for SMU. I did fly my parents in though and they cheered for LSU. It was a really fun evening.

CD: Would you mind giving us all a little insider information? Where are some of the best, local favorite’s, places to eat when visiting New Orleans?
Betz: When in the area, you’ve got to check out Muriel’s on Jackson Square, Bayona, Italian Barrel, Drago’s, and Cochon to name a few.

CD: You’ve had a long career at Guardian and consistently rank as one of the company’s top loan officers/performers. What do you think it is about you that gives you that edge and keeps you so connected with the mortgage needs of Dallas homeowners?
Betz: Guardian is a fantastic company that is truly unique in our industry! I’ve come across so many consumers who have received such bad service from other industry “peers” — I make it a point to continuously improve my systems/efficiency in order to bring Guardian’s unique value proposition to as many families as possible. I find that when our consumers experience this difference first-hand, they are able to enjoy the peace of mind of partnering with Guardian Mortgage Company and myself over the life of their loan.