“Trust in your loan officer.” Stef Russell, Dakota West’s mortgage expert in Watford City offered her simplest advice to those navigating the home-buying process. “The process can be time consuming, and there’s a lot of paperwork, but trust in your loan officer to help make the process easier.” Creating trusting relationships with her borrowers ensures Stef lives her Dakota West values.
She sees her community as full of opportunity and potential. She admits as she drives around Watford City she observes which houses are for sale. She knows who is moving out, who is looking, and what is happening in the community’s real estate market. Having knowledge of her community gives her the ability to help our members plan and take action when the time is right to buy the perfect home.
Nearing her fourteenth anniversary with Dakota West this month, Stef acknowledges she does not keep count of how many mortgages she has helped close. “Can we just say, ‘Many,’” she asks glancing at the stack of folders on her desk. Each one represents a family moving towards a more secure future in Watford City and she wants each one to be special. She finds the best part is when the process is complete. “It’s nice to see someone who’s worked so hard – the relief in their body language. Getting into a house is memorable.”
She’s also navigating her older son’s senior year, but knows it is still too early in the school year to think too intently about what happens after graduation. One thing she does know is that when the time comes for them to buy their first houses, they’ll turn to Stef for advice. “They’ll have no clue – they’ll come to their Mom. They won’t have any idea where to start. They’ll come to me not just because of what I do, but because I’m their Mom.”
If you are getting ready to start the process of buying your first home, or you’re just considering a new place as your family is growing and changing, reach out to Stef, or any of our home mortgage loan officers at 800.411.7590. We can do this together.
Listening to Melissa Hagen discuss the people of Mohall, whether her fellow staff or others within her community, explains why she has spent the last decade serving the people of Renville County. Originally referred by a Dakota West employee when there was a branch opening for a part time Member Service Representative, Melissa is now a seasoned loan officer and embraces her career.
“I encourage them and lift them up,” she says of those she serves. “I know the birthdays of our members and when their loved ones are ill. I’ve brought them lunches out in the field. Anywhere I go I’m always working. I can’t go to the store in my sweats.”
Melissa builds trusting relationships with our members and our staff in the small community of Mohall. She admits her coworkers at Dakota West know her better than some of her extended family. “They are my emergency contacts. I spend fifty hours a week with them. They encourage me and have seen me grow.”
Growing doesn’t begin to describe the changes Melissa has seen over her past decade with Dakota West. “When I first started, corn prices were unreal. I have seen where people have had to start thinking about their everyday lives and be accountable for their decisions.” Dakota West values the commitment our members make with us, and Melissa exemplifies that process in the communication she shares with our members.
“Conversations about loans can be turned into a learning experience. I want our members to know what they are getting into. We discuss whether a purchase is a want or a need and why they are asking for it. I like to have the conversation. We are dealing with large numbers on big farms.”
During her time with Dakota West, Melissa has also gotten to see her own family grow. With two little ones, ages two and four, she is living her example of keeping each day family focused and enjoys community activities together. She even plants the idea of savings with her oldest. “Pennies go to work with Mommy.”
Melissa clearly values the relationships that she has grown from the loans she services. Members who are considering a new loan, whether for the farm, for a new vehicle, your business, or to take the steps to home ownership, can find the values Melissa and all our loan officer share at one of our eight branches throughout western North Dakota.
How Do You Measure The Value Of A Loan?
We’ve started asking this question throughout North Dakota. Value implies more than just dollars and cents. Value means an addition that makes one choice preferable over the other, like amenities at a hotel. We have the ability to compare savings when shopping online for airfare or car insurance.
At Dakota West, we also want to start a conversation about our values – what we believe and what we practice when we service a loan, when we help a new member open an account, or when we complete a transaction at our drive-through windows. We value the trust that our borrowers place in us. We value the commitment made by our team and our members when we enter this partnership. And, above all else, we value the relationship that grows while working with our members.
We find value in doing more for our members, not just in our branches, but in our communities. This past week we sponsored the Fusion Conference in Bowman. This autumn we’ve driven in homecoming parades in several communities (when the weather didn’t rain on our parade). We are in the midst of our campaign to support the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in Fargo. We support local rodeos, fairs, school sporting and booster events, and regional tournaments. We volunteer as emergency responders, in our state parks, with community organizations, and at our churches.
Our values and the way we serve our members, put simply, come down to this:
We are ready to listen.
We succeed together.
We can do this together.
We value your trust.
That’s how we measure our values.
Dakota West offers a wide range of loan offerings, including Personal, Home, Vehicles, Ag, or Business Loans. Click on the kind of loan you're considering to discover more, or call 800.411.7590 to speak to a loan officer today.
We are an equal housing lender.