Envoy Mortgage Staff Embraces “VA Boot Camp” Training Certification Program

HOUSTON, TX —  Envoy Mortgage, a Houston-based full-service mortgage banking firm that originates loans in 48 states with more than 60 retail branches, has rolled out its VA Boot Camp training and certification program, designed to make as many of its employees as possible experts in lending programs from the Veterans Administration.
Delivered online through Envoy University, VA Boot Camp has been met with great enthusiasm by Envoy team members, with almost a third of the company’s employees completing the training in its first six weeks of operation. So much enthusiasm, in fact, that the company is developing versions of VA Boot Camp modules to be made available to real estate professionals and service providers throughout the country in the interest of promoting home ownership among the nation’s veterans.
“We owe a tremendous debt to our veterans, and many of them do not fully understand the benefits of VA programs,” said Envoy CEO Pat Walden, a veteran himself. “To ensure exceptional service to our veterans we are creating experts across Envoy, and not only among those who originate loans. We are training clerical staff, managers, loan processors and all others who are critical to ensuring veterans receive the service they deserve,” Walden said. “Envoy employs many veterans, and we have learned that a surprising number of our 22 million former service members are unaware of how their veteran benefits can improve their lives. It is our mission to change that, and VA Boot Camp Certification has given us a great start,” he noted.
Envoy’s VA Boot Camp currently consists of eight modules that are completed at the student’s desired pace online. A test is administered at the end of each module before the participant can move on to the next, according to the executive who developed VA Boot Camp, Envoy Vice President of Special Projects Matt Kovach.
Kovach spent more than 12 years as a loan originator, and VA lending is not only a personal favorite of his, it is also an excellent business. “The VA is on track to guarantee over 480,000 loans this year, and these loans are among the most reliable, top performing loans in terms of delinquency and foreclosure rates,” Kovach explained. “But it is a market that is under served in that not all who are eligible really understand their benefits. The veterans among our loan originators instinctively know to ask borrowers early on whether they are veterans in order to bring up VA loans as options.
Asking this question is among the first things we teach in VA Boot Camp, as many potential borrowers don’t know that a VA loan can make homeownership more attainable,” he said. “Others who know about VA lending may not know that they could be exempt from the VA Funding Fee and even property taxes in some areas. Serving veterans better is not just the main goal of certification through VA Boot Camp,” Kovach said, “It’s a core value of Envoy Mortgage.”
By making the training available to the real estate community, title companies and many others associated with the mortgage process, Envoy hopes to certify thousands across the country through VA Boot Camp in addition to the entire Envoy Mortgage team.
“We have hundreds of thousands of veterans returning to civilian life every year,” said Walden. “And although two thirds of veterans who have owned a home have used a VA program at some point, there are still far too many who don’t know about the programs or how easily they can be accessed to buy or refinance a home at reduced cost. VA lending is a great asset for this proud and highly deserving group of borrowers, and Envoy is going to do everything possible to ensure they are benefiting from its full potential,” he said.
About Envoy Mortgage
Envoy Mortgage is a full-service mortgage banking firm founded in 1997 and headquartered in Houston, Texas. Envoy operates a network of more than 60 retail branch locations across the U.S. and currently originates in 48 states. The branches offer a full menu of loan products with the knowledge, expertise and technology necessary to enable all aspects of the mortgage process. Envoy’s technology allows the company to maintain a completely paperless in-house origination process, reducing costs and improving efficiencies.
For more information, visit www.EnvoyMortgage.com