My name is Cher Beal…..yes, like the singer Cher, and yes, that’s my “real” name and no, I cannot sing :-). Why yes, I was named after the “real Cher”.
Other than questions concerning my name, most people don’t know what we “mortgage people” actually do but yet they never want a detailed answer to THAT question….maybe we are too boring? The real simple answer is this – Realtors find you a house you want to buy and I (the mortgage guru) find you the money to buy the house. So, we sell money. Realtors sell houses, I sell money. I started selling money in the 90’s for Chase Manhattan Bank, right after college at UNC Wilmington and UNC Charlotte.
My love of mortgages, housing, finance, and real estate has allowed me to serve my community for over 20 years in North Carolina. For most people, the word “mortgage” makes eyes start to roll in the back of their head or glaze over – I have the exact opposite reaction. Mortgage, you say….that’s when my ears perk up and I get excited. The ‘why’ for me is very simple. I believe all people deserve a place to call home. No, not everyone gets to a place that they can be a responsible homeowner but for those that have that need, that drive, or desire to buy a piece of real estate and call it their own, I want to help.
For me, there is no greater joy than helping a family buy their first (or 2nd) home, whether they are in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s or even 70’s! Honestly, it’s like a big human puzzle we get to work on and the prize is a new house for the family. And a bonus? I get paid to do what I love to do. Yes, it’s a super stressful insane business that we mortgage peeps(and realtors) invest our daily lives in. We get be the financial consultant, delivery person and many times a therapist all rolled into one, but being a mortgage guru is simply the best.
Best mortgage story ever? One of my clients’ daughters came up to me at a fundraiser I was volunteering at and told me that her Dad told her I was the only reason they had a house. That if it weren’t for me – they would never have been able to “make it happen” and she wanted to thank me – that was so heartwarming.
The other great joys in my life? My family. immediate family includes my daughters, Bailey and Reagan, plus seven dogs on a farm in Catawba County, NC. I was born and raised an NC southern, country girl. Yes, seven dogs, for real. I’m a sucker and most are adopted or rescued, but they needed a place to call home too. Most “free” time is spent with the family and friends enjoying swimming, hiking, sunset walks, chasing waterfalls, volunteering, road trips, or being a “foodie” and trying new restaurants with my girls or friends.