loanDepot office officially opens in BG

Special to the Sentinel-Tribune

Che Walters, a loan consultant for loanDepot, got into the business by accident.

Walters, who grew up in Fostoria, originally started out selling insurance.

"I started my career in sales in the late '90s in life and health insurance," said Walters, who opened the loanDepot Branch in Bowling Green last June. "You had to go to people's houses and collect premiums weekly. I loved being able to meet the clients in person, but I wanted something more out of my career.

"I wanted to really help people, and I just wasn't sure what that next path would look like for me."

In 2006 when Walters ran into an old friend who introduced him to the mortgage world, he knew immediately that this was his calling, and he's been in the mortgage industry since.

For the next 12 years, Walters took on new opportunities working at a few different mortgage bank companies until September 2018 when he joined loanDepot, a company originally based in Irvine, California.

Founded in 2010 by mortgage industry innovator Anthony Hsieh, loanDepot is focused on creating a straightforward mortgage experience.

"We have grown to become the nation's fifth largest retail mortgage lender and the second largest nonbank retail originator," Walters said.

"As most can agree, the COVID pandemic really turned everyone's worlds upside down," he said. "We really had to get creative with our everyday tasks. With the original office based out of Findlay, I ended up working from home in my quaint and quiet little camper.

"As nice as it was, it got old very fast and reminded me of how much I truly love working alongside my team and borrowers in person."

He opened the office in June 2022.

"My hard work and dedication landed me the opportunity to open my own office closer to my home in Bowling Green," Walters said.

An official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was held for Walters' new office earlier this month, hosted by the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce.

Walters is licensed in seven different states and is part of a team that is spread across Northwest Ohio. The "Closed In A Snapp" team, comprised of Scott Snapp (producing branch manager), Megan Stumbaugh (loan consultant), Mariah Borer (loan specialist), Jamie Jones (production assistant), and Megan Smith (production assistant), is ranked No. 1 in Ohio for top mortgage teams, No. 35 in the nation for most loans closed, and is in the top 200 for best loan originators nationwide.

"Being the preferred lender for Bowling Green State University Athletics is such an honor to me — BG is my home," Walters said. "I have been here for almost two decades now, so it really was a natural fit for me. I am really excited to work with my marketing specialist to do some cool things for BGSU's athletes in the near future."

The office is located at 1616 E. Wooster St., Unit 29.