How do people pass the buck so much?

Ok, I admit it... I have a few gray hairs and a lot of years in the mortgage industry. I have lived through a lot of different markets and economies; dealt with a lot of great clients and realtors and my share of challenging ones and I have have seen most everything there is to see when it comes to the real estate industry.

But I have one thing that has always bothered me. How do so many people pass the buck for things they screwed up?

As a lender I know we get blamed for nearly everything that goes wrong in a real estate transaction... and sometimes we deserve it. There are certainly plenty of loan officers who drop balls, don't return calls and deserve the blame. But don't blame us when it is not our fault.

Recently, a loan officer I know had a closing delayed due to not having the condo docs and master insurance policy in hand which were required docs for closing. They reached out nearly 3 weeks ago, followed up 4 times, let both agents and the buyer know and still don't have them. Now the blame is being placed on them and the selling agent is pissed off. Isn't it the sellers responsibility to get these as asked for in the contract? All she wants to do is blame others... when she should have had these when she listed according to numerous realtors I asked.

Lenders get blamed for...

• The buyer not getting us documents in a timely manner despite our following up daily
• Verification of income being slow due to the person at the buyer's work being on vacation
• Agents getting us revised documents the day before closing and expecting us to be able to change everything on a moments notice
• Appraisals coming back low
• Agents not returning calls for days and then getting mad because closing gets delayed
• The list goes on and on...

Now this is not just a lender problem. Everyone blames everyone else, even or I should say especially when it is actually their own fault. What ever happened to taking accountability for our own actions.

So to any and all of you that allow me to handle your mortgage needs I commit to this...

• I will communicate promptly and keep all concerned parties in the loop
• I will accept responsibility for my mistakes and instead of blaming others for theirs, I will try to help solve issues instead of passing the buck
• Problems will be solved if possible, and solved promptly
• When you ask questions you will get accurate answers quickly

If we have never done a loan together give me a chance and I will show you how a top loan officer gets it done. I look forward to working with each of you.