Meet Peggy, an Elevations Mortgage Loan Officer

Is homeownership on your mind? Or are you thinking of refinancing your home? Peggy Kramer from the Mortgage Team at Elevations Credit Union would be happy to assist you with the lending process and find the best loan for your needs. Peggy is available to meet with members at the Fort Collins Midtown Branch on South College or via virtual chat. 

Peggy loves puzzles. When an Elevations member comes to her with a vision, she works to put all the financial pieces together to get that loan application sent off to underwriting. From there, the Elevations team can work their magic and make homeownership (or a money-saving refinance) a reality. 

She works with residential home enthusiasts of all types but has noticed a recent increase in those who are taking their inaugural leap into homeownership. “I love working with first-time homebuyers because they’re excited, and they make me stay in check,” she comments. These first-timers help Peggy slow down, be more precise and articulate the lending process in an easy-to-understand way, which is a refreshing challenge that ultimately makes her better at helping all of her clients understand the mortgage process. 

In addition to guiding members along their homebuying journey, she isn’t shy to share her excitement for closing day. “It’s kind of like the party at the end of the process,” she laughs. Peggy loves seeing members get their keys, wrap up the paperwork and feel the joy of making a well-planned purchase that fuels their dreams and goals. 

For members considering a new mortgage or a refinance,  Peggy works hard to build a trusting relationship and a comfortable space to discuss personal finances.  “In order for us to do our job correctly, you need to be an open book and prepare to talk about your credit, income and assets … and be realistic,” she notes. “I think a lot of people are scared to talk about money.”  

The best parts of being a Mortgage Loan Officer 

Being a Mortgage Loan Officer isn’t a profession where you simply check boxes and plug in numbers. You have to make the loan work, and that requires creative troubleshooting — a process that Peggy adores about her career. She enjoys working hard to help members improve their credit so they can qualify for a better loan rate. She also helps some members get their finances cleaned up to prepare for a future loan application. 

“Not every file is exactly the same. I like trying to make things work,” she explains. “We take the member from point A to point Z, and along the way, maybe we need to work on improving the credit score or getting a down payment in play. We figure out how to make all those parts click to get to the closing table.” 

In addition to qualifying homebuyers for loans, Peggy pays close attention to how she can improve each member’s overall monthly cash flow and how a home purchase or refinance will impact them in the years to come. 

“I’m a numbers person. If I can get them in a better financial position, I like to look at it that way, too,” she elaborates. “If it’s a refinance and it doesn’t make sense, I’ll tell them. We look at it differently, and we try to make them think about their financial future (college for the kids, retirement, etc.) — what does that look like and how will a refinance fit in? Because it all fits together.”  

It’s no surprise Peggy was the kid who loved math class in school. Initially, she thought she’d become a certified personal accountant and tested those waters while she was in college. After graduation, she decided working in the financial sector was more personally fulfilling — with fewer spreadsheets and less data entry. 

Aligning with her personal values 

Peggy joined the Elevations Mortgage Team in November of 2017. Previously, she worked as a Mortgage Loan Officer in the affluent private client sector of a global-facing bank for 13 years. 

As many career journeys go, Peggy found herself wanting more satisfaction from her workplace. When her employer moved in a new direction, she decided to look for an opportunity that better aligned with her belief system. “I wanted to work at a company that has more of my moral values, and I wanted to do more for the community,” she explains. “Elevations is a not-for-profit. So when I started looking into the organization, that’s what drove me toward Elevations more than any other company.” 

Peggy stands behind Elevations’ commitment to put the member’s needs first and nurture the community at large through volunteerism. Elevations is incredibly active with multiple charitable organizations and education-focused initiatives along the Front Range, including Realities for Children and Food Bank for Larimer County, organizations that Peggy enjoys supporting. 

Life isn’t all about numbers 

When she isn’t putting together perfect loans for members, you might hear Peggy talking about her outdoor adventures. She and her husband enjoy riding bikes, playing pickleball with her daughter or planning their next scuba dive, preferably in Mexico. 

Peggy also enjoys watching home shows like “This Old House” and thinking of how she’d approach the remodels. She’s proud to say she’s tackled lots of home improvement projects over the years, including laying tile. 

“I love remodeling. It’s pretty cool to go in, look at a house and say, ‘OK, this is what I’m going to do.’ And just think, again, a puzzle. Right? Right. Can I bust out this wall?” she explains. Of course, she’s hired help with the bigger projects but always takes satisfaction in seeing the before and after snapshots of a job well done. 

If you’d like to speak with Peggy Kramer NMLS# 667668 about your mortgage needs, you can give her a call at (970) 231-6787 or send an email to peggy.kramer@elevationscu.com. She’s also seeing members in-person at the Fort Collins Midtown Branch and scheduling virtual video calls.