Articles, activities for boomers & seniors
Q&A with Frank Martell, President, Consumer Trust Mortgage Corporation
What was your first job?
My very first job was working for a lawn mower shop in high school. I had just received my driver’s license and was anxious to drive. My job was to pick up and deliver commercial lawn mowers and parts around the Long Island area. My first professional job was as a Financial Representative for a Financial Services Company.
How did you get into the mortgage industry?
In 1980 there was a large layoff in the industry. As a result, my boss came to me and put me in charge of the real estate lending department. After a series of promotions I was transferred to Allentown in 1984 where I purchased my first home and settled down in the Lehigh Valley.
What do you do for fun?
My grandparents had a farm in upstate New York and myself and my siblings would spend our summers there and I learned how to work with my hands. I developed good mechanical skills. As a result, I like to dabble in real estate. Before getting married I loved to work on cars. I had a Corvette, Jeep Renegade, and a Mustang to name a few. Now I enjoy travelling the East Coast with my wife.
Why did you want to start offering reverse mortgages?
I have been with Consumer Trust Mortgage since 1995. A few years ago the government made improvements to the reverse mortgage product which helped protect seniors.
As a result, a reverse mortgage originated by Consumer Trust can be an excellent tool to eliminate mortgage payments and help put seniors’ equity to work for them without selling their home or being burdened with a costly mortgage payment.
What is something that many people don’t know about you?
When I was about 11 years old I decided to take my mother’s car down to the store in town. I was used to driving tractors on the farm so I did not think much of it. I could barely see over the steering wheel and ended up getting a flat tire. It was quite an adventure. Also, I was relatively young when I became an uncle. One Christmas no one wanted to be Santa so I put on the family Santa suite and hitchhiked from one part of town to the other delivering gifts to my nephews and niece.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I like to be able to cut through red tape for customers and help them achieve their financial goals. I am also very proud of the team of people that we have at Consumer Trust Mortgage and enjoy working with them.
How do you define success?
Success is doing what is right even when nobody is looking.
Picture caption: Frank pictured with Jill, Carole and Diane