Meet Matt Burkhead | Branch Manager/Loan Officer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matt Burkhead and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matt, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
I work a lot with veterans to teach them about the benefits that they earned through their time in service. Despite having some of the best home ownership benefits many veterans either don’t know what they’ve earned or they are misinformed on what they’ve earned. Many times the misinformation comes from industry professionals that are just not familiar with the VA benefits. I’m a veteran myself so I have a little more insight into what other veterans go though and have also studied the VA handbook thoroughly so I’m able to answer their questions and give them pointers about their situation as well as dispel any myths or inaccurate information they’ve received. Veteran homeownership is a passion of mine because I believe homeownership is essential to building generational wealth. And the ability to use the VA loan is unique because it’s something that was specifically earned by serving so every person that is eligible should know how to take advantage of it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I work for a mortgage broker currently. After I got out of the Marine Corps I went to ASU for business management and entrepreneurship and then got my start in the mortgage industry shortly after. It was all completely new and I studied for the test, but that was just the beginning. Learning how to structure loans and figure out how to solve the unique problems that come along is the challenge. Every loan is slightly different and I always feel really good when I can use some little known guideline to make a loan work that no one else thought of. It can mean the difference between someone buying their dream house or not having the opportunity to. It wasn’t easy to get to where I’m at now, but there wasn’t really any secret formula either. Just a lot of hard work, long hours and trying to learn as much as possible to perfect the craft and surrounding yourself with the right people. There are definitely some stressful times in this business, but seeing how happy people are to accomplish something that they’ve sometimes worked years to achieve really feels good.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
For a good food I’d recommend Durant’s steakhouse. Plus it has some interesting history involving the former owner Jack Durant. For a good breakfast I’d have to go to 40th St Cafe. It’s not a fancy spot, but the food is great. I think everyone’s gotta hike camelback mountain one morning while they’re here. The hike isn’t too difficult and you get a cool view of the entire city. For nightlife either Old Town or Desert Ridge/High Street. And if it’s it’s my friends visiting I’d definitely take them with me to shoot at Cowtown Range. Another place I really like, while not in the city is going up to the Mogollon Rim for a night. Especially during this time of year. Or going to one of the lakes close by to have fun on the water.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Definitely my parents. They raised me with good values and a strong work ethic and pushed me while growing up. Also the Marine Corps and all the other Marines I had the pleasure of serving with. Everyone in the VettedVA group. And my mentors when I was getting into the mortgage business and still to this day, Leroy Romero and Christopher Griffith. Not only are they people I look up to, but they’re also good friends.

Website: www.mattbloans.com

Other: https://vettedva.com/