Sabrina West’s ambition has been stirring in her since she was just a child. The story of where she came from, and where she ended up, with the twists and turns along the way, has helped cultivate the savvy business woman she is today. As a wife, a mother of 5 wonderful children (one of whom has special needs), a caregiver to her elderly parents, a fitness guru, and a lioness in the mortgage industry, this powerhouse of a woman is truly a self-made success.
Sabrina’s roots run deep in these mountains and her relatives have been in the Asheville area for generations. She comes from a good hearted, salt of the earth, working class family. Her father, a disabled veteran, did his best to provide for his family, despite experiencing tremendous financial hardships. As a child, there were times when they went without heat, and would gather in the living room with sleeping bags to keep warm by the fire. The financial challenges during her upbringing were offset by her family’s perseverance and strong bond. Their struggles also served as the fuel she needed to trailblaze her own success story.
Sabrina’s mother has been a huge influence on her life. She’s been a devoted wife for 58 years and is the epitome of a saint. Her strength, nonjudgmental attitude, and enduring patience has been a guide for Sabrina throughout her life. “I was a rebel, so I challenged her, but she has always accepted me for who I am. She knows the right words to say all the time, and her enduring positivity and kindness comes from her faith in God.” Her mom has taught her to stay motivated, and stay true to her path, even when things get tough.
At age 12, Sabrina began assisting her mother with bookkeeping at her fathers’ garage, and then at age 15, she started a job in accounting at Paty’s Building Company. Numbers became easy to her, out of necessity. If she wanted something for herself, she had to know exactly how much money was required and how hard she needed to work for it. As a teen, she would write herself notes with positive affirmations, and stick them all around her room. She would read these reminders daily, until she believed her own truth – that anything is possible if you live your life with dedication and intention. This mindset would help guide her throughout her career, especially when helping others actualize their own financial goals.
She graduated from AC Reynolds High School and was the first in her family to go to college. She went to East Tennessee State University, where she studied physical therapy, a path that was inspired by her father’s disabilities, but decided to shift gears. She came back to her home town and did course work at the University of North Carolina and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Institute.
Sabrina became a single mom at age 25, and was waiting on tables, while working on a plan to provide the ideal life for her baby girl. She found herself taking the first steps toward her 18-year career in the mortgage industry, first as a receptionist, and then moving onto accounting and loan processing. She received her mortgage broker license to diversify her stream of income, but in addition to sales, continued to work on the operations side of the business for several years.
During the financial crash of 2008, Sabrina temporarily got out of the business, and was inspired to teach fitness by her close friend and mentor, Kim Hreha. Sabrina has always been interested in her own health and fitness, and teaching at Kim’s strength training center, HF Center of Exercise Science, provided her with an opportunity to develop her leadership skills. Kim saw Sabrina’s strengths, and taught her to believe in herself, while empowering others to do the same.
With an ignited passion to help others, Sabrina had the confidence to open Guaranteed Rate, a residential mortgage company, in 2017. Her in-depth knowledge of the operations side of the business, combined with her sales background, bolstered a successful foundation for her company. She was able to build a strong, cooperative team of 7 VP ‘s of mortgage lending. “They are the best of the best!”, she says. Sabrina and her team assist their clients in making educated home buying decisions, and achieving their mortgage goals within 30 days or less.
“Our culture and industry have moved to technology where people no longer meet in person, and transactions are completed with online signing, emails, and texting. It is important to me to continue to make a personal connection and establish rapport with my clients. I talk to them on the phone or in person to solidify that trust from the very beginning. I work hard to find an individual mortgage plan for them”, she says. Her team continues to support their clients by ensuring that they understand each and every step of the lending process.
“This is not an easy business. You need a tough skin and quitting is not an option”, says Sabrina. She has been called a “fighter” because she works hard for her clients. If their dreams and goals seem out of reach, she helps them find practical ways to achieve them. She looks at their debts, helps them organize their finances, balance their budgets, and creates solutions. Her system is centered on highly individualized mortgage plans, which are unique to each customer.
Home-buying is among the most stressful life events (alongside death and divorce). Anxiety is a natural part of this industry, and these types of big life changes require the highest level of support. Finances are personal, and there is a great deal of vulnerability involved. Numbers are black and white, but it’s important to Sabrina that she relates to her clients on a humanistic level, outside of just the numbers. She thinks of herself as a time traveler because she meets people wherever they are on their journey. Whether her clients are first time home buyers, or retirees planning for the future, Sabrina knows that trust is a major component of their relationship.
Sabrina finds great reward in working with people who are going through major life changes. A memorable experience for her was when she worked with a divorcée whose 26-year marriage had come to an end. Her client had always been a stay at home mom, and was now faced with the task of redefining herself, starting over, finding a new home, and a new career path. It meant a lot to Sabrina to be able to empower and support her client through these massive transitions. “I believe God gave each one of us special gifts; helping people discover these gifts motivates me daily”, says Sabrina.
Sabrina was the only female top producing branch manager in her region from 2017 to 2019 and her achievements led to recognition by Guaranteed Rate, as well as a feature in the Scotsman Guide as one of the nation’s top-producing mortgage lenders. “There are many strong women in this industry and I am so proud to work with some of the best realtors, attorneys, and lenders on a daily basis”, she says.
“We have to work hard every day in our fast-paced culture to find balance with work, life, kids, parents, spouses, and friends. We must live with intention, make choices we are proud of, take moments to share a smile, give a pep talk, breathe, and most of all, listen”. Sabrina came to this discovery after her near-death experience during the birth of her youngest son. He was recently diagnosed with Autism, after many years of searching for a diagnosis. This experience propelled her to focus on all his positive gifts, and nurture them to the fullest. It taught her to be optimistic, encouraging, and to never give up. Everything she has been through, and everything she has overcome, has brought her to a place of abundance in her life. When people say they can’t, she responds, “yes you can”. She is living proof.
When asked to shed some pearls of business insight to women who may be starting out or transitioning into new careers, Sabrina answered, “be coachable, ask lots of questions, educate yourself, be an expert in your field, and laugh at yourself. Challenges create character, and there are no mistakes, just new lessons to learn”.
Guaranteed Rate
30 Town Square Blvd Suite 206 Asheville, NC 28803
(828) 778-4224 cell
(828) 412-4337 office
[email protected]
rate.com/sabrinawest