Having outgrown a rented two-room suite on Gordon Drive, NewWay Escrow LLC purchased their own building at 3918 Transit Ave. in April 2009.
"I wanted to expand and was running out of room," said Jodie Brinkerhoff, owner of NewWay Escrow with her husband William "Joe."
The Brinkerhoffs chose the building on Transit Avenue because they started their business in Morningside and wanted to stay in the area.
"This building also has a nice store front right on the Avenue," Brinkerhoff said. "It's easy to spot, and when you give directions, people can find it pretty easily."
NewWay Escrow, a real estate and lender settlement closing company, performs real estate settlement closings, lender closings, refinance closings, For Sale By Owner closings, HUD preparation, document preparation, escrow services, fund disbursements, notary/witness closings, on- and off-site closings, and after hours closings when needed and possible.
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Brinkerhoff, who was recently nominated to serve as vice president of the Dakota County Board of Realtors in 2009 and 2010, has been in the real estate and lending business for the past eight years.
She started as a loan processor at a local title and escrow company, then spent five years as a closing agent and assistant manager for another closing company before starting her own business at 4242 Gordon Drive, Suite 204, on Aug. 4, 2008.
"Going out on my own was an opportunity to offer more closing companies and offer exceptional service," she said. "My experience with loan origination and processing, and settlement closings allows me to truly understand my customer's needs."
Brinkerhoff said she works full time in the business and sees to it that every last detail is taken care of, even if that means being accessible for communication 24 hours a day. She performs order entry, helps clear title issues, delivers commission checks and deed packets, prepares lender papers and coordinates everything with their closing department and the Realtors, makes copies for all parties, and works with other closing companies.
Her husband Joe, who has experience as a part-time licensed loan originator, performs some administrative functions and courier duties, and serves as an alternate document presenter two days a week.
"In the near future, maybe sometime this year, we would like to get one more person hired and then expand to two to three more employees later," she said.
Brinkerhoff said the aspect she likes most about her business is the satisfaction she gets from seeing the look on customers' faces when they receive their loan closing documents.
"You see the tears of joy, particularly when people are buying their first home. "It's nice to be involved in that," she said.
