“Give people a little credit for intelligence.”
That’s been a working philosophy for Valerie Van de Zilver, and one that has proved its merit over time. If there’s one thing clients and attorneys like about Valerie, President of Nationwide Credit Network, it’s the fact that she doesn’t talk down to them. A seasoned negotiator with great people skills, Valerie knows that when it comes to credit disputes, it’s important to get all the facts. And one way to do that is to be a good listener and a diligent researcher.
Educated at Purdue, Valerie has a gold-plated resume and stellar credentials. She’s CDIA-Fair Credit Reporting Act Certified, and has Credit CRM and Credit Expert Witness Certification, and her grasp of credit-related issues is the stuff of legend. Not surprising, since she has evaluated over 12,000 credit reports.
In fact, few expert witnesses have studied the arcana of the credit industry in as much detail as Valerie has. And few have her deep understanding of the credit score factors used by lenders to grant or withhold credit.
Known for her analytical mind, nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic and ironpants study habits, Valerie spends her day immersed in credit-related issues, fielding calls from clients and attorneys who seek her expert advice.
She still finds the time to speak at community workshops, teaching people what they need to know about credit scores—everything from the factors that negatively impact scores to the process for resolving disputes. A gifted speaker who can think on her feet, Valerie has conducted a number of credit score training classes, teaching dozens of individuals—including lenders, realtors, community leaders, consumer advocates and consumers—the fundamentals of her profession.
Valerie acquired her expertise in mortgage lending, consumer credit and real estate law not just by hitting the books and attending classes and credit scoring seminars—although she’s done plenty of both—but through years of hands-on, real-world experience.
Valerie Van de Zilver has held a California real estate license for over 33 years. She honed her management skills as a branch manager for national mortgage broker companies, designated lender for major national home builders, and sales manager for California’s largest home builders. She won recognition as a top producing loan originator and a respected real estate broker who guided thousands of home buyers through the lending process. In that capacity, Valerie originated, processed, approved and closed over 10,000 loans. She performed comparisons of credit reports from different bureaus, and learned to identify factors that determined score changes. All of this has given her a deep understanding of credit data and the credit score factors used by lenders to make credit and lending decisions. It goes without saying that she knows, perhaps better than anyone else, how important a credit score is: “Your credit score is a three-digit number that can open doors for you—or ruin your life.”
Something of a serial entrepreneur—apart from running Nationwide Credit Network, she’s president of Home Source Mortgage Inc., and president of Zilver Realty Group—Valerie Van de Zilver founded the wildly successful 24-Hour Homes Hotline (now 24-HourHomesHotline.com).
That success led to Valerie becoming a national trainer for mortgage and private mortgage insurance firms. Ranked one of the top 100 mortgage loan originators nationally by Mortgage Originator Magazine, Valerie became a crowd-pleasing speaker on Mortgage Originator’s national Superstar Tour, training mortgage brokers to use that system to originate more business. And along the way she co-authored a book (Powermarketing for Mortgage Lenders), and created a phone-based coaching program to teach others how to generate more business using the Homes Hotline system.