Episode 39 | The Blitz Break 🎙️

This week on The Blitz Break, Phil Rasmussen, Buzz Howard, and Justin Ingolia sit down with Tara Anaya, a top 1% producing branch manager with CrossCountry Mortgage and a nationally recognized top female originator by Scotsman Guide, for a powerful conversation on reinvention, resilience, and what it takes to stay elite in any market.

After more than 30 years in the mortgage industry, Tara made a bold move, relocating from Crescent City to the Sacramento/Roseville area and rebuilding her business from the ground up. What followed is a masterclass in mindset, consistency, and relationship-driven growth.

In this episode, we cover:

🔥 Reinventing your business in a brand new market, and starting from zero

🧠 The mindset of a top 1% producer, ignoring noise and focusing on what actually matters

🏡 How Tara has delivered over $4M in down payment assistance in 2025 through California programs

📚 Educating buyers and partners through classes, credit counseling, and long-term pipeline building

📊 Appraisal insights every agent and loan officer should understand

💡 Creative problem-solving, including a VA loan success story for an 18-year-old service member overseas

🤝 Building the right partnerships, and why not all business is good business

📱 Lead generation in today’s world, from TikTok and Instagram to an unforgettable Tinder success story

🤖 Why AI may be the biggest opportunity (and separator) for mortgage professionals moving forward

Plus, Buzz’s Mortgage Minute, breaking down recent market movement, with a fun twist you won’t expect.

This episode is packed with real strategies, bold thinking, and a clear message: top producers don’t wait for the market, they build through it.

👉 Enjoying the show? LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and share with someone ready to level up.

💬 Drop a comment: Could you rebuild your business from scratch in a new market?

Chapters:

00:00:00 Intro & Episode Kickoff

00:00:19 Meet Tara Anaya: From Crescent City to Sacramento

00:07:35 Building a Business from Scratch in a New Market

00:13:30 Top 1% Mindset: Relationships Over Rate Shopping

00:17:53 Down Payment Assistance & Being a Specialist

00:23:15 Educating Buyers & Delivering Value Before the Transaction

00:25:32 Appraisal 101: What Every Agent Needs to Know

00:36:23 Going Above & Beyond to Close the Deal

00:41:43 Building the Right Partnerships

00:48:33 How Tara Got Into Mortgage & Life on the Rodeo Circuit

01:08:42 Creative Lead Gen: Social Media, TikTok & the Tinder Story

01:16:43 The Future of Mortgage: AI, Market Outlook & Staying Ahead

01:27:38 Mortgage Minute & Wrap-Up