WILLOW BEND MORTGAGE

Kyle Knippa

Through his career, the list of real estate partners, clients, and other loan officers have benefitted from the knowledge and experience that Branch Manager, Kyle Knippa, has continued to build through time.

Kyle got his start in the mortgage business in 1992. He has a passion for the profession that he has practiced for 31 years.

“It makes me feel good to know that my business is from the reputation that I have been able to build through time and my referral base,” Kyle says.

Gaining Ground in Life

Kyle was a finance major at Texas Tech, earning his degree in 1990. When he first graduated, he joined his father and brother in the business.

Through time, Kyle has found success in a number of areas, beginning in Australia, then on to Houston, Washington, D.C. and Dallas.

The rewarding feelings he gets from helping others never gets old.

“When you can save a client a sizable amount of money by being creative with structuring their financing, it is very satisfying,” Kyle says. “It’s rewarding because it’s a significant amount of funds involved for the people we work with. I enjoy when we are able to meet our clients’ needs and beat the big banks. When you can do that and satisfy your client … that’s what I like the most.”

Investing Deeply

Those who have had the chance to work with Kyle appreciate his deep investment in those he works with.

“What I have to provide to my real estate partners and clients is my experience and reputation. If I didn’t do what I say, I wouldn’t have been able to be doing this for over 30 years,” Kyle points out.

Away from work, Kyle treasures time with his family, including his wife, Sherry, and their three children — Cole, who is a sophomore at Texas

In his free time, Kyle likes to play golf with his sons. He also looks forward to time spent with his family at Cedar Creek Lake. They also are very active in their faith, enjoying their membership at Zion Lutheran Church.

When you talk with Kyle, it’s easy to see his straightforward, caring, and open way of working with his partners and clients.

To talk with Kyle Knippa, call 214-802-9559.

Sara Parker Jones

Building strong bonds makes all of the difference in the world. Each of us have gifts that can open doors for others.

Branch Manager Sara Parker Jones is a prime example of that truth.

“The part that I love the most about being in this industry is building relationships with clients and REALTOR® partners,” she says.

“I’m passionate about teaching people how to build wealth through real estate.”

Getting an Early Start

As Sara came of age, she started her college education, pausing in 2012 to focus on, and grow, her mortgage business. When she first started, Sara worked in interstate lending with clients across the nation.

From there, she focused her energies on the local retail business. She decided to go back and finish her degree in late 2018, taking one class a semester while still working and growing her business. She graduated from TWU in May 2021.

Each day, Sara enjoys making life and business better for her partners and clients.

“They are our partners and have already worked their tails off at negotiating the contract. At the time I get that loan, I want them to be able to go out and get more business,” Sara says.

“I will take everything else off their plate, yet they will know what is going on all the time, because I keep them posted through the whole process.”

Todd Hartgrove

When you feel like you have an active advocate on your side, you can see it and feel it immediately.

That’s the feeling that those who work with Residential Mortgage Loan Originator, Todd Hartgrove, experience and appreciate in the way he leads them forward.

Todd grew up, and then went on to earn his degree in finance from the University of Alabama. As he started his working career, he got into commercial banking.

Building Forward

In time, Todd worked in the commercial real estate realm in Atlanta, before moving back to Dallas.

“As I made that move, I was looking for a different path. At the time, I talked with some of the mortgage bankers that I knew at the time and decided to take that path myself,” Todd remembers. “It’s a perfect fit for me, with the combination of real estate, finance, and sales.”

Todd relishes the role of being able to inform his clients’ choices when it comes to the home-buying process.

Sara’s life is enriched by her husband, Joe, and their two Pomeranians— Perry and Rip.

In her free time, she likes to take ski trips with Joe. They also enjoy Formula One racing. Another one of her favorites is walking.

As Sara reflects on her career and continuing to build on behalf of those around her, she brings a genuine spirit of service to those around her.

“I would hope my clients would say that I truly care about their process of buying a home, whether it’s their first home or their eighth investment property. I truly care about them and want the best for them every time,” Sara says. “A big part of the success that we are creating comes down to teamwork. We have a really wonderful team of women who kick butt every day … people that all share the same mindset when it comes to treating our clients and how we will do anything we can to get a deal done.”

To talk with Sara Parker Jones, call 972-841-9010

“I really like working with first-time homebuyers. They are very appreciative and I like the education part for them, since everything is new to them,” Todd says. “Educating my clients is something I really enjoy the most … and figuring out how to best suit their needs.”

Qualities You Can Count On Being available and responsive are two centerpieces of the way that Todd approaches life and business.

“I try to make sure that everyone knows I’m always available to them whenever they have questions … getting back to them even on nights and during weekends. I take the customer service aspect of it very seriously,” Todd says. “When I work with my partners, I want them to see my honesty and integrity and to know that I treat their clients with respect,” Todd says. “In the process, we are going to fix any issues that come up and have really good customer service. My goal is that, at the end, clients thank the REALTOR® for giving them my name.”

Away from work, Todd’s life is made fulfilled by his daughters (11 and 13).

His favorite activities with them include bike rides, golfing, and skiing.

When you talk with Todd, you instantly know that he is on your side … today and tomorrow.

“They know they can always come to me after we close the loan, too. Working with honesty and integrity are vital for me,” he says. “In the process, I’m always going to be fighting for my partners. They know that I will treat their clients like they are the only one.”

To talk with Todd Hartgrove, call 214-673-3838.

When you value the path you’ve been on, you see your achievements. When you are grateful for and think about all that you’ve done… that gives you confidence in knowing that your next milestones are just a few steps away.

Janelle Alcantara has that spirit of self-awareness, positivity, and belief in the future.

“I feel that my approach to real estate stems from appreciating the potential in every house, and every build site, no matter how old or neglected. I love taking on the challenge of creating a special house out of a property that is being rejected by the market,” she says.

“Sometimes that means re-configuring a 1950s ranch by moving the kitchen from one side of the house to the other to create a great room that opens to the backyard. No matter how bad the house is, I can always see the potential. Then, I assemble the right team of architects, builders, engineers, and investors to realize my vision.”

True Commitment

As a Global Real Estate Advisor and a member of Leaders Circle with Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s, Janelle takes nothing for granted as she continues to build results for herself and those around her. You see it in the sense of commitment she has for her community.

“It’s easy to take our city for granted. Dallas has so many beautiful neighborhoods. They have large lots, magnificent trees, and also have convenient access to restaurants, retail, highways, and airports. Many of them are being re-developed by builders that care more about their own profits than the integrity of our neighborhoods,” Janelle says.

“As agents, we are empowered to make a difference in the way that our city is revitalized. We can encourage our clients to invest in intelligent design by educating them on the value of hiring architects. We can support the builders that deliver quality construction. We can protect the architecturally significant homes in our communities from the people that would prefer to demolish them. We can initiate or participate in beautification projects that contribute to the desirability of our neighbor hoods. Over the years, I’ve volunteered many hours to protecting the neighborhoods and communities where I live and work. For me, that’s meant starting HOAs, organizing fund raisers, supporting local restaurants and family owned businesses, and getting involved in re-zoning cases with City Council.” also a builder and built a few homes, as well. She worked for Shaddock and Cook,” she says. “I was always around construction, home design, and real estate in that regard.”

In time, Janelle earned her real estate license. As she thinks back, the transition that she made into a new career made sense for her.

“It all stemmed from my interest in construction, design, and building houses. I had a desire to create better-designed homes and more interesting homes than what I saw on

Lifelong Interest

As Janelle looks back, she thinks about the way her career path she enjoys today really started in some ways when she was nine years old.

“My mother was a prominent designer of swimming pools. She was

“As I started that process, I sought out builders and investors that were renovating homes — helping them find homes to renovate and helping to push and optimize their design … thinking of things in ways they had not thought of before to help them earn a higher ROI.”

Hitting Her Stride

Janelle built a network of home renovators and investors. In the process, she found herself as a lead agent to help them find properties they could renovate.

“I was helping to push their design process and selling the house when completed,” she remembers. “That created a full-circle market for me … creating the inventory and coming in contact with buyers and sellers.”

The passion she has for her work is what she calls multi-faceted, with unique days, new adventures, and being able to dive in and figure out the best ways to market and position properties.

“As I work, I don’t farm a certain area. I go after houses that I think are inspiring and intriguing,” she says. “I really like making good design available for everyone.”

Through time, Janelle has continued gaining ground. At the same time, she has picked up a number of accolades and honors. For several years running, she has been a D Magazine top Producer. She also has attained Leaders Circle status, reflecting her lofty level of success.

LIFE’S FULFILLMENT

Away from work, Janelle smiles as she thinks of the example of leadership and involvement that she saw in her mother, Jill Alcantara.

“She was well-known in Collin County. She was involved early on and was instrumental in developing parks, green belts, and planting trees,” she says.

“She was known as ‘The Tree Lady.’ She is personally credited with planting thousands of trees in Collin County and in Dallas. She could conceptualize and design a project, then do fundraising, and oversee the installation of the project.”

In her free time, Janelle likes to take on new activities that challenge her to grow. One recent endeavor she has started is playing the drums, something she had thought about for a long time.

“Having no musical talent or ability, I enrolled myself in the School of Rock and since then, playing the drums has become an obsession,” she says with a smile. “It is fun, fulfilling, and it’s exciting to play in a band with other people. I was 52 when I started playing. It’s great to try new things … to give yourself new challenges and adventures.”

As Janelle thinks about the community that she reveres, she loves supporting animal rescue organizations, and she is a big fan of the work being done by the Dallas Architecture Forum.

“They help to educate people on the importance of good design and how it affects and shapes our lives each day … most of the time without us even being consciously aware of it,” she points out. “The forum helps us be more aware of that and understand how architecture and design benefits all of us in our everyday lives.”

With care, in-depth attention to the needs of other, and a desire to learn and grow each day, Janelle Alcantara makes a lasting impact on the lives of people each day … in turn, taking nothing for granted on her own journey.