Meet the Owner
Angela Swank (Frost) has been working in mortgage for over 30 years. She got her start by accident — taking a temp job to help launch a processing department for a mortgage company — and quickly discovered that this work was a perfect fit. She loves numbers. She loves problem-solving. And she loves that no two deals are ever the same.
Angela bought her first home at 22 and picked up a rental property shortly after. She understands what it feels like to be on the other side of the table. That experience shapes how she works with every client: no surprises, no runaround, just clear answers from someone who has seen it all and knows how to guide you through it.
First Rate Mortgage Story
First Rate Mortgage was built out of frustration. Early in her career, Angela watched other loan officers give clients bad information, skip important questions, and leave borrowers blindsided at the closing table. She knew she could do better. So she went out on her own, where she had full control over how clients were treated.
What started as a way to do things right has grown into something this corner of Iowa genuinely needed: a mortgage business built on straight answers, real experience, and a process that doesn’t create more stress than it relieves. Every loan is different. Angela has always known that. She brings the same curiosity and care to loan number ten thousand that she brought to loan number one.
Buying a home is already a lot. You’re negotiating, packing, planning, and trying to hold it all together. The financing side of it should not be the part that falls apart. That’s the problem First Rate Mortgage exists to solve.
Values
At First Rate Mortgage, a few things never change, no matter what the market is doing.
- We answer the phone. When you have a question, you get a real answer from someone who knows your file. You are not chasing a call back for three days while your deal sits in limbo.
- We ask the right questions upfront. Most problems in a loan process are avoidable. Asking the right questions at the start means you know what to expect, and there are no ugly surprises later.
- We respect your time and your stress level. Moving is hard. Buying a home is a big deal. Our job is to make the financing part feel calm, clear, and handled, so you can focus on everything else.
- We keep learning. Thirty years of experience does not mean we stop paying attention. This industry changes constantly, and staying sharp is how we stay useful to you.
Based In Waukee, Serving All of Iowa
We are proud to call Waukee home, but our clients come from communities across Iowa. We help homebuyers and homeowners throughout the Des Moines metro, including West Des Moines, Ankeny, and Urbandale, as well as larger communities across the state such as Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Davenport, Bettendorf, and beyond.
Whether you’re buying your first home, moving across town, relocating to another part of Iowa, or refinancing your current home, you can work with us from anywhere in the state. Wherever you call home in Iowa, you’ll receive the same responsive communication, experienced guidance, and personal service from application through closing.