[UncleSalty]

I've been in commercial real estate (on the corporate financial planning/budgeting side) for about 6 years, and I would caution you that this is probably not an ideal time to enter the mortgage industry. As interest rates rise transaction volume is going to decrease significantly, leaving those who have been in the business a long time and have already built solid relationships in an advantageous position over those who are just getting started.

Certainly there is always room in any industry for those with above average talent, but it's going to get very tight in the next 5 years or so.

What asset class does the company loan against? If it's residential/single-family I would advise against taking the plunge. If it's industrial, office, or multi-family commercial assets it will be a little safer, but volume is definitely dropping. A lot of the easy money has already been made for the foreseeable future.

Just my $0.02. Good luck with your decision.

Edit: Just re-read and saw the part about sub-prime home equity loans. I have a feeling that this market is going to take a beating as variable rate loans start pushing people into bankruptcy. Tread with caution.