About Shawn
Small-town values. Big-city expertise. 25+ years of helping Albertans with mortgages — purchases, renewals, refinancing, and everything in between.
I grew up in a place most people have never heard of. I've served my country, raised a family, and built a career — all guided by the same values I learned as a kid on the prairies. If you're looking for a mortgage broker who'll shoot straight with you, you've come to the right place.
Where It Started
I was born and raised in Val Marie, Saskatchewan — a tiny community tucked against the Montana border at the edge of Grasslands National Park. Population: a few hundred, give or take. The kind of place where everybody knows your name, your truck, and whether you made it to church on Sunday.
We didn't have cell phones. We didn't have social media. We had hockey rinks, baseball diamonds, and summer evenings that didn't end until someone's mom hollered from the porch. I played every sport that was offered and a few that weren't. You learned to shake hands, look people in the eye, and do what you said you'd do. Those weren't "values" — they were just how things worked.
I didn't know it at the time, but Val Marie gave me everything I'd need for the career I hadn't imagined yet.
Serving Canada
In 1985, straight out of high school, I joined the Canadian Armed Forces. I trained as an artilleryman — coast to coast and in Germany — and later as a surveyor within the artillery. Seven years of service. Seven years of discipline, precision, teamwork, and learning that the details matter, especially when the stakes are high.
I was honourably discharged in 1992 and moved to my favourite city: Calgary.
From Surveyor to Mortgage Broker
I spent the next seven years working as a surveyor in Calgary — another career built on precision, measurement, and getting things right the first time. But in 1999, I made a leap. I became a mortgage broker.
Twenty-five years later, I'm still here.
I started solo — one broker, one phone, and a determination to do things differently than the banks. Over the years, I built a team of like-minded professionals, grew into a Dominion Lending Centres franchise that I ran for many years, and eventually co-founded our independent brokerage: Your Local Mortgage Professionals.
Independent means I answer to you — not a bank head office, not a shareholder, not a quarterly earnings target. I shop 20+ lenders to find you the best mortgage. Period.
Family, Okotoks & High River
My wife Lori and I raised our four children in Okotoks over 21 years. We coached their teams, walked them to school, watched them grow up in a community we loved. Okotoks gave us everything a family could want.
When the kids were grown, we made the move to High River — another community with the same character, the same values, and the same feeling of belonging. It felt like coming home to something I recognised from Val Marie: a place where neighbours still wave, people still help each other out, and a handshake still means something.
Lori and I at the Saskatoon Berry Farm. 25 years of adventures together.
I didn't just move my office to High River. I moved my life here. I'm excited to meet new neighbours, new clients, and new friends — and to serve the communities across Southern Alberta that remind me of where I started.
The view from my office in High River. Not a bad place to do a mortgage.
My morning meeting. She shows up more reliably than most clients.
📘 A Life in Passports
I've taken a photo of all my passports laid out side by side. The faces change — younger, thinner, more hair — but the person holding them has stayed the same.
Each one is filled with stamps from a different chapter: a young soldier seeing the world for the first time, a surveyor building a career, a father taking his kids on adventures, a broker meeting clients across the country.
The pages change. The values don't. That's the through-line of my life, and it's the through-line of how I do business. Whether I'm helping a first-time buyer in Calgary, a rancher refinancing near Nanton, or a family renewing in Okotoks — you get the same honest, straight-talking approach I learned in Val Marie.
The Short Version
🎖️ 7 Years Military Service
Canadian Armed Forces, 1985–1992. Artillery and surveyor. Honourably discharged.
📐 7 Years Surveying
Professional surveyor in Calgary, 1992–1999. Precision and detail, every day.
🏠 25+ Years as a Mortgage Broker
RECA-licensed since 1999. In 1999, a $100,000 mortgage was a big deal. Today, $500,000 barely gets you in the door. I've walked families through every version of this market — the booms, the corrections, the rate spikes, and the recoveries. Thousands of deals. Every mortgage type. Every situation you can imagine — and a few you can't.
👨👩👧👦 Family Man
Raised 4 kids in Okotoks with Lori. Now calling High River home.
Why People Work With Me
I tell you the truth. If a deal doesn't make sense, I'll tell you. If the bank's offer is actually better (rare, but it happens), I'll tell you that too. I'd rather lose a deal than lose your trust.
I shop 20+ lenders. Banks offer one product — theirs. I have access to over 20 lenders and find the mortgage that fits your life, not the one that fits their quota.
I pick up the phone. You'll never get a call centre or a chatbot. You get me. If I can't answer, I call back the same day.
I've seen it all. First-time buyers, self-employed, bruised credit, complex situations, reverse mortgages, acreage properties, investment deals — 25+ years means there aren't many situations I haven't navigated.
It's free. On most transactions, the lender pays my fee. You get professional mortgage advice at no cost.
And one more thing. Don't ever think you can't talk to me because of your financial or personal situation. Lori and I have been there — trust me. We've ridden the financial roller coaster more than once and we're still on the ride. We've had our share of personal hardships too — divorces, family court battles, caring for two fathers with dementia, and most recently, a stroke. Out of all of it came incredible things: an amazing life partner, a blended family, a new lease on life, and a fresh start in this business. So don't ever hesitate to share where you've been or what you're dealing with. It's part of who we are. And I'm here for it.
🏘️ Communities I Serve
Calgary, Okotoks, High River, Diamond Valley (Turner Valley & Black Diamond), Nanton, Claresholm, Vulcan, Strathmore, Airdrie, Cochrane, the Foothills, and communities across Southern Alberta.
Whether you're in a city neighbourhood or on a rural acreage — I'm your local mortgage professional.
📋 Explore My Services
Does It Cost Me Anything to Use a Mortgage Broker?
The most common question I get — and the answer surprises people.
Short answer: Typically, No. For the vast majority of my clients, my services cost you nothing. The lender pays me a commission when your mortgage funds. It doesn't come out of your pocket, it's not added to your mortgage, and it doesn't affect your rate. You get access to 20+ lenders, expert guidance, and someone who actually works for you — at zero cost to you.
Think about it this way: a mortgage specialist at your bank gets paid by the bank to sell you their products. I get paid by whichever lender wins your business — so I'm motivated to find you the best deal, not push one product.
The one exception: If your situation requires private financing — maybe due to credit challenges, a unique property, or a deal that doesn't fit mainstream lender guidelines — there may be a broker fee involved. Private lenders operate differently than banks and credit unions, and fees are part of how those deals work. This applies to a very small number of my clients, and if it ever applies to you, I'll explain exactly what to expect before you commit to anything. No surprises. Ever.
In Alberta, mortgage brokers are regulated by RECA. I'm required to disclose how I'm compensated — and I'm happy to. Transparency isn't a regulation I follow reluctantly. It's how I've done business for 25+ years.
Let's Talk.
I'd love to hear from you — whether you're ready to apply today or just have a question. No pressure, no obligation. Just a straight answer from someone who's been doing this a long time.
Call/Text: 403-703-6847
Email: Shawn@ShawnSelanders.ca
Office: 614 High View Park NW, High River, AB T1V 1E5
Hours: Mon–Fri 9:00–7:00 | Sat–Sun 12:00–5:00
Shawn Selanders — RECA-licensed mortgage broker | Brokerage: Your Local Mortgage Professionals | Serving Southern Alberta since 1999. O.A.C. E.&O.E.