Dustin Walker describes Royal Oak streets the way most people talk about their living room.
It makes sense: his family has been inhabiting them for over a century.
"My great-grandparents moved here in the 1920s," Dustin explains. "Since then, we've just kept moving up Campbell Road. My great-grandmother lived at 11 and Campbell. My dad grew up at 12 and Campbell. I grew up at 13 and Campbell. Now I live at 14 and Campbell with my wife and two kids."
It’s the opposite of wanderlust. It's finding a place so right you never want to leave.
His great-grandfather built the house on Curry, with distinctive stonework that longtime residents still recognize. His grandparents, parents, and Dustin himself all got married at Shrine. Multiple generations attended what's now Royal Oak Middle School, originally the city's high school where his parents met. Well, sort of.
"They didn't officially meet until a year after high school," Dustin clarifies. "My mom was super quiet, and my dad was a goofball. Their best friends started dating and invited them to a party in Royal Oak, and that's where they hit it off.”
Dustin, who runs Ross’s Royal Oak branch, isn’t the first of his family to run a Royal Oak business either: before Tom’s Oyster Bar, Dustin’s great-grandfather and his brother-in-law ran Marv's Bar at the same spot—and a drive-in at (believe it or not) 14 and Woodward.
"My great-grandparents used to talk about having to hitch up the horses to go way out to Clawson," Dustin laughs. "That was like a whole to-do, you know?”
When you ask Dustin what's kept his family here across four generations, his answer is immediate: community. "There's something for everyone. You can find your people. The houses are close together—some love that, some don't—but we do. We like having neighbors. There's diversity of religions and backgrounds. And you don't have to go far to find an outlet for whatever interests you."
His dad still can't go anywhere without running into someone he knows. "He's got a memory for faces and connections," Dustin says. "He's pretty active with Knights of Columbus and his church. I'm surprised he never ran for local government."
Dustin spent 15 years in high-end hospitality management, developing the numbers and people skills that now serve him as a mortgage banker. During COVID's second half, he decided to make a change.
"A couple people recommended mortgage banking, but there are call center models where people buy leads and make hundreds of cold calls a day,” Dustin explains. “That's not what Ross Mortgage does."
A Royal Oak staple since 1949, Ross Mortgage's model is referrals, meaning it’s relationship-driven. When Ross’s president Tim Pascarella was asked what message he wanted in this article, he said three words: "Lender for life.” And in an industry where people typically bounce around, the average employee tenure at the family-owned company, which spent almost four decades on Catalpa and Woodward (before moving to Big Beaver), is eleven years.
"When I heard stories about how they've always led with their heart and put clients first, I knew I was where I needed to be," Dustin says. "They never dabbled in the subprime mess in the late 2000s. Every decision I've seen them make since I've been here has been moral and value-driven.”
That hits me. Having endured the intense stress, anger, and hurt of using a less-than-ethical mortgage app myself, I realize now how much that matters. But I don’t say all that to Dustin, I just say, “People come to mortgage professionals at a vulnerable moment.”
Dustin agrees. He says he sees it all the time: people who don't know if they can trust their bank, who've been given conflicting advice by family or friends, who think their financial past is a bigger deal than it really is.
"My job,” he says, “is to be their filter: help them understand what matters and what doesn't, and never steer them wrong."
He's helped people escape domestic violence situations and buy homes they never thought possible. He's told people they're not ready to buy yet, even though it costs him commission. "I treat every client that way. That’s why my referral partners keep sending people to me. They know I won't lead anyone in the wrong direction."
For Royal Oak buyers specifically, Dustin gets extra excited. "I'm telling them about the long-term life they're stepping into: city services, new parks, restaurants, what it's like to raise a family here. I've even had clients borrow power tools from me," he laughs.
After years of helping people buy homes, Dustin's definition of "home" has deepened. "Home is where you can walk into any business, talk to virtually any resident, and not feel uncomfortable. Royal Oak is welcoming to anyone."
Being part of Royal Oak's ongoing story matters to him. "Anytime somebody mentions my name in a forum or refers me, I don't take it for granted. I deliver on each one best I can. When people trust me enough to refer someone, that's an honor. I'm honored to be a small part of Royal Oak's housing future.”
To contact Dustin, visit rossmortgage.com/dustin-ryan-walker or call 248-761-925
There's something for everyone. You can find your people, and find an outlet for whatever interests you.
"My great-grandparents used to talk about having to hitch up the horses to go way out to Clawson. That was like a whole to-do, you know?”