Client Wins

Every week we share three stories about how homebuyers and homeowners are achieving their goals with AEM as their partner. Click below to read more.

After going through a complicated divorce that exhausted her energy and finances, a client needed to shift her focus to buying a home. She was not feeling hopeful when we met, but we assured her that we could tackle the three huge obstacles in her way. We first addressed her credit, which was left destroyed by her divorce. After a few weeks, we were already seeing improvement. Next, we looked at her income. In addition to her primary source, we needed to use the annual inheritance she was receiving to help her qualify. Unfortunately, it had been reported incorrectly on her last three years of tax returns. With the help of her accountant, we had them amended so we could properly document and use those funds as part of her monthly income. With those items addressed, a door opened to a down payment assistance program – saving her from having to bring funds at closing, and providing a new found optimism on the next chapter of her life.

A newly married couple had their sights set on a 15 acre property, but had some hurdles to overcome before making an offer. On a fixed disability income, the husband was unable to work so his wife was trying to qualify for the loan solo. Because she was tied to an existing mortgage from a prior marriage, we had to include her ex’s housing payment in the debt calculation. She was still able to qualify, but we needed to improve her debt-to-income ratio. After some number crunching, we found an inexpensive homeowners insurance plan and matched them with a low down payment FHA loan, which lowered their monthly payments. This gave them the ability to purchase their big piece of land and offered an affordable solution that met both their farming and finance needs.

Two new clients came to us looking for tips on purchasing a home in one of the most competitive markets in the country. We knew that bidding wars were practically guaranteed, so we had to make their offer rock solid. Luckily, our Advance Approval® program was the glue they needed to make their offer stick. By submitting their file to our underwriter upfront, we bypassed the pre-approval stage and received their formal loan approval in advance. This helped them beat out eight other offers, including two all-cash, and got them into their new home in just 14 days!

A Navy veteran and his wife came to us eager to learn about the great VA financing benefits he was eligible to receive. We explained that there are nuances to VA lending, but that we’re experienced in the different opportunities it offers. They were excited to learn that they could become homeowners with no money down, and moved forward with making an offer on a home they had been eyeing. Their offer was accepted and we closed in 23 days, start to finish. Our clients now tell us they feel so well-informed that they’re sharing their knowledge with other friends and veterans.

A couple with a passion for horses fell in love with a newly remodeled home on five acres of land and knew it was meant for them. After reaching out to the listing agent multiple times to make an offer, they were met with silence. Frustrated, they turned their focus to their financing and began the process of getting pre-approved for a loan. With a foreclosure in their past, they knew they needed an experienced lender who could help ensure they would get the home. When they came to us, we went over their past credit history and determined they could qualify with a low down payment FHA loan. With a new sense of optimism, but still no word from the listing agent, we encouraged them to contact the real estate broker owner directly to make their move. They did, and we closed on the property within 30 days. With our support, they remained hopeful and are now grateful they didn’t pass on this once in a lifetime opportunity.

After learning they had two weeks until they would have to move out of their rental, a couple desperately started searching for a home to buy for their young family. Their Realtor found a property that met their budget, but the sellers wanted to close in just eight business days. They needed a lender with speed and efficiency so, having worked with us before, their Realtor gave us a call. From the moment we received their contract, we were off and running. We submitted their file that same day and ordered the appraisal and inspections on a rush. We closed on time and they were able to move out of their rental and straight into their new home – going from panicked renters to relieved homeowners all in one day.

First time home buyers had been saving for several years and thought it would be fast and easy to work with an online lender. But after finding the perfect home and getting their offer accepted, they hit a snag with the seller’s agent. She had some bad experiences with the online lender in the past and, not trusting they would get the deal done, requested the buyers find a local lender who was known for providing excellent service. So they came to us. With time ticking and no extensions given, our team worked around the clock to get the loan fully approved and closed within 30 days. The listing agent was impressed, and both the buyers and the sellers agreed that we’ve earned our good reputation.

We have a client who is a single mother of four and wants to get her life and finances back on track after going through a divorce. Her husband left her without any child support payments, so she went back to school to become a nurse. She has now graduated, but along with her diploma, she has collected a lot of debt. Now that she has landed a steady job at a VA hospital, she wants to buy a home for her family. Together, we’ve gone over various loan options and programs, and put together a specific plan to help her qualify for down payment assistance. She’s now working hard, paying off her debt, and couldn’t be more grateful for our help, knowledge and trust. In just a few months she’ll be financially ready to find the perfect home for her family.

A client came to us wanting to lower his mortgage payment, but was concerned about the home’s location. He had received conflicting information about whether or not it was in a flood zone, even though he had never been required to purchase flood insurance in the past. We told him we’d get to the bottom of it. Once we did some research, we found that the property maps were outdated and that the perimeters of the flood zone had been changed. His home was in the clear, but we needed to be able to prove it so that he could avoid paying up to $5,000 a year in flood insurance. We helped him through the Letter of Map Amendment process and moved forward with the refinance. In the end, we solved the mystery and reduced his rate by more than 2 percent – saving him hundreds each month and avoiding thousands in additional costs.

After years of renting, a young couple wanted to buy, but didn’t know where to start. Looking for ways to get educated on the process, they attended a first time buyer seminar that we were hosting. We got to chatting and learned that affordability was important to them, so we went over various financing options that could work for them. They chose to go with a special program that offered reduced mortgage insurance rates and a low 3% down payment. We worked quickly to get them pre-approved and kept in touch while they searched for their perfect home. It took over a year, but they finally found a great deal on a recently foreclosed home that aligned perfectly with their budget. We closed a month later and the homeowners walked away feeling like experts themselves!

Clients came to us looking for a simple refinance – they wanted to get out of the high interest rate and private mortgage insurance payment on their current loan. But when the appraisal came in, we learned they had not built up enough equity to completely eliminate their mortgage insurance. So we focused on a new strategy. We explained that by switching from a mortgage with a 30 year to a 15 year term, they could optimize their savings and pay off their home before they retire. With their new mortgage, they are now on track to save more than $130,000 in interest over the course of the loan. Plus, once their home is paid off, they’ll be able to net thousands during their last years of employment – adding a huge boost to their retirement savings and offering them a more comfortable future.

Newly married and ready to venture into homeownership, a couple came to us to looking for advice on how to make their offer stand out in a market with limited inventory, heavy competition, and rising prices. We had the answer. With their offer in hand, we called the listing agent personally to outline the buyers’ strengths, and how we could close in 21 days. Both the agent and the sellers were impressed, so while our clients’ offer was up against others that were much higher, theirs was chosen. We closed 21 days later as promised, and the celebration continues as the newlyweds toast to their new home!

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