#YourStory: Matt & Pakou
This summer, we had the wonderful opportunity of helping customers Matt and Pakou buy their first house in Waunakee, just north of Madison. They found a beautiful brick two-story that needed some repair work and a loan product that would allow them to purchase the home and provide funds to begin a rehab project.
First-time Homebuyers Find Themselves Running Out of Time
They initially began working with a mortgage broker but quickly realized the process and timeline was not as originally advertised. With a closing date fast approaching, the broker communicated that they would not be able to provide their financing in time after all. To make matters worse, the home sellers could not extend the closing date. Matt and Pakou were at risk of losing their dream house when their realtor mentioned Great Midwest Bank.
Said Matt, “Naively, I had assumed buying a house was simply a matter of being qualified for the money then finding someone willing to sell you a house. After having some very frank conversations with our realtor, she suggested we give Katie at Great Midwest Bank a call. Because they are a small, local bank rather than a broker for a national company, maybe they could make something happen.”
GMB Portfolio Loans Offer Flexibility- and Speed
The first-time home buyers reached out, and after hearing more about our bank, products, and process, they completed their application with us the same day. They were in desperate need of a quick turnaround, good communication, and the right loan product for their situation – all of which we were able to step in and provide.
“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone work as quickly and effectively as Katie did. Not just in the mortgage process but anywhere in my professional career. Katie got our application moving along in an incredibly short amount of time and was able to answer every single one of our (many) questions. She put us at ease with a process that until that point had been extremely challenging, at best,” confessed Pakou.
Together we decided on the GMB Portfolio product, which would enable them to purchase the home and at the same time borrow additional funds to get started on the remodel right away. Because Matt and Pakou knew they eventually wanted a fixed-rate product, early on we also discussed and put into place a timeline for a post-rehab refinance. Everything came together in time and fortunately, we were able to close their purchase on the original closing date!
[Transform Your Home Search with a Portfolio Loan]
Just a few short months later, we wrapped up their fixed rate refinance with another smooth closing. Being able to provide a seamless experience like this is what makes our jobs as Loan Officers so enjoyable… and the most rewarding part is seeing buyers like Matt and Pakou turn a house into a home.
Matt ended his testimonial with, “Katie was able to make not only the initial rehab loan but the subsequent refinance both perfectly painless, and structured in a way that made sense financially. She was able to point out options for us that saved us money both in the short and long run. Honestly, for that alone, it would have been worth working with her and Great Midwest Bank. The fact that she was also one of the most professional, proactive, and friendly people I’ve ever met was the icing on the cake.”