My Top Lending Moment: Helping A Military Veteran Buy a Home
As a continuation of our “My Top Lending Moment” series, Matt Kooistra, Branch Manager of our Cascade, MI office, shares the touching story of how he helped his client, a military veteran, get pre-approved for a mortgage loan and close on his home.
When it comes to being a loan officer, helping my customers achieve their dream of home ownership is my top priority. A military veteran who had unsuccessfully sought mortgage financing from various lenders recently contacted me. All of the establishments turned him down because he was retired, had multiple streams of income from pensions and Social Security, and had state income tax liens. Each company he tried to secure a mortgage with immediately excused him, and no one was willing to consider his unique circumstances.
I’ll never forget helping this customer. He came to me at Ross Mortgage feeling defeated and unsure if he’d be able to buy a house. On top of his unique situation, my customer had been renting a home for six years and wasn’t sure what to expect during the home buying process. I was ecstatic to educate him on the many benefits a VA (Veterans Administration) home loan can provide.
We immediately put a plan in place to put his past permanently in the past. Together, we addressed and resolved each financial hurdle and challenge. My customer then found a home and wrote a purchase agreement. I’m happy to say he closed on his purchase several weeks later. To say that his needs and expectations were met would be an understatement. There’s nothing better than telling a military veteran that their dream of homeownership is becoming a reality.
I cannot put into words how proud I am of the Ross Mortgage team. Everyone helped in some way to make this possible, from the loan officers and processors to the compliance, underwriting and closing teams. To see a customer, a military veteran who served our nation, get choked up and tap his hand to his heart, was one of the most moving and touching things I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing in my career.
As one of the top VA lenders in Michigan, we’re passionate about supporting veterans and stand by our commitment to help members of our military find obtainable and affordable financing options.
If you’d like to learn more about our work with veterans and our VA loan options, send us a message. We’d be happy to put you in touch with one of our VA loan experts.
Click here to read more amazing stories from our customers and their journey to homeownership.
