The HomeTown Lenders Difference

I often get asked what I think the difference is between HomeTown Lenders and other mortgage companies. Sometimes the question comes from my family, who have seen my pride in my work for over 25 years. Sometimes it comes from my friends, when they see me pop away from gatherings to take a call from a valued client or teammate. But my favorite time is when the question comes from a homebuyer who is in the market for a lender. When I’m addressing it then, I am not simply sharing a fun story about my amazing coworkers. Or talking with my incredible clients who just got the keys to their first home. In those cases, I get to really dive into the nuances of why HomeTown Lenders is the best team in the state and the country.

 

To give you an idea of what I mean, here are just a few of the reasons why our difference will mean a world of difference to you.

Phone a Friend

That’s really us on the other line! Most often, when you see a number advertised for a mortgage lender, it means one of two things. They are either “dummy” lines (even if they feature the face of a specific lender). Those dummy lines are routed to gatekeepers, whose only job is to collect basic data. They are there to get the details of your needs from you in order to pass it on to their stable of lenders. Or they are routed to mailboxes, where robots collect your information, and you wait for a call back. In either case, you aren’t speaking to the person who is going to be the one helping you to your new front door. And in almost all of the above cases, these call backs will happen within office hours (if at all).

 

With the HomeTown Lenders team, I’m so proud to say that the numbers we advertise go straight to our talented team of lenders. We think our clients should have direct access to our lenders so that they can get the help and answers that they need. Our team will always answer the phone unless we are with a client or on another call. And if we miss your call, we will always call you back as soon as we can…even if you call us afterhours!

In-House Processing

We are proud to say that we do our loan processing in-house! Many other lenders do their processing in another location. What that means for you is longer turnaround times if you use someone else. In-house processing keeps things closer to the source. You won’t receive calls from random processors that you’ve never spoken to and who have no idea about your story. By keeping the processing under our roof, we ensure that your local team is the ones that will carry you over the finish line. This makes an easier and more concise process for you!

Faster Turn Times

During the home buying journey, time is of the essence! We boast some of the fastest underwriting times in the industry. In fact, our underwriting times are above industry standards. The national average is 72-hours. We typically take 24-to-48-hours for initial underwriting. This means that you can get shopping for your dream home even faster when you are partnered with us.

No Overlays

At HomeTown Lenders, we don’t have any overlays on top of our loan program requirements. So, what’s an overlay? They are an added layer of criteria and guidelines that lenders are free to implement to minimize the risk of the loan. These are above and beyond the federal requirements. And they can come in the form of things like more stringent credit history, debt-to-income ratio, employment history, or credit score minimums.

 

With our team, we recognize that the federal minimums are in place for a reason. And that’s good enough for us. We do not add any additional overlays or give you any additional hoops to jump through.

We Care!

That line isn’t just lip service to us. We genuinely care about our homebuyers. Each one of their stories that brought them to us is an important journey. And we take the responsibility of getting them closer to their dream of homeownership very seriously!

 

We ensure that we take extra time to educate them on the process. We understand that buying home can be confusing, especially if you are a first timer. It is our goal to simplify the process for you. We don’t have ulterior motives or have any hidden agenda.

 

Our job is to understand your needs, give you all the options available to you, share our insight, and get you the best loan possible for your circumstances. We work diligently to remove the stress and worry from the process so that you can focus on the fun. We’ll even help you pack…so to speak. We provide free moving boxes so just check that off your list!

 

Yes…we love our clients. We’ve built some amazing relationships with them over the years. We love being invited to their housewarming parties or receiving their holiday cards. And our very favorite moment is when they trust us again with their next home purchase.

 

Our difference is that we aren’t just in the home buying business. We’re in the neighbor making business. We understand that the process of buying a home isn’t a transaction. It happens between people, and you need a person on your side. We are your person!

 

When you’re ready to take the next step, give us a call. Our team will be on the other end.