|
|
Review 4/17/2008
|
|
One of the biggest transactions anyone ever makes involves a home mortgage, but I don't think very many have as much riding on the efforts of their mortgage banker as I did. Recent events had blown my "average" credit card debt into a frighteningly large number. As many have found out, the more you owe, the more it costs... so the MORE you owe! I consulted with my financial counselor, and he suggested either selling or refinancing the duplex I still owned, from before I remarried and purchased a new residence for my bride. The refi would allow me to pay off the plastic, help my wife with some debts she still had, and have $900 a month of improved cash flow -- a dream solution! I filled out an online survey on refinancing, and received email responses from three different companies -- and a personal phone call from Matthew Stasior of Nationwide. I don't know if that's his standard practice, but it was the first step in what, looking back, I see as God's looking out for me. When I decided to go with Nationwide, Matt was great about communicating, letting me know what he needed from my end, and how best to proceed. The appraisal was done, the loan-to-value ratio approved; I'd been through the process several times before, so I knew what to expect -- or so I thought. But then the refi ran into a snag. My duplex had originally been a single family dwelling, and, although it was properly permitted when the second story was added (including a second kitchen, living room, bathroom, and three more bedrooms), it sat on a lot zoned for single family dwellings. What was a simple process the first time I financed it, in the context of a very different home loan market, suddenly became a major issue. Matt sweated with me through finding the best approach, suggesting what would help, what would carry weight in getting approval. And through it all, he prayed, as I did, that God would work things out. And He did! I think Matt was as thrilled as I was when all of our efforts (and by "our" I mean some of mine and LOTS of his!) paid off, and the loan was not only finalized and approved after two LONG weeks, but funded in one day! In the process, Matt and I, who were already "brothers" who had never met, became friends. I am very appreciative of the people in his organization who supported his efforts, who approved his submissions, and, yes, even who challenged him by saying it couldn't be done! I'd recommend Nationwide, and especially Matthew Stasior, in a heartbeat. My marriage, five years young, will not have the specter of financial stress hovering over it, and I have them to thank. So, THANK YOU, Matt, and the whole crew at Nationwide!
Dave B.
Portland, Oregon
|
|
|
|