Like most home buyers, Jolene started the mortgage process with some questions. For starters, she and husband, Brady, weren't sure if they should get a home improvement loan to fix up their house or shop for a new home.
Brady works part time while going to school full time, and his credit rating is lower than Jolene's. What would that mean for their house payment? Could they afford a house with enough garage space for their vehicles?
Jolene started contacting banks to get help, but what she got was frustration from the two big banks and the mortgage company she called. "There are so few people who care in that business," Jolene says. "When I wanted information, they wouldn't answer my questions unless I completed their application."
Then she had "the exact opposite" experience speaking with loan officer Deb at Thrivent Credit Union.
"She wasn't worried about the paperwork, and she wanted to know what we were looking for in a house," Jolene says. "She even asked about my dogs!"
A Thrivent member, Jolene works for a disaster restoration company. "I am in sales and don't like being sold," she says. "At no point was Deb selling me anything. Her concern was 'are you getting the house you want.' She genuinely cared."
Deb listened as Jolene weighed the costs to fix their existing home. She offered hints throughout the mortgage process, such as information around how to lock in the interest rate.
Ultimately, Jolene and Brady found a home in Andover that's perfect for their family, with a five-car garage for their cars, boat and 1978 rebuilt Jeep. They closed on the house in May 2016. "I actually felt like Deb was as invested in the outcome as my husband and I," Jolene says. "I have told everyone I know about her."
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