JanusGroup Shorts - Why You Should Work With A Local Mortgage Lender When Buying Your Seattle Home

Below is a transcript of the embedded video.

Aaron Janus: Welcome to another JanusGroup Short! You give us 90 seconds, and we’ll give you a golden nugget straight from our shorts.

Diane Davi: So, if you’re like most homebuyers, you’ve probably found yourself looking online for cheap mortgage rates. That seems like the right thing to do, right? Maybe not. The lending aspect of your home-buying experience is so much more than just picking the lowest rate and fees. The right mortgage lender will be an adviser that is there to help you acquire the most expensive asset of your life.

Aaron: That’s right, Diane. It’s imperative that you choose your lender wisely. Most buyers are, rightly, looking at the best interest rate and the lowest fees on their mortgage. However, when you’re in a competitive situation, it’s important to look at your choice of mortgage lender from the seller and listing agent’s point of view. The seller is most interested in a track record of good communication and the ability to close the deal on time. Most Realtors will tell you that it’s far less risky working with a local lender who knows the community, and is in a position to provide you, the buyer, with the personalized attention that you need.

Diane: Let’s paint a picture: Imagine you are selling your home. Two buyers each write you an offer that are essentially identical. They are both willing to pay you the same price, with the same timeline, and the same terms. How would YOU decide which offer to choose? Your listing agent calls the lender for offer #1. The lender picks up the phone immediately and assures your agent (well, and you) that after careful review of their buyers’ financial documents (as Aaron just described) they do not foresee any factors that would prevent a successful sale of the home. The lender also states...

Aaron: “By the way, I am a local Seattle lender and am available anytime including night and weekends if you have any questions.”

Diane: Your agent then contacts the mortgage lender for offer #2 and gets a prerecorded message from a call center that the lender’s office closed at 5pm Central time and no one is available to answer the phone until the morning.

Aaron: But wait, it’s only 3 pm here in Seattle Diane: If you were the seller, would you wait until the next morning to see if Lender #2 calls back? Or would you sign Offer #1?

Aaron: Listen folks, we see this bull$hit all the time. So, before you go smashing that “Get Preapproved Instantly” button online, ask your real estate professional for a referral and they can pair you with a trusted local lender with the best rate and best SERVICE for you.

Our Seattle real estate team’s mantra:

House Goals Realized with Expertise and Heart. JanusGroup at RE/MAX Integrity: our real estate team provides a transparent, compassionate, and dare we say fun experience for buyers, sellers and investors of residential real estate across the Seattle area.


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