The 
economy this…the economy that… The economy has sucked for the past few years; there is no question about that. The Dr’s house has been no different. We have had to make some pretty hard choices, and not all of our choices were popular with our bank (to put it mildly).
It is nice to be able to blame some unknown force (i.e. the economy), but the reality of the situation is that it was my underlying decisions up a point that created a situation that went horribly south: really, really fast; and was unrecoverable. Times get tough, decisions are made, whether right or wrong can be disputed at a later date. The fact remains decisions were made that would come back to bite me in the keister, with many more unintended consequences than I had anticipated.
I had been trying to refinance my mortgage for a little over a year. When I first started the process I was declined by a company called Vinings Mortgage. I don’t remember why I was denied; but that is irrelevant to this article. Several mortgage companies we had tried to work with were like a machine…not very personable, brief and cold. We felt we were more of a check in the box, or just a number rather than a person; and this type of treatment had to be endured for the greater goal of a refinance. The boss-lady and I were pretty bummed out, every inquiry was a hit on our credit, so we decided we would wait for a couple of years and just “suck it up” for awhile. I’d rather have a root canal than have to deal with “those mortgage companies.” There was nothing positive about these experiences, and my co-workers have all had similar experiences. We would compare notes; and decide who we didn’t want to deal with for a loan application.
A few months ago, I received a phone call from a gentleman named Jim McKinney, from guess where – you guessed it; Vinings Mortgage. He called and asked if I had already refinanced, and I told him no and that I really wasn’t interested because they would just tell me no anyway. I was less than gracious with him during our first conversation.
Mr. McKinney eventually talked me into a “soft” pull that would not impact my credit report. After some initial discussion he felt confident and we discussed the options available to us. For me, the mortgage process is a very personal experience: I am looking to work with someone that I can…..trust. When applying for this type of loan, you are entrusting a lot of personal information, and trusting that person on the other end is probably the number one criteria I have. The other thing that Mr. McKinney did that really impressed me, he was always available – and there was constant communication between the two of us. As in all mortgage applications, there were roadblocks and bumps. But what he did that the others didn’t do; he told me why the roadblock was there and saw an opportunity to explain to me, and help me understand the process, clear the roadblock and move the loan forward.
I would like to take this opportunity, and tell anyone reading this. If you are looking to refinance a current mortgage or are looking for a new home loan; check out Vinings mortgage – I think you’ll find them as impressive as I did. I believe interest rates and fees will vary slightly from place to place – but there is a general tolerance that most places will fall within. What was more important to me were…
- Trust – he built trust and was trustworthy. I didn’t feel like an entity, I was treated respectfully.
- Lots of communication: communication…communication…communication. I felt part of the process.
- Explained the why of the process and provided an opportunity to rectify errors and placed me in contact with the appropriate persons that could assist me.
Will I recommend Mr. McKinney – Yes. I’ll even give you his phone number: (888) 373-8322, and his email: jmckinney@viningsmortgage.com
There really is such a thing a positive mortgage loan experience, its not just a myth.
Disclaimer: I have not been reimbursed nor induced in any way to make this recommendation. It was just a really positive experience.
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