Smith’s penchant for efficiency is just one reason why she’s so good at her job – it’s also one reason why she was so disappointed by a prominent direct lending company that gave her the runaround when she tried to refinance her home mortgage.
“This summer, my husband and I approached this lender and we had said, ‘We need a no-cost refinance.’ And they said, ‘OK.’ But, then when the closing date came, they wanted almost $5,000! We said, ‘That’s not what we told you we could do. We can’t do that.’ They tried to come up with a different solution, but we’d still have to pay out of pocket. So, we said, ‘Forget it!’”
Smith and her husband had owned several homes in the past, so this wasn’t their first rodeo. Unfortunately, however, they had purchased their current home in northern Virginia in 2005, just before the first dominoes of The Great Recession began to fall.
“Soon, we were upside down on our mortgage and we couldn’t refinance; and to make matters worse, my husband lost his job in 2007 and was unemployed for almost a year,” said the AFSCME Local 3179 member of 25 years. “So, on my income alone, I wound up being able to modify my mortgage but they weren’t really good terms. Now, the market has improved and we have some equity in the home.”
After their summer re-fi attempt went south, a timely email from Union Plus caught Smith’s eye.
“The email was talking about Union Plus Mortgage Company. I thought, ‘Well, what have I got to lose?’ I filled out an inquiry form at unionplusmortgage.com. I called and spoke to a representative. I liked the way he was speaking to me and he was very forthcoming, telling me exactly what I needed to do. There was a little bit of back-and-forth over a short period. Then, he tells us, ‘OK, you’re all set. This is the closing date.’
The Smiths appreciated the swift and efficient process in refinancing their home through Union Plus Mortgage Company.
“Our experience with Union Plus Mortgage Company was one of the most pleasant experiences dealing with a lender we’ve ever had. Our agent was warm, responsive and professional, and never once did he promise anything he couldn’t deliver".
The Union Plus Mortgage program, with financing available through Union Plus Mortgage Company, is available for all eligible union members. UPMC is union-owned and staffed by unionized loan officers.
For qualifying members, special benefits include:
• A $500 gift card after closing for purchasing or refinancing a home
• Special benefits for First-Time Home Buyers
• Special hardship mortgage assistance from Union Plus in the event of income loss due to disability, unemployment or strike/lockout.
For more information, visit unionplusmortgage.com or call 855 UNION 53 (855-864-6653).
NMLS Number 1561829
NMLS Number 1561829
Posted Date
Image
Disclaimer
The AFL-CIO, Union Privilege and a group of unions own Union Plus Mortgage Company and will benefit if you get your loan through the company. However, you are not required to use Union Plus Mortgage for your loan and are free to shop. For your Affiliated Business Arrangement Disclosure Statement, please visit www.unionplusmortgage.com.
Union Plus Mortgage Company has a services agreement with Union Privilege in which Union Privilege receives a financial benefit for providing agreed upon services.
Benefit
Benefit Image
Benefit Subtext
Union Made Mortgages for Union Families
Link Text
LEARN MORE
Summary
As a litigation support specialist in the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Melody Smith assists attorneys in preparing complex civil and criminal litigation using automated research software to identify and organize overwhelming numbers of legal documents and related data.
Topics