Fall 2022 News

MORTGAGE NEWS

Market Changes

The real estate market and interest rates have changed over the past several months. Locally, some of the new listings are spending more time on the market and sellers seem more willing to negotiate both in terms of price and on the overall deal. Sellers may be willing to pay closing costs on behalf of the buyer. In some cases, closing dates have become more flexible – allowing buyers time to find the property they want, rather than being rushed into a decision due to every listing seemingly having multiple offers. However, it is still important to be ready and prepared for your house hunt. 

Preparation & Options

It is more important than ever to start the house hunt by talking with one of Method Mortgage’s professional and experienced loan officers to prepare a step-by-step plan to take advantage of the changing conditions. 

– Get pre-approved.

– Get fully underwritten.

– Consider a lock in shop option.

Once you find the house your loan officer can help you evaluate all the options available including, the 2-1 buy down. If you love the location, but want to renovate the house with some updates, one of our renovation loans may be a good option.

Loan Limit Changes

Method Mortgage has increased our Conventional Loan Limit, effective immediately to $700,000, which is over a $50,000 increase from current limits! This increase opens up new possibilities for home purchases and refinances for primary, vacation or rental homes. Contact your loan officer today to discuss how this could help you in your housing search.

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G  I  V  I  N  G    •    B  A  C  K

Community Referral Program

We are committed to our community, and we are proud to have the opportunity to support local charities and nonprofit organizations through our Community Referral Program. With each referral we receive, we donate $25 to our quarterly referral partner. In the past, we have partnered with many fantastic organizations, such as The Wellhouse, Children’s Harbor,The Jimmie Hale Mission, and the The Exceptional Foundation and more. Because of your referrals during the third quarter of 2022, Method Mortgage was able to donate $1,900 to neverthirst, a nonprofit ministry based in Birmingham with a mission to bring clean and living water to unreached communities worldwide. Jimbo Tucker visited our office on Oct. 11 to share about neverthirst‘s work and the impact Method Mortgage is making through our partnership. Method previously had the chance to support neverthirst, sponsoring the building of wells for clean water in Latehar, India and Pursat, Cambodia. Read more about this worthy organization at https://neverthirstwater.org

For the fourth quarter of 2022, we are looking forward to helping The EAGLES Foundation with your continued help and support. The EAGLES Foundation exists to raise funding to provide direct scholarships and support for the students of the EAGLES Program at Auburn University. For more on our Community Referral Program, read more on our blog by clicking here. 

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Here We Grow Again!

Since our last email update, we have expanded our team once again. We are thrilled to welcome Melissa Franklin to our Accounting and Post Closing department. 

Melissa is a Certified Public Accountant with a thorough understanding of financial transactions. She holds a BS in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy Degree with Audit Concentration from Auburn University. Melissa lives with her husband, two teenage sons, and two dogs, in the Oak Mountain area. We are excited to have Melissa on board as an integral part of the Method team!

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SPECIAL EVENTS

Our team attended the Alabama Mortgage Professional Association’s One-Day Event on September 19 for Continuing Education training. The guest speaker was Jim VanSteenhouse, aka The Bear Man, a former CEO of a Texas-based mortgage company. In September 2015, while on a hunting trip in a remote part of the Canadian Rockies, an enormous grizzly bear attacked him. Jim lived to talk about it and now travels the world telling the powerful story of his near-death experience.

Method Mortgage participated in the “Tailgate Challenge” where Roger Steur had some special guest helpers putting together our tailgate tent on August 27 at the Bell Center.

Ross Page had a great time sponsoring Homewood’s Back to School Bash and visiting with community neighbors on August 27 in Patriot Park. 

Craig Tindall, Lizzie Bonhaus, & Michael Bruce enjoyed the day of education and networking with financial planning colleagues at the Financial Planner Symposium on October 13 at The Club, Inc. 

Method Mortgage was a proud sponsor of “Haunt the Hills“ at Wald Park on October 22! It was such a fun event hosted by the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce. We had a blast handing out treats on the Grand Lawn with other local businesses and seeing all the costumes!

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Did You Miss Them?

In addition to this quarterly email, our Loan Officers write some informative blogs for a variety of topics. 

Chris Simpson wrote a piece on 5 Reasons to Choose a Local Lender. Then there was some valuable information with How To Avoid Unsolicited Credit Offers By Opting Out written by Lizzie Bonhaus. And finally, Saving for a Down Payment? Here’s What You Should Know, from Brandon Smith. They have some great information with the latest updates for you, or your clients, and the knowledge to help you find The Smartest Way Home. 

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Contact Us!

We advise anyone looking to buy a home to stay in touch with us, as we’re actively keeping track of the current market conditions. We can be your biggest asset when figuring out your home buying budget. Click HERE to download a copy of our complimentary Home Buyer Guide and reach out today with any questions or concerns! We’re here to guide you to The Smartest Way Home!