Tag Archive for: Success Story

Success Story

Success Story: Jeff & Jessica

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The home-buying process often starts months before the home is actually purchased. That was the case for Jeff and Jessica.

“We started the process initially in September of 2021,” Jessica said. “We decided that our home, a 500-suqare-foot rental, was too small for our growing family.”

Success Story“I knew that we would need to build some sort of credit so we started out with a self-credit builder (a loan that you get but can’t touch until it’s paid back),” she said. “Around February of 2022, my mother went through a divorce and moved into our two-bedroom rental. This is when we decided it was time to start actively looking for a home.”

Jeff and Jessica saw a home posted on Facebook by Realtor Jared Brown and fell in love. They reached out about the home and Jared suggested they contact Team Garrison at Michigan Mortgage to get pre-approved.

“We talked to Kim and she told us that our credit line needed to be six months and ours wasn’t,” Jessica said. “She gave us some tips on how to help increase our credit and we continued to build our score.”

“We stayed in contact with Michigan Mortgage while we built our credit over the next couple of months, and we did everything we could to make sure our credit was where it needed to be to get our home. My fiancé started out with no credit and currently has a 712.”

As soon as Jeff and Jessica hit the 6-month mark, they reached back out to Team Garrison. Everything started to move very quickly!

“Jared Brown was amazing he was super friendly and on the ball with everything we needed,” Jessica said. “We ended up seeing only three homes and offering on two…we ended up with the second one. As soon as I saw our now new home, I knew it was for us. It offered four bedrooms which was enough for all of us to live comfortably and have our own spaces, two bathrooms which is perfect for a growing family and the most perfect kitchen I have ever seen! And the location was exactly where we wanted.”

The home was truly a dream for their family.

“Michigan mortgage made everything easy in the process of helping us get exactly what we needed for our loan,” she said. “Our realtor Jared and Danielle from Michigan Mortgage even ended up working it out so that we were able to have some concessions from the sellers which made the process even the easier.”

“Michigan Mortgage was with us every step of the way they answered every question,” Jessica continued. “They did everything we needed them to do in a timely manner and because of them and our Realtor we are living a dream in our new home.”

Jeff and Jessica can’t wait to plant a garden, have friends and family over for summer BBQs and take walks around their new neighborhood.

“We don’t have everything together yet,” Jessica said. “Some things are a work in progress, bot no matter how much work it takes, it’s definitely worth it.”

Jeff and Jessica, we can’t thank you enough for putting your trust in us. We wish you many happy memories in your dream home!

Success Story

Success Story: Casey & Kyle Patterson

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The COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on all of us, Lenders and Real Estate Agents included. We stopped meeting with clients in person and relied on technology to get the job done.

West Michigan Real Estate Agent Casey Patterson called it “crazy, hysterical…comical, even?”

Success Story“I never would have thought, we as Realtors, would actually be able to collect unemployment and told to stay home,” he said. “There was a time when agents weren’t really allowed in homes during the early phases of COVID meaning, no showings or in-person viewings. I had multiple clients who were contemplating making offers on homes, when we COULD NOT go and see them in person. For me to recommend someone to purchase a home based on some MLS photos and cheesy marketing, is totally asinine.”

It wasn’t easy, but we worked through it, made changes, and focused on customer service to get the job done.

Casey and his partner Kyle saw that first-hand when they purchased a home at the tail end of the pandemic. Michigan Mortgage was their lender of choice.

“I’ve been working as a licensed Real Estate Agent in West Michigan for over five years now,” Casey said. “During my first couple of years in the business, I continuously worked with Lenders and banks, and it was almost always a different person or company, and nobody stood out or made a true impression on me. Eventually I came across Amy Hendrickson’s name on an offer I received for a listing with a client that she was representing the lender side. During the next few weeks, I was amazed at the speed of Amy’s team with, not only getting a loan closed far before it was expected to, but for her team’s reaction time with incoming problems or concerns, constant availability, even for the smallest and most redundant of questions.”

“We have used Michigan Mortgage for multiple of our personal home loans and I have yet to be frustrated or concerned at the level of help and support I receive from Michigan Mortgage,” he continued.

“We just purchased our dream home a few months ago, Michigan Mortgage exceeded our expectations on all ends of helping us sell our last home and placing us in the perfect position to buy our new home. I refer all of my new clients to Amy’s team, so I know they get the same level of support that we did.”

“I am very glad there are still lenders that are homey, warm, and actually care. I have done far too many deals with lenders will hardly answer a phone call.”

Now that Casey and Kyle are settled, they look forward to sitting outside on warm summer days and watching airplanes come and go from their backyard.

Thank you for putting your trust in us, Casey! We love working with you and Kyle.

Success Story Hettinga

Success Story: Paul Hettinga

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When it’s time to buy a new car, travel to a new destination or check out a new restaurant, we rely on our friends and family for referrals.

The same is true when it’s time to buy a new house. We turn to our friends and family for Realtor and Loan Officer recommendations.

Paul Hettinga did just that and it led him to Michigan Mortgage.

Success Story Hettinga“We heard about Michigan Mortgage through a friend, Bill Swano,” Paul said. “He said this is the best mortgage broker in the area and that I should only work with them. He was right!”

Paul and his wife purchased a second home in Spring Lake, a beautiful condo on Lloyd’s Bayou. They paid cash to expedite the closing but wanted to do a cash-out refinance several months later to put some of the cash they spent back into the market for retirement.

“Beginning with Rob and then his whole team, I was very impressed with the promptness of all replies, the hands-on leadership approach to guiding us through the process and the care to make sure we we’re comfy with each step,” Paul said. “David Onofrio and Jules Lindemulder were both professional and courteous as they guided us through the process. We were very impressed and thankful.”

It wasn’t always smooth sailing, but when you have the right team on your side, obstacles can be overcome.

“Every mortgage process has some unusual circumstances to overcome, and ours was no exception,” Paul said. “As a second home mortgage and being retired presented special difficulties that Rob, Jules and David were able to guide us through to a successful closing.”

“The mobile app (Pro Snap) is a terrific tool, making it very easy to supply documents, keep us on track with the process and ultimately to get ready for the closing.”

Paul recommends Michigan Mortgage to anyone in the West Michigan area. In fact, he has already directed two different friends to Team Garrison.

Thanks for putting your trust in us, Paul! We hope you enjoy your beautiful views this summer.

Success Story: Genelle & Kurt

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Genelle and KurtTiming is everything.

Genelle and Kurt knew that firsthand when they purchased their new home a few months ago.

They reached out to Hayley and her team at Michigan Mortgage to get the home-buying process started.

“We had a great experience,” Genelle said. “I think the timing was perfect as far as pricing of our new home. We missed the big increase in values and the increase costs of lumber, too.”

According to Genelle and Kurt, our Holland team exceeded all expectations.

“I liked how quickly they followed up with us,” Genelle said. “They never made us feel rushed and always answered any questions we had.”

“I’m glad we had the opportunity to work together,” she said. “Everything went really well!”

Genelle and Kurt celebrated their first Christmas in their new home with their beautiful grandchildren. It was a magical day!

They are looking forward to completing a few landscaping projects this spring.

Thank you for trusting us to guide you home, Genelle and Kurt! We enjoyed working with you.

Success Story: Alex & Mista

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When you buy a new home, you experience a whirlwind of emotions. When you buy a home during a national pandemic and an incredibly competitive market, that whirlwind becomes a roller coaster ride you can’t wait to get off of.

Alex and Mista know that firsthand.

Alex & Mista“We were so excited to start looking for homes,” Mista said. “I have always loved looking inside houses and envisioning the potential each home has or what I would do to make it my own!”

“Since we bought during a difficult market, I honestly didn’t expect the process to be as hard at first. We had a couple of homes we put offers on that got outbid. I didn’t expect the roller coaster of emotions that came with it. But once we found “the one” everything kept getting better and went so smoothly!”

Amy Hendrickson and her team at our Holland office exceeded all expectations.

“I heard about Michigan Mortgage from my Realtor, Aubree DeVisser,” Mista said. “I am a small business owner myself so loved the idea of going with someone who was local! Now I recommend Michigan Mortgage to anyone I know looking to buy.”

“When we put an offer in on our house, we were in the top five,” she said. “But what made our offer stick out even more, was the fact that we were using Amy with Michigan Mortgage.”

“The listing agent worked with Amy and her team in the past and knew that the transaction would go smoothly if they accepted our offer, because we were using Amy as our lender. So not only did Amy and her team help all of this go smoothly by great communication with not only us, both realtors, and our insurance agent, but she clearly has been great to work with by so many and has made an impact on not only her clients, but the other people in the field as well.”

Alex and Mista had nothing but great things to say about Amy and her team. Their positive feedback means so much to our team!

“Amy and her team were all very helpful,” she said. “I loved how they would send us what our monthly payment would be based on the house, area and our down payment. They really helped us decide what we could afford to put down and feel comfortable with.”

“They had great communication and were quick to respond. Which is important when there are deadlines and houses come and go as fast as they do.”

Alex and Mista are so excited to make their new home their own. They’ve started renovating and decorating and can’t wait to do more!

We can’t thank you enough for trusting Michigan Mortgage to guide you home.

The Klyn Family

Success Story: The Klyn Family

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At Michigan Mortgage, we strive to make life-long connections with our clients.

We commit to educating and advising long after the loan is closed and hope to reconnect with each family we serve at our annual customer appreciation events.

The Klyn FamilyThe Klyn family is no different. Loan Officer Amy Hendrickson and her team look forward to working with them every time they call.

“Amy treats you in such a way that you feel valued and want to be one of her clients for life,” David Klyn said. “We know that we are in good hands with Amy, and she is going to help us navigate through what can be a stressful time. Her thoroughness and attention to detail helps to calm our nerves and reduce stress.”

The Klyn family called Amy for the first time in 2019. Earlier this year, they purchased a new home via Michigan Mortgage and the Pro Snap app. They asked questions about another possible purchase and Amy answered all of them even though they opted against the transaction.

“Amy and her team are on top of responding to emails/phone calls and answering all of our questions,” David said. “I typically have a number of questions and Amy is always more than willing to answer these questions no matter how simple or dumb they are.  She is also willing to go over multiple scenarios based on different buying and selling options.”

This is one of the many reasons the Klyn family put their trust in Michigan Mortgage.

What do they like most about working with Amy and her team?

“Two reasons come to mind,” David said. “She is upfront and honest in everything she does.”

“Number two. Amy and her team have great service, treat you like family, and cover all the details.”

Our team is here to guide you every step of the way! And we appreciate the Klyn family for putting their trust in us each and every time they’re interested in making a real estate transaction.

Thomas Siuda

Success Story: Thomas Siuda

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Change is hard – change following a national pandemic is even harder.

Thomas and his children set out to purchase a new home earlier this year following his divorce. COVID-19 and low interest rates made it more difficult than expected.

Inventory was extremely low and offers faced unprecedented competition, but Dave Lehner and his team at Michigan Mortgage were ready to help guide Thomas as soon as he found the right home.

“I made offers on four homes during my search,” Thomas said. “I missed out on each one, but that was in no way a reflection of Dave and his team. In each of these offers I made, I had estimates of what my closing costs and monthly payments would be.”

Thomas SiudaAfter four rejected offers, an offer was accepted, and Dave and his team went to work.

“The purchase itself was very simple due to the expert advice and team that I was working with,” Thomas said. “I had no hiccups along the way.”

“Right from the start, Jill was great to work with and set the tone for the entire process,” he said. “Everyone that I came in contact with from Dave’s team was friendly, easy to work with and was truly happy that my three kids and I found a home that we love.”

“Everyone from Dave to Jill to the entire team was welcoming, helpful and made my experience truly seamless.  It was simple and easy to follow what I needed to do and when.”

With the help of Pro Snap, most of the work was done via cell phone. Thomas applied via the app, securely scanned and uploaded the necessary documents and communicated with Team Lehner whenever needed.

“I enjoyed the whole experience from beginning to end,” Thomas said. “I was actually a little sad when I closed. I knew I would miss the communication with the team at Michigan Mortgage, but I did receive congratulations from everyone on our home.”

Thank you for trusting us to guide you home, Thomas! We enjoyed working with you.

The Grimm Family

Success Story: Thom & Tiffany Grimm

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When it comes time to purchase a new home or refinance your current mortgage, there are hundreds of lenders available and ready to serve you.

Talking about income, credit score and debt is challenging, and may be even more difficult if you have a personal relationship with the lender.

The Grimm FamilyThom and Tiffany Grimm had no concerns when they called Dave Lehner and his team.

“Our family has known Dave for several years,” Thom said. “We have always entrusted the entire Michigan Mortgage team as they work with us and give us the most professional work.”

Earlier this year, Thom and Tiffany capitalized on low interest rates and refinanced a home loan they closed on in 2016. Dave and his team worked on that mortgage as well.

“There are lots of financing options available in West Michigan,” Dave said. “I am very thankful for those that have trusted my team and I to guide them home.”

Anytime a friend (or a new customer) reaches out to Michigan Mortgage, we count our blessings.

“We will continue to use Michigan Mortgage in any future transactions,” Thom said. “We wouldn’t think of using any other Mortgage Company.”

At Michigan Mortgage, our goal is to provide the best possible mortgage experience in a fun and friendly environment. When we’re able to do that with long-time friends and family members, the end result is that much sweeter.

“When friends and family reach out to me, it shows that they trust in me for advice and to take care of them,” Dave said. “When they do call, I let them know upfront that our relationship or friendship comes first. That is more important than business.”

“But I do promise to take care of them,” he said.

He appreciates their friendship and their willingness to put their trust in him.

“I want everyone to have a positive experience working with Michigan Mortgage,” Dave said. “My team works hard on every file because we take pride in what we do.”

“Our experience using Michigan Mortgage has been extremely enjoyable,” Tiffany said. “Working with Dave and the staff has been simple and easy. Dave is friendly, approachable, and understanding throughout the entire process.”

“They always exceed our expectations,” she continued. “They put us at ease making the process seamless and effortless on our end.”

We are so thankful that the Grimm family trusted us to guide them home (again)!

Success Story: Chris & Jenn VanHekken

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2020 was a year unlike any other – it was a year that we will remember for the rest of our lives.

Most will remember the negative impacts COVID-19 had on our communities, but some, like Chris and Jenn VanHekken, will remember it as a year of changes.

“A year ago, we weren’t planning on moving, but once COVID hit, our lifestyle changed, and we realized that making a move closer to family was the best choice for us,” Chris said. “That, combined with the fast-moving market and amazingly low interest rates, helped us recognize that it was time for us to put our house on the market and go for it.”

Chris, Jenn and their two children lived in the same home for 18 years. The thought of moving seemed intimidating. We were in the middle of a global pandemic and Jenn is self-employed. The couple questioned whether or not they’d even be approved to purchase a home.

“It felt daunting to think about, until we called Hayley,” Jenn said. “She was so calm and helpful about the whole thing, and she had answers to the questions we didn’t even know we needed to ask.”

“We had a pre-approval amount right away, and every time we looked at a new house and had a question about what it would look like to be able to finance it, Hayley was there to answer our questions.”

In the middle of the process, the couple encountered a few “unexpected hiccups” and wasn’t sure if they would be able to finalize the new mortgage.

“While we were panicking, Hayley and her team worked tirelessly behind the scenes to shift and make adjustments for us,” Chris said. “In the end, we ended up with an even better rate than we could have imagined.”

For the VanHekken family, 2020 helped them put their priorities in order. They celebrated the purchase of a new home in a new community thanks to Hayley and her team.

“It has been the very best decision that we could have made for our family, but we definitely could not have done it without Michigan Mortgage,” Chris said. “From the knowledge that they have about the market, to the compassionate way that they worked with us through the difficult moments, and the joy that they shared with us when we finally closed, Michigan Mortgage was there with us every step of the way and truly helped us move into our absolute dream home.”

“From day one they had our best interest at heart and walked us through the process as if it were their own,” he said.

“We are so grateful for Hayley, her team, and the entire Michigan Mortgage family for helping us through the process,” Jenn said. “We would not be where we are without them!”

It was truly an honor to help guide this family home. We wish them many happy memories in their new community!

Success Story: Rock and Jacki Stoltzfus

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2008 was a tough year. Our economy was in turmoil and homeowners struggled to stay afloat. Families across the U.S. – Michigan included – witnessed a housing crunch.

Success Story: Rock and Jacki Stoltzfus

Rock and Jacki Stoltzfus are no exception.

“We had a pretty tough experience with a home in 2008,” Rock said. “A home we had been in for only two years.”

“With the loss of a job that I had since 1995 and an extended illness for my wife Jacki, we eventually lost that home in 2011. Since then, we’ve rented. We didn’t want to try and purchase a home again and we weren’t even sure if we’d qualify.”

That all changed in 2019.

“I contacted our friend and realtor who quickly put us in contact with Dave and the team,” Rock said. “In just a matter of a day or two we found out we were good to go and we immediately began the process of getting pre-approved and looking for a home.”

Rock and Jacki worked with Licia Ackerberg. Things moved fast and efficiently.

“We have known Licia for years and she quickly got us on the right track,” Jacki said. “We found our new home the first weekend we looked.”

According to the couple, Dave and his team at Michigan Mortgage exceeded all expectations. They explained the process clearly and handled their unique situation with great expertise.

“Our experience with Dave and the team was fantastic,” they said. “Just the right mix of encouragement and letting us know what documents and other information was needed from us. They kept us informed every step of the way.”

“We never felt pressured and felt like their goal was to help us get what we wanted,” Rock said. “We were told ahead of time what to expect and so there were no surprises.”

The couple moved into their new home the weekend before Christmas with the help of their grown children. They celebrated Christmas together that same weekend.

“All around, this has been a great experience,” Rock and Jacki said.

We wish them a happy and healthy 2020 in their new home!