Can you share a story about a first-time buyer who didn't think they could qualify?

Hi, this is Jason Skelton with Pacific National Lending.

Welcome to another Q&A session where I answer mortgage questions from you all on the internet.

Today's question is:

"Can you share a story about a first-time buyer who didn't think they could qualify?"

Summary:

Jason says this scenario arises far more often than people expect, and that first-time buyers are among his favorite clients to work with. He describes the satisfaction of meeting someone who is convinced they cannot qualify, mapping out what needs to happen to get them to that point, and then making it a reality. He notes that for many of these buyers, they are the first person in their family to ever own a home. He recalls helping people purchase homes and subsequently move their parents in with them, describing these outcomes as genuinely heart-touching. The emphasis throughout is on the personal weight of these transactions rather than the mechanics of the loan itself.

Answer:

That actually happens a lot more than you would think. First-time homebuyers are one of our favorite people to work with. It's exciting to see somebody who, like you said, doesn't think that they can qualify. We can work with them on figuring out, okay, here's what we need to do to get you to that point — and then we make it a reality. And for a lot of these people, they're the first person in their family to ever own a home. So yeah, we've helped people buy homes and they move their parents in with them. And there are all kinds of stories where it's been just really heart-touching. That's the part of this job that sticks with you — not the transaction itself, but watching somebody walk into a house that a year earlier they were convinced they'd never be able to buy. When it's the first home anybody in their family has ever owned, that changes things for more than just them.