With this current real estate market we are all experiencing one thing is for sure, every Realtor and every mortgage lender is fighting for every closing and every commission check. There is no more picking the "A" clients and letting the rest fall through the cracks. In many cases not closing a sale will mean the difference between paying the bills and not paying them.
Some of my best friends in life have a daughter that I love as a daughter of my own and she has called me a 2nd father for years. Jenny is a single mom and is looking to buy a home and has all the fears and anxiety all first time home buyers have and she is on a very limited income.
Last week I drove an hour north of my office last week and took my mortgage lender Amy Barrutia with me to qualify Jenny. We showed Jenny some homes and Amy qualified her for her loan.
A few days later Amy happily informs us that Jenny is approved for a loan and we are ready to write an offer. The total payment is about $100 higher than what Jenny was paying in rent and even though it will be tight Jenny thinks she can swing it and wants to move ahead. I showed Jenny some more homes this past Sunday with her mom and dad and she fell in love with one of the homes and she has decided to purchase it.
Yesterday I receive a call from Amy and she happily tells me she found another program that Jenny qualifies for that will get her total payment down equal to what she was paying in rent! In order to get Jenny this loan Amy would not get the loan, she would be referring Jenny to another agency for approval.
What is amazing is that Jenny qualified with Amy's bank and was willing to move forward. Amy searched for and found another loan that was better for Jenny and happily gave up the loan and her commission for the benefit of Jenny.
Amy called Jenny to give her the news and Jenny phoned me later nearly in tears and feeling so bad that Amy would not make anything for all her hard work.
I called Amy and thanked her for being a person of integrity. I know it was hard for her and would be hard for any mortgage lender to give up a client that has said they will go with you.
I love listening to Dr. Laura on talk radio. One of Dr. Laura's favorite sayings which I love is "Now go do the right thing".
Amy already had my respect and admiration and she just gained a whole lot of fans by her actions. Many times we have to give up something to get something much bigger that cannot be measured in dollars and cents. We are not born with integrity, it is something we choose and Amy has chosen it at a very, very young age.
Dr. Laura would be very proud of Amy as I am
Amazing! I love hearing these type of stories, you don’t see or hear about them enough.
Thanks for sharing!
Jessica - Thank you my friend and I appreciate you wonderful thoughts. I hope all is well
Debbie - Thank you and yes, she will be blessed
Ana - Very true my friend...we dont' see or hear these stories near enough
Wow, Thank you George. That was such a nice post. I don't know what I would do without you. You said that it was a hard decision for me to make. Well when I found that program I was so thrilled I didn't even think about the fact that I wouldn't be able to do the loan. I always want to do what is best for my clients. I don't understand why people are so shocked by that. Jenny is a beautiful person and I would do anything for her as I would for all of my customers. I belive in the golden rule, "Do unto others as you want them to do unto you." Honestly, I was just so excited and relieved that I found this other program. I knew that we were really pushing Jenny's budget and it was weighing very heavily on my heart. The joy that I have knowing that I have done what is best for my client is much more rewarding than any commision could ever be.
Thank you again George for the wonderful post. I am so blessed to have people like you and Jenny in my life.
Awww....what a wonderful story!!! What great sacrifice on Amy's part to help Jenny achieve her dream of home ownership! Congrats to both of them for their success and for being terrific young women!
George,
Absolutely!! You just don't see this kind of action in our industry and I am grateful to you for showing that it's still live and well. Thanks!
This is why I got into the business...not to just "sell houses" but to help people! What a great story.
www.gmacpn.com/shagee
A true life example of people doing what is best for the client and not what's in their own best interest. In the long run this behavior will be rewarded. It is up to each of us to see to it that it is rewarded. A very good role model to emulate! Always nice to bring these stories to light. These are the types of things I think best illustrates to the broader public that when one has a passion to serve, they deserve the business our industry is enhanced with their involment in it. Here's to Amy! Hip Hip Hooray!
Amazing story, George. We all know there are folks out there like Amy. Rarely are they so young, and rarely do they come into our lives. Aren't we all grateful that at least they still do?
Thanks for sharing, George....Cheers!
Jaynee
Steven - Great reason to get into the business
William - This is so very true
Missy - Yes, good lenders are so very important
Stephen - Thank you and yes, I love Dr. Laura
Jaynee - Thank you so much my dear friend
Great story, it just goes to show you that there are great people out there. Thanks for sharing this.
Nicole Garner
Portland Metro Oregon
Great story George,
It makes me happy to here stories like that. It was great that Amy did that for jenny. chat with you soon
Renee - Thank you my friend...you rock!
Kelly - You are welcome my friend. I hope you are having a great day
Jennifer - What a wonderful comment and thank you so much!
Chris - Thanks
Tom - Very true my friend
Maria - Thanks my friend...talk to you soon
Excellent Post George! It's good to know that there are still people out there that have this kind of integrity. Keeps me going and hope it keeps other people going too. This is the kind of reasoning that I got into the business to help people find true happiness in life as well as pay it back to strangers when I can. The universe has spoken and it will remember those who have this kind of integrity.
Bob Hammerstein
Carol - Thank you my friend. I forwarded your coment to Amy. She also has an AR profile and you can link to it from my blog. I hope all is well.
Bob - Very true my friend. I want many to know that there are young people like Amy that do have integrity. I hope all is well and give Lisa my best.
Amy will do very well in life with her level of integrity. Your story will most certainly end up in future referrals for her and as you know, referrals are the best business to have!
Every year, I just accept the fact that there will be several times when I "work for free". That's okay by me, because it is my way of giving back. I always think of how doctors must feel when someone is very ill, with no money to pay. Of course we help and do what we can!
It is so great of you to write this tribute. So many times it is a mortgage broker getting bashed. How refreshing and nice of you, George, to tell us about this.
Howdy George
Thank you for tell us about this. Your friend Amy showed true customer service.
Have a good one
Dale
David & Lisa - Yes, Amy will be just fine
Eva - You are very welcome and thank you very much
Janet - Thank you and keep up your great work
Dale - Thanks and yes, Amy showed awesome customer service
Great Lender! Great Story! It makes what we do worth while helping someone's dream come true...especially a first time home buyer. I know that the lender will be blessed double fold because of the blessings that you have bestowed on others...God will not let this go unnoticed. So accept the blessing because they are coming your way.
Carla Cullum
Keller Williams Dallas/Ft Worth
I love to see the integrity like that in people! Best of luck to Amy!! I give you a big thumbs up for the Dr. Laura quote. I'd love to see Dr. Laura become a light to a lot more people out there.
I love when people do the right thing. It can often be rare in our industry that someone takes a step back and does the right thing. Its nice when it happen ... good for you and your client...
Hey I like the new photo..... ;)
Faina - Thanks for your comment my friend. I love Dr. Laura even if some don't
Lanre - What can I say! God has a way of always touching my heart and soul and he just used you to touch mine!
Carla - Thank you so much for the support and kind comment!
Diane - Thank you so much my dear friend
Rob - I can't thank you and everyone else enough!
Mohamed - Thank you!
Bob & Carolin - So very true...thanks
Darrel - Many could take a lesson from her my friend
Erin - Thanks for your wonderful comment
Virginia - She does have a client for life and has me for life!
Duane - Very true and Bravo to you for your support!
Knowing George and in speaking with Amy during a luncheon, everything George has written is true. If you ever have the opportunity to meet George in person you will experience an individual who radiates positive energy and a true passion for life. Amy is very "down to earth"and obviously conscious of other people's needs.
It seems that when some people become very busy with numerous clients and making the "big bucks" it is easy to forget where they came from and the people who helped them achieve their goals. Such people may considered "successful" by conventional financial and status terms. However, are they truly "successful" if they are not gracious in one shape or form? Is success measured by the car you drive or the house you live in or the people in which you associate or by the person that you really are. Hopefully, we can crate a balance in our lives to enable the meager to co-exist with the bountiful and become something or someone extraordinary.
George is one of those extraordinary people. Amy is prone to be special simply by association and her actions support the same.
In closing, it can be guaranteed that the opportunity will arrive for each of us to give that leg up to someone who truly needs help. If the situation presents itself, as it has been said, "do the right thing" but may I add "without expectation of financial or emotional repayment". Just like Amy. Karma will take care of the rest. Hopefully the theory of cause and effect may apply and something magical will occur as detailed in a little story written by Catherine Ryan Hyde called "Pay it Forward". I think you can take it from there...
Cinda - What a beautiful comment! God bless you!
Jennifer - I wish there were thousands of Amys!
Karen - Yes I do have a "Keeper"!
George,
Your gratitude is what brings you one miracle after another. Yes, you are blessed, and you deserve it. I'm glad you have Amy and Jenny in your life; birds of a feather flock together!
Sue
George,
It is great when someone does the right thing for someone even though it may not make them the most money. It is even better when it makes them more money in the long run. I hope Amy gets more business from this post.
George - it is always refreshing to read stories like this and know that people exist who DO have integrity and care about the people they are trying to help. Putting the client's interests first is really what our business is all about. What an inspiration. you must be honored to know Amy!
Jeff
Candy - I will never forget this. Amy is incredible. Have a great day.
Jeff - I am honored to know Amy and in my eyes she is one of my daughters and I am extremely proud of her.
What goes around comes around....
Karma.....
One good turn deserves another.....
etc, etc, etc,
They're all true and a good creed to live by. If you do what is right, good things will come your way.
Life is good.
Martin - Very true my friend...thanks
Nick - So very true
Tyghre - Very true and you are very welcome