Here at MoneyLounge we appreciate our readers, and to show our appreciation we are going to give you an insider tip that could earn you an easy $3,000 to pay those housing bills.

Starting April 1st, Shore Mortgage is launching a special contest that will award 3 winners $3,000 each and 1 winner $1,000 to pay housing expenses!

Want in?

All you have to do is stay tuned to MoneyLounge in the next two weeks and we will give you insider information about the contest a full week BEFORE it’s released to the public! Just our way of saying thanks for staying tuned.

So keep your eyes open and get ready to win big!

Photo by:Atanski // CC 2.0

Being a good neighbor and community member really should be second nature for most people. For all of those teachers, firefighters, law enforcement officers, and emergency medical workers who are upstanding members of the community, do they get rewarded for their kindness? They do get the satisfaction of helping others and making the neighborhood a better place.

Well now those hometown heroes are going to get their reward with the Good Neighbor Next Door program initiated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development! What this program offers is a discount of up to 50% of the list price of a home for qualifying teachers, firefighters, law enforcement officers, and emergency medical workers.

To qualify:

-You must work in the area the home is located and be a full time:

-Teacher for grades pre-kindergarden through 12
-Firefighter
-Federal, state, local, or tribal Law Enforcement Officer
-Emergency Medical Technician

-The home must be located in a revitalization area designated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development
-The house must be used as a primary residence for 36 months.

When you qualify for the loan, a second mortgage and note, to the amount of the discount, will have to be signed. There are no payments or interest collected on this “silent second” unless you fail to complete the 36 months of occupancy. So this is a really great reward program for those who help to make our communities a better place to live.

How have you rewarded good neighbors and community members in the past?

Photo By: Buck82 // CC 2.0
Source: Hud.gov

Jeff has been with the Shore Family for 17 years. He has sharpened his skills through working with referred clients and spending a number of years in our wholesale lending division. Jeff understands the nuances of the business and grasps the essence of a client’s needs.

Jeff Jannett has been a top producer at Shore Mortgage year after year. Nothing is more satisfying to him than having a client leave the closing table excited and pleased with their new dream home. He loves closing loans!

Active in servicing our Community, Jeff instructs classes for the Home Buyers Education Foundation and the Neighborhood Faith Home Buyers Program. These groups host classes where people can learn about credit, budgeting, and different types of loans. His passion for others is further demonstrated by his involvement with the Fair Housing Center of Metropolitan Detroit.

Well known in the Metropolitan Real Estate Community, Jeff is active within the North Oakland County Board of Realtors and Business Network International.

After earning a M.A. in Urban Planning, Jeff served in the U.S. Peace Corps in the Philippines. To this day he continues to pursue his interests in Economics and Urban Development.

So if you are dreaming about owning your own home, Jeff has the experience and determination to make all of your home owning dreams come true!

This year, Shore Mortgage and United Wholesale Mortgage took part by donating over 500 food items to Gleaners Community Food Bank before the holidays. The donations helped Gleaners to feed many families across the Metro-Detroit Area! Over the past month, Shore has collected various canned or packaged foods from anyone willing to reach out during these hard times. They are hoping to spread the word about Gleaners’ cause as well.

Gleaners’ mission is to:

“Turn surplus food, which otherwise would go to waste, into millions of nutritious meals for hungry people in southeastern Michigan. For more than 32 years, we’ve been “nourishing communities by feeding hungry people”. Since 1977, Gleaners Community Food Bank has grown from distributing just one or two million pounds of food a year to more than 28 million pounds annually, equivalent to over 404,000 meals per month.

Gleaners is committed to adopting best practices and cost-effective systems and procedures to achieve the highest possible return on its human and financial resources. Gleaners fulfills its role with a sense of compassion and urgency, recognizing that in many instances, it is the only source of emergency food for persons in need.”

If you wish to learn more about Gleaners, you can visit their website at http://www.gcfb.org/

Source: Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan

Kelly McDonald is a Sales Trainer for Shore Mortgage. She has been with the Shore Family since April of 2009. She is extremely passionate about her job and loves seeing other succeed. Not only is she in business development, but personal development as well.

Kelly McDonald is a Sales Trainer for Shore Mortgage. She has been with the Shore Family since April of 2009. She is extremely passionate about her job and loves seeing other succeed. Not only is she in business development, but personal development as well.

Helping others succeed is what Kelly is all about. Working as a Sales Trainer, Kelly loves not only giving advice, but seeing others thrive and succeed because of it. It’s this kind of gratification that makes her say she has “found her dream job before the age of thirty.”

She enjoys helping people so much, that after college, Kelly went to South America to teach English for a year and a half. She learned Spanish while she was down there and taught English to kids and adults. Then she decided to explore the country. Kelly toured about 90% percent of the South America and when she wasn’t horseback riding in the Andes Mountains or exploring Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, she was learning Spanish which she still uses today.

However, her passion doesn’t end at the office or with helping others. She has developed a new found interest, running. Kelly has always wanted to be a runner. So one day, she started to run. Since then, she has participated in numerous amounts of 5k and 10k runs, including the Turkey Trot in Detroit. She doesn’t stop there; she also completed the Detroit Free Press half marathon and is now training for the Motor City Triathlon. Running is something she enjoys because it’s difficult and it gives her a chance to clear her mind.

Whether she’s running, globetrotting, or training the sales staff to be the best they can be, you can tell from her passion and enthusiasm that she truly loves what she is doing.

Marathon Photo By:Merrie Haskell // CC BY 2.0

Ron Jacobs is an Executive Loan Officer at Shore Mortgage. He has been with the Shore Family for 10 years. During this time, he earned the title of a Commodore Club Member for going above and beyond in mortgage closings.Ron Jacobs is an Executive Loan Officer at Shore Mortgage. He has been with the Shore Family for 10 years. During this time, he earned the title of a Commodore Club Member for going above and beyond in mortgage closings.

To many people, being able to work your own hours means that you are able relax more. But not for Ron Jacobs, he makes himself available any time of day to be able to get things done for his clients. Ron says one of his favorite responses to the question ‘when can I get a hold of you?’ is ‘just try me’. Ron’s around the clock passion for his job keeps him going any time of day and night, so if you ever give him a call, he will be ready.

This has impressed his vast network of realtors and clients, as he has had three applications at midnight. He remembers the first time he was asked to come out at midnight, the thought never sounded strange to him at all. Because of his willingness to work at any time, buyers and realtors refer Ron to other people

One of the reasons that Ron does this is because he thinks getting a mortgage should never be a scary experience. You are getting your dream home, so why does it need to be stressful or scary? Ron says, “The first time meeting clients, I try to get them to relax and to make them smile.”

Ron also says that one of the best things you can do to for yourself is to be prepared for the mortgage process. To help you do this, Ron teaches various seminars that have to deal with First Time Home Buying and Credit Repair. These seminars are there to help anyone anywhere, so they are able to enjoy their mortgage experience instead of dreading it.

Even though most of his days are filled with dealing with mortgages, Ron also does find some time to pursue other hobbies as well. Ron enjoys watching and cheering for Michigan State University, where he graduated from, but it can be tricky in his household, as they are graduates or attendees of the University of Michigan, the rival school.

Ron has been a long time fan of softball and basketball. He has played as well as played both for years. Ron has also been in a bowling league, and has also volunteered his time to coach little league for three years.

Coaching comes naturally to Ron, so it is no surprise he is able to coach you through the mortgage process. He will be there every step of the way, and makes it a point to make all of his closings. And when you’re done with your closing, you’ll be able to leave with a smile.

It is basically second nature for Dawn McCarty to do things carefully and do them fast. This is not surprising, considering her impressive background in barrel racing, where being careful means finishing unharmed and being fast means winning. In fact, Dawn has pretty much perfected these skills, with a string of titles under her belt, most recently Reserve World Champion Barrel Racer this past October.Dawn McCarty is a Loan Officer at Shore Mortgage. She has been with the Shore Family since 1994 and was inducted into the Shore Mortgage Commodore Hall of Fame for closing more than 750 loans, but she has closed over 1000. She enjoys interacting with real estate agents in the community and being able to help people get the financing they need to purchase a home. Dawn works at the Dearborn Heights office location.

It is basically second nature for Dawn McCarty to do things carefully and do them fast. This is not surprising, considering her impressive background in barrel racing, where being careful means finishing unharmed and being fast means winning. In fact, Dawn has pretty much perfected these skills, with a string of titles under her belt, most recently Reserve World Champion Barrel Racer this past October.

Before she could even walk, Dawn’s mother and grandfather had her on a horse. She started riding at the age of two, and joined the 4H Club at eight years old, the youngest age members are allowed. She continued as a member until she was 19. As an adult, Dawn spent a few years as a 4H leader, before leaving to pursue her longtime dream of owning a ranch. In 1997, Dawn achieved her dream when she opened the Double D Ranch in Belleville, Michigan.

Each morning Dawn gets up to feed the twenty-or-so horses that she boards at the Double D Ranch and gives them a chance to walk around before she leaves for work. Often on weekdays, she’ll return home from work to give lessons to children as young as five years of age.

Dawn’s passion is in competing. In addition to her recent world title, Dawn has earned an array of awards, including 3D World Champion in 2006 (the first ever from Michigan), 11th Place in the World in 2008, and 1D District Champion for the past two years in a row. She has become quite established in the riding community and is an active member of the National Barrel Horse Association (NBHA). The NBHA is the largest barrel racing organization in the world, with over 23,000 members from six countries. They are headquartered in Augusta, Georgia, where the World Championships are held annually.

Aside from racing and caring for her horses, Dawn also values the importance of adding a little bling to their lives. That’s right, bling. She runs a business hand decorating horse equipment with Swarovski crystals which she sells online to horse-lovers all over the nation. It’s appropriately named Double D Bling.

When Dawn isn’t saddled up or selling bling, she’s a diligent Loan Officer working to get soon-to-be-homeowners to the closing table. Much like her reputation in the barrel racing community, she is known to be quick, yet careful with all of her loans.

She is also a member of the Down River Association of Realtors (DRAR), which supports the Down River community in the Detroit Metropolitan area. Each year she helps organize their largest fundraiser, the Reverse Raffle Auction. This auction is held in October at the Taylor Moose in Taylor, Michigan and raises between $5,000 to $8,000. The proceeds from this fundraiser are donated to local charities during the holiday season. Past recipients include Military Moms, Toys for Tots, Gleaner’s Food Bank, Special Days Camp, and Penrickton Center for Blind Children.

As a member of the DRAR, Dawn has made a significant mark on the organization. She received the Affiliate of the Year Award in 2005 and the Chairman of the Year Award in 2006 for her role as Chairman of their Community Outreach Committee. Dawn’s employer, Shore Mortgage, has also been a loyal sponsor of events and charities for the DRAR. This year Shore will be funding flowers for their annual inaugural.

Dawn’s competitive and caring spirit is what drives her to work hard every day. Whether it’s on her horse, at her job, or in the community, Dawn will race around with great speed and accuracy to achieve the best results possible.

Time is of the essence. This phrase seems especially relevant in today’s mortgage industry. The J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Primary Mortgage Origination Satisfaction Study(SM) recently revealed a decline in overall customer satisfaction compared to that of 2008. This has been largely attributed to the increase in time it takes most lenders to get from submission to close on a home loan. The average time required to close a loan has gone from 30 days in 2008 to 47 days in 2009.

Forty-seven days is a long time to have to wait. So, what’s the hold up? Increased lending criteria have weighed down the process for many lenders who are not accustomed to such careful practices. In effect, customers have become dissatisfied by the level of customer service they are receiving due to the lengthened process.

Fortunately, if you are purchasing a home, you do not have to look forward to a 47-day wait to get to the closing table. Despite trends of an increased time span, some lenders are actually decreasing the time it takes to go from submission to close. Shore Mortgage, a direct lender in the business for over 25 years, has reduced their time to an average of 19.8 days to close. That’s less than three weeks! United Wholesale Mortgage has been in the business for over 9 years and boasts the fastest closings in the nation, closing loans submitted by brokers in an average of just 8.4 days, which helps the brokers better service their borrowers. Imagine applying for a loan, then walking into your closing meeting a little over a week later.

Research from this J.D. Power and Associates study revealed, a vital factor in an efficient and satisfying customer experiences is communication. This comes as no surprise, considering Shore Mortgage and United Wholesale Mortgage both recognize the importance of quality communication by offering around-the-clock availability for their customers.

You’ve waited long enough to finally be able to purchase your home. This part of the experience should be enjoyable, not stressful and drawn out. Shouldn’t it?

Source: CNN Money. money.cnn.com

Lisa Lawson is a Senior Loan Officer at Shore Mortgage. She has been with the Shore Family since August 2007. She will help you through the mortgage process, and will work with realtors and listing agents to get you the perfect home and home loan, while getting you the best deal around!Lisa Lawson is a Senior Loan Officer at Shore Mortgage. She has been with the Shore Family since August 2007. She will help you through the mortgage process, and will work with realtors and listing agents to get you the perfect home and home loan, while getting you the best deal around!

Lisa loves her job. “Many people don’t find a job they are truly passionate about”, she says. She loves finding creative ways to assist buyers during the home buying process. One of the most memorable stories Lisa has about a client involved burning down their barn.

Her client was buying property in a nearby city, but the transaction was not being approved because there was an old barn on the property that was deemed a hazard due to large amounts of lead based peeling paint. Her client was not going to be able to buy the house while the barn was still on the property, but did not have the money to dispose or repaint of a building that size. They were stuck and did not know how to deal with the problem. Through a team effort of Lisa and the local fire department, they had found a solution. The barn was donated to the fire department for a controlled burn exercise and was burned to the ground! The community gathered to watch the barn burning.

Stories like this keep Lisa coming back day after day excited to figure out how to make the homebuying process as smooth and as successful as possible. Although she loves to work, she also pursues other interests and hobbies outside of her job. She is involved in AARDA (American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association), an autoimmune disease awareness group and has been a guest speaker at their events. Lisa and her family do all sorts of activities to help raise money for various groups; they attend and organize fundraising events such as bike-a-thons and road rallies.

Because Lisa is so passionate about the mortgage business, it makes sense to have a hobby close to it. In her free time, Lisa enjoys home remodeling. Gutting kitchens, redoing bathrooms – no project is too big for her to handle! One of her larger projects involved digging out and building a 30′ by 38′ pond with a waterfall. It took three people over eight days to complete. She has also build a custom curving wood staircase by hand.

Lisa is a person of many talents and interests. Whatever she does, any project or any loan, Lisa will make sure that everything is done to 100% completion and to her high standards.

When he is not in the office, Jeff Zanni is most likely on the water doing any variety of water sports from water skiing to fishing to riding sea scooters. He’d always dreamed of owning a home on the water, and now he does. The realization of Jeff’s dream inspired him to empower others to achieve their dreams of homeownership. Each time he hands new homeowners the keys to their first home, he relives the feeling of pure happiness he felt when he was once on the other side of the table.
Jeff Zanni is a Senior Loan Officer at Shore Mortgage. He joined the Shore Family in June 2005, a little over four years ago. Jeff works at the Birmingham location. He enjoys being able to work with new and existing home owners alike. He is known as an innovator in his position because of his dedication to finding a way to make home ownership dreams come true, even in unique situations.

When he is not in the office, Jeff Zanni is most likely on the water doing any variety of water sports from water skiing to fishing to riding sea scooters. He’d always dreamed of owning a home on the water, and now he does. The realization of Jeff’s dream inspired him to empower others to achieve their dreams of homeownership. Each time he hands new homeowners the keys to their first home, he relives the feeling of pure happiness he felt when he was once on the other side of the table.

“I never thought that I would be in the mortgage business, but I’m glad I am,” Jeff says. He notes that his work is not just about helping people secure loans, but about putting a roof over their heads so that they can start a new life and family.

Jeff is a problem-solver. He comments, “In order to really help people in this business you have to be creative and really think outside of the box.” It is Jeff’s creativity that has helped many people get loans for their homes.

An example of that creativity and never-say-die attitude was when Jeff was working with a client who was refinancing a manufactured home to lower her monthly payments. When the appraisal was done, it was noted that there was an in-ground pool behind the home that was cracked and in poor shape. This would prevent the refinance from happening unless this safety hazard was taken care of. Jeff’s client became very discouraged; she needed to refinance because she needed the money just to survive. How could she possibly afford having the pool fixed or filled? Jeff told her not to worry, that he would think of something.

He awoke the next morning with an idea. He called his client and asked her to drive around her neighborhood looking for a builder that might be digging a basement or a pool and to ask that builder if he needed somewhere to dump the backfill. She was not confident that there would be any builders in her area, but agreed to give it a try. Within the next hour, Jeff received a phone call from his client excitedly detailing how she’d found a builder who was more than happy to be rid of his backfill, and had filled her pool. By the end of the next week, the refinance was complete.

Jeff’s innovative ideas not only spawn from his creative mind, but also from his strong desire to help others. He looks for every way he can find to reach out to others. One way he does this is by visiting Ford Motor plants to help employees refinance their homes to make their payments more affordable. He began making trips to plants in Romeo and Dearborn after having a conversation with an acquaintance at the birthday party. He discovered that there was a need for refinance assistance at these plants and pursued this avenue.

Another way that Jeff reaches out is through the Lake Orion Chamber of Commerce. He is an active member for the Chamber of Commerce, attending meetings and luncheons, and hosting a booth at their annual business fairs. His booth is, of course, for Shore Mortgage—he hands out promotional pens, pamphlets, and cards, while offering his expert advice on mortgages. Jeff makes an ideal representative at these fairs because of his sincere belief in Shore. He attributes the company’s reputation to “our commitment to customer service and because we offer clients the best available options every time.”

Jeff is also involved at his church where he serves as a Eucharistic Minister, giving out communion. He especially enjoys being able to give kids their first communion and being there as they introduce religion as a part of their lives.

What stands out about Jeff is that he really enjoys what he is doing, whether he’s making home dreams come true or slicing through the water on his boat with kids in tow.