Overcoming Challenges to Help Homebuyers

When prospective homeowners have challenges finding home loans, Sarah Griffin can understand from first-hand experience.

As a newlywed, she and her husband were denied a loan three times because of her credit history. With help from their loan officer, Sarah was able to raise her credit score so that on the fourth try, they were able to qualify for a loan through Alaska Housing Finance Corporation and buy their first home.

Helping Others in Similar Situations

Today, Sarah is a loan officer for Guild Mortgage in Ketchikan and is in the position to help people facing similar scenarios as she did years before.

“I am absolutely pro-homebuyers,” she said. “I think having the ability to make a home your own without having to get permission to make changes that make you happy goes deeper than just a mortgage payment. I think people have more pride in ownership, they have some skin in the game. There’s so much that purchasing a home gives you, including a sense of security.”

Experiences Provide Important Insights

Eventually, Sarah and her husband refinanced their home with Alaska Housing. They then moved to a bigger home and again utilized AHFC loan programs. Later, they used an Alaska Housing renovation loan to replace their roof.

All of those personal experiences have provided insights that can help her clients understand the options AHFC has at their disposal. From her home base in Ketchikan, Sarah offers loans to residents across the state – in large part due to AHFC.

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“Alaska Housing is local, so they understand a septic system or a cistern water system. They’re not stopping a potential loan because they don’t know what that is,” Sarah said. “We can do unique properties, rural properties. And one of the wonderful things about them is the rate is the rate for everyone. As long as you qualify for your base scores and credit history, your rate doesn’t adjust because of anything on your credit history.”

– Sarah Griffin, Loan Officer, Guild Mortgage

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The Value of Homebuyer Education

She is also a big proponent of Alaska Housing’s no-cost homebuyer education programs. HomeChoice™ and Finally Home! help prospective homebuyers work their way through the decisions and steps of buying a home and save money on closing costs. 

“It is an incredible opportunity to understand the process from start to finish,” she said. “When you Google ‘how do you buy a house,’ it may show you the top 10 steps but it doesn't walk you through what the process looks like. AHFC’s homebuyer education gives overall broad information, but also some specifics and resources that are helpful to go back and refer to, because the process can be overwhelming.”

Finding Satisfaction in Helping Others

In her role as loan officer, Sarah finds satisfaction in helping others, no matter what the situation is that they’re facing.

“I think the favorite part of my job is being able to be part of someone’s story as they build their life,” she said. “First-time homebuyers are my favorite but I also love the people who start with their first home and they move on up, getting the chance to see what they’re able to do with their homes, the growth of their families. I love having the opportunity to build relationships.”

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Alaska Housing does not endorse lenders or real estate licensees, but we are pleased to highlight individual relationships. Thank you to Sarah Griffin (NMLS # 424423) of Guild Mortgage (NMLS # 3274) for participating in this blog post.