Tag: Benchmark brings you home

Benchmark Achieves Accreditation as a Social Impact Lender

Benchmark, a leading mortgage lender since 1999, is proud to announce its accreditation as an Accredited Social Impact Lender (ASIL) by the National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers of America (NAMMBA).

This accreditation is a testament to Benchmark’s commitment to providing quality mortgage services to all of its clients. Benchmark’s mission is to make homeownership accessible to everyone, and this accreditation is a major milestone in achieving that goal.

“We are thrilled to be recognized by NAMMBA as a Social Impact Lender,” said Benchmark CEO, Brian McKinney. “At Benchmark, we strive to provide our clients with the best possible service and this accreditation is proof of our commitment to our mission.”

NAMMBA is a national organization dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in the mortgage industry. The ASIL accreditation is a rigorous process that requires lenders to demonstrate their commitment to social impact lending.

“We are proud to have Benchmark join our ranks of ASIL lenders,” said NAMMBA President, Tony Thompson. “Benchmark’s commitment to providing quality services to all of its clients is a testament to their dedication to their mission.”

Benchmark is committed to providing its clients with the best possible service and this accreditation is a major milestone in achieving that goal. With this accreditation, Benchmark is now better equipped to serve its clients and help them achieve their goals of homeownership.

For more information about Benchmark and its services, please visit benchmark.us.

How To Make Your Interest Rate Hold For Longer

by Kynzy Lowe

Searching for a home? That’s great! It’s a good time to buy! We know that it can be stressful, as interest rates could go up during your search. What if it didn’t have to be that way? What if you could be certain that your interest rate wouldn’t change while you searched for your next home? With Benchmark’s Lock and Shop program, you don’t have to worry about rising interest rates. Lock and Shop by Benchmark allows you to lock in your interest rate while shopping for your home!

Get More Time To Shop

75 days. The Lock and Shop program will lock your rate for 75 days, giving you more time to search for your home. Enter the market with a pre-approval and a locked rate from Benchmark to give you the confidence to succeed in a competitive market.

In a highly competitive market, making several attempts to land a deal is the challenging reality. The more prepared you are, the higher chance you have of your offer winning acceptance. Our branches provide many helpful tools to our clients, so you can be prepared when it’s time to make an offer.

Three steps for how Lock and Shop can help you succeed

Step 1: Get Pre-approved.

Step 2: Lock your rate with our Lock & Shop program.

Step 3: Identify a few different properties you are interested in, and make an offer. If your offer doesn’t win, move to the next. Do this for 75 days from date your rate was locked.

Just imagine how it could help you.

Tom’s family is moving to a new state due to his job. They are unfamiliar with the area, and have a lot to consider. Buying a home is a big decision, and they don’t want to rush the process and end up regretting their choice. Wisely, they contacted Benchmark and spoke about their concerns of rising interest rates. Understanding their challenges, their loan officer recommended the Lock and Shop program to them. Relieved to be able to lock in their interest rate, Tom and his family searched for their perfect home with confidence.

Get in touch today to learn more about the Lock and Shop program from Benchmark!

Contact your local Benchmark branch. Contact us today for personalized information. Call me yourself or request a call from me. WeI would be honored to provide you with our famous excellent service for your new loan.

Benchmark brings you home.

The Benchmark Way – Buying A Home

by I Am Benchmark

With Benchmark, you’re never alone. We know that getting a mortgage can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Our family is here to walk you through the process of getting you home. In next part, we will give a deeper view into the heart of our approach to long term care of our clients.

From applying for a mortgage through closing on your new home, Benchmark has your back. Welcome to,

The Benchmark Way.

The Process

Contact Your Lender

Before you get started with a mortgage, you’ll want to find your loan officergive me a call or contact mechoose your loan officer or contact us today. Your Benchmark lender is a licensed mortgage professional who understands exactly what it takes to match you with the best possible loan to match your goals. It’s important to note, no loan will ever be the same.

Get Pre-Approved

Getting pre-approved is the first major step towards purchasing your new home. To get pre-approved, we verify your information and documents to determine how much you are able to borrow towards your new home. This will strengthen any offer you decide to make on a home.

Get a Real Estate Agent

Having a good real estate agent can greatly enhance your home-buying experience. They can help match you to the home you may not have even known you wanted, and are your best advocate in negotiating your offer. Through our relationships, your Benchmark lender may be able to make a great referral for you.

For some tips on choosing one one your own, we have a great article for you: Find A Great Real Estate Agent The Easy Way.

Find Your New Home

Knowing your price range and desired location(s) will help your real estate agent with your search. Once you have your home in sight, move FAST. Contact your agent, and let your Benchmark lender know about your find!

Sign The Contract

Whether the Contract is completed by your realtor or by yourself, its completion will get you one step closer to your new home. As soon as the offer is accepted and the contract is signed by all parties, please communicate your new home’s address to your lender. Then we will be able to start assembling your Loan Estimate.

Your Loan Estimate

Your Benchmark lender will send you a loan estimate. The loan estimate will give you a general overview of your loan and estimated costs.

The Benchmark Magic

This is where The Benchmark Way of lending wins the race. Our team of underwriters and processors will be working hard to make sure we have what we need from you to close your loan on time. So, sit back and relax… We are ordering your appraisal, getting documents from Title, and everything in between to complete your loan.

Final Approval

This is our favorite part of theprocess! Our underwriters have looked over all of the documents and have given their seal of approval. At this point, you’re almost home!

Closing Time!

The closing date will be set^*, and the documents^** will be ready to be signed. Get your pen ready, because we will need for you to sign on lots of lines! After everything is signed, the keys are yours. Welcome Home!

*Clear to Close: This simply means that all conditions of your loan have been met, and the loan underwriter has given the blessing to release instructions to your title company for the closing. If you are buying a home this is your goal.
**Closing Disclosure: All lenders are required to provide your Closing Disclosure three business days before your scheduled closing. Use these days wisely! Double-check that all of the details are correct. If something looks different from what you expected, ask me why, and let’s get it sorted ASAP. NOW is the time to resolve problems. If the explanation you get isn’t enough, just keep asking questions.