Joe Miller can still remember the call from family friends in the neighborhood where he grew up in Vincent, Alabama.
His great grandparents’ homeplace had become available.
Not needing that much space anymore, and knowing all about the first child that Miller and his wife, Brittany, had on the way, the owners wanted to give the Millers first dibs on the property.
“They said they would love to keep it in the family and asked if we’d be interested,” Miller recalled. “I said, ‘Yes,’ and started looking into home financing options. It’s right across the road from the shop and business where I repair farm equipment and other heavy equipment, and very convenient and offered more room to start our family.”
‘He Went the Extra Mile for Us’
When the mortgage process drug on with his bank, Miller’s mother, Susan, his co-signer in the purchase, suggested he try her bank — Regions — instead. Soon, she and Joe were talking with Regions Mortgage Loan Officer JK Keasler.
“Unlike the other bank, JK answered any questions I had immediately and really went the extra mile for us,” Miller said. “When my mom and I drove away from our first meeting with him, we looked at each other and said, ‘This is going to work.’ JK was confident he could help us, which made me confident I could buy the house.”
Miller marveled at Keasler’s knowledge, including the wide range of options presented based on his financial circumstances and goals. A 30-year, fixed-rate FHA loan best met his needs.
JK is very knowledgeable and taught me a lot about the home financing process. Joe Miller
The Millers closed Feb. 28 and moved from the manufactured home they’d been living in nearby. That proved a godsend because their first child, Dakota, came early, so they put the extra space to use right away.
“JK is very knowledgeable and taught me a lot about the home financing process,” Miller said. “The biggest thing I learned is that if someone in his business really cares enough to want to help folks like us they can figure out a way to do it. I appreciated the relentless effort he put in to help use get the house.”
A ‘Rewarding’ career
A mortgage loan officer for Regions Mortgage for nearly six years, Keasler got his first experience with the bank in 2016 as an intern through a program of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Alabama. The organization recently recognized him as among its Future leaders.
I want them to view me as an advisor who is working alongside them during this major financial decision. After our first meeting, I appreciated the trust and confidence Joe had in me. JK Keasler, mortgage loan officer for Regions Mortgage
“Working with first-time homebuyers is always rewarding,” Keasler said. “I enjoy meeting with them face-to-face and walking through the homebuying process from start to finish. I want them to view me as an advisor who is working alongside them during this major financial decision. After our first meeting, I appreciated the trust and confidence Joe had in me.
“I believe one of the biggest misconceptions people have about buying a home is that you need a large sum to put down,” Keasler added. “We went over different mortgage products that offer little to no down payment.”
Keasler said another thing he shared with the Millers was the importance of getting pre-approved before making an offer on a home and how the pre-approval process works, and the difference between terms like pre-qualification and pre-approval.
“Pre-approvals are extremely helpful for mortgage loan officers to do because it allows us and the bank to complete a thorough review of the customer’s financial ability to qualify for a loan, giving the customer peace of mind on what they can qualify for,” he said.
“Pre-approvals also give us time to restructure the loan to meet the customer’s needs best. Applying for a pre-approval starts with customers filling out a short application and providing a few documents. From there, our underwriters review, and if approved, we extend a loan commitment to them.”
Miller said the family loves their home and experience with Keasler and Regions Mortgage.
He still chuckles at a call he got about a week before they moved in.
“It was from the bank I had started with,” Miller said. “They just wanted to let me know they got me approved for financing. I said, ‘That’s OK, I went with Regions Mortgage and I close on my house March 1.”
To learn more about the homebuying process and access calculators, articles, podcasts and more, visit the Regions Next Step® Homeownership Resource Center on Regions.com.
Note: Experiences and opinions stated by customers are their own and involved no compensation.
