Mortgage Minute with Kristen Ambos

Photography By Julie M. Gile Photography

Kristen Ambos sat down with us for a Mortgage Minute to discuss the housing market and what buyers can do to get into a home as quickly as possible. Last season we wrote about the ultra-competitive housing market and how sellers can elevate their listings; trying things like staging, updates, or landscaping design. But what can a prospective home buyer do to make themselves more attractive? It takes more than a friendly personality and a strong offer to stand out.

Kristen and her team are dedicated to setting themselves and their borrowers apart from other offers. To do this, Kristen underwrites every single loan that comes across her desk instead of just doing pre-approval, even before her buyers have their sights on a home. If there is anything she doesn’t know about, she uncovers it during this process, whether something like child support or a new self-employed business. Underwriting the loan and tying up loose ends upfront makes for a much more enjoyable home buying experience, as her buyers aren’t chasing down documents while trying to schedule showings or inspections.

This allows borrowers to show up to the table with a pre-commitment and a letter of intent from their lender that says “we underwrote this loan fully and we intend to lend to this person.” By the time Kristen’s clients are ready to make an offer, she has already run all the numbers so they know how far and high they can negotiate with their offer ahead of time. No more going back and forth with lenders while on a time crunch to make the best offer. This gives her clients the information they need to be confident in their decision in their home buying process and sets them apart from other prospective buyers. Next to cash, this pre-commitment from a lender is the best way to make a strong offer.

Kristen and her team don’t even charge for this service. “We are that invested in our buyers, that we are doing all this work up front without even knowing if they are going to close on a sale.” She believes investing in her borrowers starts with her own team. She invests in her underwriters, processors, and operations department to ensure her clients are the most qualified.

Having everything done professionally up front is especially helpful if clients are interested in a quick close. Kristen and her team are able to close 10-25 days sooner than other lending agents in the area. “I just want to look out for the borrower,” she says.

So much so, that she has stayed true to the purchase market in recent months, despite the tempting business of refinancing. “Many other lenders are booked solid with refinances, so I’ve stuck with mostly new purchases in order to help houses get sold.” Her reasoning? Everyone in this industry is on the same team: they are all trying to help the housing market stay afloat and get more families into their new homes.

With over 20 years in the mortgage business, Kristen has worked alongside almost all the industry experts in the area. She excels at networking with other professionals statewide and pursues the collaborative - instead of competitive - approach to helping her buyers secure their new home.

Kristen Ambos VP Mortgage Lending

O: 920-785-5274 | C: 920-606-1156

Rate.com/KristenAmbos | Kristen.Ambos@rate.com 4321 W. College Ave., Suite 200, Office 247, Appleton WI 54914