Feb 24 2022

The City Lending Difference

It’s not hard to see why so many people have joined our mission to excel as a premier client-focused lender. We’ve been the right choice for many. Could City Lending be right for you too?

One might say that welcoming new members to the team is kind of City Lending’s thing; since 2014, we’ve grown from ten employees to over 200. With unwavering dedication to our team members, to our clients, and to our investor relationships, it’s not hard to see why so many people have joined our mission to excel as a premier client-focused lender. We’ve been the right choice for many. Could City Lending be right for you too?

How do you feel about high compensation?

If you’re a person who knows how to get deals done, there’s a lot of money to be made. How much? That’s up to you; City Lending takes a set-your-own-compensation approach with the loan originators in our family, who earn anywhere from 75 to 225 base points (BPS) on the loans they manage. Just one sizable deal could mean a payday that’s equal to what other people may make in months while working at low-wage jobs. But it’s not easy money, and there’s no guarantee that every deal will pan out. A good loan originator will have the patience to weather inevitable setbacks and the tenacity to close deals no matter the obstacles.

Success With Exceptional Marketing Support

Marketing is key to the success of any loan originator, and City Lending is committed to maintaining the infrastructure to ensure this success by helping members of our team navigate the often-difficult marketing landscape. What current trends do originators need to be on top of? Where should they focus their energy for maximum returns? Answers to these questions and more aren’t simple — but you won’t be left to figure them out on your own.

Social media marketing is integral to both attracting new clients and maintaining contact with existing ones. From Facebook and Instagram to TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn, different platforms cater to different demographics and a good loan originator should understand the dynamics of each. We can help you with that. And with our social media content generation, you can focus on closing deals rather than spending your time creating posts for social media. From videos for first-time homebuyers to helpful tips on refinancing and more, our in-house marketing team is ready with pro-level posts to make your social media presence shine.

But the marketing support doesn’t stop there. After social media, email marketing is an important tool in any loan officer’s toolbox. That’s why City Lending aids our team members with email campaigns and client-specific e-content — staying connected with clients through targeted messages for birthdays and milestones in homeownership doesn’t get much easier. Plus members of the City Lending team have access to tailor-made SMS campaigns, blog content, look-a-like campaigns, and more, leaving the content creation to our experts and allowing you to focus on targeted reports and generated leads with a concentration on making deals happen.

Reap the Benefits of Remote Work

Many of the positions with City Lending are remote, offering a range of benefits that enhance both work and personal lives. It’s a privilege many employees in today’s workforce don’t enjoy. What are some of the pluses of remote work? Well, say goodbye to that cumbersome commute that was draining precious hours from your week. And say hello to more time with family, friends, and even pets. Oftentimes, productivity goes up, and stress goes down when people telecommute.

If you’re wondering if you’re properly set up for working from home, here are some things to consider:

  • Dedicated workspace. You don’t have to have a home office, but you should create a space that approximates one. A private, quiet area that’s set apart from your personal living space is best for getting work done and separating work life from home life.
  • Solid internet speed. From video calls to connecting with databases, fast connections are key to telecommuters. Consider upgrading to the top speed your internet provider offers and moving the Wi-Fi router into your workspace; all the better if you can connect your computer directly to your router with an Ethernet cable.
  • Get your phone into the game. From WhatsApp and Google Meet to even old-school Skype, the communication apps that are available for smartphones can be invaluable to the home worker. Plus there are lots of task management and project management apps — such as Trello, Evernote, and Todoist — that can help streamline remote working.

A Wide Range of In-House Assistance

Even if you accept a remote position with City Lending that allows you to work from home, you’ll stay connected with a truly amazing in-house support team. Processing, underwriting, maintaining an appraisal roster — it’s all done in-house. When you need to have content reviewed, you can always turn to our compliance team, which can offer turnarounds with evaluations and detailed feedback in under 48 hours.

Our dedicated team of on-staff loan assistants and processors are on hand to handle the considerable paperwork that lending often involves. So loan originators at City Lending aren’t bogged down by having to go through seemingly endless documents with fine-tooth combs, but rather are free to focus on the larger tasks of closing deals. Committed to 24-hour response time, the City Lending help desk is there to help structure loans, review loan scenarios, and field an array of questions from originators.

Not a techie? Not a problem! The tech support you can take advantage of at City Lending is there with a suite of cutting edge tools: connect with other players in the mortgage industry with the Optimal Blue digital marketplace; pull valuable data from tax documents and tally income worksheets with LoanBeam software; track the stages of a mortgage process with the SimpleNexus platform; and verify financial information with Birchwood services.

Are you looking for a challenging career with generous benefits? A place that embraces multiculturalism, inspires success, and understands the important balancing work-life and home life? If so, maybe you’d be interested in joining our family and experiencing the City Lending difference for yourself.

These days, more and more people are looking to buy their dream homes, especially as remote work and work-from-home setups have become an enduring trend. A 15 point increase in requests for home tours and other home-buying services, along with a 11% rise in Google searches for homes, indicate an uptick in demand to buy houses in the country. However, there is a definite worry about affordability when it comes to housing, especially as hefty price tags on available residences have kept the market just as competitive as before, if not more.

According to the latest reports from analysts, it’s not all bad for existing homebuyers and aspiring house hunters. As previous data shows, timing matters in the housing market, and working on different approaches to home buying – like through a reliable lender – can help advance you towards more affordable housing goals. Below, we discuss whether house hunters should buy now or wait, and why.

 

What is your financial situation?


Counter to the rise in home demand, there is a considerable lack of supply. Along with rising prices and interest rates, the housing market may seem like a highly competitive space with wealthy homeowners fighting for what little property is left. It can be overwhelming, but knowing where you stand financially can help you better strategize your home buying journey. Following the four key components of affordability, ask yourself:

  • How much do you have saved for a down payment?

  • How much does your household earn?

  • What debts do you carry?

  • What is your credit score?

 

Familiarizing yourself with these components will help inform your decision on whether or not to wait. For example, taking the time to improve your credit scores before committing can save you from higher interest rates in terms of your monthly mortgage payments. Alternatively, many young homebuyers are compromising by living with family for a significant amount time to save up for a down payment. Getting this out of the way when you’re able to can help you get better loans to buy sooner than later in case interest rates end up increasing.

What kind of home is best for you?

Buying a home is a huge purchase and a big commitment. With shifts to digital and remote ways of working taking place in recent years, this has provided homebuyers with opportunities to be more flexible when buying homes. Homes in areas away from busy cities and urban hubs, for example, are considerably cheaper. This makes them a perfect option for buyers who work from home, or aren’t required to be present in the office on a consistent basis.

The lifestyle you expect to live is as much a factor to consider as money. Condos and townhouses offer lower maintenance costs in the long run, and are perfect for smaller households when compared to single-family homes. If the household grows, homebuyers looking for a side income can even invest in renting out purchased properties to passively earn back what they spent and look into bigger properties for family use.

What does the future look like?


In a previous post, we talked about the rising mortgage and interest rates. While the market may seem bleak or intimidating in its current condition, housing experts also believe factors such as supply have a high chance of returning to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024. If you are financially able, buying now while others may be intimidated by the prices can give you an edge. Conversely, taking some time to get your finances in order can benefit you when it comes to securing better loans and lower interest rates.

Working with experts can help you make better decisions for the loans you need, making sure you don’t get trapped with high interest rates or hidden charges. The future of fintech suggests that big data is the future of loans, as more online lenders are now using algorithms, which predict potential defaults better than FICO scores do. Data is also leveraged precisely to identify customers who fit various products well — which can give you peace of mind, as an aspiring borrower. Here at City Lending for example, we find the right programs to fit your needs and profile, making sure you get some of the lowest down payments and interest rates along with a premium service.

And if you’re still unsure, it’s worth considering that waiting it out in the market’s current wild conditions could result in even higher interest rates in the future. At the end of the day, buying a house is ultimately a huge investment, which comes with benefits such as privacy and a financial investment that for the most part will weather most economic storms.

Find out if this is the right time for you to get a house by contacting one of our loan officers today.

 

Content intended only for the use of citylendinginc.com

Written by Alicia Christopher

Share with your contacts

Become a member

Get the latest news right in your email. We never spam!

      Full Name

      Email

      Phone

      Book a call

      Let us help you