Credit Where Credit Is Due

I’m writing this because I find that all too often we don’t hesitate to talk a bad experience, but it seems to be quite the the opposite when it comes to a good experience. I’m as guilty of this as anyone else…. until now. I’ve had a good experience and I want to give credit where credit is due. I wasn’t asked to do this, bribed with cookies or in any way compensated. I just think that when your expectations are not only met – but they are exceeded – it’s worth talking about.

If you’ve ever thought about buying a house in Cannon Beach, or if you already own a home but need to refinance, just as it is everywhere else it can be a difficult and painful process. I just went through this… and yes, it was painful. I did have a few assets that eased the pain and made a difficult situation turn into a rewarding and successful endeavor. Those assets were a good realtor and a mortgage banker whose knowledge and tenacity were worth his weight in gold.

It all started after I sold my current home and wanted to reinvest in another. I had read about how things in the “lending world” had changed from the previous cushy years, but I was in no way prepared for just how drastically things had been altered. I had never encountered a problem with purchasing in the past, but now, these new banking rules combined with a decreased income and self-employment status, I was forced to face the reality that I was in for a wild ride.

My realtors were Robin Risley and Tommy Huntington. They are two realtors working as one… so you receive twice the benefits. They were helpful beyond what I could have imagined. If one of them is unavailable, the other steps in. I’m a small business owner, I have no employees to help cover the busy times and I have a toddler… needless to say, my semi-available time is limited and my actual free time is nonexistent. Robin and Tommy were always able to accommodate my schedule. If I had a few minutes to go see a home, they were ready and waiting. If it was naptime for my daughter, they came to my house with paperwork. This was more helpful than I can describe, and I’m sure it’s something that most people would appreciate. Like most realtors they are extremely busy, but they always made me feel like I was their only client. When it came down to negotiations and finally closing on the house that I decided to purchase, they were right on top of it. They were there through every aspect of the purchase. From the start of the very long house search, until the last day at closing they were there. Besides their excellent professional skills, they are exemplary stewards of our local community – and for that I give them extra bonus points. They are two people that I was happy to work with, and two people that I am proud to call friends. If you’re planning to buy or sell property in Cannon Beach or the surrounding areas, I highly recommend contacting either Robin Risley or Tommy Huntington.

My second asset and biggest surprise came in the form of a man named Sam Croskell. I had never met Sam and knew nothing about him, but I can tell you this, I will never forget him and never be able to completely express my gratitude towards him. I come from a mortgage lending background. I thought I knew what to expect from a mortgage banker, I thought I knew how things would be handled… I was wrong. This man surprised me at every turn. He impressed me with every action. I called Sam my “asset” but he was much more than that. He was my strength, he was my confidence and he was my saving grace in this new and tumultuous game of trying to pry some money out of the tightly clenched fists of the banks. Don’t get me wrong, Sam can’t work miracles… if you have bad credit, he cannot improve your credit ratings, and if you’re trying to buy a “McMansion” on a McDonald’s budget, he cannot make your income improve. But I can tell you that if there’s a way, Sam has the will. If you’ve been a responsible person and have legitimate expectations, he will find a way to make it work – of that I am certain. He has exceeded my every expectation and he has set the bar at a new level for what I will expect in the future. He even drove from Hillsboro to Seaside to join me at the closing of the loan! Of course, after this experience I will never use anyone other than Sam for my lending needs and Robin & Tommy for the house hunting, so I’ll be guaranteed to have my new and higher expectations met.

Robin and Tommy live right here in Cannon Beach… if you live here you have undoubtedly seen them around town. Sam Croskell is based out of Hillsboro, Oregon. Now before you can say “But isn’t this website supposed to be for our coastal area?” I should explain that one. Yes, it is. Our focus is on Cannon Beach and the surrounding areas, but sometimes some things are so exceptional that the rules need to be tweaked. This case merited a little rule tweaking. Sam knows our area. He knows that some of the norms that apply to other cities just don’t apply when it comes to Cannon Beach. Where else could you justify spending $400k on a 700 square foot cabin that probably has dry rot and a raccoon living in the crawlspace? Where else would you want to? Sam gets that.

For me, buying a home was a stressful, painful, humbling, completely rewarding experience. But because I had Robin and Tommy and Sam Croskell on my side of the table, the pain was eased and the reward was maximized. So thanks guys! You helped me achieve my goal even though the odds were not exactly in my favor. I felt like I went through this process with friends by my side… and for that I’m eternally grateful.