I am Thad Kerkhoff, a loan officer with CMG Home Loans on Bainbridge Island, Washington.
Most of the people I work with are first responders, veterans, and the families around them. I spent five years in the Army as a Military Police officer and fourteen years as a police officer before I did this.
So I know how the extra money you earn for working nights and overtime actually gets counted when someone reviews your loan. I know that a text at nine at night is sometimes the only window you have. And I know what it feels like to be the person who gets called when something has already gone wrong.
07:30In the wild
What has actually gone out.
The cards as they went out, and the letter, without signing up for anything.
What does "Your Mortgage First Responder" actually mean?
It means the messy part is my job. The file that fell apart a week before closing. The pay that does not look like a normal paycheck. The question you think is too stupid to ask out loud. You are allowed to bring me the mess. That is the whole point of me.
Do you only work with police officers and veterans?
No. I can do every kind of loan there is, for anybody. I only tell one kind of story, because it is the one I lived. The stories are narrow on purpose. What I can actually do for you is not.
What are your rates?
I do not put numbers in writing, and I do not make predictions about where they are going. A number quoted without the rest of your picture is not a real number, it is a guess that sounds official. Call me and I will walk you through what actually decides yours.
Can I buy a home if I work for myself?
Often yes. It is a different pile of paperwork, not a closed door. The people who get stuck are usually the ones who were told no by somebody who did not want to read the paperwork.
Why does a lender keep asking for the same documents again?
Because the file gets checked more than once, by more than one person, and some of it goes stale on a clock. It is not a sign anything is wrong. It is the boring part that keeps your closing date where it is.
When can I actually reach you?
I do not keep office hours. If you work nights, text me at nine at night. I am probably up.
