You might think “a HUD loan is a HUD loan? what difference does it make which institution I get it through? Won’t any old bank do?”
Obtaining an FHA 232 HUD loan is like applying for a home mortgage, says Cambridge Realty Capital executive Zachary Scardina, except it’s a hundred times more complicated. Yet you probably wouldn’t pick a lender off the Web and take whatever that institution has to offer. At the very least, you might choose two or three and then research each to find the one that can best meet your specific needs.
You might also do what almost every consumer does when making a purchase as significant as a home, or as every day as deciding what restaurant to eat at: check out what experiences others have had. Chances are, you’re going to gravitate to the option that has worked out positively for others.
One of the first questions that you should ask any lender is what their success rate is at helping clients obtain a HUD loan. Of the many applicants that make it through the initial screening process, how many of those candidates end up getting 232 funding? A high percentage indicates that the institution has an expert handle on the nuances of borrowers, their unique situations, and the underwriting complexities of the application process.
If you’re satisfied with the answer to that first question, the next one to ask is, “how much of your business comes from repeat clients?” After all, it’s possible that an institution may be particularly skilled at attracting new business, but if those clients are reluctant to return for future funding needs, it often indicates a breakdown in the area of relationship-building. (You might eat at a restaurant once because it had strong reviews, but you probably wouldn’t come back if you got treated poorly, even if the food was good.)
It’s no different when it comes to evaluating a HUD lender. A highly effective means of determining which institution will be able to help you obtain the results you’re looking for is by evaluating its success rate at attracting repeat clientele. According to Scardina, “One of the best yardsticks a senior housing/healthcare borrower can use to determine whether a lender will be up to the task measures how successful the lender has been in securing new business from existing clients.”
Cambridge Realty Capital has spent 30 years cultivating relationships, particularly with clients, but also with lenders, developers, and leaders in the healthcare industry. Cambridge works very closely with its clients throughout every step of the application/borrowing process, answering questions, providing clear, concise, and understandable information, and showing genuine interest in a client’s needs. According to Scardina, it’s about cultivating trust and mutual respect. “Once a client has closed a deal with Cambridge, they rarely see any need to check elsewhere when future financing needs arise,” he said.
Cambridge has demonstrated exceptional skill in both the “brass tacks” and numbers side of HUD loan applications as well as the human side, the part of the equation that often has the most power to inspire confidence in potential borrowers. Consider these:
* In its 30-plus years in business, Cambridge has realized a 95% success rate in closing loan applications on behalf of its clients.
* Cambridge’s transactions over its years in business total more than $6.5 billion.
* Cambridge is one of only a handful of direct lenders authorized to issue GNMA securities to fund HUD 232 and HUD 242 mortgages.
* Every Cambridge team member has an area of specialty so that every applicant has the benefit of the combined wisdom of a group of experts.
