I love shopping online! (I really don’t! I am using this as an analogy to make a point.) Recently I bought a nice pair of slacks and a work shirt from a reputable store-it was easy-all online! (Again – I don’t buy nice slacks often and I wear my ‘work shirts’ from 1998 and no one cares!) So – staying true to this very honest and true fictional story…I was very excited the day the packages arrived at my house. I ripped off the packaging and used my teeth to cut the tape…I was just too excited to go get a knife. Yes – that’s how enthusiastic I was – I was willing to risk injuring my smile! My money maker!

Imagine my disappointment when the pants didn’t fit – my shirt was too big AND had some stitching missing!! Just imagine that for a minute! (Insert your minute here! Tick-Tock) I called the store and they were very polite. I had filled out the forms and checked all the boxes, but still it came up short of satisfying. They told me that sometimes the fit may need to be more custom and may need to be adjusted in person once I received them. I could send back at no charge and they would send out different sizes or I could get a refund.

Ok – let’s put aside my story as believable as it was and knowing that a good majority of you have experienced something like this either with clothing or other products. Let’s address the real reason for this ‘Once upon a time’ rant. Your mortgage! Your new home! Your loan – your refinance – your American Dream!

Just like that fictional shirt or those pants – in real life – not every mortgage is the same! Not every online rep is the same. So what happens if you check all the boxes and it goes wrong? At phe we are big believers in accountability! Especially for those custom circumstances! Don’t get us wrong we love hugs when we do good – a solid pat on the back and warm smile! However, when things get challenging – when time is of the essence – when you need to put eyes on your rep when you need ‘them’ – NOT their extension! When you need answers and responses and NOT their auto email reply! That is when having a local mortgage professional pays off!

The sad thing is – we don’t know if the pants will fit until we have waited and spent time and money and they arrive! We don’t think that is a risk worth taking. We think the investment of working with a local professional is like accountability insurance. Plus – let’s be honest! It’s not 1701! We are not analog operating in a digital world. We haven’t used smoke signals in a few weeks and we even have cordless phones and everything! (Insert giggles) We have online document download technology, e-signatures, calendars with deadlines built in! In other words – we have the same technology and we offer the same conveniences that those online advisers do! But we are local professionals. It’s all we do – every day! AND we are here to customize your experience!