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PETROLEUM DIRECTORY: The ‘Pippin Team’ at Alaska USA Mortgage: Coaching you all the way to home base
Jessica Hess Petroleum Directory Contributing Writer
Three things pique the attention of anyone with an interest in Alaska. First, Alaska always keeps its charm as a great destination for living and vacationing. Second, there are strong indicators that exciting new developments in the oil and gas industry are waiting just over the horizon. Third, interest rates continue at impressive lows. What does all of this add up to? For a lot of folks, it amounts to significant reasons to purchase a primary or secondary home in the 49th state. Whether relocating to Alaska, continuing an established residency, investing in the rental market, or looking for a place to escape to, Alaska USA Mortgage’s “Pippin Team” has the knowledge and experience to help you slide safely into your dream home anywhere from Ketchikan to Barrow. Knowing the lineup Mary Jo Pippin, born and raised in Anchorage, began her career in Alaska real estate in 1982. Eleven years later she rounded the next base and moved into the mortgage industry. Since then she has been applying and growing her knowledge of the entire lineup of mortgage programs offered statewide. As her daughter and other half of the “Pippin Team”, Aileen Dimmick, points out, “the biggest thing that sets her apart is just the amount of knowledge she has about loan programs. If you’re going to see someone who doesn’t have such experience they might not offer the same variety of options. But with her, she’s been in the business for so long she can really tailor to your income situation or whatever you’re looking to do.”
Is a low- or no-down program what you’re hoping for? Perhaps you’re ready for a short-term mortgage instead of the standard 30 years? Are you looking for an interest rate that will adjust with the market or one that will stay fixed? Maybe a tailored combination of several factors?
Alaska USA Mortgage and its secondary markets, such as the Alaska Housing Finance Corp., have no shortage of options — there’s bound to be a mortgage program that hits right up your alley. First-time homebuyers, seasoned home owners, military veterans, real estate investors, seniors looking to downsize, rural Alaska residents, and those looking for a home away from home will find a variety of offerings to suit their needs. Pippin has placed everyone from 18-year-olds just leaving high school to Vietnam-era veterans in homes of their own. If you are a rookie or a pro at the mortgage game, you’ve got a good coach in Pippin. First base When a homebuyer looking to purchase a property in Alaska goes to bat with the Pippin Team, that individual will get personalized coaching until he’s safely home. Even on first base — locating the home that fits the physical and financial details a homebuyer is looking for — Pippin can give wise direction when needed. Having lived and worked in Alaska from the beginning of her career, she’s familiar with dependable and skilled real estate agents. She knows how to match up a buyer up with the right agent and enjoys doing so. “That’s part of the fun of the job,” she says. “When I work with people, I look at their experience level and personality, and then match them up with agents I think they would work well with. It’s fun and we’ve had a lot of success with that.”Second base One of the most important aspects of Pippin’s service comes at second base — the application process. Whether you are working remotely on the North Slope, purchasing a home in Alaska while still living out of state, or doing all your home-buying locally, she’s set up to get your application process done with impressive convenience. Coming into the office is never a requirement. As she explains, “we can set up an appointment to meet on the phone at a certain time and I can enter information right into the computer at that point — filling in the blanks, asking the questions and working things out as we talk.” This process of applying for financing one-on-one scores high on efficiency and customer service.
Second base requires a lot of details, and that’s one reason why the personalized attention is so appreciated. “Once the application is filled out, then we have a list of things that we need to complete, depending on the kind of loan that we’re doing for the individual or individuals,” Pippin elaborates. “I’ll give them a list of things that I need, generally W-2s at the minimum, or tax returns, pay stubs, bank statements — things like that that we need to complete a file.” Pippin and Dimmick, her assistant, are always on hand to answer any questions about acquiring the necessary paperwork. Not all loan originators have assistants, and the extra level of attention and customer service the two of them together can give forms the heart of the Pippin Team. Third base and safe at home Once you get to third base, home is within sight. This step entails the completion of the set of disclosures and disclaimers that are necessary to make any loan effective. As always, these papers do not have to be completed in person — Pippin has them conveniently shipped to borrowers if they cannot come to the office. Once the papers are signed and returned, the mortgage becomes effective.
Upon moving into a home financed through Alaska USA Mortgage under a loan program tailored to your needs, you will find yourself safe on home plate — just what you and the Pippin Team set out to do from the first crack of the bat. That’s why so many borrowers return to Pippin over and over again when they need financing. She has a high rate of return customers. Supporting services When getting a mortgage through Alaska USA Mortgage, a borrower works with a wholly owned subsidiary of Alaska USA Federal Credit Union, one of the largest credit unions in the nation. The credit union currently operates convenient branches throughout Alaska and Washington State. The credit union offers checking and savings accounts and a variety of loan options, from auto lending to personal lines of credit. A trust company forms part of Alaska USA as well. Recent additions include an insurance arm and an arm for commercial lending. Dimmick has noticed that “a lot of borrowers seem to really like being able to do several of their financial activities in one place.”
The Alaska USA Mortgage website at www.alaskausamortgage.com will introduce you to the spectrum of programs available for purchasing residential properties from single-family homes through four-plexes. When you get pitched an opportunity to relocate to or within Alaska, the resources you need to follow through with your swing can be found there, including Mary Jo Pippin’s information. She can help you round all the bases and get you into your new home. But the painting, yard work, and plumbing are up to you!
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