AMERY | Free First Time Homebuyers Seminar

An educational first time homebuyers seminar is being offered to the public on Thursday, April 28 at 5 p.m. at the WESTconsin Credit Union Amery Office, 1060 Cornwall Avenue. Presenters include Scott Prindle, Mortgage Loan Originator, WESTconsin Credit Union; and Lisa Novak, REALTOR®, WESTconsin Realty.

The presenters will provide information about the home buying process from pre-approval to closing.

Refreshments will be served and a door prize will be given away. Seating is limited—register early! There is no cost to attend, and you do not need to be a WESTconsin Credit Union member. Those interested in reserving a seat can do so by clicking here or calling (715) 268-8127 ext. 7425. Reservations accepted through April 25.

NEW RICHMOND | Free Real Estate 101 and Beyond Seminar

Free Real Estate 101 and Beyond Seminar

NEW RICHMOND, WI—An educational real estate 101 and beyond seminar is being offered to the public on Tuesday, March 15 at 6 p.m. at the WESTconsin Credit Union New Richmond Office, 121 Meridian Drive. This seminar is presented by Jenny Larson, Mortgage Loan Originator, WESTconsin Credit Union; Mike Giese, Mortgage Loan Originator, WESTconsin Credit Union; Jim Moe, REALTOR®, WESTconsin Realty; Gina Knutson, REALTOR®, WESTconsin Realty; Jeremy Moe, REALTOR®, WESTconsin Realty; and Michelle Carlson, REALTOR®, WESTconsin Realty.

The presenters will provide information about home buying, mortgages and home insurance. Refreshments will be served and door prizes will be given away. Seating is limited—register early! There is no cost to attend, and you do not need to be a WESTconsin Credit Union member. Those interested in reserving a seat can do so by visiting the Events Calendar at westconsincu.org, or calling (715) 246-2068 ext. 7532 or 7534. Reservations accepted through March 11.

EAU CLAIRE | Free First Time Homebuyers Seminar

Free First Time Homebuyers Seminar

EAU CLAIRE, WI— An educational first time homebuyers seminar is being offered to the public on Tuesday, September 22, at 5:30 p.m. at the WESTconsin Credit Union Eau Claire Office, 1111 W Clairemont Avenue. This seminar is presented by Josh Gullicksrud, Mortgage Loan Originator, WESTconsin Credit Union.

The presenter will provide information about the things you need to know before buying your first home, whether you need a real estate agent, how to buy a home with no money down and what makes WESTconsin Credit Union different from others. Refreshments will be served and door prizes will be given away. Seating is limited—register early! There is no cost to attend, and you do not need to be a WESTconsin Credit Union member. Those interested in reserving a seat can do so by clicking here, or calling (715) 830-7235. Reservations accepted through September 18.

Strategies for Building and Preserving Home Equity

Strategies for Building and Preserving Home Equity

Source:  http://www.americasaves.org/for-savers/set-a-goal-what-to-save-for/save-for-a-home/strategies-for-building-and-preserving-home-equity

Almost anyone can afford to own a home with proper preparation. Develop a savings plan to build up money for a down payment at purchase, for moving expenses, and for post-purchase emergency expenditures such as needed home repairs. Remember, the larger your down payment, the lower your home loan payment. America Saves can help you develop a plan with regular monthly deposits in a bank or credit union account. At the same time, reduce your credit card and other debts in order to increase your ability to afford a house. Lowering these debts will increase your credit score and your chances of getting a lower-interest loan. For information about credit and help with debt repayments, contact your local, nonprofit consumer credit counseling service or housing counseling agency.

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WESTconsin Welcomes Blake Sykora to Mortgage Lending

CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI—WESTconsin Credit Union is pleased to announce Blake Sykora as Mortgage Loan Originator working from the company’s Chippewa Falls office located at 1680 E Park Avenue. Sykora possesses 7-years industry experience and was most recently employed with BMO Harris Bank before joining the team at WESTconsin. Prior to that, he worked at Marine Credit Union and Royal Credit Union.

Sykora has a Bachelor’s Degree from University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. His community involvements include serving as an ambassador with the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, and coaching youth hockey with the Eau Claire Squirt. Sykora and wife, Brittany, are newly married. He enjoys many hobbies including golfing, fishing, hunting, camping and other outdoor sporting and recreation activities. Sykora can be reached at (715) 723-9064 ext. 7614 or bsykora@westconsincu.org.

WESTconsin Credit Union Welcomes Lisa Thompson to Mortgage Lending Department

WESTconsin Credit Union Welcomes Lisa Thompson to Mortgage Lending Department

BALDWIN, WI—WESTconsin Credit Union is pleased to announce Lisa Thompson as Mortgage Loan Originator working from the company’s Baldwin office. Thompson possesses 13-years mortgage industry experience and was most recently employed with CorTrust Bank in Woodbury, MN before joining the team at WESTconsin. Her customer service background is extensive and includes working with borrowers on refinances, purchases, HELOCs, construction loans, and working through credit issues and loan scenarios.

Thompson has a degree in business from Marshalltown Community College. Her community involvements include being active with the St. Croix Valley Homebuilders Association, local Chambers of Commerce, Somerset Lions Club and other community-based fundraising efforts.

Thompson and her husband, LaVern, have two grown children and are expecting their first grandchild. She enjoys shopping, reading, spending time with her dogs and a variety of outdoor activities with her family. Thompson can be reached at (715) 684-3333 ext. 7444 or lthompson@westconsincu.org.

Meet Andrew and Laurentia McIntosh!

Local Service and Local Underwriters Get it Done

When the McIntoshes wanted to refinance their log home and property – which they have dubbed “Wise Acres” – the bank that held their mortgage disappointed them immediately with what seemed to be a turtle-pace procedure.

“The process just kept getting longer and longer,” Laurentia remembers. “It was very frustrating and I’d lost my patience.”

The final straw came when their original lender concluded that, because they rented a small portion of their property to a local farmer, they could not qualify for refinancing because it was “income producing property.”

Andrew picked a name from the WESTconsin Credit Union website, and it turned out that Mortgage Loan Originator Jordi Buchner was a neighbor of theirs. She lived on a small hobby farm as well and was well acquainted with the issues they needed to tackle.

The McIntoshes got their loan, and got it fast. WESTconsin uses local underwriters with intimate knowledge of regional issues - quite a contrast with the anonymous, national underwriters that Andrew and Laurentia struggled with earlier.

Laurentia sums it up: “Instead of feeling like we were falling through the cracks with a large corporation, we had these people who knew exactly what we needed and were able to make it happen within weeks. I love banking with WESTconsin Credit Union because they are our friends and our neighbors.”

Six Slam-Dunk Ways to Trash Your Credit Score

Six Slam-Dunk Ways to Trash Your Credit Score

by Susan Tiffany, CCUFC

It's a fact of financial life that if you want to borrow money, your lender will look at information about your credit habits before deciding how to price the loan.

If you're a good risk, you won't have to pay as much interest for the privilege of borrowing. If you've been a credit screw-up, expect a lender to charge you more. That's only fair, not only to the lender but to other borrowers the lender serves. It wouldn't be right to expect responsible borrowers to subsidize careless borrowers.

This is where your credit score comes in. It's a three-digit grade for your credit behavior to date. It changes all the time, based on your improving or deteriorating credit habits.

Some of the ways you can damage your credit score are pretty clear, while others might surprise you.