Getting a mortgage loan need not be too scary, according to Kevin Ruby, Senior Loan Officer with Community Mortgage, a Grant Preferred Lender.

Becoming familiar with the terms, conditions, and requirements and their meanings will optimize
communication and instill confidence throughout the closing period. Kevin recommends the following:

Maintain the Same Financial Picture During the Process

Assessing an accurate profile of your credit and overall fixed financial obligations is crucial to obtaining and
securing a home loan. Not only does Community Mortgage run a credit report upon the start of the home loan
process, but we are required to do so again within three days of closing. So when we say, “No shopping until
after the loan closes”, we mean it. Just one new line of credit, diminished available credit, or late payment on
an existing account can make a difference.

Documentation of Funds/Transfers/Gifts

If you find the need to transfer funds from one account to another, or receive gift funds for down payment
assistance, consult your loan officer for specific guidelines and documentation necessary to provide the
paper trail needed to satisfy underwriting requirements.

Consider the Source ($)

Showing consistency in your financial transactions assists in a loan approval. Avoid surprise deposits or
withdrawals to your accounts that would require further explanation. Up front costs associated with your home
purchase, such as earnest monies and appraisal fees, will be credited on your settlement statement, provided
payment documents (cleared bank checks) and are available prior to closing.

30/60 Cycle

The loan process is based on a 30 to 60 day cycle. Income verification from paystubs is based on the most
recent 30 day cycle and bank statements 60 day cycle. So, if you get pre-qualified for a loan and 60 days later
you purchase a home, expect to furnish updated paystubs and bank statements to complete the file.

IRS

Income accountability takes place by reviewing your paystubs and other proof of income against what IRS tax
transcripts reveal. If there is a discrepancy, further documentation is required.

Appraisal

Once there is a fully executed sales contract in place, ordering an appraisal is the way to obtain a professional
report of property value. It is an upfront cost that can be credited towards your down payment at closing.

Homeowner’s Insurance

Decide who will be providing you with homeowner’s insurance quickly. An accurate cost of your policy is
needed for underwriting, along with your insurance agent’s name and contact information.

Community Mortgage experts will see you through every step of the way.

Connect with a loan officer and discover the Community Mortgage difference. In Touch. On Time. Call 901-759-4400 or visit www.communitymtg.com.

The newest Grant & Co. model home has just opened in Rivercrest – but not before four new families chose this Bartlett neighborhood for their new home in October.
“This neighborhood is a tremendous value in Bartlett,” said John Giovannetti, Grant’s New Home Specialist in Rivercrest. “Grant & Co. has the best value for the investment of anywhere else in Bartlett. With Grant homes in Rivercrest, the new homeowner gets granite countertops, tile and hardwood floors, smooth vaulted ceilings, wrought iron handrails – the things you would expect in homes priced well over the homes we offer here.”
Grant & Co. recently purchased premier homesites in the last phase of this established neighborhood and is offering a choice of home designs priced from the $180’s. These homesites are within walking distance to the 10-acre Rivercrest Park that features a playground, paved walking trail and fenced dog park. Children in Rivercrest attend Rivercrest Elementary, Shadowlawn Middle and Bolton High School.
The location of the newest Grant & Co. neighborhood provides quick access to Hwy. 385, the Millington Naval Base and the Quail Ridge Golf Club.
Grant & Co. chose The Chandler as the featured model home/sales information center in Rivercrest. This 4 bedroom, 3 bath, two story homes includes a large finished playroom, formal dining room, hearth room option, and a fifth bedroom option. All Grant homes feature Frigidaire by Electrolux stainless steel appliances from Cenwood Appliances, Rivertree Hardwood Flooring, F&H Stone Granite and upgraded lighting by Graham’s Lighting. Community Mortgage provides outstanding mortgage finance services.
The Rivercrest model home/information center is open daily and is easy to find. From the west, go east on Old Brownsville from Austin Peay, turn left on Rivercrest Drive; from the south or southeast, go north on Kirby-Whitten from Stage, then left on Old Brownsville, then turn right onto Rivercrest Drive. The model home is on the left right before Rivercrest Drive ends at Rivercrest Park.  For more information, contact John Giovannetti by clicking HERE.

Everyone is always interested in knowing the first steps to buying a new home, but another important factor to consider is the closing. Grant & Company’s preferred closing partner is Memphis Title Company. Here Closing Attorney Mark Miesse explains the process:
The last step in the home buying process is the real estate closing. In other words, the closing is the last step between you and your keys.
Through its attorneys and paralegals, Memphis Title Company is responsible for coordinating the transaction. In advance of the closing, a number of service providers must provide us with information so that the transfer of title takes place in a smooth, orderly and efficient way. Also, we must make sure that certain steps are followed so that you get what you pay for. A search of land records must be done. The insurance company needs to have the homeowners’ policy in place. Home Owners Association dues must be collected and paid. Property taxes must be paid if due. The mortgage company or bank documents need to be prepared and executed. Title Insurance must be in place to protect the parties. A statement of costs must be prepared, and the down payment and expenses of closing must be collected and paid.
At closing, the seller signs documents to transfer title, and the buyer signs documents to create the mortgage. All the documents must be in compliance with the contract, the loan instructions and state and federal law. Nowadays, up to 50 or more documents must be prepared and signed, and in many cases, multiple copies must be signed.
Memphis Title Company has been helping buyers and sellers complete this process for decades. Memphis Title has a trained staff of experienced lawyers and paralegals who want your experience to be a good one, and at the end of each closing, we get the privilege of making it all worthwhile. We get to hand you the keys and tell you “Congratulations”.

Sticks are in the air as framers finish framing out the new model home in Grant & Co.’s newest neighborhood in Olive Branch – Trinity Park.
Trinity Park, located near the intersection of Church Road and Hwy. 305 in eastern DeSoto County, features an amazing value on new homes with more than 2,000 sq. ft. of heated living space starting in the $160′s.

Trinity Park homes include maple cabinets, tiled floors, natural granite kitchen countertops, Moen “WaterSense” faucets, Frigidaire by Electrolux stainless steel appliances, brick and Hardie-Plank masonry lap siding, smooth, painted ceilings and RiverTree hardwood floors in the entry hall and formal dining room.
The new model home that is now under construction is one of Grant’s most requested 4 bedroom, one story plans. With 2,367 square feet, the Randolph Place, is base priced at just $182,950. It features a large family room, finished bonus room, master suite with two spacious walk-in closets, whirlpool tub, separate shower and his/hers lighted vanities. The hardwood entry opens into a formal dining room with an 11 ft. tray ceiling and a large family room with a gas fireplace. There is a covered porch right off the breakfast room.
Trinity Park is family friendly with spacious back yards, easy access to the Olive Branch City Park, YMCA, and Olive Branch Schools.
Grant expects to have the new model open and ready for touring within 60 days.
“We already have so much interest in this new neighborhood,” said Melba Wooten, Grant & Co. Sales Associate for Trinity Park. “With the Olive Branch City Park and the soccer fields right across the street, families are already noticing the convenience of Trinity Park. They will be surprised at the affordability for this location and the amenities available here.”
For information on Trinity Park, call Melba Wooten at 662-404-0910 or the Grant & Co. office at 901-854-0525.

Melba Wooten

Grant & Co. is excited to announce the Grand Opening of the newly furnished model home in Brunswick Farms. Brunswick Farms is located on Hwy. 70 just east of Brunswick Road in the Bartlett Reserve of Shelby County.
Five new Grant homes are now under construction in the newest phase of this established neighborhood of family homes. Priced from the $220’s, these homes include 3,000+ square feet of luxury living with lots of granite, River Tree Hardwood, tile, upgraded lighting by Graham’s Lighting, Moen “WaterSense” faucets, and Frigidaire by Electrolux appliances.
The beautifully furnished model home is open Monday through Saturday from 11 am until 6 pm and Sundays after church until 6 pm. The new model home is one of Grant’s most popular floorplans – The Asheville. The Asheville includes a master suite and additional bedroom downstairs, two bedrooms, a playroom and a children’s den upstairs; a large hearthroom, great room, formal dining room, and covered back porch.
Six other floorplans are also being offered at Brunswick Farms.
Children in Brunswick Farms attend Bon Lin Elementary and Middle and Arlington High School.  Conveniently located on Hwy. 70 between Canada Road and Germantown Road, Brunswick Farms is within minutes to the Cities of Arlington, Bartlett and Lakeland and the Wolfchase shopping/dining area.

For information on the homes in Brunswick Farms, call Grant & Co. Sales Associates John Giovannetti at 901-258-6588 or Sue Elzey at 901-338-6682.

CHICAGO (MarketWatch)—National home values have hit bottom and are on the rise, the real-estate website Zillow, reported in a news release on Tuesday.
“After four months with rising home values and increasingly positive forecast data, it seems clear that the country has hit a bottom in home values,” Zillow Chief Economist Stan Humphries said in a news release. “The housing recovery is holding together despite lower-than-expected job growth, indicating that it has some organic strength of its own.”
Values of U.S. homes rose 0.2% in the second quarter, compared with the same time period a year ago, marking the first annual increase in values since 2007, Zillow reported.
Moreover, Zillow predicted a 1.1% increase in home values over the next year. Values are expected to rise in 67 of the 156 markets in Zillow’s Home Value Forecast, which uses data and market conditions to predict home values.
“Of course, there is still some risk as we look down the foreclosure pipeline and see foreclosure starts picking up. This will translate into more homes on the market by the end of the year, but we think demand will rise to absorb that, particularly in markets where there are acute inventory shortages now,” Humphries said. “Looking forward, we expect home values to remain relatively flat as the market works through a backlog of foreclosures and high rates of negative equity.”
Zillow reported that 5.8 out of every 10,000 homes were lost to foreclosure in June, down from 7.9 of every 10,000 homes lost in January. But the number of foreclosures is expected to increase, based on a pickup in foreclosure starts since the completion of the National Foreclosure Settlement, the company said in the release.

Amidst on and off showers, loud thunder and occasional lightning, the 2012 Habitat for Humanity Builder Blitz got off to good start as Mid-South builders began framing five homes in the Memphis neighborhood of “Trinity Park” that will be finished and ready for needy families by the end of the week.
Grant and Co. is pleased and honored to be among the five home builders participating in the Memphis chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Kim and Blair Brown of Grant and Co. are lead builders on the project for Grant.
For the next four days, the neighborhood will be packed with volunteer framers, roofers, electricians, painters and other subcontractors who have donated labor and materials to make home ownership a reality for needy Memphis families.
“We are thrilled to be a part of an organization that gives back to the community,” said Keith Grant of Grant and Co. “We have been so blessed as a company and we are excited to participate in providing homes to those less fortunate in our area.”
There will be 196 homes built across the nation during this one week “Builder Blitz”. Sixty three of these will be built in the State of Tennessee. The national kick off was held in Memphis this morning with the Memphis Area Home Builders Association.
On hand for the kick-off were local, regional and national officials of Habitat for Humanity, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Memphis) and Steve Thomas, former host of This Old House and Renovation Nation.

Steve Thomas

Grant & Company will join five other Memphis home builders in welcoming Steve Thomas, former host of the home improvement shows, This Old House and Renovation Nation, to Memphis on June 4 when the Emmy-winning television personality participates in the kickoff of Habitat for Humanity International Home Builders Blitz 2012.

Steve Thomas, former host of THIS OLD HOUSE

Grant is one of six home builders in Memphis who has stepped up to accept the challenge of building five homes in five days for Habitat for Humanity in the Trinity Park neighborhood in Memphis. The Memphis Area Home Builders Association has partnered with Habitat for Humanity to make this project possible.
The nationwide project calls for the construction of more than 200 homes for needy families nationwide; 63 of those homes will be built across Tennessee.
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminating poverty housing. Memphis Habitat has built 400 homes in the Memphis area since its founding in 1983 and funded the construction of 59 homes abroad. Habitat houses are built with volunteer labor and sold to partner families, at no profit and with no interest charged. Partner families make a down payment and invest hundreds of hours of “sweat equity” into the construction of their homes and other Habitat homes.
“It is a way for us to play forward all the blessings we have received over the years,” said Kim Grant Brown, owner of Kim Grant Homes and a member of the Grant & Company family of home builders. “We are happy to be a part of this exciting project. We are thrilled to be able to help a family achieve the American dream – homeownership.”

Grant & Company is pleased to announce that new Grant homes are now under construction in Brunswick Farms in Bartlett.
New lots have just been released in the newest phase of this well established neighborhood located on Hwy. 70 east of Brunswick Road and west of Canada Road.
Three available homes and a model home are under construction with completion dates set for mid-summer. Brunswick Farms is a much sought after neighborhood because of its outstanding location, well maintained homes, and excellent Shelby County Schools (Bon Lin Elementary & Middle and Bolton High School)
Prices start at just $229,950 for over 3,000 square feet of heated space. Six different floor plans with many elevation choices, ranging in heated square footage from 3,000 to over 3,600 square feet, are available. Under construction now are the Asheville, Waterford and Chesapeake. To see these home plans, click here.
For more information, call Sue Elzey at 901-338-6682 or John Giovannetti at 901-205-9501

Sue Elzey

John Giovannetti

At Grant & Co., we believe it is our responsibility to offer environmentally sound, ultra energy –efficient homes using state-of-the art construction materials and appliances that translate into long term savings for our homeowners. We are excited to introduce a new program that includes the most important energy efficient options available.
EnergySense* includes many of the energy efficient features that come with all Grant homes, but we are taking it a step further by offering several new options designed to save money and energy. These energy smart solutions include:
*Tankless Water Heater – Saves as much as 50 percent on your water heating costs
*Low E Windows – Reduces heat loss by up to one third
*Low VOC Products – Products that emit very low or zero volatile organic compounds for healthy indoor air
*Two Stage Gas Furnace – Delivers just the right amount of heat to provide steady, even temperatures
*R30 Attic Insulation – Can lower summer time temperatures by between five and eight degrees, ensuring long term comfort and savings
*13 SEER Air Conditioners – Up to 30 percent more efficient than units found in older homes
*Moen “WaterSense” Faucets – These plumbing fixtures save as much as 10,000 gallons of water a year
*Spray Foam Wall Insulation – Providing ultimate thermal performance and improves noise control
*Tightly Sealed Air Ducts – Directing conditioned air to where a family needs it thus increasing heating and cooling efficiency
*Insulated Exterior Doors – Keeps cold out and heat in – helping to lower heating and cooling costs
*House Wrap – Reduces air infiltration by tightly sealing the building envelope, which improves the energy efficiency, air quality and comfort of the home.
All of these energy solutions combine to provide the ultimate in energy efficiency at an affordable price. Grant homes with the EnergySense* package – homes that make perfect cents!
The EnergySense* package is available in all Grant & Co. neighborhoods. Ask your Grant & Company New Home Representative for all the details.