By: Deborah Vance
“The Mortgage Lady” Says, We Can Get There From Here! Creative And Caring Paths To Financial Stability
The 38-year-old woman, Laurie (not her real name), had three beautiful kids, a comfortable home, nice friends and…. a tyrant for a husband. Controlling, secretive and mean, he was a closet gambler. How could she have known? She couldn’t and she didn’t. Not until he sold their home, filed for bankruptcy and then divorce. She was cut adrift in a sea of what-the-heck… completely unprepared for life. She knew she had to hop to and get herself and her kids situated but hardly knew where to start. She had a job but it didn’t pay much. Unawareness, and, in this case, the blessing of ignorance, were Laurie’s new best friends. They kept her from complete desperation… she didn’t know what she didn’t know, and how bleak things were. Optimistically, Laurie’s first thought was to find a home for her and the kids. Uh, no; reality check… her credit history didn’t meet minimum requirements. What she did have was money from her mom for a down payment. Enter Dione Oliver and her fantastic team. They do loans that no one else can do.
Other agents in the industry know “if Dione can’t do it, no one can do it.” In Genesee County she is known as “The Mortgage Lady.” Born and reared in Flint, she is still here, helping the community stay strong. Her own personal experience with obtaining a mortgage has qualified her in a special way to be of assistance to homebuyers. She and her team are driven to make a difference.
Loaning money is all about risk. Is this person a good credit risk, or will the loan end up in default and become a loss for the company? That’s why credit scores are important. Without benefit of an acceptable credit score, very few lending organizations will even look at you, let alone finance a major purchase.
Dione Oliver, currently with Ross Mortgage in Genesee County, is a seasoned lender. The specifics of Laurie’s situation are unique but not unusual. Genesee County is a community with dire needs, and Dione and her team have decided to become part of the solution.
The decision to do business in Genesee County with all its weighty challenges is nothing short of a mission. Dione and her team develop financial products that are designed to accommodate problematic credit histories. She welcomes MSDHA loans, which are one per cent down. She doesn’t discriminate against low loan amounts.
Veterans have a special place in her heart. She cares about them and actively works to educate them on how best to take advantage of their particular benefits relating to mortgages.
The end of the “Laurie Story” – she was judged to be credit-worthy and was able to obtain a mortgage for a new home… and a new start.
As in Laurie’s case, many people are uninformed and uneducated in financial matters. Dione Oliver takes her role of educator seriously. Not only does she teach the specifics of financial products and tools, but also how to maneuver through the financial system. Give a man a fish, he eats for a day… teach a man to fish, he will eat for a lifetime. Dione is committed to equipping her clients for long-term success.
No surprises and creative solutions are Dione’s watchwords. What the industry calls due diligence: gathering and investigating any and all relevant information that might impact the success of the lending process. She will find a way to be helpful.
Dione is a woman of her word. Once she has ascertained that someone is at an acceptable level of risk for borrowing, the creative juices start to flow. When the spirit is willing, the brain kicks in and many routes to success start to pop up. Ross Mortgage encourages Dione to operate with independence and imagination. She offers a breath of fresh air to a financially stressed person who is struggling.
Her office operates with a broad base of cooperation. Each success story is a result of enthusiastic cooperation between all the folks involved along the road to financial stability and health. Lending agents connect with real estate agents who connect with sellers and so it goes. A community in action.
Genesee County mighty have initially gained notoriety for its struggles. However, it now competes for the most resilient and resourceful initiatives for success. The wealth of ideas and follow-through is worth more than gold. People are becoming emboldened to dream of the new Genesee County, a place to thrive and prosper. Dione Oliver and her team at Ross Mortgage are poster children of this revival.
Dione’s team includes Ericka Rudolph, Cindy Langston, Judith Parsons, Lisa Ragsdale, and Donna Creason.
Dione Oliver “The Mortgage Lady”
Sr. Loan Officer/Branch Manager
doliver@rossmortgage.com
Cell: 810-625-7381
Office: 810-228-3823
