A petite brunette with twinkling blue eyes and dimpled cheeks, Carla Blair-Gamblian might not look like the type you’d choose to be on your side in a fight. But don’t let her appearance fool you.
Carla works in the credit repair trenches, and she has helped clients tackle just about every credit problem you can imagine. And while each of Carla’s clients has a unique story, they also have a few things in common. They’ve served our country in the military and want to buy a home, but their credit is holding them back. Perhaps most importantly, they’re ready to do something about it.
Building Credit
VA Mortgage Center.com’s Department of Secondary Approval (DSA) exists for these men and women. It’s a free service where consultants like Carla team up with future military homeowners and help them repair their credit. There’s no secret formula or shady dealing here: just sound advice that works.
“Working for DSA isn’t about just giving someone a few tips to raise their score,” Carla said. “It is an opportunity to educate them on how credit works. I help people improve their credit by making sure they understand their report and what impacts their score.”
Credit is a growing issue of concern for home buyers, and it affects military members even more than the average citizen. Frequent moves increase opportunities for bills and notifications to slip through the cracks. Add deployments, training and other “calls of duty,” and it’s a real challenge to maintain good credit.
But service members can work one-on-one with DSA credit counselors and get their financial situation back on track.
“…we create a plan of action based on their budget, time frame, and our lender guidelines,” Carla said. “Depending on the credit report, a lot of people notice changes in as little as 2-3 weeks, but I’ve worked with some people for 3 days, some 3 years.”
To contact VA Mortgage Center.com’s DSA department, give them a call at 888-392-7421.
Building a Future
Take James, for example. When we first spoke with him, he was afraid that he would never be able to buy a home:
“Normally I was too embarrassed to let anyone know what my score was, which at the time was around 536. Jake Levy [a Home Loan Consultant] gave me some advice on basic things to do to get me started… and I went to work immediately…. Within 7 months time frame I had pulled myself out of the hole that had been created and kept me burdened for so long…. My credit rating now is currently at 721 and has held steady for the past 5 months, and I still work hard at getting it higher.
And once Jake helped him get his credit score where he wanted it, VA Mortgage Center.com was able to help James the rest of the way to his dream of owning a home.
“Right away Cooper Allen [a loan officer] went to work on my loan application. The realtor Cooper advised me to use was a real go-getter… and believe it or not we found the home I always wanted on the first day of going out in the field. Cooper worked diligently on getting all of the necessary paperwork to complete the process done and… I signed on the deadline that we discussed prior to me even looking at the house.
My dream is now a reality, and I owe a lot to these two guys. It is because of people like them that make all of us that have served and are currently serving in the military proud to serve each and every day.”
Though James is grateful to the team members who helped him out, it was his own hard work that made him a homeowner. And at the end of the day, Carla, Jake, Cooper, and the rest of their team are just glad that they can come alongside and help.
“We all want to share what we know and help those around us, and DSA gives me that opportunity every day,” Carla said. “The icing on the cake is that I’m helping veterans and active duty service members. I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t be proud to be helping America’s protectors.”
To contact VA Mortgage Center.com’s DSA department, give them a call at 888-392-7421.
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