Joe Stafford has always enjoyed helping people. It's one of the reasons the Jesup native pursued a career in mortgage lending. He knew that, by learning the ins and outs of the industry, he would be able to help those looking to finance their dreams.
That took him to Atlanta in the 1980s — partly, he says, because the job market was difficult.
"There were no jobs in South Georgia back then," he remembered.
After spending the majority of his career in the state's capital, Stafford decided it was time to make a change.
"I honestly just got tired of the city life. I wanted something a little slower. So we moved back down here and hopefully will be able to retire here...someday," he said with a laugh.
Once he relocated, Stafford started to explore his employment options. He could open his own mortgage company or he could join up with an existing business. After already operating his own firm, Stafford was hoping for the latter.
And, luckily, fate took the reigns.
"I met Patti (Hale) and we met up to talk. And all of our ideas matched-up," he said. "We really want to help people, and we're willing to dig a little deeper to make a loan happen."
The two found common ground on business practices and work ethic. Before long, Hale invited Stafford to come aboard.
In November, he did just that. He's now a mortgage loan originator at HomeStar Financial in Brunswick, working with branch manager Hale. Stafford is responsible for helping clients realize their dream of home ownership. And, like Hale, he is willing to go the extra mile to do that.
"We're pretty much available whenever — seven days a week. We just want to find the easiest way the deal can be done," he said.
If it takes working long hours to make it happen, Stafford and Hale are willing to do it. In fact, their willingness to put in the time to try to find loans for clients, some of whom may be facing financing challenges, is what sets their business apart.
"A lot of the larger banks just don't have the time to take with clients that have issues with their credit or whatever it may be," he said.
"We can do that. We like to take the time and see what we can work out. And if we can't find a way to do the loan, then we'll give them 'homework' that can help them get into a better position. It may take six months or a year, but we can work together and get them approved."
Stafford and Hale also won't charge clients just for coming in and talking about options.
"We don't charge anything to listen," he said.
"And it doesn't take very long — just 15 minutes. We can look at the big picture together and see what we can do to make it work."
The willingness to help families — particularly those who have been rejected by other lenders — is a philosophy that's shared by the whole company. It's a place where questions are always welcome and solutions often abound.
"Our company is based here in Georgia, and our president is just a phone call away," Stafford said.
Homestar Financial Corp. is a full service mortgage banker with more than 40 offices throughout the southeast. They specialize in USDA loans, as well as FHA and Veteran's Affairs loans. They can also do conventional and jumbo mortgages. But, even though the company continues to see growth, Hale says that it remains client-oriented. They are still small enough to avoid the road blocks and red tape sometimes experienced at larger firms.
The company's owner — Wes Hunt — runs the Christian-based business putting families ahead of figures and bottom lines. That sets HomeStar apart from large lenders and corporate banking powerhouses.
Being a family man himself, it's a philosophy Stafford appreciates. And he's setting his personal goal to help those families who never thought they would be able to own their own home.
"A lot of times it's cheaper than they think. It can even be cheaper than renting," he said. "And the lending guidelines have really softened in the past few years. It's not as strict as it was a few years ago. It's much easier to get a loan now."
©2015 The Brunswick News (Brunswick, Ga.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency
