Homebuyer Solutions Group Success Story

“Everything was extremely easy. Everyone who helped us was amazing, and they were on our side from the beginning… Just believe and have faith in the process. Do the work they ask of you. Follow everything to the very end. Ask questions if you don’t understand. I love my new home and we’re proud to be a part of the Lennar family!” – Marylynn M., customer

Marylynn M. and her husband successfully improved their credit scores while enrolled in Lennar Mortgage’s Homebuyer Solutions Group (HBSG) program and were able to purchase their dream Lennar Home after graduation. We spoke to HBSG Credit Specialist, Sara Gellatly, about her customers’ journey to homeownership.

Marylynn and her husband first sought assistance from another builder and their credit solutions team but were not satisfied with the customer service they received. Then, they came to Lennar and Lennar Mortgage. They qualified for their home based on their income and other factors, but their credit score was too low to qualify. Marylynn’s husband had medical debt which resulted in overdue payments and medical collections added to his credit report. Sara advised the couple on negotiating with the credit bureaus to have the medical collections removed altogether.

Marylynn and her husband believed that if they paid off the outstanding debt, their credit score would improve. Unfortunately, that is not true and something that Sara must often explain to her customers. Once the medical collection appeared on his credit report, it needed to be removed in order for his score to improve; it didn’t help their credit score to only pay it off. Sara gave her customers a plan to follow to pay off their debt and to have the collections removed.

Marylynn was extremely determined to improve her and her husband’s credit so they could purchase their home. She paid off the medical debt and repeatedly called to have the collections removed from their credit report. Over a 6-month period, her husband’s credit score increased by 200 points, thanks to Sara’s guidance and the customer’s hard work. They graduated from the program in July 2019 and closed on their home in September 2019. Congratulations to the happy customers on their new home!

“I love helping clients purchase their dream home when they thought it wasn’t possible for them. Job loss, medical conditions, and other debt are the most frequent cause of challenges that I see. I am especially happy when I can help a family move into their dream home.” – Sara Gellatly, Credit Specialist