Getting a mortgage for a new home โ or refinancing your current one โ can seem daunting and overwhelming, especially if youโre dialing toll-free numbers at big banks and arenโt quite sure what youโre getting yourself into.
Fortunately, thereโs an option where you have the same access to financial products, but can work with experts who are right here in New Tampa. At Marimark Mortgage, which has been located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center off Commerce Park Blvd. since it opened in 2006, the staff will help you through the process every step of the way.
โWe all have the same products and very similar rates,โ says Marimark Mortgage owner Mary Catchur. โWhat differentiates me and my business is our level of service and our commitment to educating the homebuyer.โ
Mary is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who spent 13 years as an auditor for KPMG (Klynveld, Peat, Marwick & Goerdeler), one of the โBig Fourโ U.S. public accounting firms which was founded in The Netherlands. Then, she was the chief financial officer for an internet-based real estate company, in which she established a mortgage division.
Her current clients benefit from this broad financial background, as Mary applies her skills and experience to assist loan applicants, reviewing each clientโs financial status and advising them about loans that make sense for their individual situations.
Mary says that many of her clients come to her after previously being disappointed with other mortgage companies. With special circumstances such as being self-employed, or retired and living off of assets, other companies may not know how to structure a loan.
โThey donโt have the financial background to understand,โ she says. โI understand financial issues, such as ways to give [retired clients] an income stream based on their assets, but someone who doesnโt have a financial background wouldnโt know how to navigate that process.โ
Marimark offers a complete line of financing options, such as conventional loans, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans and loans through the Veterans Administration (VA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Mary is a Pennsylvania native who grew up helping out at her familyโs electrical business, but she has called Tampa home since 1979. She earned her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degrees in Accounting and French from the University of South Florida (USF) and currently maintains her mortgage brokerโs license in Florida, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
โWith todayโs technology, you donโt need to be located in the same area to do business,โ Mary explains, adding that she serves many clients outside of Florida, many of whom find her on the internet.
โItโs always best to shop around and remember that your bank is not your only choice for a mortgage.โ
Unparalleled Customer Service
There are other reasons why Maryโs clients say she stands out among other companies in the business, and Mary encourages anyone interested in looking for financing for their home to Google โMarimark Mortgage.โ She says youโll get a good picture of what itโs like to work with Marimark from the companyโs reviews.
One common theme is that her customer service is top notch.
Karla Folstad is a local Realtor with Easy Street Realty who regularly refers clients to Marimark. โMary is one of my go-to lenders, she says. โShe is an unbelievable service provider and has worked miracles for a couple of my clients when another lender has dropped the ball.โ
For example, she says that recently, a large bank told her clients there was no way to close a deal in 25 days, but Karla referred them to Marimark, and Mary said she could get it done. โThat bank said, โIf someone told you they can get this deal closed sooner than us, theyโre a liar,โโ Karla recalls.
As it turned out, the loan was rushed and approved so quickly, Karla says her clients could have closed five days sooner than they needed to.
โSheโs so professional and so on top of things, and I enjoy working with her a lot,โ says Karla of Mary. โI know when I send clients to her theyโre going to close.โ
Sally Rosfeld moved to New Tampa last year and she says she was, โamazed at the amount of personal service. Usually, getting a mortgage is really stressful, but this is the easiest time weโve ever had getting a mortgage. There was no stress. Mary paid attention to every deal and took all the pressure off of us.โ
She adds, โIt was like working with a friend. I would recommend her to anyone.โ
โMy approach is straightforward and educational,โ Mary says. โWhen I got into the business, I saw a real need to educate people so they know why the product theyโre getting is better for them.โ
Mary says she shouldnโt be the one choosing a product for a client, but itโs important for her clients to be fully educated about their loan product. For example, maybe youโve been offered a low rate, but do you know what fees you have to pay to get that rate?
โMaybe the most important thing to you is getting the lowest possible payment, or maybe itโs paying the least amount of money over the life of the loan, but we need to talk about your entire scenario and what your goals and needs are,โ she explains.
Mary also is proud that Marimark offers a streamlined, efficient process, with great communication. She uses technology to her clientsโ and her companyโs advantage, such as, for example, automatic notifications every step of the process.
โIt sounds so simple, but we communicate with people,โ Mary says. โWe communicate with all parties โ of course the buyer and the title company, but also the sellerโs Realtor and the buyerโs Realtor and the appraisal management company. When the processor moves on the file, like if she clicks that she ordered the appraisal, the notice goes to everybody.โ
Marimark Mortgage is located at 5327 Primrose Lake Cir. For more information, visit MarimarkMortgage.com, call (813) 910-8020, or see the ad on page 46.
