When John Grime started thinking about buying an investment property in 2021, he needed a plan.
He called his “go-to” mortgage broker, Mary Catchur of Marimark Mortgage in the Tampa Palms Professional Center, just off the Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. exit of I-75. John says he’s built years of trust with Mary, as she’s helped him and his wife obtain financing to purchase a home, then refinance it when rates dropped. He knew if he ever bought an investment property, he would count on Marimark Mortgage to provide the financing to make that transaction happen.
“Mary broke everything down and laid out a good roadmap for me of what the lender would ask for and what I would need,” he says. “Now, here I am, closing on a place.”
He says that type of honest, straightforward advice is the reason he always counts on Marimark Mortgage and highly recommends Mary.
“She’s detailed and she’s immediate with information,” John says. “Whether it’s a phone call, a text or an email, Mary constantly communicates.”
Mary says that’s a hallmark of her business, which she opened in 2006. When she first dipped her toes in the mortgage side of the business, while working for another company, she quickly realized the typical way of selling mortgages wasn’t going to work for her.
“A lot of people who sell mortgages are sales people,” she says. “They want to sell the rate or sell the payment, but I take a different approach. I’m an educator and a financial person, so I first listen to understand, then figure out what make sense for that person, and then, I explain why.”
Her financial background comes from both the education and work experiences she had before moving into the mortgage industry.
Mary received both a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Accounting and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in French from the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa. She holds Florida licenses as a mortgage broker, as a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and as a real estate Broker.Â
She worked as an auditor for “Big Four” public accounting firm KPMG for 13 years, then served as the chief financial officer (CFO) for a real estate company.
Marimark has recently expanded, as Mary’s sons, Matt and Nick Catchur, have both joined the firm.
Matt graduated from USF in 2024 with a B.S. degree in Finance. Mary says Matt’s education benefits their clients.
“Similar to my CPA background,” she says, “the more you know about finance, the better you can understand the products you offer. We can better evaluate our customers and find the best product for them.”
She explains that a salesperson who doesn’t have the background that Marimark Mortgage has will leave it up to the underwriter to determine if a buyer is qualified for a loan. Mary says this can cause frustration for a buyer who has been pre-qualified by someone who doesn’t fully understand the buyer’s financial situation or the nuances of the mortgage product they are selling.
Meanwhile, Mary’s son Nick is a fellow real estate Broker who also works at Marimark in loan origination. As a team, this trio can offer multiple services that are helpful to buyers, and bring a greater understanding to the home-buying process.
Know What You Don’t Know?
Mary says that beyond their commitment to excellent communication and education, another important skill is to know what they don’t know.
“There’s so much to know and to keep up on,” Mary says. “The rules and guidelines are constantly changing, and there are so many different products out there. There are a lot of moving parts and everyone’s scenario and source of income is so different, so every person you work with is completely new.”
For example, she says, income earned by a truck driver is completely different from that earned by a nurse, which is completely different from that of a business executive.Â
“Our business background helps us understand how all these people get paid,” she says. “We have to constantly think outside the box, be creative and understand the scenario to put them with the right product.”
While many buyers are looking for a fixed-rate mortgage, Mary says there are many different options.
For example, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans offer low down payments and Veterans Administration (VA) loans allow U.S. military veterans to buy a home with no money down.
Mary also says that those who are self-employed may want to consider a bank-statement loan, where account deposits determine income, rather than pay stubs.
For investment properties, a debt-service coverage ratio loan doesn’t require a borrower to have a specific income, but instead considers how much money is going to come in from the investment property and whether or not it will cover the principal, interest, taxes, insurance and Homeowners Association fees.
Marimark also offers reverse mortgages, which allow borrowers over the age of 62 whose home is worth more than what is owed on it to eliminate mortgage payments altogether.
Mary says Marimark often helps homeowners who want to refinance and get cash out for debt consolidation, renovations or other purposes. Right now, though, many who refinanced their homes when rates were low don’t want to give up that low mortgage rate. In that case, homeowners can add a second loan or home equity line of credit, which Mary says is popular among those who want to use the equity in their homes without having to refinance.
She also says it’s a misconception that working with her will cost a buyer more than not working with a mortgage broker.
“Sometimes your bank will have a good product for you, but sometimes they’re not your best option because they only have their own products,” Mary explains. “Your situation might be a little different and you might need a different product. I have several lenders I can go to and search for a product that meets your needs. But, if your bank’s products don’t fit you, they can’t help you.”
She says she talks with people every day who have special circumstances and that the more she learns about them, the more helpful it is to be able to work with a variety of different lenders.
“We definitely have more options than a bank can offer,” she says. “There aren’t any extra fees, and you have the advantage of the many more products that we can offer you.”
Marimark Mortgage’s office is located at 5327 Primrose Lake Cir. in the Tampa Palms Professional Center. For more information, visit MarimarkMortgage.com or call (813) 910- 8020.
