When a Huntington customer’s father passed away in early 2022, buying a home was the last thing on her mind. After saving all year, Michelle* and her mother, Nancy*, decided to give it a shot. Michelle applied for a mortgage loan with a different lender and quickly learned that she did not qualify. That’s when she turned to North West Housing Partnership, a Chicago nonprofit, for help.
The nonprofit gave Huntington Mortgage Loan Officer Kimberly Gehrke a call and connected her with Michelle and Nancy. Kimberly regularly speaks at the organization on topics like financial literacy, homeownership, and Huntington’s mortgage products and resources.
Kimberly introduced Michelle to the Home for Good product, which launched in Detroit and select markets in Illinois and Wisconsin earlier this year. The product expands credit access to consumers who’ve historically had limited access to mortgage financing options during the homebuying process for lack of credit history or affordable credit options.
Through Home for Good, Kimberly was able to help this mother-daughter duo buy a home, cover much of their closing costs, and qualify them for an additional $2,000 grant.
“When we learned that it was going to work and we could afford the house, I was really shocked,” said Michelle. “I couldn’t believe how far we’d made it, and it was so nice seeing my mom happy and smiling again. Huntington was there for us every step of the way.”
Kimberly noted that the closing was a team effort, saying, “Together, we made the dream of homeownership a reality for these customers.”
*Names changed to protect privacy