This post is the plain version. It covers who runs BankPricer and what happens if you reach out. You don't have to decide anything by the end of it.
The question under the question
When people land on a site like this, the question they type is usually about a mortgage. The one underneath is often about people. Who's on the other side of this? Is it a person or a form? If I say something, does it get passed around? Will somebody push me to go faster than I want to?
Those questions deserve straight answers before anything else.
What BankPricer is
BankPricer is the website of one licensed mortgage loan originator, Jeff Shin. It has articles to read and a way to reach out. The name you see on the page belongs to the person behind it.
The home page says that what you share through the site is not sold. An earlier post on this blog said it more bluntly: your name is not inventory.
If you've ever typed your details into a form somewhere and then heard from people you never asked to hear from, you know why that line matters.
Who Jeff is
Jeff Shin is a Mortgage Loan Originator. His NMLS number is at the bottom of this post, and you can look it up yourself in the public NMLS registry before you ever reach out. Careful people do that with anyone they might talk to about money. It's a good habit, and nobody worth talking to will mind.
On the home page, Jeff describes the work in his own words. He says he helps homebuyers and homeowners understand their options and work through the details, and that his goal is to help you understand the numbers and your next step.
That's a modest way to describe a job. It's also a fair standard to hold him to.
Being handed off, and being pushed
Two worries come up a lot when people think about reaching out to anyone about a mortgage.
The first is being handed off. You start with one person and end up with someone you never chose, telling your whole story again to a stranger. On BankPricer, reaching out can put what you write in front of Jeff. The home page says he reads these himself.
The second worry is pressure. Somebody hurries you, or makes it sound like you're behind, or treats your first question like a signed agreement, or keeps nudging after you've said you'd like to think. That kind of thing makes people go quiet and stop asking questions, and asking questions is the whole point.
An earlier post on this blog laid out the order of things simply. If a conversation shows that something is off, you walk away. If it shows that things look close, you decide what comes next. Either way, the decision is yours.
What a first conversation is for
The short version: you say where you are and what you want, in your own words, and you get help sorting it out before you decide anything.
Near the top of the home page there's a plain question: what are you trying to figure out? It's a good way to walk into a first conversation. Come with whatever is actually on your mind, even if it's messy and even if you don't know the right words for it.
Most people arrive with pieces. Something they read. A number a friend mentioned at dinner. A quote from somewhere else. A rough sense of what monthly amount would let them sleep at night. Organizing means getting those pieces into one place so you can look at them together, instead of carrying them around in your head.
Comparing and checking come after that. Comparing is putting two things side by side and seeing where they differ: two quotes, buying now or waiting, staying put or moving, a shorter loan or a longer one. Checking is asking whether something that held for a coworker, or for a headline, holds for your situation too.
Jeff can help you sort through all of that, so that you understand the numbers in front of you and your next step. Whatever you learn, you're the one who decides.
A few scenes
Picture a few people who just found the site. They're made up, and they're ordinary.
Maria got a quote from somewhere else last week. It looked fine at first. Then she read it again over breakfast and wasn't so sure. She doesn't want to start over. She'd like a second opinion from someone who will read it with her and tell her what they see.
Sam and Priya are a long way from buying. They rent a place they like, and they keep talking about buying on walks after dinner without getting anywhere. They worry that reaching out this early would waste somebody's time. Early is fine. The home page even has a choice for people who are just researching.
Walt has owned his home for a long time. Every so often he wonders whether refinancing makes sense for him. Then he puts the question away again, because he doesn't know who to ask without getting pushed.
Dee's cousin sent her the link with one line: "Look at this before you do anything." Dee read a couple of articles and still doesn't know what to ask. That's all right. Not knowing what to ask is a reason to reach out, and saying so is a fine first sentence.
All four are starting from different places, and all four can open the same way, by saying where they are.
Lines you could use
You don't need a script. But if an empty message box makes your mind go blank, a few lines might help. Use them as they are, or change them until they sound like you.
"A friend sent me your site, and I'm not sure what to ask. Here's where I am."
"I'm just researching. Nothing is happening soon, and I'd like to understand where I stand."
"I have a quote from somewhere else, and I'd like a second opinion on it."
"We've owned our home a long time and keep wondering whether refinancing makes sense for us."
"I had a bad experience with a website before, so I'm a little nervous about this."
"I don't know the right words for any of this. Here's what I want, in my own words."
"Before anything else, I'd like to know a little about who I'm talking to."
Each of those says where the person is or what they want. That's all a first message has to do.
What stays yours
Reading this blog doesn't sign you up for anything. The home page says that sending a note through the site isn't the same as starting a loan. You can ask one question and stop there. You can come back much later with a different one.
Whatever you decide about your home, and whenever you decide it, stays with you.
One thing to do
Write two sentences. The first says where you are right now. The second says what you want, in your own words. They can be rough.
When you're ready, use Get In Touch and send those two sentences as they are.
Jeff Shin, NMLS 1041652. Barrett Financial Group, L.L.C. Chicago. Company NMLS 181106. Equal Housing Lender. Not a commitment to lend.