For the first time in our history, we are offering a discount to just one group of potential customers–members of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and their friends & families.

For the last 6 years, our policy at Ethical Homes has been to offer everyone the same great pricing on our services, because we don’t believe in charging higher rates to some borrowers just because they might not drive as hard a bargain. (After all, one of the many reasons people use us is because negotiating might not be their forte; it’s OUR job as a mortgage broker to drive a hard bargain on their behalf, shopping their loan to multiple wholesale investors to find the best deal for them, which is why we can get them such good rates.) So in the last 6 years, we haven’t offered any discounts or rebates during that time other than ones that we offered to everyone. (Treating everyone fairly is part of why we’re Ethical Homes, and not a typical mortgage team.)

We’ve been referred a lot of business from Chamber members in the last few years, though, so I was trying to think of a way to give something back to the Chamber, and was recently convinced that giving a discount to a particular group as a “thank you” wasn’t the same as giving a discount to one client because they were a better negotiator than another client. So for the first time in our history, we’re offering a discount to only some of our clients.

Rates right now are already at historic lows–in the last week, solid borrowers with good credit have been seeing rates for 30-year fixed rate mortgages in the 4%-4.75% range (depending on their scenario) without paying any discount points.

But for members (or their immediate families) of the Arlington Chamber (or the great staff at the Chamber, of course) who start the pre-qualification process in July or August, we’re going to pay for extra discount points to bring their rates down even further, out of our own pocket–one discount point for borrowers getting an FHA, VA, or USDA loan, or any loan with private mortgage insurance, and a half discount point for all other borrowers.

And for anyone who starts working with us during that period because they were referrals from Arlington Chamber members, we’re also going to help to buy down their rate–half as much as for Chamber members, but that can still amount to a savings of $4k or more for a typical DC-area borrower. (For folks that I met at Chamber events who aren’t yet members, you are still eligible for the “referred friends” rate buydown; it’s not as good as the full Chamber member discount, but hey–that’s another reason for you to go ahead and join the Chamber. )

To qualify for this offer, just email Sweth directly at arlington2010 @ ethicalhomes.com, or contact the team using the form on our website and mention that you are a Chamber member. If you want to refer any friends or colleagues to us, make sure that they mention you and that you referred them to us, so that they can also get their exclusive rate buydown.

Thanks again for all of the great referrals. (And we’re always looking to send business to other Chamber members as well. If I haven’t had a chance to sit down with you over coffee to chat about what you do and how we might be able to help each other, I’d love the opportunity to do so.)

– Sweth.

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