Robert Hoff founded Mountain State Financial Group in March 2015 after 15 years of experience in banking, investment, and finance. It was during this time that he saw the many opportunities for improvement in the finance industry, particularly for home mortgages. Thus, he decided to tackle these issues head on by starting his own mortgage company to help clients directly.

Mountain State Financial Group is a mortgage brokerage firm built around the idea mortgages can be done better. As the president of MSFG, Robert likes to stay close to the clients and their mortgage advisers to ensure that the company is able to act quickly to changing circumstances and opportunities. His team is comprised of highly competent and experienced individuals who share Robert’s belief in raising the bar in the mortgage industry. Below, he tells us more about his company, the motivation that drives him and mortgage trends in Colorado.

 

Have there been any interesting recent trends regarding mortgages in the state of Colorado?

Home prices continue to outpace wage growth and have for a number of years. Unfortunately, this is inhibiting many from pursuing a new home – especially first-time homebuyers with limited inventory on lower-end homes, which leads to bidding over asking price. This often puts first-time homebuyers on the sidelines, even though they may qualify to purchase a home. This stalls home ownership for many, especially in a market where both home values and interest rates are trending higher. In some situations, these individuals wait too long until home prices and interest rates are too high to qualify for a mortgage.

In addition to inhibiting potential first time homebuyers from purchasing, rising home prices are also pushing many clients into High Balance and Jumbo mortgage programs, which are often more expensive and restrictive than loans below the conforming loan limit. This is also keeping existing home owners in their current homes instead of selling and buying new homes, which is tending to lock up inventory even further.

 

What are the most common mortgage solutions that Mountain State Financial Group helps clients with?

One of the greatest ways that Mountain State Financial Group adds value to clients is by simply being financial experts. That generally involves asking more questions and gaining a better understanding of what the clients want and need. Situations are always changing, so the mortgage solutions we provide do as well. For our clients, the most important thing is that we have the know-how and product availability to meet and exceed their needs and expectations.

One piece of advice I would offer to homebuyers looking for the right mortgage broker is to search for a lender who has seasoned professionals and a deep bullpen of investors. Too many mortgage companies out there call themselves brokers, but they just push all their business to one or two investors. This doesn’t provide great value to the home buyer. MSFG has strategic partnerships with various investors specialising in specific areas - whether it be pricing, underwriting, or loan criteria.

 

What are some of the issues that your clients face before applying for a mortgage? How do you help them overcome them?

Unfortunately, the market is flooded with mortgage originators who are under qualified and inexperienced, which puts potential borrowers at risk. This makes it crucial to understand how to find a professional firm. At Mountain State Financial Group, we start by simply educating potential borrowers about mortgages. Once armed with new knowledge, we encourage borrowers to compare programmes, and price. Sorting the wheat from the chafe can be cumbersome for borrowers, so we feel it is our duty to assist these potential clients in understanding and choosing a mortgage broker, even if it ultimately means not becoming one of our clients.

Other issues that plague borrowers before applying for a mortgage include understanding the effects of different down payment amounts, credit concerns, and what they can use as qualifying income. MSFG assists with down payment options, credit repair contacts, and, perhaps most importantly, we understand the different types of income streams that can be used to qualify for a mortgage. Experience in the finance and mortgage industries simply can’t be stressed enough.

 

What motivates you about helping people with their mortgages?

Our founding principle motivates us daily. We aim to simply make the mortgage process better. The reaction we get from clients when expectations are exceeded is priceless. Great mortgage brokers take something incredibly complex and make it incredibly simple. We take pride in doing this right and strive to deliver what we say we’ll deliver 100% of the time.

 

Website: https://www.msfg.us/