Mill Valley: We Love You, but We’re Ready to Retire

While on vacation in Palm Desert, a couple who’d lived in Mill Valley for many years came across their retirement dream home. The property had room for their kids—and their kid’s kids— with a pool, and breathtaking desert views.

And, they were in luck! It was on the market. The only problem was they had no down payment because their equity remained tied to their Mill Valley home. The owner was very motivated to sell, so they needed to move quickly.

I was able to offer them a $1,200,000 Bridge Loan. That way, they could meet the seller’s requirements and secure their future in Palm Desert. *The couple then was able to focus on prepping and staging their Mill Valley home for sale. And getting ready to enjoy the warm weather—and retirement—in Palm Desert.

*Home sold for $300,000 over the asking price.

A NOTE FROM OUR CLIENT:

“Our realtor introduced us to Sofia after hearing that we were looking to retire in Palm Desert. We had found the home of our dreams, but we had no idea how to make it happen since we didn’t have the down payment nor the liquid assets to put in an offer. Sofia quickly got to work and secured a $1,200,000 Bridge Loan that included mortgage interest for 6 months in case our house would take a while to sell. To our surprise, we received 5 offers and our Mill Valley house just sold for $300,000 over asking. We could never have made this a reality without Sofia’s expertise and funding and we are forever grateful.”

From Loan Denial to Kentfield Dream Home

Every client has a different story. And adapting to the needs and wants of everyone I work with—clients, as well as real estate agents—is an invaluable skill. I had a client who was very successful, though his personal income stream was inconsistent. And, he owned multiple business ventures. He did not qualify with a traditional lender.

After a subjective analysis, I determined he was actually a low-risk borrower. I was able to grant him a $2,700,000 Bridge Loan.

This client had his heart set on a beautiful home in Kentfield. And after the 5-day loan closing, he and his family were able to settle in and enjoy Kentfield and their new home.

A NOTE FROM OUR CLIENT:

“I had been working for over 3 months with my current lender, who finally declined my loan. I was already in contract and the clock was ticking. Sofia and her team approved me in less than 24 hours for the full purchase price. We closed 5 days later and I was able to move my family into our dream home in Kentfield.”

Moving to Sunny Novato

The landscape of the real estate market can alter very quickly. And even when you find that perfect house, all the elements need to align to make your dream a reality. A Marin Country resident fell into this very predicament. He’d found a house he wanted in Novato, but his equity was tied up in his unsold Larkspur house. Plus, the seller needed a non-contingent offer.

This client did not qualify with conventional lenders to have two simultaneous mortgages. And that’s where I came in, providing a $1,750,000 Bridge Loan.

Six months later, my client had sold the Larkspur home, paid off the Bridge Loan and refinanced with a long-term, low interest conventional loan. Without having Golden Gate Lending Group as an option, he may have missed his window to acquire his idyllic home in sunny Novato.

A NOTE FROM OUR CLIENT:

“We knew very little about Bridge Loans, and our Realtor introduced us to Sofia Nadjibi. With her strategic advice and expertise, we were able to make a move to Novato before selling our house. AND it was very easy and surprisingly very little paperwork.”

Dreams Become Reality

After being declined by several traditional banks and brokers, the owner of several San Francisco properties was frustrated and nervous she may miss her opportunity to own a very special property in Sebastopol.

This client’s dream was to found an animal rescue operation. And after a two-year search throughout Sonoma County, she’d found a ranch-style location with a main house, guest house, as well as a barn-slash-workshop—the quintessential spot to rescue and rehabilitate animals.

After a threat from the seller to issue a Notice to Perform—giving the client 24 hours to produce loan approval—she called Sofia on the 4th of July worried and disheartened she would not close by her July 13th deadline. Immediately, Sofia and the Golden Gate Lending Team launched into action. She was approved for a $1,250,000 Bridge Loan within 24 hours and to her delight she did not have to make a down payment and instead used her cash to fix up her future property.

The loan customization, personalized service, and flexibility for which Golden Gate Lending Group is renowned proved a perfect fit for this client’s needs. She signed the final loan documents on July 11 and the day of the closing deadline—Friday the 13th—turned out to be a very happy day!

A NOTE FROM OUR CLIENT:

“Thank you for closing my loan in less than seven days. You and your team worked endlessly into the evenings to make sure everything happened on time. I feel so blessed to be able to move to Sebastopol and make my dream come true opening an animal rescue operation. You made my dream a reality!”

Turning 30-Year Equity into the Perfect Retirement

Upon finding a single-story house in Folsom, CA, a couple who’d lived in an East Bay home for 30 years was excited to make the move. They met with a mortgage banker and their realtor who broke the news that they would not qualify for a traditional loan. But, they also had some good news.

The banker and realtor said Golden Gate Lending Group might be exactly the kind of private lender they needed. And, it turned out to be a perfect fit! The couple had 30 years of equity tied up in their East Bay home. And, after exploring various options with Sofia, a Short-Term Bridge Loan was decided upon as their best option. The Golden Gate Lending Team worked with the couple’s realtor to determine a realistic value for their house and devise a marketing and sales timeline. They wrote an offer as strong as all cash with no contingencies, their offer was accepted under asking price, and three weeks later they closed.

A NOTE FROM OUR CLIENT:

“You have such a niche in the loan market place! We had no idea that we would be able to use our equity from our home for a retirement home. You were so helpful and through in explaining the loan process and all the Bridge Loan details. We got the keys today and we can’t wait to move in!”

Out of the Fog: Retiring to Santa Barbara

Retiring in the perfect location with the ideal dream home is a big life decision, usually many years in the planning. Though, a problem often arises for retirees who need a loan to secure their new home: declining income prevents many conventional brokers from providing traditional loans. And, this is where GG Lending Group excels.

A couple was ready to escape foggy San Francisco for warmer temperatures in Santa Barbara. The husband had been a prominent CPA working with high net-worth individuals, but now retired and needed a short-term loan until their current home was sold. They also didn’t want to liquidate hard-earned retirement savings and investments. And, there were also advantageous tax benefits involved with a bridge loan.

Golden Gate Lending Group was able to qualify the couple based on equity in their house, not employment or income. They were soon off to relax and soak up some rays in sunny Santa Barbara! Their San Francisco home sold in less than 2 months and they paid off the bridge loan in full and lived happily ever after.

A NOTE FROM OUR CLIENT:

“Sofia, you have a unique and excellent loan product that was perfect for our situation. We would not have been able to make our retirement dream happen without the bridge loan and your expertise. We are grateful you and your team are true professionals and closed our loan in less than two weeks—and while working around the 4th of July holiday!”