HQM Loan Specialist goes extra mile to close home loan deal for serving Navy Seal
It’s not every day mortgage brokers get to fine tune a home loan application by calling their clients up on FaceTime in the middle of the night and in a far-flung corner of the globe.
And the chances of doing all this while under the threat of gun fire and the odd explosion are even more remote.
But this is exactly what happened to dedicated loan specialist Daniel Casasnovas (pictured), who went above and beyond the call of duty to close a very special deal.
The New Jersey-based broker, who works for HQM Loans, found himself in this bizarre situation while helping a Navy Seal close on his family’s new home. All would seem normal up to this point, except for the fact that Casasnovas was doing it while the client was on a secret ops mission in Somalia, fighting Islamic militants.
Casasnovas’ unique story was flagged last week by UWM to coincide with National Mortgage Brokers Day on July 18.
Speaking exclusively to MPA while on a family holiday to Disney World, Casasnovas said that although it had been the most unusual business deal of his career to date, he would do it again without a second thought.
“The only time he was able to speak was at 2am before his mission, but it was no sweat off my back - I wanted to make sure I could accommodate him,” he said.
The two men spoke on many occasions, something Casasnovas found “pretty cool”, namely because during these times his client was normally kitted up in full combat gear and with tell-tale black camouflage around his eyes.
The extraordinary conversations were inevitably carried out in virtual whispers, lest the enemy interrupt them mid-flow with bursts of automatic gun fire.
Casasnovas stressed that his desire to close the deal was not about seeking a financial incentive. “It was not about the money. When it comes to our Armed Services, I’ll go above and beyond to make sure they’re comfortable and healthy.”
His client was so touched by Casasnovas’ dedication that he arranged for a US flag to be flown in his honor on 9/11 for nine minutes and 11 seconds, a gesture that deeply moved the broker.
“It was just insane. I didn’t deserve this as I’m not in the Armed Services, but him doing that and then honoring me by giving me the flag…” he said, his voice trailing off in emotion.
To facilitate closing the deal, his client signed over power-of-attorney to his wife, which ironically turned out to be the most complex part of the transaction for Casasnovas – that and having to wake up in the middle of the night to arrange the FaceTime meetings.
Asked what advice he would give fellow brokers, Casasnovas said: “Service is key. You have to treat your clients like friends and family. You have to make sure that you’re going to treat them just like you would want someone in your family treated,” revealing that there had been other occasions when he had lowered his own compensation in order to lower his clients’ mortgage payments.
“People are always worried about the numbers, but when it comes to our company, and high-quality mortgage, we want to make sure that we’re giving them the best service and best experience that they can possibly have. The loans will come after that,” he concluded.
