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Jobs Numbers, Consumer Confidence and Mortgage Lending All Up; Time is
Right for CU Home Mortgage Solutions – CU Realty Services Partnership
Two CUSOs Team Up to Offer Popular Turnkey Real Estate Program
Seattle, Wash. and Scottsdale, Ariz. (August 2, 2013) – Is now the right time for credit unions to
promote mortgage lending? CU Home Mortgage Solutions and CU Realty Services think so. The
two CUSOs see home sales remaining active, even with rates rising modestly.
CUHMS, based in Seattle, offers real estate lending and loan servicing; CU Realty, based in
Arizona, offers a complete, turnkey real estate program. Through their agreement, CUHMS will
provide CU Realty Service’s turnkey program to client credit unions wanting to grow their mortgage
business, and the firms believe the timing is right.
“The Fed’s latest Beige Book says residential real estate activity grew at a ‘moderate to strong pace’
in all districts” said Diane Anderson, Vice President of Business Development at CUHMS. “Home
prices are starting to rise and that’s an incentive to sellers who are thinking about making a change.
And many home buyers want to take advantage of today’s low rates, which are slowly climbing up.”
Just-out data from Fannie Mae’s Economic & Strategic Research Group shows the housing recovery
continuing to improve, with job numbers showing year-to-date growth in recent months and leading
to a rise in consumer confidence. Fannie says the housing recovery seems to be holding up, even
with rising interest rates.
The agreement marks CU Realty Service’s first entry into the state of Washington. Once the
program is live in late August, credit unions working with CUHMS will be able to increase their
purchase mortgage business by offering CU Realty Service’s turn-key real estate program.
“CU Realty is a good fit for our client credit unions, helping their members find a quality Realtor®,
and research homes and neighborhoods online,” said Anderson. “By working with CU Realty’s
network of agents, CUHMS can create “stickiness” that will help us close more of our purchase
mortgage applications.”
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CU Home Mortgage Solutions and CU Realty Services Partner
August 2, 2013/Page Two
CUHMS is owned by two Washington credit unions –Verity Credit Union in Seattle and
Harborstone Credit Union in Tacoma. It currently works with 11 credit unions, all in the state.
Future plans are to expand into Oregon and Idaho, and the CUSO believes partnering with CU
Realty Services will further that goal. Verity CU and Harborstone CU will offer their members
access to CU Realty’s tools right from their websites. In a unique arrangement, CU Realty’s services
will be available to smaller CUHMS clients via the CUSO’s website.
“We used a different real estate program before,” said Anderson. “But, it never took off. We had
great products, great prices and great service. We would process the pre-approval applications but
then the members would work with an agent and, nine times out of ten, the agent would steer them
toward their preferred lender.”
Designed to offer members the convenience of “one-stop shopping,” CU Realty’s extensive webbased program offers credit union members all the tools they need to buy or sell a home.
Participating credit unions significantly increase their purchase mortgages as they become their
members’ First Point of Contact™ in the buying or selling process.
“Catching your members’ attention at the beginning of a home search makes it more likely they will
stay with you through closing,” said Mike Corn, CU Realty Service’s President/ CEO. “As an added
incentive, our approved agents offer discounts on broker/agent commissions. That results in lower
closing costs for members and adds to the appeal of financing through their credit union.”
CUHMS’ loan officers will promote CU Realty’s program to participating credit unions’ members
who contact them about mortgage loans. In addition, the CUSO plans to publicize it via meet-andgreet sessions with Realtors® and on their website. Verity CU plans to begin offering the program in
August and Harborstone CU will follow about a month later.
To learn more about CU Home Mortgage Solutions, visit www.cuhms.com. For more information
about CU Realty Services, visit www.curealty.com.
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About CU Home Mortgage Solutions
CU Home Mortgage Solutions has been a trusted partner to credit unions since 2007. The firm provides a full
range of real estate lending services to credit unions and is licensed to lend in Washington and Oregon. The
CUSO manages mortgage programs for credit unions, allowing them to focus on serving their members. Find
out how the firm delivers on its motto “Your Partner, not Your Competitor.” For more information, call Diane
Anderson at (206) 596-4830 or visit www.cuhms.com.
About CU Realty Services, LLC
CU Realty Services provides real estate services to credit unions across the nation, helping them increase their
purchase mortgage business. Launched in 2001, the CUSO has worked with more than 100 credit unions and
thousands of their members. CU Realty’s range of web-based tools helps homebuyers find homes, research
neighborhoods, calculate costs, connect to experienced real estate agents, and earn a rebate. By offering this
program to members, credit unions are able to achieve significant increases in their purchase mortgage business.
For more information, call Tina Powers, (800) 203-9014, ext. 104, or visit www.curealty.com.