Imagine signing a mortgage - blind

Having varied abilities is challenge enough, imagine signing a mortgage - blind.

We first met our lovely couple when Georgie called to really explore our services and how they would work for her. She really wanted to buy her first home – but her husband was reluctant, one might say risk averse, and this seems like a big risk to him. Georgie’s plan was to gather as many facts as she could to convince him to try. Georgie disclosed that both she and her husband are legally blind. She also advised that they have e-readers to assist with information gathering.

It is critically important to me that I respect the trust placed in me, and that in any way I could I removed any potential “doubt”, they didn’t need to trust what I was saying because it was electronically “black and white”. While most people are very visual in their absorption of information – this obviously wasn’t true for our lovely clients – so with thinking caps on we prepared the necessary information in a way they could e-read themselves in advance of the meeting, our time together being to explore and answer any and all questions. One key element – as often appears – is a need for more savings.

Adam took a long time to come around to the idea – more than a year later we heard from Georgie and Adam again, not only was Adam becoming more open to the idea but they had been working hard towards their savings target. I understand Adam, I’m a bit like him in ways – so there was never a limit to the time or questions available to both of them, and anything that could be offered to make him more comfortable with the idea was gladly provided.

It took another few weeks and the decision to settle interstate closer to family to finally tip the scales. The lender choice was based upon accessible internet banking and provision of electronic loan agreements direct from the lender, rather than paper documents that they would have to rely on and indeed trust a third party to read with them. I’m not saying they were easy to read but their software empowered our lovely couple to read and sign the documents effectively on their own.

There were some challenges along the way – signatures not matching ID; which is understandable, expired ID – again, not something they can be on top of, but our clients met each hurdle and the loan assessor was as determined as I was to see Georgie and Adam and their children succeed.

And they did.

This will forever be one of the proudest moments of my career. Bec