Name

Donne Knudsen

Company

Cobalt Financial Corp.

E-mail

Contact Donne Knudsen (Cobalt Financial Corp.)

Office Phone

(805) 527-8554

Fax

(805) 527-8811

Description

Cobalt is a HUD-approved lender providing affordable financing options for the low-medium income resident. As a HUD lender, we offer an array of federally-funded homeownership assistance programs.

About Me:

As a Loan Consultant for Cobalt Financial, I am true believer in the American dream of home ownership and believe that everyone who wants to own a home should have all the information they need in order to make the right decisions in trying to make that dream come true.  My ideal client is someone who understands and appreciates the value of personal service.  I have dedicated my time, energy and experience to assisting low-medium income first-time residents and it is my goal to focus on a client's needs; offering them options and providing them with world-class service.

I am an ambitious and hard-working professional who enjoys what I do very much.  I derive a considerable amount of pleasure and excitement in helping my clients in their pursuit of buying their first home.  Furthermore, I actually like my clients too!  Quite often, at the end of the process, I find that not only do I have a client for life but I've also made a good friend too.  When I'm not working on my business, I enjoy giving back to others less fortunate than myself as well as to my community.

As a long-time resident of Ventura County in SoCA, I am actively involved in my local community.  As my passion has grown for assisting low-medium income residents who dream of buying a home, so has my desire to help those who just dream of living in decent and affordable housing.  Since 2005, I have been a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County (HfHVC).  HfHVC seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.  To date, HfHVC has built more than 40 homes and repaired more than 500 more, which will ultimately break the cycle of poverty for our HfHVC families.

Challenges:

Keeping my clients motivated to their home search and informed of an ever-changing lending environment is a constant challenge today.  My clients are mostly low-medium income borrowers who, more times than not, are spending nearly everything they have to get into their first home.  Almost all of them are in the low end of the market for this area (200k-400k) and around here, there is a considerable amount of competition in that price range.  Many of them are competing with all or mostly cash investors for these totally "as-is" fixer uppers.  Unfortunately, my little clients don't have the funds to play the game.  I laugh every time some REO rep comes back with "we need their best and highest offer"; YOU GOT IT, THAT'S IT, THAT WAS THEIR BEST & HIGHEST!

This has been just as much a learning experience for me as it has been for them.  I've gained strength and joy from my "Troopers" the ones who lose an offer and just go "Oh well, better luck next time" and they're right back out the next day looking at more properties.  I've also gained patience and graciousness from those who aren't Troopers and who become devastated and discouraged every time they lose an offer to the point where it takes weeks of coaxing to get them back out again.

Every day is different and I love it.  I want to continue doing what I'm doing for as long as I can.

Evidence of Success:

July 09

Even though Aaron and his wife decided to divorce, neither one could afford to move out of the home they were renting and get their own place.  Not the best situation for them or their two boys. 

However, Aaron had some concerns about purchasing a home; he needed to stay in the area close to his boy's schools and the divorce was leaving him a little strapped for cash.  Aaron's Realtor was able to find him a nice sized home, very close to his boy's and because it needed some work, he was able to get the seller to credit some costs. 

I was able to get Aaron qualified for some down payment assistance that helped him qualify for enough to purchase the home.  Aaron and his boys are now settling into their new home and the best part, not only do they get to see each other quite a bit but now they're going to get a dog to keep at Aaron's, something they were never able to do at their mother's.