View Points Newsletter Article | Spring 2016

Tara Lynn Kuehn is a longtime Scappoose resident who spent the last eight years looking for the perfect home. To be perfect, it simply had to be located in her neighborhood and be priced so the mortgage payment was close to her monthly rent. It was a tall order. So, when a home on 3rd Street was rumored to be going on sale in a month or two, Tara Lynn took action.

We all have our dreams. Tara Lynn’s was to buy a home in her neighborhood. Over the years she had attempted to buy six homes in the area, but came short each time – either missing the opportunity by days, or being outbid by those with bigger budgets.

“One of my friends who lives across the street told me about the house,” remembers Tara Lynn. “She told me that someone had bought it and was going to flip the house. I didn’t wait. I went over, found him, introduced myself, and told him my story.”

What followed was an honest conversation about his intentions to make money on the house, her dream to be a homeowner, and their mutual agreement that both could be accomplished if they worked together.

That’s when Tara Lynn came to chat with Tina at St. Helens Community. Together, they got her financing underway. The only issue was with the timeline.

“I needed the loan to be done fast to meet the owner’s deadline,” Tara Lynn said. “Anytime Tina needed information from me, I got it to her in minutes or hours, not days or weeks.”

As with any home remodel, the work on the home got bogged down, which gave Tara Lynn a little breathing room on the loan – but not much. The loan had to be finalized and funded by November 12.

“With November 11, being a holiday, we had to do some last-minute work over the weekend,” remembered Tara Lynn. “Tina was amazing. She stayed late on a Saturday to help me out. We even met at the credit union later that night to sign some papers to ensure things went through.”

Because St. Helens Community has started doing some of its own underwriting in house, Tara Lynn could breath a sigh of relief. Everything was going to come together at the last minute.

“I bought a couple bottles of Champaign to celebrate,” she said. “The label had my name on it. I figured that was perfect.”

In the end, it took the teamwork of the buyer, seller, and the St. Helens Community mortgage team to ensure everyone came away happy. For Tara Lynn, her three kids (one of which lives just a few houses down), and the family dog, it was a wonderful miracle. Today, Tara Lynn is focused on decorating for each holiday, and taking on mission trips to such faraway spots as Costa Rica, Ghana, West Africa, and more.

Add Homeowner to Your 2016 Accomplishments
We’re here to help you become a homeowner like Tara Lynn. Just stop by any branch or call us at 503.397.2376.