Buying a home is one of the more significant milestones in a person’s life. You might be a first-time home buyer looking to settle somewhere long-term or a current owner looking for a big change; you might be a nuclear family looking to grow in numbers or an extended family looking to bring each other closer together. It’s a rewarding process — with home ownership, you are offered stability, and a sense of permanence, allowing individuals and families to establish roots in community and connection.
It can also be filled with unsurmountable stress.
From navigating mortgages to scrutinizing properties, the process can feel overwhelming. The pressure to make a significant financial decision coupled with the fear of unexpected hurdles can lead to anxiety and uncertainty.
We get it. One of the first major decisions that a potential buyer can make is their home loan option. It’s helpful to understand the various types of loans available, such as conventional loans, FHA loans, VA loans, and USDA loans. Each type of loan has its eligibility requirements, down payment requirements, and terms, and can often be the first major roadblock for potential homeowners.
This is where Fortin Construction comes in to help alleviate this stress. Unlike common construction loans, we offer “turnkey construction” loans, which simplifies the funding process for new home building.
With turnkey construction, a single entity handles the entire process, from financing to construction to finalization. That single entity? Our team here at Fortin.
We sat down with Chad Hayes, from Guild Mortage to discuss turnkey construction, who he thinks might benefit from the process, and how this particular loan process works so well for Mainers (and looking to be Mainers) all across the state.
INTERVIEW WITH CHAD HAYES, GUILD MORTGAGE
Thank you for sitting down with us to discuss Turnkey Construction Loans! Firstly, I’d love to hear a little bit more about you and your background at Guild Mortgage.
Yes, definitely. So I’m a sales manager here at Guild Mortgage. I've been with Guild for about two years, but have been in the residential mortgage services for the last twelve years.
Why did you choose the residential mortgage industry?
That's a good question because it’s a little unconventional. I actually decided to go to school for forestry here in Maine. I also played football, so I spent much of my time at school focused on being an athlete. I went on and played three years in the NFL after college. It was during that time, I realized that when I was done playing football, that forestry might not be what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
Eventually, I moved to Boston and interviewed for a bunch of different jobs. One that I really connected with was a mortgage company based in Massachusetts. We ended up taking a chance on each other and it turns out I was really interested in the work. I’ve loved working with clients, helping people navigate something so important as their finances, and, yeah, that's where I started my career just over seventeen years ago.
Definitely an atypical route to finding something you love! So what is your connection with Fortin Construction?
Guild Mortgage has been working with Fortin Construction for a couple of years now, partnering with them as a preferred lender for many of their clients. Mark Fortin [Fortin’s President] and I actually know each other on a personal level. I've got to know him, his family, and his three sons. They are a great, great family — and that extends to the Fortin team. They're a great company to work with. And their turnkey loan option is really when we get to work together.
Can you elaborate on turnkey construction loans? Who might be a good fit for that type of loan option?
Yeah. So a good fit for turnkey financing might be a client that doesn't have a current home to sell or needs to sell in order to qualify for financing. A lot of times with the turnkey process that the Fortin Construction team does, it simplifies the process a little bit for the client because they don't have to worry about jumping through the qualifications of a construction loan program. So it makes things a little bit more streamlined as far as that process is concerned.
From a business perspective, why do you think Fortin Construction offers something like this?
Definitely, The turnkey construction option that Fort Construction offers really puts Fortin in a position where they're thinking about the best interest of the client. Oftentimes a turnkey product for a client is going to be their best option… There's a huge benefit for a client to have the Fortin Construction team finance on their own dime. And it also benefits Fortin. It means that the construction process is going to be more efficient and streamlined.
Do you have any advice for potential homeowners as they begin the loan process?
Yeah. So some advice that I would give in regards to thinking about potentially building your dream home is to talk with a lender like myself. Talk with a construction company like Fortin Construction. You're going to have options. I think the common misunderstanding is that it's going to be very, very difficult to build a home when that's not always going to be the truth.
When you work with an organization like Guild Mortgage and Fortin Construction, you're going to have options. And that often looks like a turnkey loan option for a lot of customers.
Do you have any advice for potential homeowners as they begin looking for the right construction team?
For sure. I would give my clients who were in the market for the right construction team, I’d say to look for a team that is trustworthy and prioritizes communication. A company that has a good reputation, like the Fortin team is a smaller, family-owned company that's been around for more than thirty years. They built a lot of houses in the area, and I know that they have a lot of good recommendations and a lot of happy clients.
Clients who prefer a simplified and streamlined approach to financing and building their new home would likely be interested in a turnkey construction loan. This option appeals to individuals who value convenience, efficiency, and a single point of contact throughout the entire home-building process.
At Fortin, we attempt to simplify the home-building process as much as possible for our customers. Turnkey construction is just one more offering to keep our homeowners happy and in the home of their dreams.
Have more questions about how the Fortin building process works? You can find answers to many of your questions on our FAQ page. If it’s not there, feel free to contact us directly. We’d love to hear from you.