Story By Jada Stratton, [email protected]

Everyone, at one time of their life or another, makes plans to buy a home and no matter what  your career, nothing should get in the way of that, pilots included. Finding your dream home  seems simple but finding a pilot-friendly mortgage lender and the perfect loan to fit you and your  needs can be difficult. Here at Trident Home Loans, we have a team of professionals that can  handle the mortgage process and make it as smooth as possible to get into your new home and since we are owned and operated by pilots, we understand better than most. We believe that  being a pilot is one of the most prestigious jobs, but not everyone understands the turmoil and  pitfalls that most pilots deal with. Most lenders out there don’t understand the pay or the  schedules that pilots have and because of that, some pilots don’t get the proper assistance they  need through the mortgage process. Because of this, we will focus on the little-known mortgage  facts that can help pilots avoid typical issues seen as they are applying for a mortgage. 

Whether you are a new hire or a seasoned pilot going through the mortgage loan process is  strenuous but finding the right mortgage lender should be one of the first steps. Without having  the right team to help you during the process, there could be steps missed, or you may get  improper service. Most likely, there has already been plenty of advice given to you over the time  you have been looking into a new home, which can be overwhelming but at Trident Home  Loans, we focus on the clear, consistent communication that we give to our clients. Spencer  Wartman, a current UPS pilot and a mortgage loan originator at Trident Home Loans, said:  “Expecting transparency from your lender from day one is crucial. I have had issues in the past  with my own loans, so I (and Trident) take pride in being honest.” We want to make sure you  feel supported every step of the way and that you obtain the best option for your mortgage. 

For pilots, it is recommended to find a mortgage lender that, from the beginning, understands  what it’s like to be a pilot. Luckily here at Trident, we have multiple loan officers that understand  the pilot lifestyle and how pilot pay works. Pilot pay is very particular and can range depending  on the airline and, of course, how much you fly. Sometimes it even looks like you have worked  only about 80 hours a month, which some lenders would consider part-time. Joe Ratterree, a pilot  and a mortgage loan originator at Trident, discussed his point of view on pilot loans; “New hire  pilots at certain airlines can be tricky because of lack of pay history and even pay transitions  within the first year. However, my understanding of airline contracts and ability to explain it to  underwriters have made it possible to originate many loans that pilots did not think was possible  on 1st-year pay.” 

When you begin the home buying process, we recommend you start looking for a lender about 3  to 6 months before you would like to close on your new home. If you miss the proper timeline,  your lender could potentially bring you into, excuse the pun, some heavy turbulence. But once  you find a lender, everything else should be “clear skies.” From there, you should have to do  little to no work to make sure your loan goes through the proper process. At Trident Home  Loans, we can give you a good idea of a loan amount, interest rates, and fees with just a few  conversations with your loan originator.

We also have plenty of resources for you to use, for free, on our website tridenthomeloans.com.  If you have questions or want to speak to one of the loan originators from the article, you can  reach them by email at [email protected] or [email protected]. You can also call  Trident at 850-343-0400 to talk to them about how you can start the home loan process.