4 minute read
Sponsor of the month - CrossCountry Mortgage
By: Maria Smietana
Elizabeth Janes and Jenni Limbach each took different pathways into the mortgage industry, but together, their goal is to make the mortgage process as smooth as possible for their clients, including those with special needs family members.
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Jenni grew up in the tiny town of Redkey, IN, just northeast of Muncie. She came to UIndy to study finance, with the hope of becoming a CPA. When passing the difficult certification exam proved not to be in the cards for her, she went to work in accounting at the Steak ‘n Shake corporate offices. When she needed a career change, she decided to get into the mortgage business with her dad, Vince Chittum, who has worked in finance for decades. They opened their Cross Country Mortgage branch in Greenwood last May. Jenni serves as the production manager for the office. Elizabeth came to Cross Country with over 25 years of experience in the housing industry, including new home sales and operations. She is now in her thirteenth year of working in mortgage origination. A Lafayette native, she spent a few of her childhood years in South Bend before her family moved to the southside of Indianapolis in 1979, and she’s lived here ever since.
Jenni and Cory – Aubrie – age 12, Mason – age 3
“Back in the 1990s, my first husband and I built a home, and we had such a great experience that I went to work for that builder in 1995,” Elizabeth said. “I spent 6 years in that industry, followed by several more working for the lender who had financed all of my clients’ homes. I got my originator’s license in 2009 and have been a mortgage consultant since.”
Elizabeth is flexible and creative enough to make the mortgage process faster and easier for clients, even if their specific situation is a bit complicated. She offers financing for the purchase or refinance of a home that can include renovations that will make the home ADA compliant or to serve specific requirements for a family with special needs. More importantly, Elizabeth works hard to ensure that her entire team treats each client who walks through the door as if they were family. “These are not just transactions,” she said. “These are families we are helping to achieve homeownership for the first time, assisting them in the next phase of their journey, or helping them build wealth by refinancing their current mortgages for either a reduction in rate or term or to consolidate debt.”
“I had my first experience helping a special needs family when I was in the new construction phase of my career,” she added. “I was able to help design a new home for a family that had some specific needs, and I have made it a goal ever since to address the needs of clients when they require alterations in a home to accommodate their family.”
Elizabeth encourages potential clients not to get overwhelmed by the prospect of going into debt for a new home purchase or a renovation.
Elizabeth Janes
“Don’t be frustrated or intimidated by house hunting or addressing changes that need to be made to your current home to accommodate your family’s specific needs,” she said. “I can help you find the resources to make whatever renovations need to be made and make it an affordable and stress-free experience.”
“I would say not to be afraid to ask questions,” Jenni added. “You never know how a simple conversation can lead you to someone who might just have the answers you need.”
Jenni Limbach
Both Jenni and Elizabeth are enthusiastic about the support their business gives to the local community. “Yes, we LOVE to give back!” Jenni said. “That’s how we’ve grown our office. We sponsor multiple sports teams, helped with the most recent Habitat for Humanity home build, had fundraisers for Kids in Crisis Intervention Team (KIC-IT), and donate to Hoosier FWD, which assists Indiana families with medical bills for children with special needs that do not qualify for Medicaid or other forms of public assistance. Though some of Cross Country Mortgage’s fundraisers had to be shelved in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, Elizabeth is anxious to restart them this year.
Elizabeth also belongs to two local networking groups that give charitably to local nonprofits and is happy to have an additional outlet for doing good by becoming a Special Needs Living sponsor. “I know from family experience that having a family member with special needs can be a daunting and exhausting experience,” she said. “I love that this magazine has brought many resources together in one place to assist folks who aren’t sure where to go.”
At home, Elizabeth loves watching movies, and her family often gathers in the kitchen to try new recipes. She has been married to her husband, Jeremy, for almost nine years, and has two children, Anthony, 24, and Charlotte, 7. The family also has two furry members, a fat 2-year-old orange cat named Jeff Spicoli, and Mac, a six-month-old Scottish terrier.
Jenni and her husband, Cory, have will have been married for five years in October. Her bonus daughter, Aubrey, is 12, and her son, Mason, is 3. Everyone in her family likes to spend time outdoors, whether it’s hiking, camping, planting flowers, or riding bikes. Jenni’s dad and middle sister live nearby in Indy, and she frequently visits her mom, grandparents, and youngest sister, all of whom still reside in her hometown.
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