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Central State Mortgage in Calera seeks to provide customers the best experience when obtaining their financial needs.

Traditionally, Central State Bank did not offer long-term, fixed rate financing for 1-4 family mortgage loans.

The bank wanted to offer the same service to their customers wanting to obtain this product, so Central State Mortgage was created.

The Mortgage side of the business was created as a division of Central State Bank to act as a mortgage broker, giving the bank the ability to provide the best customer experience when obtaining their financing without taking on the excess interest rate risk that a moderately sized bank could not take on.

Donna Capps was tapped to lead the new operation, which was originally located off U.S. Highway 280 in Greystone, but recently relocated to Calera.

Donna’s experience in the mortgage business includes her being well-versed and capable of handling any mortgage need.

Central State Mortgage offers a wide variety of products to meet the customer’s needs, including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, VA, USDA, and Jumbo Loans.

Over time, the operation has grown to include a staff of three including Capps, Lase Higgins who is a mortgage lender and Brandi Bailey who is a loan processor.

Central State Mortgage welcomes customers to visit the office, located at 71 Limestone Parkway in Calera.

However, the business understands that people are extremely busy with work and home life, so they are able to take applications by phone or via secure email and will work to make every effort to accommodate customers in the way that works best for them.

Customers frequently ask about minimum qualification requirements, but Central State Mortgage will work to determine which mortgage programs customers qualify for.

Another common question is how much does a customer qualify for? Customers can learn what mortgage amounts they pre-qualify for by taking an application over the phone, discussing income and assets and agreeing to allow us to pull a credit report.

For first time home buyers, some tips include determining credit score and history; setting aside money for a down payment with at least 3 percent ready to put down; documents such as paystubs, W2s, tax returns, and bank statements; and using a mortgage broker to help determine assets, debts and credit history to be pre-qualified for a mortgage that best meets the customers needs.

Central State Bank Mortgage is an Equal Housing Lender – they are invested in their community and are most proud of their repeat business and referrals.