By John Aretos, CEO of Police Mortgage When a buyer is trying to get pre-approved for a condo unit we usually ask where they’re looking. Condominiums will typically have a homeowners’ association (HOA). This is because we have to factor
By Vivian Abraham of Police Mortgage Can buying a home be a savings plan? Absolutely, it depends on the person. Are they disciplined enough? Savers need to have the money ready for the down payment. Then they also need the
By Vivian Abraham of Police Mortgage I have family members that are police officers. I have close friends that are first responders. These professions and the well-being of those that do these jobs are very close to me. So, I
By John Aretos, CEO of Police Mortgage Better school districts usually equate to higher property taxes. Sometimes this can be used as a marketing aspect when selling a property in a certain area, i.e. people are moving there to raise
By John Aretos, CEO of Police Mortgage Does it make sense to walk into a patrolman credit union, get approved for the largest police home loan your credit score and income will allow, and buy as much house as possible.
By John Aretos, CEO of Police Mortgage We can do new construction loans through our partner lender, United Wholesale Mortgage. We don’t finance the actual construction in our portfolio at Police Mortgage. I will tell you, it is trickier than
By Dylan Walsh of Police Mortgage A pre-approval is official. So, if a client is about three months away from buying a property, he or she should be pre-approved by then. If you’re six months out or more from actually
By Vivian Abraham of Police Mortgage Everybody’s situation is different. Everybody has different ways in which they want to make money, save money, invest money, all of that. But the biggest piece to financial wellness, I believe, is making sure
By Vivian Abraham of Police Mortgage Police Mortgage does business with first responders in a number of states. Indiana is one of our top areas to close police home loans. There’s quite a bit of variety in that state. Northwest
By Vivian Abraham of Police Mortgage The biggest mistake many first responders make by the time they get to me is thinking that there’s no way out of their debt. Many feel that living paycheck to paycheck is just the
By Dylan Walsh of Police Mortgage The biggest visible differentiator for Police Mortgage is that we offer End of Watch Loan Protection for police and firefighters. It’s free for all active-duty credit union members. It doesn’t cost them a dollar.
By Dylan Walsh of Police Mortgage Between getting pre-approved and closing on a police home loan there should be no surprises in the process. That is definitely the case on our end at Police Mortgage. We advise our clients that
By John Aretos, CEO of Police Mortgage The core of what we do at Police Mortgage is knowing how we would like to be treated in similar situations. I try to put myself in the position of our clients. In
By Vivian Abraham of Police Mortgage How is Police Mortgage different from other providers? The obvious first answer would be that we offer Killed in the Line of Duty Loan Protection. This is a special debt cancellation benefit created exclusively
By Vivian Abraham of Police Mortgage The biggest mistake many First Responders make by the time they get to me is thinking that there’s no way out of their debt. Many feel that living paycheck to paycheck is just the
By John Aretos, CEO of Police Mortgage You have to be prepared in advance when buying a home. If you're going to pick a house andthen go through the pre-approval process it's going to be a lot harder than if
By John Aretos, CEO of Police Mortgage For Sale by Owner (FSBO) was a popular way to sell a home back in the 90’s and early 2000’s. It was easier to do then. The market is much different today. I
By John Aretos, CEO of Police Mortgage If you have a substantial equity position in your home, and you’ve paid down your mortgage over a 10 to 15-year period of time and you have quite a bit of equity, it’s
By John Aretos, CEO of Police Mortgage Rates seem to be starting a new paradigm in that we’re now in a period where rates are likely going to start declining. Anyone who was looking to buy a home and had
By John Aretos, CEO of Police Mortgage Well, the Fed did cut rates this past week by 50 basis points, and I think for some it surprised them because the Fed was supposed to maybe cut just a quarter point.
By John Aretos, CEO of Police Mortgage There are two components to the final walkthrough. The first part is to address what was found in the inspection. The attorneys likely communicated a week before and agreed that the required work
By John Aretos, CEO of Police Mortgage It’s important to know if there are any pre-approval costs or fees when you visit any bank or loan office. For instance, when you visit a financial institution, like a patrolman credit
By John Aretos, CEO of Police Mortgage As you wait for rates to fall the competition will likely heat up. So, I say, go see a professional who is knowledgeable about police home loans and get pre-approved now to
By John Aretos, CEO of Police Mortgage The phrase “failing a home inspection” is loosely defined. I think there are degrees of failure. A failure is basically something found in the inspection that is such a big issue that
By John Aretos, CEO of Police Mortgage A home inspection is critical for the whole process, whether it be for a police home loan or the purchase of practically any property. Home inspections matter regardless of how you plan
Chicago Office:
100 W. Randolph, 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601.
Springfield Office:
320 W. Washington, 3rd Floor, Springfield, IL 62786. | Phone: 888.473.4858
I have my bachelor’s in business administration and have been involved in the banking industry for over 10 years. During this time, I managed two of the Chicago Patrolmen’s Federal Credit Union locations prior to transitioning to Police Mortgage. I have family members who are police officers with the Chicago Police Department. My work has been very rewarding, and I take pride in having assisted countless members and their families with their financial needs and financial wellness. My hobbies include exploring new restaurants in the city and running for marathons that support pediatric cancer foundations and Chicago Police Memorial Foundation’s Run To Remember. I come from a large family primarily from the south side of Chicago and love to share all the diversity and beauty the city has to offer with my two children.
I am honored to grow up in a multi-generational family of Chicago Police Officers. I joined Police Mortgage in the summer of 2020 and love the opportunity to help both first-time buyers and repeat clients alike achieve their dreams of purchasing a home. Having been born and raised in the south suburbs of Chicago, I happily live in the Lakeview neighborhood today. Along with my two younger sisters, I am a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a lifelong Chicago Bears fan. I have a strong passion for food and love exploring the vast array of restaurants throughout our city. Nothing makes me happier than spending a summer afternoon on a golf course with family and friends!
I joined my brother at Police Mortgage as a loan officer in August of 2021 after a 10-year career in sales and marketing. Most recently, I worked as a Senior Account Executive for Ricoh North America, an office electronics company, where my main responsibilities were building new client relationships and maintaining over 400 existing customer accounts. I believe my work experience has transferred over to the mortgage industry well, because I am able to multi-task effectively while working with multiple customers. The skillset I learned in my previous employment allows me to stay organized and to manage my time well for my customers. My number one goal is always to make the loan process as quick and painless as possible for our borrowers. I am excited to further develop the Police Mortgage brand with my brother. It is a unique situation, and I believe working in an office together allows us to help our borrowers even more due to streamlined communication and our ability to help each other with our respective files. I like to spend my free time relaxing, watching sports, exercising, going out to eat with my wife, and trying to keep up with our three daughters – all under five years old!
After graduating from the University of Missouri in 2015, I moved to Chicago where I began a career in marketing at a firm called Ansira. I sought a career change and contacted Police Mortgage, where I was first introduced to the mortgage industry. I have spent the last 5 years training with our CEO, John Aretos, who has taught me all of the intricacies of the mortgage process. I love finding solutions for our clients to help them purchase the home of their dreams. I feel a huge sense of accomplishment when helping homebuyers, especially first-time homebuyers, all the way through the loan process, from pre-approval to closing day. I recently moved back to my hometown of St. Louis, where we opened a new office. I am excited to help start this new chapter for Police Mortgage. My wife, Megan, and I are happy to be back in our hometown. We are always checking out new outdoor events such as music or food festivals – anywhere we can take our dog, Remy!
As the CEO of an organization associated with serving the Police and their loved ones, I am privileged to play a role in helping our clients achieve their life’s financial goals. Our mission is to make the home buying or refinancing process as comfortable as possible, providing our clients with competitive products and excellent service.
I was born and raised in the Chicago metropolitan area, and I have a deep-rooted love and appreciation for the diverse culture which makes our city so special. My two older siblings and I grew up working in our parent’s restaurant, which instilled a work ethic and sense of family that I carry with me to this day.
I am a graduate of Indiana University and have been involved in the mortgage industry for nearly 25 years, helping thousands of clients save money or finance the home of their dreams. My passions are passing down my love of food, music, art, snow skiing, and red wine to my three children, who motivate me to be a better person each and every day!
