Growth & Jobs | From a one-bedroom rental to homeownership

FOR MANY, homeownership is more than just having a place to live; it represents stability and the chance to build a secure future. For Maria Thomas*, a single mother and healthcare worker, securing a home was about creating stability for her two children: her son – a high school senior, who lived miles away with relatives, and her toddler daughter.

Originally from St Catherine, Thomas had moved to St Ann in 2013 for work, leaving her son behind. After a decade of renting a cramped one-bedroom apartment while working at St Ann’s Bay Hospital, owning a home meant freeing her family from the uncertainties, space limitations, and emotional distance that came with their previous living situation.

“One of the reasons I wanted to buy a house is because I needed to return home for my son. He’s about to take his CXCs, and I wanted to be there to help him focus and get through it,” she said. “On top of that, I had no space in St Ann. I needed to move before my daughter started growing because I kept thinking once she started walking I was really going to be in trouble in that one small room.”

Recalling the many challenges she faced trying to buy a home on her modest income, Thomas explained that she finally broke through the barriers with one phone call to a contact she saw on an Instagram post. That call was to Tanya Lindo, one of the expert client relationship specialists at JN Premier, the exclusive private banking arm of JN Bank located at the JN Financial Centre in New Kingston.

“Immediately she spoke to me. She didn’t say, ‘Oh, let me call you back’ and forgot or took forever to call back. She spoke to me at length and explained a lot of things to me. She understood that I was not a rich person but needed to buy the house,” Thomas shared.

With the guidance and support from her advisor at JN Premier, Thomas was able to secure a JN Bank mortgage that allowed her to transition from the unstable rental situation up north to a permanent home in a familiar community in St Catherine.

“Before I came to JN, it was very difficult. I could not get anyone to just look at my papers and give me any advice. With Ms Lindo, she just took the pay slips that I had initially and started working out some stuff without me having to get all the documents, not knowing if I would actually qualify for a mortgage,” she said.

Although her mortgage process took longer than expected due to various challenges, Thomas described her experience as overwhelmingly positive. She especially praised her advisor for going above and beyond, including stepping in to steer the process at midnight on one occasion and at another time while off on vacation.

“I’ve passed on some contact information and recommended JN to others for that reason. I told them, ‘If you want someone who will truly work for you, JN is the right partner.’ JN is thorough with their documentation, but they also have persons who will sit down with you and your money and try and make it work for you.”

Now employed at a medical establishment closer to home, Thomas shared that, through the efforts of her mortgage advisor, she has been comfortably making her monthly mortgage payments for the home where she is better providing for and supporting her children.

“Maybe if I didn’t meet my advisor, I would have ended up at another bank that would have bounced me around and cost me far more because when I did my research too, JN had the best rate. Ms Lindo took the time to understand my situation, offered solid advice, and made sure I didn’t take on more than I could handle. I don’t worry about the mortgage payments. It’s covered every month, right on time, directly from my salary.”

Assisting Maria Thomas may have been “an uphill task,” for Lindo, but the experience was well worth it, she will acknowledge.

“We make it a priority to understand our clients’ unique needs, work through the challenges and provide solutions that set them up for long-term success,” she reflected. “It’s always about helping them find a way to achieve their goals.”

*Name changed for security reasons.