Marcella Johnson of Towne Bank Mortgage

Crossing the finish line to home ownership doesn’t happen without a mortgage. Mortgages, along with their mountain of paperwork to sign and legal language, can be very confusing. That’s why working with a lender who will meet with a first-time home buyer in person counts for so much. Marcella Johnson sits across the desk from many Piedmont Housing Alliance clients who qualify for down payment assistance. With more than 35 years of banking and mortgage-lending services in her career, Marcella stays on top of what’s available in terms of assistance and knows exactly how to walk even the most unsure clients through the process. Marcella says she enjoys working with Piedmont Housing’s diverse clients and the people of all different nationalities that come through the door. She’s seeing change in housing in the area, too. “We’re busy this year – we could use more homes on the market to meet the needs of people looking. Lots of clients are finding homes in rural Albemarle and Fluvanna counties,” she said. “Lending guidelines are starting to loosen just a little bit, for the first time since 2009, so we’re looking forward to seeing more first-time homebuyers find eligibility.”

Marcella’s colleagues think a lot of her, too. “She’s the biggest reason to come to Towne Bank,” said her colleague Ken Mextorf. “She’s very hands-on and will walk through the whole process with a client to make sure they understand each step.”

It’s partners like these that help connect our clients to new homes with minimal stress.