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Jeanné Larson works for the state of Alaska helping people understand and navigate Medicare and health insurance, and is a longtime American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 52 member.

Larson recently refinanced her home of 13 years with Wells Fargo through the Union Plus Mortgage Program.

“We were able to submit a lot of the documents Wells Fargo needed through their online portal,” she says. “It’s really amazing what technology can do now.”

With financing through Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, the Union Plus Mortgage Program helps union members, their parents, and children purchase or refinance their homes while also offering exclusive union-member benefits, including an award from Wells Fargo after closing¹ and hardship help from Union Plus.

“It was a pretty seamless transition from start to finish,” Larson says. “We couldn’t have been happier with the process and how everything moved along, and the award was an extra bonus after everything was finalized.”

The Union Plus Mortgage Assistance Program caught Larson’s eye — it provides interest-free loans and grants to eligible union members to help them make their mortgage payments in the event they become disabled, unemployed, locked out, or go on strike.²

“We’re all one catastrophe away from financial ruin,” Larson notes. “That was a big concern given everything that happened during the pandemic.”

Larson encourages fellow members to consider the Union Plus Mortgage Program.

“[The Union Plus Mortgage Program] has benefited my life and given me a lot of financial security,” she says. “We receive reminders in the mail about mortgage protection and the other benefits offered through Union Plus, and it always gives us peace of mind. It’s amazing the wide range of benefits available.”

Visit unionplus.org/mortgage for more information.

Kevin Stringer was born in New York City where he grew up to become an elevator constructor. Joining the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) ensured him a dual career with an ever-upward trajectory. 

“I began my career non-union,” says Stringer. “Then I saw how union members were treated – the pay, the respect, the representation, and how union workers left places better than they found them. I quickly joined.”

Stringer’s career skyrocketed from there. 

“I became a shop steward for my local in New York, and then I moved to Clark Summit, Pennsylvania, outside Scranton,” he says. “There I was elected to the executive board and eventually became president and business agent.”

Stringer ultimately ran and won the vice presidency of the international union and became a regional director. His last post prior to retirement was as the international’s general treasurer and secretary.

Throughout his career, he remained passionate about building and maintaining elevators from the ground up and met many different people.

“I worked for nearly nine years with the New York City Housing Authority,” Stringer remembers. “I found myself in so many neighborhoods that were economically challenged, and it felt like we were making a difference and helping some great people.”

Along the way, he’s seen it all – from steam-operated elevators of a bygone Manhattan to modern technologies that lift and lower people reliably. He’s also leveraged union member benefits to improve his own life, including financing his home through the Union Plus Mortgage Program.  

This program, with financing available through Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, helps union members, their parents and their children purchase or refinance their homes while also offering exclusive union-member benefits.

Stringer even entered a sweepstakes for Union Plus mortgage holders and to his surprise, he won. He plans to spend his winnings on vacation with his wife, and he believes that every union member should utilize all of the programs that Union Plus has to offer. 

“They are union people who are there for union workers. When you’re out of work, they’re there. When you strike, they’re there. They have great programs, grants, insurance and are there to help you solve problems when things go wrong. They’re the best,” he says.
 

Juggling between buying and selling a home can be tricky. If you need the funds from your home sale to purchase your next house, the timing of your home sale can be critical to this process. Here are some creative ways to get to your final destination unscathed.

RENT YOUR HOME

In a hot real estate market, you might sell your home quickly. This might not seem like an issue until you realize you aren’t ready to uproot your family on closing day. If you need a little more time, consider asking the buyer if you can rent your home for a certain length of time until your new home closes. This will allow you to avoid moving twice!

PUT WHAT YOU DON’T NEED IN STORAGE

If you sell quickly, consider storing the things you won’t need during this transitional time in a portable storage box. You can have it dropped off at your home so you can pack it, have it picked up and then schedule delivery when your home closes. This will allow you to only load and unload one time when your home is ready.

GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR MORTGAGE OPTIONS

Although not an ideal situation, sometimes you don’t have a choice and must purchase a home before your home sells. If this is the case, talk to a mortgage consultant about your options. It’s important to check and see if you qualify for a second mortgage based on your financial situation. If the traditional application process doesn’t work, you can always ask about tapping into your home equity or looking into bridge loans.

And, as always — if you’re ready to purchase a new home – check out the Union Plus Real Estate Rewards Program powered by Sirva. You can earn $500 for every $100,000 in home value when you use one of their real estate agents to sell or buy a home.*

If you’re extra budget conscious, you might be thinking about selling your home on your own. Before you make a final decision on whether you will use a real estate agent or not – you should consider a few things first.

COMMISSION COSTS

When you crunch the numbers, remember that you can always save money by not using a real estate agent on your end – but if a buyer comes in with an agent – you will be obligated to pay their commission. So, for instance a typical agent will require a 3% commission – so if you don’t use an agent, but your buyers have an agent, you would save 3% or 6% if they don’t have an agent. So, when you’re considering the cost of using a listing agent – keep in mind that (conservatively) it will be about 3% of the total purchase price.

YOUR TIME COMES AT A PRICE

Fundamentally, you could probably sell your house without a real estate agent easily in a seller’s market when the conditions are perfect, without much effort. But, like most situations – there are usually challenges to overcome. Not to mention, if you work full-time – you have to be realistic about how much time selling your home could take away from your work or family. Marketing and showing your home alone are huge time-sucks, which can be avoided for a 3-6% commission. Do the math and figure out what your time is worth – then calculate how many hours you might need to put against selling your home in order to justify the use of an agent.

OTHER COSTS WHEN FSBO (For Sale By Owner)

If you decide to go the FSBO route, take into account the extra things you might have to pay for:

• MLS listing fees
• Professional pictures or video of your home
• Home sale and open house signs
• Lawyer fees to review contracts
• Time off for home showings
• Staging advice
• Storage fees (for staging)
• Home buying agent commission fees
• Extra incentives for buying agents

AGENTS HAVE CONNECTIONS

If you live in a small or big town – agents talk. This is one of the benefits of using an agent – they will use all of their networks, referral groups, Web tools and connections in order to market your home. Agents have access to the MLS, which is the number one home sale site. They also have connections with ancillary service providers that could market your home better including – photographers, home stagers, storage providers, etc.

If you decide you’re ready to buy or sell a home, use a real estate agent approved by SIRVA to help you every step of the way. You can get $500 for every $100,000 in home value.*

Brie is a mutt. Likely a mix of Golden Retriever and Australian Shepherd, she's a little over a year old, furry, playful, and very much loved.

"She's got a cream color like a dairy product," says Brie's owner, Bruce Kube, a hematology supervisor at a university hospital and a member of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 2190. "[The name] Cream wasn't good. Milk didn't apply, so we thought, Brie! Yeah, Brie!

Kube and his wife Carolyn, who is also a union member, adopted Brie in January 2022. “She licks our faces and climbs on top of us," Kube says. "Dogs are my life."

As seasoned dog owners, the Kubes knew that while puppies are cute, they can also be expensive. They decided to look into pet insurance through their unions and considered a few different options before settling on the Union Plus Pet Insurance plan, offered through Pets Best.

Pets Best offers union members up to 10 percent off monthly premiums¹ and a choice of three types of plans with flexible coverage options, helping members get reimbursed up to 90% on their eligible vet bills.* There are no annual or lifetime limits and no networks – members can choose any licensed veterinarian, emergency vet, or specialist in the U.S. You can submit claims easily with the Pets Best mobile app or online customer account, and they even offer free direct deposit for claims reimbursements. Pets Best also offers free 24-hour access to veterinary experts via email, chat, or phone for everything from emergency care to behavioral advice.

"Pets Best had the best coverage of all the plans that we looked at," Kube says. "I'm happy with it. It's much better than paying [full price] for each visit." He adds, “We take advantage of the union benefits. My philosophy is it’s foolish to not get discounts when you can.”

Sara Zubroff, an AFT member and an English teacher at a Philadelphia high school, finds teaching very rewarding.

"It's great," she says. "If you can get kids interested and figure out how to convey the info you need to convey, then you see progress."

When Zubroff and her partner decided to buy a house recently, they looked within a 30-minute commute zone of Zubroff’s high school. They finally found a gem: an old stone colonial house built in 1934. Remodeled in 2014, it boasted a new addition, too.

"You go into the process and quickly find yourself asking, 'Who can I trust?'" she notes. "My sister is [also] a teacher and she suggested I go through my union as a starting point. I called my union rep and two other union members. They all said, 'Go with Union Plus.'"

The Union Plus Mortgage Program, with financing available through Union Plus Mortgage Company, is available for all eligible union members. The Union Plus Mortgage Company is union-owned and staffed by knowledgeable loan officers.

For qualifying members, there are special benefits for first-time homebuyers as well as:

• A $500 gift card after closing for purchasing or refinancing a home
• Special hardship mortgage assistance from Union Plus in the event of income loss due to disability, unemployment or strike/lockout.

"They were really responsive and got [our home purchase] completed very quickly," she remembers. "Union Plus was with me every step of the way. And through financing with them, I also received a $500 gift card. I'm so glad I received the recommendation to go with the Union Plus Mortgage Program."

Whether she's teaching in her classroom or virtually from home, Zubroff's new house has become a haven.

"Everyone should have access to this," says Zubroff. "And with Union Plus, they are putting that access in reach for AFT members."

Long Island resident Steve L. has been a university physics professor and a union member for the past 23 years.

As a longtime union member, Steve is used to receiving notices in the mail from his union or Union Plus alerting him to benefits and discounts available to union members.

Through one of those notices, he learned about the Union Plus Mortgage Program.

With financing available through Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, the Union Plus Mortgage Program helps union members, their parents and their children purchase or refinance their homes while also offering exclusive union member benefits.

"We've done two refinances," he says, adding that the process "is relatively easy."

Steve says he received an award valued at $300 after closing on his refinance loan with Wells Fargo¹, once he verified his current union membership.

“We just sent off our kid to college,” Steve says. “We used it to pay for stuff in his dorm room.”

A bonus came a few months ago when Steve received an email letting him know he had won $1,000 in a sweepstakes for Union Plus mortgage holders.

He says he will likely spend the money on his son's college expenses.

"That's where a lot of our money is going," Steve acknowledges.

To learn more about the Union Plus Mortgage Program and its associated benefits, including mortgage assistance² in times of hardship, visit unionplus.org/mortgage.

Karen Carthans, a retired American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 and current Retiree Chapter 59 member, calls herself a cheapskate. She regularly keeps an eye out for emails from her union and Union Plus alerting her to discounts and benefit programs that might save her money or put some extra funds in her bank account.

Earlier this year, Carthans received an email encouraging union members who had participated in the Union Plus Mortgage Program to enter a sweepstakes for the chance to win $1,000.

"This looked like something I could benefit from and the money would come in handy," says Carthans, who retired in 2014 after 39 years of service to the state of Illinois.

Carthans was eligible to enter the sweepstakes because years ago she and her husband, a retired transit union employee, refinanced their home through the Union Plus Mortgage Program.

With financing available through Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, the Union Plus Mortgage Program helps union members, their parents and their children purchase or refinance their homes while also offering exclusive union member benefits.

Carthans says the refinancing process "wasn't that difficult." They found out about the program and its benefits — including an award after closing valued at $300¹ — through their Wells Fargo loan agent.

Carthans intends to put the sweepstakes winnings into some home improvement projects.

"I'm hoping to do a bathroom remodel,” she says. “It will be for something in the house."

Today, Eric Gunderson has his dream house, but it started out as a bit of a disaster.

Six years ago, Gunderson, a National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) member, and his family decided to leave Montana to try life on the East Coast.

Gunderson, along with his wife, their six kids, two miniature ponies, five Barbados sheep, five peacocks, two cats and a dog got transferred to Maine. But the house they planned to rent was in disrepair and was unsuitable for his family and their menagerie of animals.

Gunderson finally found a house he wanted to buy. Unfortunately, it was in foreclosure and needed a ton of work. No banks wanted to loan him the money until after that work was done.

"It was a three-story house with a full basement," Gunderson says. "But it had no kitchen, no plumbing for a kitchen, and the electrical was overloaded."

Gunderson cobbled together the financing he needed to buy and fix up the house through a credit card and two loans with two home improvement companies.

Eventually, he turned to Union Plus to wrap the various financing sources into one loan.

“It was time to put it all together and go to Wells Fargo to finance it all.”

With financing available through Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, the Union Plus Mortgage Program helps union members, their parents and their children purchase or refinance their homes while also offering exclusive union member benefits.

Gunderson is still working on his house, which requires regular maintenance, but he says he's glad he bought the place.

"It's looking great," he notes.

Michelle and Ryan Bell were both union members working in New York City when Ryan began dreaming of greener pastures.

Surrounded by skyscrapers, Michelle says her husband longed to spend more time camping and hiking.

"We fell in love with the Adirondacks," Bell remembers. "It was after 9/11 and the city was getting kind of crazy. We decided to move to Upstate New York."

Michelle got another job as a nurse and Ryan, a member of the Screen Actors Guild — American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), continued acting and working as a contractor.

Bell began searching for mortgage options.

"I was searching different avenues to see who had the best rates," Bell recalls. "But I wanted to go to some sources that I could trust."

She began looking online at the Union Plus and SAG-AFTRA websites. She checked out three different lenders before deciding to go with the Union Plus Mortgage Program and Wells Fargo.

With financing available through Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, the Union Plus Mortgage Program helps union members, their parents and their children purchase or refinance their homes while also offering exclusive union member benefits.

"I filled out the information online and spoke to someone at Wells Fargo," Bell says. "I felt very comfortable."

She says it pays for union members to pay attention to their union websites.

"I like to go to Unionplus.org quite a lot," Bell says. "There's quite a lot of different promotions and discounts."