STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Julie A. Harris got her start in the mortgage world early.

Both her parents were realtors. So at the age of 9, when other youngsters her age were manning lemonade stands, she was typing sales agreement on a big electric IBM typewriter with a font ball.

“Those were the days when you made eight copies at a time. So, if I made a mistake, I had to go through eight pieces of paper with White-Out eraser,” recalled Harris, who grew up in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Fast forward to today where Harris now serves as loan consultant for the first Caliber Homes Loans office in Ketchum. The full-service national mortgage lender recently opened an office in the Ketchum Works office on Sun Valley Road.

“If you look at the definition of ‘caliber,’ it means high quality, and that’s what this company offers,” said Harris, whose resume includes serving as a bank vice president in her home state of Michigan and as senior vice president covering all of Idaho for Washington Mutual.

Caliber Homes, which is based in Coppell, Texas, closed $44 billion worth of loans for those purchasing or refinancing homes in the United States in 2017. It has 4,000 employees in 260 locations in 50 states.

The bank was instrumental in bringing companies out of receivership during the 2008 recession, Harris said.

“Our CEO’s discipline and understanding of the ups and downs and cyclical nature of the business offers more consistency. Everything this company does is well thought out and methodical,” she said.

Caliber Home’s advanced digital lending online application is one of the things that attracted Harris.

Applicants looking for the Ultimate Home Buying Experience can have Caliber verify income bank statements, employee and property details electronically, forgoing the need to dig up bank statements and W-2 forms, while still having a professional loan consultant on hand to answer questions.

“Some companies have an online portal but ours is phenomenal,” Harris said. “It’s very easy and simple to fill out. It cuts time. And it allows you to check the status of the application.”

The company is also fast at closing. Closing can sometimes be scheduled in as little as 10 days after the application made and almost always within 30 days. The industry average is 45 to 60 days, said Harris.

Caliber offers loans for zero percent down insured by the USDA for qualified applicants in partnership with Idaho Housing Finance.

Veterans who take advantage of Caliber’s loans for veterans receive a Challenge Coin honoring their sacrifice to their country.

“It’s an honor to receive and it’s something that can be very emotional for the veteran,” said Harris.

Harris says she feels as if she’s living her dream, as Sun Valley is where she eventually wanted to end up  with her husband Shane Harris, a former Marketron employee who now works for Windermere Real Estate.

“Sun Valley offers so many wonderful possibilities. Instead of doing lunch with a customer, for instance, I could say, ‘Let’s go on a hike—out Adams Gulch, up Proctor Mountain,’ ” she said. “I can ride my bicycle to work from my home in Elkhorn. And then, there’s the skiing... It’s just a wonderful place for our kids, for our family.”

The new Ketchum Works building at 191 Sun Valley Road is a great space for her business, she added.

“It’s an amazing office space, a great place for business people who want to rent a cubicle or even a conference room by the day, week or month.”

Want to know more? Visit www.caliberhomeloans.com/jharris or call 208-409-7213.