Cover Story: A Heart for People and Property

CS1by Patty Jo Sawvel  ~

When LuAnn Watson Davis was growing up, two things were important—people and property.  So every weekend, her family went to visit Granddaddy and Mema Watson in the very home where Granddaddy was born in 1900.  There, LuAnn and her little sister, Amy, learned the stories and the ways of three generations of her people.

“I could walk down a path that my dad had walked down when he was a boy, and that my Granddaddy had walked down when he was a boy, and that my Great-Grandma had made when she homesteaded the place.  The furniture, the orchard, the garden—it seemed like everything had a story,” LuAnn reminisced with delight.

However, it was not all play.  Her parents—Harry Lee Watson and Betty Lane Watson—had brought their girls over to work.  After all, property was highly valued and had to be cared for.  So the girls worked right alongside their elders, cleaning house, doing laundry, weeding the garden, cooking, canning, and preserving a way of life.

Later, just before graduating from Salem College, LuAnn did an internship with the Juvenile Justice System.  It was then that she realized that many children did not have families like hers or families at all.  She decided to help young people by serving as a Juvenile Probation Officer.  It was in this role that LuAnn learned what it really takes to help people.

“Those hurting teens needed to know that someone really cared and that meant giving them the time they needed.  So when they wanted to talk, I would go see them even if it was in the middle of the night,” LuAnn recalled.

Knowing that she had changed lives made her exhausting schedule worthwhile.  However, after four years, she knew that she had to make a change.  LuAnn decided to combine the two loves of her life—people and property—and began serving as a mortgage banker.

“Putting families in homes is so rewarding,” said LuAnn warmly, “especially when I can help them navigate a few roadblocks that might stand in their way.”

Such was the case with Jan and Smiley Sherrill.  They are an older family with changing needs.

“We needed a one-level with less yard, but we could not seem to get ahead of our finances.  LuAnn sat down with us and told us what we needed to do.  Within a year we were in our new house,” Jan said with a grin.

Smiley, her husband added, “She is more than our mortgage banker.  LuAnn gives us great advice on lots of things and she hooks us up with the right people in Kernersville.”

David and Susan Thompson noticed the same thing.  When moving to Kernersville from Kannapolis, their realtor recommended they meet with LuAnn Davis of Premier Bank.  As a longtime resident of Kernersville, LuAnn knows the schools, the culture, and the community.

David shared, “LuAnn feels like a friend who really cares.  She stayed ahead of any issues with our construction loan and then our mortgage.  Along the way, she introduced us to people in our new community and helped us get connected.”

Of course, being well connected as an individual is important, but for a business it is critical.  Michael Thomas of T & T Builders—a father and son  homebuilding company—makes building easier for his clients by connecting them to mortgage bankers who can help them secure construction loans.  Michael had heard that Premier Bank offered a 10% down loan, while most lenders require 20%, so he met with LuAnn.

“I originally talked with LuAnn about construction loans, but ended up having her secure the mortgage for my personal home.  After that, she won me over.  Now I recommend her to my clients because she makes both of us look good.  She really takes care of my people and she is available for them even on nights and weekends,” Michael said.

Michael’s clients are not the only ones calling LuAnn at all times of the night.  Many of LuAnn’s clients count on this service.  And, because Premier Bank is throughout the Triad, all of her work in Kernersville is done by making personal visits to her clients.

Pam Williams, who recently closed on her home, said, “My husband and I could not decide whether to build or to buy, so we had lots of questions.  LuAnn was always there for us even at 10 o’clock at night.  She did not just ‘take orders,’ she had very helpful suggestions.”

LuAnn’s  foundational business though, is built on friends, neighbors, and fellow community-volunteers who have known her for years as a strong supporter of Kernersville.

Susan Chadwick, a club member with LuAnn at Triad Ladies Civitan, said, “I knew LuAnn to be very thorough in club related projects, so when my husband, Kelley, and I were ready to downsize, I asked her to help me with our mortgage.  It was a great experience.  She was in constant contact—which we like—and she took the stress out of the process.  LuAnn is a wonderful person as a friend and as a professional.”

LuAnn Davis stays busy building her community and helping people on many levels.  She serves on the board of the Kernersville Chamber of Commerce, the board of Kernersville Cares for Kids, as vice-president of the Triad Ladies Civitan, and delivers Meals on Wheels to local residents.  In all of this, she makes plenty of time for her husband, Michael Davis, and their son, Jacob, who attends East Forsyth High School.

“Probably what I love most about my work as a mortgage banker is that it gives me the flexibility to put my whole heart into my community and my family.  I really have to say, that thanks to Kernersville, I love my life,” said LuAnn graciously.

Award-winning journalist Patty Jo Sawvel can be contacted at      pjsawvel@gmail.com.

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LuAnn Davis, 

Mortgage Banker with Premier Bank

• Available 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.  Plus Weekends

• Home of the “Hero” Mortgage (Financing in 2 Weeks)

• Highly Competitive Rates

• Personal Visits and Consultations

• Construction Loans

• Mortgage Loans

 

Did You Know?

• It is a good idea to shop around for your best mortgage.

• While you can get a mortgage without ever meeting the lender, most people prefer working face to face with someone they trust and who is available after 5 o’clock in the evening.

• The rule of thumb for refinancing is:  Wait until the difference between your current interest rate and the new rate will save you enough money to cover the costs of refinancing in 2 years.

 

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