Tai Christensen | Source | Co-Founder & President at Arrive Home
Tai Christensen
Tai is the Co-Founder and President of Arrive Home, a facilitator of national affordable housing programs dedicated to helping responsible borrowers in underserved communities become homeowners through their down payment assistance offerings and alternative home acquisition solutions. Through Arrive Home, Tai works with governmental entities, lenders and nonprofits to offer innovative and diverse mortgage products designed to enable correspondent lenders to confidently deliver loans to reliable borrowers who qualify under FHA guidelines.
Tai has been widely recognized throughout the housing industry for her efforts. In 2023, she was named a HousingWire Woman of Influence and Woman of Inspiration by National Mortgage Professional. She is the winner of the Progress in Lending Thought Leader Award, Mortgage Professional of America Elite Woman Award, and a Woman with a Vision Award.
Tai is also a member of the California Mortgage Bankers Association’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and the host of the CMBA’s monthly DE&I podcast. She sits on the board of AXIS Lift 360, a nonprofit that educates and empowers individuals looking to begin a career in mortgage, and is Advisory Chair of the American Mortgage Diversity Council. She is a frequent speaker at housing conferences and has been quoted by several major media outlets.
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Arrive Home (http://arrivehome.org)
Co-Founder & President
started Sep 2022
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Mortgage Applications Are Being Rejected as Rates Reach 8% — How to Get Approved
You still have a bunch of options.
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Arrive Home president leads CMBA diversity and inclusion efforts
California Mortgage Bankers Association enhances DE&I leadership line-up
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Understanding Home Equity Sharing Agreements: A New Financial Tool
Tai describes a home equity sharing agreement as a deal where a homeowner sells a portion of their home's future equity to an investor for cash. "This is ideal for those with fair to low credit scores." Downsides include reduced profits from home sales and higher transaction costs. -
Home Equity Loans: Is Now the Right Time to Tap into Your Property's Value?
Tai advises that a HELOC might be advantageous this fall if rates drop, but warns of reduced ownership stakes if property values fall. She predicts a slow decrease in rates over the next year, though not to historic lows. Borrowers should weigh current rates against historical averages and consider additional costs before locking in a rate. -
Expert Tips for First-Time Homebuyers on Down Payments
Tai advises automating monthly transfers to a separate bank account to save for a down payment. A larger down payment reduces loan amounts and monthly payments, and can avoid Private Mortgage Insurance. Retain three months of reserves post-down payment to handle emergencies. "Gift funds and grants are wonderful resources," Tai says, and national programs can help those without familial support.
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Tai Christensen is dedicated to closing the real estate wealth gap that’s locking minority borrowers out of homeownership. She believes this is a systemic problem plaguing our industry and anyone working in the lending industry right now should be actively thinking about how to solve it. Tai is motivated by her unwavering belief that helping underserved borrowers achieve sustainable homeownership enables them to build generational wealth – a key ingredient to social mobility and financial security and the secret sauce to the American Dream
“In this type of market using Down Payment Assistance (DPA) can be a powerful tool to increase a borrower’s chances of successfully qualifying for a home loan. It also increases the loan affordability by lowering upfront costs, and some DPA programs have options to cover some, or all, of the closing costs. These solutions decrease the financial burden to the borrower during the closing process, and can increase their chances of closing a successful transaction."
