Home Loan Resources at Your Fingertips
August 28, 2026
Buying a home is one of the biggest investments a person can make.
It would be wise to invest a lot of time preparing and researching your financing options before making a purchase.
UnitedOne Credit Union provides several tools and resources to assist you when you’re ready to become a homeowner or if you’re looking to use the equity in your home.
UnitedOne’s Local Home Loan Experts discuss the importance of utilizing these materials on the latest episode of the “At Home on the Lakeshore” podcast.
“There’s lots of different tools that we have right at your fingertips on our website,” said UnitedOne Mortgage Specialist Julie Peot, NMLS # 441412.
Whether on a computer or phone, you can find UnitedOne’s Mortgage Center by visiting UnitedOne.org and navigating to the “Borrow” tab and “Home” section.
One of the most popular areas to visit is the Mortgage Rates page. While posted rates cannot predict an individual’s exact mortgage rate, they can provide a helpful way for you to monitor market trends.
“It’s a nice place to go to kind of get an idea of where rates are,” said UnitedOne Mortgage Specialist Kari Johnsrud, NMLS # 441414. “If you're just watching rates and you want to see what they're trending, you can see from week to week if they're going up or down.”
For those in the early stages of the homebuying process, UnitedOne’s Mortgage Calculators can provide valuable insights. There are calculators to help you estimate monthly mortgage payments, compare renting versus buying, evaluate refinancing opportunities, and determine the impact of making extra principal payments.
“You can play around with them,” Peot said. “You can get an idea of, ‘I’m looking at a house for $150,000. What is my payment going to be?’ So those resources are there for you.”
A free resource you can – and should – obtain annually is a credit report. It’s free when you access it at www.annualcreditreport.com.
If your credit score isn’t where you want it to be, you can prepare to become a homeowner by utilizing GreenPath Financial Wellness. GreenPath is a trusted partner of UnitedOne and offers assistance with budgeting, debt management, savings strategies, and debt consolidation. It also has courses about home loans to help determine if you’re ready.
“I love that they meet everyone where they're at,” said UnitedOne Mortgage Specialist Marla Hitsman, NMLS # 2696821. “They're able to communicate and have that conversation based on where you're at financially and figure out where you want to go from there.”
When you’re ready to get serious about purchasing a home, you can access online UnitedOne’s Mortgage Application at any time.
“Fill out what you know,” Johnsrud said. “As soon as you complete it, we get notified and we will get in touch with you to get any information we still need and get the process going.”
Peot added that the online application is designed to be simple and convenient to complete, making it an easy way for borrowers to get started. The application mirrors the same questions borrowers would be asked during an in-person meeting, allowing UnitedOne’s Local Home Loan Experts to gain an initial understanding of their financial situation and homeownership goals.
If you prefer a personal conversation, UnitedOne also offers online appointment scheduling. You can Book an Appointment and select a preferred Mortgage Specialist to meet with in-person at a branch or via a phone or video call.
From rates and calculators to financial wellness resources, UnitedOne.org provides prospective homeowners with a comprehensive collection of tools to support every stage of the homeownership journey.
Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer or looking to refinance, UnitedOne’s Local Home Loan Experts in Manitowoc and Sheboygan can help point you in the right direction with all of your home loan needs.