Tameka Howell had always dreamed of owning a home.

But after 18 months of trying to buy a house without success, the North Carolina state employee started to wonder if she'd ever achieve her goal.

"I had a lot of fears and a lot of doubts in the beginning of this process," Howell recalls.

Then Howell began working with mortgage lender Rate.com. Within 21 days, the grandmother of three had closed on a two-story home with an attached garage.

"My loan officer, she helped me and kept motivating me, talking to me and encouraging me, letting me know that homeownership is attainable and that I will be able to find a home," Howell says. "And she lived up to her promise."

The homebuying process can generate feelings of excitement, but also some anxiety. For many people, a home is the biggest purchase they'll make in their lifetime, so they naturally want to get it right. Some buyers might think there are too many roadblocks to buying a home, such as "I can't afford a house," "My credit isn't great," or "I don't understand the loan process."

Rate aims to remove those roadblocks and help get any aspiring homebuyer — regardless of their financial situation — to the closing table. (Realtor.com® is partnering with Rate and Anywhere Real Estate Inc. for Home Team Advantage, an initiative that helps homebuyers score the best deal possible.)

'Grow for good'

Victor Ciardelli founded Rate.com in June 2000 with the mission to deliver more value to customers than any other bank or mortgage company. He also wanted to focus on the underserved communities that may not have ready access to mortgage lenders.

The CEO used the principles of low rates, groundbreaking technology, complete transparency, excellent customer service and a quick, easy mortgage experience to grow Rate into the country's No. 2 retail lender.

Ciardelli knew that to be the best mortgage company for customers, he also needed to be the best mortgage company for employees and referral partners. He achieved that by innovating superior systems and technology to make the mortgage process easier and more transparent for everyone.

For instance, Rate provides services and products such as FirstHome+, which helps first-time homebuyers by offering down payment and closing cost assistance. HomeReady is a mortgage designed for low- to moderate-income borrowers that offers flexible down payment options and competitive rates. And the Home Possible loan is also for low- and moderate-income homebuyers and features low down payments and expanded eligibility for homeownership.

Rate's guiding core value is "Grow for Good" — a concept it puts into action over and over again.

"Serving underserved communities has always been a key focus for Rate from its inception, because these communities are the very consumers who have not consistently benefited and have had access to a transparent and easy mortgage process," says Andrew Pohlmann, the chief marketing officer at Rate. "The focus is on loan officers residing in communities we serve, leading products for a wide range of consumers needs."

Rita Hazell, producing bank manager in Charlotte, NC, says Rate is particularly committed to building Black homeownership. To that end, it's crucial that she motivate her clients and make sure they're provided with as much information as possible.

"Knowledge is power," Hazell says. "I want [my clients] to be educated and know all of their options — not just one."

Real savings in time — and money

Part of the mortgage education process is teaching buyers how long it typically takes to obtain a home loan — and how much it costs.

On average, landing a mortgage generally takes 30 days, but depending on the borrower's financial situation, it can stretch to 60 days or beyond.

However, some buyers can reduce the wait time for mortgage approval from weeks to mere minutes, thanks to Rate Intelligence, an AI-driven lending platform that recently launched.

Rate Intelligence is "a platform built to tackle the most persistent customer challenges — complexity, wait times, and uncertainty," said Ciardelli to HousingWire about the new $100 million platform.

Yet despite all that AI brings to the mortgage process, Ciardelli emphasizes that nothing is more important than the human touch when it comes to buying a home.

"We've maintained an ongoing dialogue with our loan officers, underwriters, processors, and operational leaders throughout [Rate Intelligence's] development," said Ciardelli. "While Al automates many repetitive, time-consuming tasks, it doesn't replace human expertise, it enhances it. Rate Intelligence empowers our team to focus on higher-value tasks."

'My favorite memory'

One of the tasks Ciardelli is referring to is getting buyers into homes despite perceived obstacles.

"No matter where you are financially, creditwise or incomewise, we're going to help you get through the process," says Rod See, a loan officer in Arlington, TX. He helped his client Eric Alston become a homeowner for the first time.

Alston admits to having fears throughout the homebuying process, which See was able to ease.

"Once I got with Rate, they broke it down and helped me understand it," says Alston, a truck driver from Fort Worth, Texas. "They were always there supporting me, helping me, and giving me information that I never knew before."

The package Alston used to help buy his home included a Down Payment Assistance Program with Rate and Clear to Close in 21 days.

"My favorite memory was walking through the door with the keys," says Alston. "That was my biggest memory right there. Just knowing that this is mine."