Have you ever met someone that has lived an unbelievably tough life, but resiliently kept her spirit beautiful? That is Ms. Ingrid Barbee, and I would like to share her story with you so that you may have the compassion to help her through donation.

Hi, I'm Alex Campbell.  I am a real estate broker in Raleigh, NC.  I met Ms. Ingrid by coincidence when she called into my office asking to speak with an agent.  Through getting to know her, we formed a bond grounded in faith and I felt a tug on my heart to help her.

She was going to be a first-time home buyer with a giant why behind her purchase- caring for her elderly father Calvin.  Between her lending restrictions, the lack of inventory in her budget, and her dad's accessibility needs, she and I knew finding them a home was going to be a challenge.  Against all odds, we won a multiple offer bid on a home perfectly suited for her and dad.  She was very nervous after inspections because the house needed electrical and plumbing repairs, as well as a new roof.  Unbelievably, the sellers completed thousands of dollars’ worth of repairs to make the home safe for the Barbee family.

While her file was in final review for underwriting, she was denied her loan despite being pre-approved before going under contract.  To say she was devastated does not even begin to describe how that news was received.  To say she was a victim of the system specifically designed to keep the those in poverty beaten down is heartbreaking.  To say she was targeted by an angry underwriter because of her race is strongly suspected, yet infuriatingly unprovable.

Here's what happened: Ms. Ingrid is the recipient of social security disability benefits and financial aid from the State of North Carolina.  While her mortgage application was in process, the State of North Carolina assessed her monthly benefits and concluded she was receiving too much money per month in aid.  As a result of this assessment, her State benefits were decreased by $800 per month and she was also setup on a repayment plan of $232 a month.  The repayment plan will be in effect until Ms. Ingrid pays $15,000, the amount the State deemed she received in overpayment of benefits.  

The sellers graciously gave us three weeks past our original close date to try and come up with a solution that got Ms. Ingrid and her dad loan approval.  When the underwriter wasn't treating the file with urgency, the loan officer went above her head and brought in the company's mediation representative.  When options for loan approval required a manual underwrite and came down to a final yes or no decision, the underwriter said no.  Ms. Ingrid not only lost the home, but also all the money she had spent in pursuit of purchasing the house (roughly $2,000).

Why I suspect she was a victim of racism?  Attached is a video of me upset for Ms. Ingrid that blasted across social media.  Another lender saw the video on Facebook, tracked down my phone number, and called to help Ms. Ingrid.  Fallon Smith's lending team received pre-approval for Ms. Ingrid in one week’s time UNDER THE SAME LOAN PRODUCT.  The only difference is that with the decrease in Ms. Ingrid's monthly income, her maximum budget is even lower than before and our chances of finding her and her dad a home that fits his medical needs are bleak.

How your donation will help?  According to Ms. Ingrid's new lending team, the money received by this fundraiser will go first towards paying off credit card debit and second towards paying off the $15,000 repayment assessed by the State of North Carolina.  We have set $6,000 as a goal because she will qualify for a higher price point just by paying off the credit cards.  Anything beyond the $6K would just be a complete answer to prayer and gratefully received with love and appreciation.

Thank you for your time, compassion, and donation,
With Sincerity,
Alex