Mission & Values
Slow Flip: A Home Buying Alternative
At Slow Flip, our goal is to help homebuyers who have a financial commitment to homeownership, but who have been excluded through the traditional mortgage lending process. Our primary criteria – meaningful down payment, accountable income sources and a defined plan to qualify for a mortgage within five years – are the true cornerstones of homeownership.
Mortgage lending challenges imposed after the housing crisis are overly restrictive for certain individuals, including self-employed buyers and those forced into bankruptcy or foreclosure due to unforeseen life and market events. Many families with the financial means to afford and qualify for a home were stuck with leasing alternatives weighted heavily to the benefit of the landlord. These families now have an alternative path to homeownership – where they are in control of their housing future.
History
The contract for deed instrument has been available in our market for decades. The Slow Flip contract for deed program, founded in 2013, has revamped the traditional contract for deed approach to help home buyers access substantially more homes using this tool. Nearly half of the contracts we have entered into have been successfully paid off. This means that dozens of families have improved their financial and credit stability and now own their home with mortgage financing.
Team
Chad Banken
Chad is the founder and creator of the Slow Flip contract for deed program. He is a licensed mortgage originator in Minnesota, and has worked in the mortgage and real estate industry since the mid-1990s. Over his professional career, he has helped home buyers and borrowers form a more comprehensive financial perspective on their real estate.
Chad’s industry experience covers a broad range of real estate and financing tools and strategies. Among these are advanced contract for deed financing, foreclosure real estate strategies, and traditional mortgage financing.
Chad is a supporter of childhood cancer programs, and volunteers with the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and HopeKids. When not at the office, Chad enjoys traveling with his family.
Martin DeMarte
Martin is a licensed Realtor® in Minnesota. Before becoming a real estate agent, he spent the majority of his professional career in the relocation industry. There, his roles included counseling families during relocations and working closely with real estate agents throughout the United States. In this role, he was responsible for the marketing and selling of thousands of residential homes across the country.
Lynelle Swonger
Lynelle is the lead transaction coordinator at True North Transaction Coordinators. She has been a Minnesota licensed Realtor for 17 years, working the majority of that time as the office manager for a Twin Cities real estate company. She is experienced in reviewing documents for state and broker compliance, and bringing transactions from contract to closing. In her free time, Lynelle volunteers with seniors who have memory issues and need care, and enjoys spending time with her kids and grandkids.