Sandra Parsons
Lender Sandra Parsons alongside loan officers Zach Wooten, center, and Kevin Wooten, right | Photo by Nathan Sparks
The Great Loandini
Sandra Parsons of Element Home Loans
doesn’t see problems—only solutions
The family had packed their bags and notified their landlord that they were ready to move out of the apartment and into their first home. Then the news came—there was a problem with their loan, and as a result, they couldn’t close.
The family was devastated. They were a young couple, expecting a child, and it felt as if the news couldn’t have come at a worse time for them during what was meant to be an exciting new chapter. They had nowhere to go if they couldn’t close on the home.
Fortunately, there was someone who could help. Their realtor recommended they talk to Sandra Parsons, a local lender with Element Home Loans.
“It was certainly a challenging situation,” Sandra recalls, “but my brain works in problem-solving mode, and I got right to work for my new clients.”
The issue stemmed from the family’s debt ratio. There was more at play here. But that also meant there was more that could help them. Sandra was ultimately able to get an automobile refinanced to a lower and more accessible payment, which changed the couple’s debt ratio and, in the end, allowed them to close on their dream home and prepare for their next chapter.
“It was a simple solution, but you have to have a problem-solving mentality,” Sandra says. “You need to be able to look at it lots of different ways to make something happen, and so my brain naturally works that way. I don’t usually see problems. I just see potential solutions.”
Love What You Do
The family Sandra helped was beyond relieved. One told her, “You worked magic! You’re the Loandini!” That was 10 years ago, and yet the nickname has stuck. And she’s helped many families in the region in similarly life-changing ways since she began in the industry. Sandra has been in Cityview’s Best of the Best several times.
According to Sandra, a Knoxville-native, you have to truly love what you do to make it in the loan business, which can often be stressful and cumbersome. She explains, “For me, having that really exciting feeling that the first-time home buyer is closing on a home that they thought they’d lost for sure—that feeling keeps me going.”
Whether it’s their first home or their dream home, she loves helping people through the process because she believes that “dirt is your best investment.”
“We have so many people relocating who really need someone to hold their hand and walk them through that process,” Sandra says. “I enjoy helping people who may have had some credit challenges and need guidance.”
There’s nowhere better for your money than real estate, Sandra says, and while “a lot of people don’t believe they can purchase a home,” she helps them realize that there are down payment assistance programs and 100% loan programs they may qualify for or for which she can help them qualify. “That means a lot to me to see someone go from, ‘I can’t get there’ to unlocking the front door of their home.”
Passion to Serve
Sandra’s passion for helping others extends far beyond her daily work as a lender. She is a contributing member to this community in a variety of ways. Sandra cares deeply about non-profit work. She has served on the board of the Salvation Army and is a Rotarian. Eleven years ago, she founded Charity Chicks, an organization of women who make a difference in their community by supporting local non-profits all throughout the year.
And when she isn’t focused on community, she’s helping steward the next generation of her industry, which includes her sons, Kevin Wooten and Zach Wooten, who are both loan officers in East Tennessee.
“It’s been really exciting to share that world with them,” Sandra says, “and see them help a lot of their friends become first-time home buyers.”
Sandra cares extensively about her clients and her work, so much so that when talking about the deal that earned her the nickname, Loandini, she refers to it as “our debt ratio,” not “the client’s debt ratio.” It shows that for her, this is personal and that she’s in this together with each and every client. She steps into her clients’ shoes; every buyer is important to her. Helping them, she says, is a privilege.
