The lending industry has been a tricky industry to navigate lately – it’s full of unpredictable mortgage rates (that, at press time, are at an all-time low of 3.94 percent) and ever-changing credit requirements and restrictions, along with ever-changing products available to buyers.

This issue was created to update everyone as to what loans are available, what loans are most popular, how agents’ clients can qualify for certain loans and how loan officers go above and beyond to help agents and their clients close a deal. With emphasis on making sure clients are pre-approved well before coming close to making offers on a home and avoiding misunderstandings, good loan officers – like the people we interviewed for our cover story and cover features – really are loan “rangers,” in a way. They’re not fighting against evil, but despite all the blame games, finger-pointing and “bad blood” between agents and lenders that has been reported since the recession, lenders are the good guys, too. Everyone’s goal is to close the deal; it might not be as easy as it was five years ago, but we can all work together to get the deal done and make homeowners happy. As our cover model, Craig Achtzehn, said in our cover story, “I got into the business 10 years ago. This is how it was done 10 years ago. Then lending got away from that. We are not doing anything that we haven’t done before.” Work with your preferred lender, find out all the loan options that are available to your clients and exactly what needs to be done to get those loans.

On another note, vote for your favorite lenders – and agents and managing brokers – in our Agents’ Choice awards, an issue that will be out in November. Go to ChicagoAgentMagazine.com/agent-choice-awards/ to vote!