Bus tour dangled as a lure for reluctant home buyers

In the midst of a sour market, home buyers will sally forth by the busload if a loan officer's idea goes as planned.

Pinnacle Mortgage, a joint venture between Wells Fargo and Dickson Realty, will rent a bus, serve breakfast, and put on a show for potential home buyers.

The idea came to her in the middle of the night, says Carol McQuide, branch manager at Pinnacle Mortgage of Nevada, LLC, and she's put a couple of months into making that idea a reality.

She hopes to round up to 50 people for a day of looking at houses and learning about loan options. About 10 homes will be toured from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. (For reservations, call Pinnacle Mortgage at 284-3032.)

The day's enticements include breakfast at the Dickson Realty office at Caughlin Crossing, snacks en route and video presentations showing the particulars of each property while participants are en route to see the real thing.

On site, a Dickson Realty agent will give participants full tours of the interior. The listings are in the $250,000 to $450,000 price range.

People can learn about affordable pricing and mortgages currently available in a casual environment, says McQuide. "It will be a fun environment for people to get educated. And to overcome fears of stepping into the market."

Bad press on the subprime loan debacle tarred all lenders with the same brush, she says. And that has kept people on the fence, waiting for a better time to buy.

"But loans are available," says McQuide.