Episode 152: The In’s and Out’s of Pool Financing with Natalie Doyle of Presidential Pools and Sarah Bess of Lyon Financial
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Episode Summary
Today, we speak with Natalie Doyle, Finance Manager at Presidential Pools, Spas & Patio; as well as Sarah Bess, Marketing Director at Lyon Financial.
Presidential Pools is known as the #1 Pool Builder in Arizona and one of the largest pool builders in the country. They are partnered with Lyon Financial, which since 1979 has been specializing in financing solutions for swimming pools and home improvement projects.
Listen in as Natalie and Sarah explain the details of pool financing and how Presidential works with Lyon to guide prospective pool owners from the application process to the construction of their pools.
They also talk about how the COVID19 pandemic has impacted the finance space with regards to swimming pools and how their companies have adapted to a myriad of industry changes since the beginning of 2020.
Topics Discussed
01:05 - An introduction to Natalie Doyle and Sarah Bess
04:09 - How many pools Presidential finances each year and the benefits of financing
06:48 - Why Presidential does not normally prequalify their customers
08:59 - How the finance space has changed around pools since the pandemic started
11:03 - Changes that Presidential has seen around financing since the pandemic started
14:55 - The process Presidential and Lyon offers for financing a pool
21:10 - Dealing with customer disputes once the project is underway
25:01 - How Presidential decides whether a loan is the right option for a customer
27:41 - Lyon’s process once an application comes in
32:59 - What happens once a customer’s application is approved
40:12 - Planning the budget and preparing for hard digs
45:38 - When the customer needs to make the first payment
48:47 - Advice for companies that are not as familiar with loans
50:12 - How Lyon funds furniture alongside the pool
53:37 - Lyon’s options in 2021
Key Quotes From Episode
When the pandemic started [...] we were hit with all those negative changes so we couldn’t help as many people. Fast-forward to the end of 2020, it appears that the demand for outdoor living is here to stay for at least the next several years. Lenders realized that they missed the boat on quite a bit of business by being too tight. Now, starting in 2021, we start off with longer terms, lower interest rates, higher debt-to-income ratio requirements so we can actually cater to more clientele than we could years before the pandemic. ~Sarah
People want the whole backyard experience: the kitchen, the barbecue, the firepits. They’re adding that to their projects. Last year, people were at home. They weren’t traveling. They weren’t going on vacations. They made their backyard their vacation. ~Natalie
One of the things that contribute to our longevity is trying to look out for the customer’s best interest. It’s always, “What can I do to best meet this customer’s needs?” That will set the tone for a positive experience from financing to pool construction. ~Sarah
Finding a lending company that works with you as a pool builder in partnership is very important. ~Natalie
