It was a delightful evening of wine, hors d’oeuvres and pottery as the JN Bank hosted its Design Your Mortgage (DYM) Corporate Mingle at a “Sip and Clay” session, held at the JN Fund Manager’s headquarters in New Kingston, recently.

The event was part of JN Bank’s efforts to sensitise customers to its most recent mortgage financing options, under the DYM campaign.

Thirty elated participants enjoyed an evening of wine and pottery, at which they created ceramic works of art to be proudly displayed in their new homes.

Participants were skilfully guided through the creative process by Miriam Smith, dean of the School of Visual Arts at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.

Donnott Braham, who made a ceramic vase for his future home, said he enjoyed the experience, noting that it was his first time “throwing clay.”

“This was a great experience and I would certainly do it again, as a matter of fact, I think this is something JN Bank should continue,” he noted. “But, it wasn’t only about the pottery, because I found the information about the various home financing options quite interesting,” added Mr Braham, who said that the variable rate option seemed to be the most suitable choice for him.

Under the DYM promotion, customers were briefed about eight financing options; and had the opportunity to choose the one that was best suited to their cash flow and objectives. The options included: the graduated mortgage, variable rate, mortgage plus and balloon payment.

Prospective homeowner, Tianna McIntosh, who has been diligently working towards owning her first home, said she found the event to be an elegant and relaxing affair.

“I didn’t know that ‘throwing’ pottery could be so relaxing and soothing. It really helped me to de-stress, after a pretty hectic work day,” Miss McIntosh said; and further noted that it was a pleasure to learn about the options available for mortgage financing.

“It was a great relief to discover that some of the options stood out for me; and, I found the mortgage plus option most interesting. It not only covers 95 per cent of the mortgage costs, but it also offers an additional five per cent, to cover closing costs and other expenses. This will help me out a lot,” Miss McIntosh explained.

Saniah Spencer, chief of marketing and product development, at JN Bank, said the bank would be hosting other DYM Corporate Mingles across the country, to further inform customers about the features of the campaign.

“The process of obtaining a home can be intimidating; and, therefore, the objective of these mingles is to provide financial counselling and guidance to mortgage applicants,” she outlined.

Miss Spencer further stated that the DYM product was carefully created with Jamaicans in mind, “as JN Bank is always seeking to meet the evolving needs of our citizens.”

“We know that each customer is unique, their lifestyle, goals and financial status differ; and, therefore, it certainly couldn’t be ‘one-size-fits-all,’ when it comes to mortgage financing. Consequently, we are providing choices for Jamaicans, which allows them to decide what is right for them, based on their financial objectives,” she maintained.