MEET OUR AMAZING TEAM

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Chad Banken

A Good Deed

Chad Banken

[email protected] | 952-417-0000

Chad is the founder and creator of A-Good-Deed Contract for Deed program. As a licensed mortgage originator in Minnesota, Chad has worked in the mortgage and real estate industries since 1995. Over his career, he has helped home buyers and borrowers form a comprehensive financial perspective to their home and real estate.

 Chad’s industry experience covers a broad range of real estate and financing tools and strategies. Among these are advanced contract for deed financing, foreclosure real estate strategies, and traditional mortgage financing.

 Chad is a supporter of childhood cancer programs, and volunteers with the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and HopeKids. When not at the office, Chad enjoys traveling with his family.

Shannon Larsen

A Good Deed

Shannon Larsen

Property Manager

[email protected] | (952) 417-9000

Shannon is a born and raised Minnesotan! She has been in the mortgage and real estate industry for over 20 years and is very customer oriented.  She enjoys helping families get into their perfect home and helps them through their entire time within the Slow Flip program.  If you have questions, call Shannon!  If she doesn’t have the answer, she'll find the answer for you!  Shannon is a recent empty nester and is looking forward to what new life adventures are out there to explore.

Lynelle Swonger

A Good Deed

Lynelle Swonger

Transaction Coordinator

[email protected] | (763) 486-8865

Lynelle is the lead transaction coordinator at True North Transaction Coordinators. She was a Minnesota licensed Realtor for 17 years, working the majority of that time as the office manager for a Twin Cities real estate company. She is experienced in reviewing documents for state and broker compliance, and bringing transactions from contract to closing. In her free time, Lynelle enjoys spending time with her kids and grandkids.

Janet Banken

A Good Deed

Janet Banken

Realtor Coordinator

[email protected] | (952) 930-0330

Buying and selling real estate isn't a do-it-yourself endeavor. I've been in various areas of real estate for over 20 years! I started in commercial appraisal then went to lending, stayed home with our 3 sons for several year and then got into residential sales where I've been for the past 11 years. When you work with me, you will be backed by my expertise and insights, as well as the support, visibility and networking capabilities of Edina Realty. I love bringing buyers and sellers together!

Michelle Baer

A Good Deed

Michelle Baer

Closing Coordinator

[email protected] | (763) 424-1850

Michelle Baer is a Closer that has been with Executive Title since 2017, and has been a closer since 1987.    She has worked in  all areas of  title insurance , including both residential and commercial and enjoys the challenge of new and complex closings.   Michelle believes that with creative financing comes creative closings ! 

Read Our Reviews

New Construction home on a contract for deed!

A Good Deed, LLC closed a deal for me in early 2019. Without A Good Deed my buyer would not have been able to purchase a beautiful new construction single Family Residence in Minnesota. The team at A Good Deed, LLC was great to work with and they delivered on their promise! A Good Deed is a valuable tool for those buyers that are not able to secure financing for whatever reason. Eric Ollestad, Realty Group

True professionalism

Chad Banken, A Good Deed, LLC was referred to me when I relayed to another Broker that a client of mine was having difficulty with receiving tax information which was not being transmitted in timely manner for a closing using a conventional lender. My client was going to lose the executed property purchase offer. Needless to say that didn’t happen because Chad Banken, A Good Deed LLC stepped in and helped my client achieve his goal of a successful transaction. A Good Deed reviewed my client’s financial information, provided the relevant financial requirements to my investment buyer within a couple of days and upon my client’s approval they both entered into a Contract for Deed purchase. A Good Deed’s process is one of the most efficient, quick and transparent home buying systems I have participated in. Chad, clearly explains all parts of the Contract for Deed transaction (the math, contract and other documentation); is available at all times for questions before and after the completed transaction. A Good Deed, LLC Contract for Deed product for residential property and investment property is a fantastic option for your buyer. I have and would recommend A Good Deed, LLC due to their professionalism which is hard to come by these days. Terry Mitchell, Terry Mitchell Realty, Inc

Well Explained!

Working with A Good Deed Contract for Deed program went very smooth. Everything was well explained with options for the buyer to choose from and it closed very quickly from the time we had a signed purchase agreement. I definitely look forward to working with them in the future! Lonny Mossengren, Realty Group

Important part of my business!

A Good Deed contract for deed program has been an important part of my business as a Realtor. Experienced professionals you can count on! Stephen Ersfeld, Bridge Realty

House of MY choice vs. renting!

The A Good Deed program made it possible for me to purchase a home for my family instead of continuing to rent. I had a solid down payment for a home but I was in a waiting period to qualify for a conventional loan. I was able to use my realtor to find the right house for me just like a conventional loan would have allowed me. It was an empowering process that led to an amazing investment for me. I’m living in the neighborhood and house of my choice. If I would have delayed my home purchase, the current housing market would have priced me out of my neighborhood. It’s important to have a clear plan to refinance into a fixed rate mortgage within a certain timeline. One of the best financial decisions I’ve ever made. D.K. – St Louis Park

Great housing source for self-employed

As I was in the process of purchasing the condo I’d been living in and renting for the last 8 years, I faced a very short timeframe to close when the owner decided he wanted to sell his investment properties. Being a self-employed borrower, I ran into a couple challenges and wasn’t sure how I’d be able to close in the required timeframe given by the seller. With the clock ticking, my mortgage loan officer and trusted friend suggested I reach out to Chad Banken to see if there was an opportunity to work with A Good Deed on a contract for deed to purchase the condo to obtain financing. Chad was very calm, cool, collect and to the point about the process and turn-around, which relieved a tremendous amount of stress and pressure I was feeling with the clock ticking. I gathered the information requested, and from start to finish, working with 3-4 weeks to close, Chad and his team contacted my agent, who was the sellers’ agent as well, and what seemed like a flawless execution, closed and provided my contract for deed loan with a couple days to spare. To have had the option of financing with A Good Deed has allowed me the investment opportunity I may not have had otherwise, and more importantly, stay in the place I’ve called home, while continuing to grow my business. I trust and highly recommend Chad and his team and have much gratitude and appreciation for their work and determination assisting me to accomplish this major personal goal. Very Happy Stillwater Condo Homeowner

A pleasure to work with!

Chad and his A Good Deed contract for deed team have been a pleasure to work with. My buyer was able to purchase a home that did not qualify for traditional financing. Chad is professional, clear, and helpful. I expect to do many more transactions with Chad and A Good Deed. Jason Walgrave, RE/MAX Advantage Plus

Details all up front!

My wife and I had such a wonderful experience purchasing our home with the help of Chad and A Good Deed. Honestly, they went above and beyond our expectations by answering our calls while boarding planes for their vacation, as well as returning our weekend phone calls with the appropriate response to all of our questions that we had throughout the entire process. Due to my occupation, I wasn’t available a lot through the day and Chad was excellent about communicating with me via email, text, and even late evening phone calls. At one point Chad’s team stepped in, and played the role of assisting my real estate agent due to a family emergency that came up with my agent. Chad’s team was very involved and looked out for our mutual best interest through the whole process including the closing. Chad and A Good Deed would not close on the home that we were purchasing until EVERY detail with the current seller was discussed and put into writing to help us feel re-assured that we were getting exactly what we wanted. I would totally recommend A Good Deed and I plan on using them again in the very near future. You can’t go wrong with Chad and A Good Deed. C&J. W. – Prior Lake

Family roots

I feel so fortunate to have found Chad and his A Good Deed contract for deed program. After financial limitations from some significant life changes, including closing a business, personal bankruptcy and divorce, I found myself renting last minute and the space simply wasn’t suitable for my family short term, let alone long term, and the direction I wanted to be going. I knew I wanted to get back into a home and set down permanent roots again for me and my three daughters and someday those grandchildren who would be visiting! I was unable to find traditional financing, even though I had the right down payment and a decent recovering credit score. That’s when I met Chad. His A Good Deed contract for deed program (formerly Slip Flip) allowed me to purchase my home on a more immediate time frame that suited me and my girls, not the typical boxed time frame that my circumstances dictated with traditional financing. The program costs were reasonable and in line with my goals, and I was able to be in my home several years before was possible with traditional financing and when that traditional timeline gets here, I am then able to refinance into a traditional loan. It’s really been a win-win program for me! J.S. – North St Paul

Completely informed buyers

A Good Deed is an awesome option for a buyer who has a hiccup in their financial life! Chad, and the people with A Good Deed, make certain that the buyer is comfortable and completely informed on their transaction and is able to assist in helping get them back on track. I have had a couple transactions with this program and would use them again with total confidence!! Darin Houle, TheMLSonline.com

Grateful to have met Chad

My family was in a tough spot financially and had been searching banks looking for a way out. Unable to be accepted by them we just kept following recommendations down the line which brought us to Chad. He was able to meet with us in person in a short amount of time. We had some complicated issues going on in our lives but we were just open and honest with him about what was happening. He was able to do what banks couldn’t! He was quick to get a contract in order, the process was very smooth, and if at any time we had a question he was always there with an answer. He helped us during a very rough time. Now we are in a better place financially and did not have to move out of our home. We are so grateful to have met Chad and he would be the first person we would go to if we needed such advise in the future. J.A. – Prior Lake

Chad helped out when our lender dropped us at the last minute!!

Chad’s spirit & willingness to look beneath and beyond a single snapshot of credit numbers made a world of difference for me and my family. In a manner of days we had closed on our home, safe and sound and enroute to a clearer future. B.N. – Northfield

Excellent Service

Dear Chad, I feel I have to write to you to inform you of the excellent service my wife and I received from your company. You provided us with a very transparent approach and were able to eliminate the anxiety from a somewhat difficult situation. In our opinion, you went way beyond what we expected. Thanks for all your help. We were able to enjoy a great Christmas in our new home. Sincerely, M.K. – Princeton

From foreclosure to new home!

Our family came across A Good Deed contract for deed program in a time of extreme circumstances. We were beyond overwhelmed with the calls, letters and door knocking as we were facing foreclosure. We were frustrated, confused and downright angry that we were in this position and felt helpless at the same time. We came across Chad and A Good Deed through our realtor and were skeptical in the beginning because of the number of people we had begun to entertain and engage as the harsh reality of losing our home. We had fell into horrible circumstances and were now going to have to pay rent on somewhere that wasn’t big enough for our family anyway. That’s when Chad and his team came along and told us about A Good Deed process and got us pre-approved. We were able to move our family into a beautiful house that fit us just perfect. All while providing us time to repair our credit and get back on our feet to qualify for a traditional Mortgage. We are eternally grateful for Chad, his team and A Good Deed! It helped us be able to keep our family intact and where we needed to be. S.B – Otsego

Simple process

My experience with Chad and his A Good Deed contract for deed program was nothing but exceptional. We had previously had a foreclosure on our record that kept us from getting a mortgage. We ended up renting a house that was run by people that did a horrible job managing the upkeep. It got to the point where there was mold problems upstairs and downstairs that the managers were refusing to fix or even acknowledge. Being that we had four kids in the home, we had to find another place for everyone’s well being. We really didn’t want to go through the hassle of renting another home (plus there really wasn’t a whole lot to choose from in our price range) and we couldn’t get another mortgage at the time, so we were a little stuck. We ended up finding a realtor that knew of Chad and A Good Deed contract for deed program. To be honest, at first, we were highly skeptical of the whole process. With so many scams out there we thought that’s exactly what this might be. It seemed too good to be true. Given that we didn’t have a whole lot of choice, we decided to go for it. With the realtor’s help we found a house that met our needs and came up with an agreement with Chad. We then met with Chad to hammer out details and sign papers. We were in the agreement for 32 months before the foreclosed mortgage was off of our record and we then were able to get a mortgage. The whole process was simple. Chad was always quick to respond to questions. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience! C.R – Newport

Easy to understand

A Good Deed contract for deed program with Chad Banken was flawless. The process was easy to understand and the support me and my family receive cannot be measured. We moved from a four walls place to a home, without having to go through all the hoops of home ownership. This is a different kind of home ownership, one that fits very well our family in our present financial situation. The joy in the eyes of my kids and my wife to call a place home is priceless. Thank you E.A – Rogers

Honest from the start

Chad Banken and A Good Deed contract for deed program helped my family immensely. I recently got married, and with the blending of families, the need for a bigger home was paramount. I could not qualify for a standard bank loan while still owning other properties. Then came Chad! Chad’s A Good Deed contract for deed program allowed me to get the home of my dreams. He was helpful every step of the way. He immediately returns emails and phone calls. He works with you directly, all the while taking care of all the details. I strongly recommend A Good Deed for getting into the house of your dreams. Not too many honest people out there anymore, but he and his staff definitely are. J.L. – Forest Lake

Blessing for my family

A Good Deed contract for deed program has been a blessing to my family. After years of renting and bouncing around we were finally able to purchase our own home. A house we chose, in the area we wanted to be in. Chad has been upfront, helpful and fair throughout the entire process and continues to be so 2+ years after we closed on the contract. I researched other companies and programs before choosing this one, and I can confidently say this is one of the best around. I highly recommend this program to anyone needing a little help getting a home of your own. C.R – Stacy

Make-sense approach!

I have been working with A Good Deed for just over a year and have closed multiple transactions with them that have all went very smooth. If you have dinged up credit and cannot obtain a traditional loan, Chad and his team have the program for you. Also, I personally work with a lot of self-employed people that need help as well that have trouble jumping through all the hoops of traditional financing. Through the A Good Deed process, they put all that nonsense to the way side and focus on decisions that make sense giving good hard working people opportunity for home ownership. Dennis DeBrobander, Keller Williams Classic Realty

Easy process!

Working with Chad and everyone at A Good Deed was an easy process. We looked at several homes and when we made our offer it was just like buying any home when you use a realtor. We were able to get a contract for deed at a good rate from Chad, where traditional banks don’t value that we own our own business and run a lot of expenses through our business. We highly recommend using A Good Deed if you are frustrated with traditional mortgage lenders. F.M. – Minnetonka

Exceptional

My experience with Chad and the contract for deed was exceptional. His team answered all my questions with great knowledge. They helped me in acquiring a property, and I would recommend him and his business to everyone. J.T. – Champlin

Very responsive

Chad was great to work with! He was very responsive and helped my client understand the ins and outs of his program. His company is totally transparent about the whole process! Chia Moua, Kerby & Cristina Real Estate Experts

No-brainer

My wife and I found ourselves needing to move for medical reasons, but we were unable to sell our former home due to the poor housing market in our old town. We were looking at having to rent a home for a few-years in our new location due to being unable to qualify for a mortgage on a second home, but the rentals were exorbitantly high, weren’t in the right neighborhood and many didn’t allow pets. We wanted the permanence of owning a home for the sake of our child starting school, so we didn’t have to go through another move in a few-years and didn’t want to give up our pets. We also wanted our money to go toward building our equity- instead of someone else’s. Using Chad’s program (now known as A Good Deed Contract for Deed program) we were able to choose a house that was ideal. I wasn’t thrilled about the ten-percent markup, but I knew I was a major credit risk. No traditional institution would take me on due to my former home going into foreclosure after a major U.S. bank refused to allow a short-sale (it turned out the major U.S. bank made more money through a foreclosure, because the separate mortgage insurance company had to cover the loss, instead of the bank). When I looked at the costs of mortgage insurance on an FHA loan (which I didn’t even qualify for at that point), combined with the potential lost home appreciation value (the market looked like it would go up at least 10% in the next five-years in my new location), the ten-percent markup seemed like a no-brainer. My wife and I had the down-payment, we had steady income and a plan to rebuild our credit that we stuck to. Five-years-later, we refinanced the home on to a traditional mortgage, with no mortgage insurance due to having twenty-percent equity. Our son doesn’t have to switch schools and make new friends. We are in a 100% better financial position than we were five-years-ago and just bought a small weekend lake place up north- something we never imagined possible. To achieve all this, we just lived responsibly, kept working and made our payments. There is no doubt that we wouldn’t be in this position if we hadn’t used A Good Deed Contract for Deed program. R.W. – Woodbury

Highly recommended!

I highly recommend A Good Deed for anyone that finds them self in the situation where a mortgage is a problem. Chad is very knowledgeable and takes full control of the transaction and makes everything happen. Turned a very big negative situation into a positive for me. Highly recommended. Al Farkas, Coldwell Banker Burnet

Great Referral!

The housing market was not kind to us, our property built-in 2007 was well underwater, and after months of trying, we were finally facing being forced to move out. We made the decision to short sell our house, and thus banks were not interested in talking to us again for 4 years. Ultimately my family of 5 was looking at renting and throwing equity payments into a landlord’s pocket. A friend referred me to Chad Banken (A Good Deed) and my desperation began to fill with hope. A short interview with Chad, and simple proof we were worthy of future payments we were quickly in the market to buy a house of our liking. The process is actually easy, admittedly its unique and a bit challenging to work with sellers in the process, as they rightfully are suspicious. This is where Chad’s engagement was excellent in working with sellers agents and overcoming any barrier that was put up. Once agreed upon, the closing is like all others. Because of Chad’s ingenuity we now live a few blocks from our old house, actually in a newer house gaining equity and well above original market value. I highly encourage anyone who has the means to work with Chad to get you and family back into enjoying life! T.C. – Prior Lake

If lenders turn you down, call Chad!

A Good Deed is perfect for people in the middle of transition in life and would love to own a home and not rent. If you want to own a home and lenders have turned you down, please call Chad he can help you out! Benjamin Hanf, Keller Williams

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