Loans
Four products. One guy who explains them.
No jargon walls. Each one below: who it's for, how the mechanics actually work, and the part most lenders won't tell you.
Buy
Buying: your pre-approval is your superpower.
First-timers and move-up buyers who want a letter sellers take seriously — and a human who picks up during the offer weekend. If that's you, this is your section.
How it actually works
- Pre-approval in about 24 hours once your documents are in — not a "pre-qualification" a listing agent laughs at.
- Down payments from 3% (conventional) or 3.5% (FHA) — with the trade-offs of each explained before you pick one.
- Rate-lock timing strategy, so you lock when it helps you instead of when it helps the lender.
- Offer-weekend availability — I answer on Saturdays, because that's when houses actually get bought.
- A full closing-cost walkthrough before you commit to anything, line by line.
Quick facts
- Down payment
- As low as 3% down (conventional) and 3.5% (FHA) programs exist — I'll walk the trade-offs either way.
- Credit sweet spot
- 620+ opens most doors; 740+ usually gets the best pricing. Don't guess — I'll check.
- Timeline
- Pre-approval in about 24 hours after docs; typical closing runs 21–30 days.
“A strong pre-approval from a lender the listing agent can call beats 0.125% off the rate every time.”
Watch out for
The lowest advertised rate often costs the most points. A 0.25% lower rate that costs $4,000 upfront takes years to break even — I'll show you the math both ways before you choose.
Quick answers
The honest answer is a monthly payment you barely think about — not the maximum a lender will approve. I'll run your real numbers (taxes, insurance, HOA, all of it) and show you the payment at a couple of price points. Then you pick the one that lets you sleep at night.
Quick facts
- Down payment
- As low as 3% down (conventional) and 3.5% (FHA) programs exist — I'll walk the trade-offs either way.
- Credit sweet spot
- 620+ opens most doors; 740+ usually gets the best pricing. Don't guess — I'll check.
- Timeline
- Pre-approval in about 24 hours after docs; typical closing runs 21–30 days.
“A strong pre-approval from a lender the listing agent can call beats 0.125% off the rate every time.”
Refinance
Refinance: the break-even math decides, not the rate.
Owners whose rate, term, or monthly payment stopped making sense — or who want cash out without getting fleeced.
How it actually works
- Rate-and-term vs. cash-out, explained like a person — different tools, different math.
- A break-even calculation on every quote: closing costs ÷ monthly savings. If the number doesn't work, I say so.
- When a recast beats a refi — sometimes a lump-sum payment and a recast fee is the smarter move entirely.
- How appraisals actually go, including what I do before we order one so there are no surprises.
- A typical 21–30 day timeline from application to closing.
Quick facts
- The deciding number
- Every quote comes with a break-even: closing costs ÷ monthly savings, in months.
- Credit sweet spot
- Better credit prices better, but equity matters more than most people think.
- Timeline
- Typically 21–30 days from application to closing.
“I've talked more people OUT of refinances than into them. The math either works or it doesn't.”
Watch out for
'No-closing-cost' refis aren't free — the costs move into the rate or the balance. Sometimes that's smart, sometimes it's a ripoff. I'll show you which one you're looking at.
Quick answers
When the break-even math says so. Divide your closing costs by the monthly savings — if you'll keep the loan well past that many months, it's worth a look. If not, I'll tell you to stay put. I've done it both ways for a lot of people.
Quick facts
- The deciding number
- Every quote comes with a break-even: closing costs ÷ monthly savings, in months.
- Credit sweet spot
- Better credit prices better, but equity matters more than most people think.
- Timeline
- Typically 21–30 days from application to closing.
“I've talked more people OUT of refinances than into them. The math either works or it doesn't.”
VA Loans
VA loans: the best deal in American housing, done right.
Veterans, active duty, and eligible surviving spouses. You earned this one — my job is making sure nobody fumbles it.
How it actually works
- 0% down and no monthly mortgage insurance — the benefit works exactly as advertised when your lender knows what they're doing.
- Eligibility and your COE: I pull your Certificate of Eligibility for you, usually same-day.
- The VA appraisal (and its minimum property requirements) demystified before it happens, not after.
- Using your benefit more than once — second-tier entitlement, restoring entitlement, the works.
- Seller concessions up to 4% on top of closing-cost help — real negotiating room most buyers never use.
Quick facts
- Down payment
- 0% down, no monthly mortgage insurance — the benefit you earned, used the right way.
- Eligibility
- I pull your Certificate of Eligibility same-day, free. No guessing.
- Timeline
- Same 21–30 day timeline as conventional when your lender doesn't drag their feet.
“This is the loan I'd hand my own family. The only way it goes wrong is when the lender doesn't know VA.”
Are you eligible?
You generally qualify with any one of these:
- 90 days of active service during wartime
- 181 days of active service during peacetime
- 6 years in the National Guard or Reserves
- Surviving spouse of a service member
The VA funding fee, honestly
It's a one-time fee that keeps the program running — and it can be rolled into the loan.
| Use | Down | First use | Subsequent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase | 0% | 2.15% | 3.3% |
| Purchase | 5–9.99% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Purchase | 10%+ | 1.25% | 1.25% |
Exempt with a service-connected disability. Table for illustration — funding fees change; I'll confirm your exact number. Verify current figures at VA.gov before publishing.
Jake's VA track record
0+
VA closings and counting
- COEs pulled same-day — I do it for you
- I fight VA-appraisal lowballs with data
Watch out for
Some lenders steer vets into conventional because VA paperwork is harder for THEM. If your lender bad-mouths VA, ask why. Then call me.
Quick answers
Not in my shop. VA closings drag when a lender is slow pulling the COE or ordering the appraisal. I do both up front, so VA closes on the same 21–30 day timeline as anything else.
Quick facts
- Down payment
- 0% down, no monthly mortgage insurance — the benefit you earned, used the right way.
- Eligibility
- I pull your Certificate of Eligibility same-day, free. No guessing.
- Timeline
- Same 21–30 day timeline as conventional when your lender doesn't drag their feet.
“This is the loan I'd hand my own family. The only way it goes wrong is when the lender doesn't know VA.”
Reverse Mortgage
Reverse mortgages: a tool, not a trap — when structured honestly.
Homeowners 62+ (or their adult kids researching for them) who are house-rich and want retirement cash-flow without selling.
How it actually works
- HECM basics in plain English — what it is, what it isn't, and who it genuinely helps.
- You keep the title. Period. The bank does not take your house.
- Payout options: line of credit, monthly payment, or lump sum — we model all three before you pick.
- Spouse protections, including what happens with a younger spouse, covered up front.
- What happens when the home is sold or you pass — the exact playbook your family gets.
Quick facts
- Who qualifies
- Homeowners 62+ with meaningful equity; protections for spouses built in from day one.
- Payout options
- Line of credit, monthly payment, or lump sum — modeled side by side before you decide.
- Costs
- Similar to other FHA loans, and most can be financed. Every line item in writing.
“Bring your family to the call. Seriously. Good reverse mortgages survive family scrutiny; bad ones don't.”
Watch out for
Anyone who rushes a reverse mortgage is selling, not advising. This decision deserves your family in the room — I'll happily do a three-way call with your kids before anyone signs anything.
Quick answers
No. A HECM is a non-recourse loan — your heirs never owe more than the home is worth. They can sell it, keep it by paying off the balance, or walk away. The debt never lands on them personally.
Quick facts
- Who qualifies
- Homeowners 62+ with meaningful equity; protections for spouses built in from day one.
- Payout options
- Line of credit, monthly payment, or lump sum — modeled side by side before you decide.
- Costs
- Similar to other FHA loans, and most can be financed. Every line item in writing.
“Bring your family to the call. Seriously. Good reverse mortgages survive family scrutiny; bad ones don't.”
Percentages and dollar figures mentioned in the explanations above (for example, 0.25% or 0.125%) are illustrative examples for education only — not rate quotes, APRs, or offers of credit. Your actual pricing depends on your full application and current market conditions.
Know your lane? Let's go. Not sure? That's my job.
The qualifier takes two minutes and never touches your credit. Or skip the form and call — I pick up.