Homebuyer resource center
Everything I know about mortgages, written down and free.
No email gate, no download form, no drip campaign. 20 guides, 6 calculators, 46 answered questions and 50 defined terms. Read as much or as little as you want, and call me when you would rather just ask.
If you read four things
Four ways in
Read, calculate, ask, or look it up.
Most people arrive with one specific question. These are the four places it usually lives.
Run the numbers
Six calculators, no email required.
Each one is a real tool with real math, and each one tells you what it cannot see.
The full library
Every guide, grouped by where you are.
Showing 20 of 20
Getting started
- What actually happens between "I want to buy" and "here are your keys"The whole purchase, start to finish, in the order it really happens — including the three points where deals usually stall.6 min
- The first-time buyer’s guide to buying a house in the CarolinasEverything from "should I even start" to the day you get keys, in the order it actually happens — including the parts nobody warns you about.12 min
The process
- What documents will I need? The complete mortgage application checklistEverything underwriting will ask for, gathered in one place, so you can send it in a single batch instead of trickling it in over two weeks.7 min
- What happens after you are pre-approvedThe stretch between your letter and your contract — how to use the pre-approval, how long it lasts, and what to avoid while you shop.6 min
- What happens after you go under contractAppraisal, title, underwriting and the clear to close — who is doing what, in what order, and where the delays actually come from.9 min
- What not to do before closingThe short list of avoidable mistakes that cost buyers their approval in the last three weeks — and why each one matters.5 min
- Understanding the appraisalWhat an appraiser is actually measuring, why a low value is not a rejection, and what your options are when the number comes in under contract price.7 min
Loan programs
- Conventional, FHA, VA or USDA — how to tell which one is yoursFour programs, four different buyers. A plain comparison of who each one is built for and what it costs you monthly.7 min
- Getting approved when you are self-employedWhy write-offs work against you, what two years of returns really means, and the programs built for business owners.5 min
- Financing manufactured homes, land and acreage in the CarolinasThe property types that trip up out-of-market lenders — permanent foundations, well and septic, outbuildings and acreage limits.6 min
- Building instead of buying: how a single-close construction loan worksOne closing for the land, the build and the permanent loan — how draws, inspections and the conversion at Certificate of Occupancy actually work.8 min
Money
- How much you actually need for a down paymentThe 20% rule is not a requirement, and it never was. What the real minimums are, and what the 20% actually buys you.5 min
- Closing costs, line by line — and who can pay themWhat the 2–5% is made of, which fees are negotiable, and how seller concessions actually work in a contract.6 min
- What a rate lock does — and what it does notLocks, float-downs, extensions and the timing question that actually matters: does your lock outlast your contract?4 min
- Understanding mortgage insurancePMI, FHA MIP, the VA funding fee and the USDA guarantee fee — what each one costs, who it protects, and which ones ever go away.8 min
- How much house can I afford?How lenders calculate your maximum, why the maximum is usually not the right answer, and the three constraints that actually decide your price range.8 min
- What your mortgage payment is actually made ofFive components, only one of which shrinks your loan — plus why your payment can change after closing on a fixed-rate mortgage.6 min
Credit
- What helps and hurts your credit while your loan is in processYour credit gets re-checked days before closing. Here is the short list of things that have cost real buyers their houses.4 min
- How credit affects your mortgageWhat score you need, what the score actually changes, which items are worth fixing before you apply, and what to leave alone.8 min
In their words
#1 Choie for any Mortgage first time buy, refi, and Cash out Refi. Great customer service, responds to every call and text, knowledgeable and experienced, Excellent at communication before performing task to his clients. Answers any questions in a perfessional manner.
Travis and his team are just absolutely wonderful. We just closed on our new house and he was with us every step of the way. This is the 4th time we have used him as our lender over the years and he never disappoints. He is consistent with his knowledge but does it in a way that you feel like you are old friends with him. I tell everyone I know looking to buy a home to call him. I honestly know they will get the same amazing care my husband and I receive by working with him. Can’t say enough good things about him…. If you are looking to buy I highly suggest you reach out to him and his team!
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Email only — no phone calls unless you ask for one, and one-click unsubscribe on every message. Rate updates are general market commentary, not a rate quote, a rate lock or a commitment to lend.
Still stuck
Reading only gets you so far.
Everything here is general. Your file is not — it has a bonus that started last March, a student loan in deferment, a gift from a parent, or a house on a well. That is the part worth a phone call, and the call is free whether or not you ever apply with me.
This is not an offer to enter into an agreement or a commitment to lend. Not all applicants will qualify. Information and rates are subject to change without notice. All loans are subject to credit review and approval.
Next step
You have done the reading. Get the number.
A pre-approval turns all of this into a real price range, a real monthly payment and a real cash-to-close figure. It takes about 24 hours from a complete document set.