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Getting approved for a home loan is a big step, and the period between applying and closing matters just as much. Lenders keep checking your credit, income, and bank accounts all the way to closing day. Here are seven common mistakes that can delay your loan, change what you qualify for, or cause you not to qualify at all. 1. Don't look at homes before talking with your loan officerKnow your numbers before you fall in love with a house. A pre-approval tells you what you can a

Your mortgage shouldn't leave you guessing. It should leave you feeling informed, calm, and confident in the decisions you're making. Whether you're buying or refinancing in Utah or Idaho, or exploring a second mortgage or home equity line of credit, you deserve guidance that's transparent, thoughtful, and aligned with your bigger financial picture. Here's what that looks like when you work with me. 1. You feel comfortable asking every questionThe "dumb" ones. The 2 a.m. ones

After my divorce, I didn't buy my first home because the stars aligned. Rates weren't magical. Life wasn't calm. The timing wasn't perfect. Years later, I bought a rental property, and I closed on it the same day it was announced that the country was shutting down for the pandemic. I was scared and freaked out, to say the least. Nothing about that moment felt perfect either. What I focused on insteadBoth times, I made my decision based on what I could control: * A payment I c

I'm a mortgage broker, and I help people across Utah and Idaho with all of their home financing needs. But what does a mortgage broker actually do, and how is it different from going to your bank? Here's a simple breakdown, plus the loan options I can help you with. Mortgage broker vs. a bankWhen you go to a bank, you can only get that bank's loan programs and rates. A mortgage broker works with many different lenders. I compare options across those lenders to find the loan t

Every time the Federal Reserve meets, I hear the same worry: "If the Fed raises rates, mortgage rates are going up, right?" It's one of the most common myths in real estate. Mortgage rates and the Fed's rate are related, but they don't move in lockstep. Here's what's really going on. The Fed doesn't set mortgage ratesThe Federal Reserve sets a short-term rate that banks use to lend to each other overnight. Mortgage rates are long-term rates. They follow the bond market, speci

Mortgage rates just pushed past 7% for the first time in over a year. If you're thinking about buying a home in Utah or Idaho, that headline can feel like a door closing. Before you decide to wait, it helps to understand what's actually pushing rates up, and why this kind of market can quietly work in a buyer's favor. What's pushing mortgage rates higherMortgage rates don't move on their own. They follow the bond market, and the bond market reacts to anything that changes how

With Kevin Warsh in line to lead the Federal Reserve, one question keeps landing in my inbox: "Does this mean mortgage rates are about to drop?" I wanted a straight answer, so I asked Logan Mohtashami, lead analyst at HousingWire, who follows housing and rate data every single day. Here's what he told me, in plain English. The short answer: there's no guaranteeA new Fed chair does not guarantee lower mortgage rates. And when you look back at history, it doesn't show that kind