Buying a home comes down to two things: knowing your real budget, and getting a loan that fits it. As an independent broker I shop your options to buy a home across dozens of lenders, then quote the best two or three side by side so you can move on the right house with confidence.

Where purchase deals fall apart, and how I keep yours together

Most deals that die don’t die over the rate. They die over financing that was never solid, an appraisal nobody prepped for, or a lender who went quiet at the worst possible moment. Here’s how I take those off your plate.

• Financing that wasn’t real. A pre-approval built on a stated number and a soft credit pull is a guess. I verify income and assets before your buyer writes, so we’re not finding the problem in underwriting.
• Appraisal surprises. I order early and I’ll have the comps conversation up front. If value looks tight, we talk about it before it’s an emergency, not after.
• The silent lender. You and your buyer get proactive updates. If something needs attention, you hear it from me with time to fix it.
• A rate spike mid-deal. We set a lock strategy early so a market move doesn’t wreck the payment your buyer qualified on.

How buying a home works with me

The process is simple, and I keep you informed at every step so there are no surprises at the closing table.

• Get pre-approved so you know your true budget before you shop.
• We compare loan types and lenders and quote them side by side.
• You make a strong, credible offer backed by a real pre-approval.
• I manage the file to the closing table with same-day communication.

Pre-approval: know your real budget

A pre-approval is where every smart purchase starts. It tells you the price range you actually qualify for, and it tells sellers you are serious. I look at your income, credit, and down payment, then give you a clear number and the monthly payment behind it, not a vague estimate. It costs nothing and there is no obligation.

Pre-qualified, pre-approved, underwritten. Not the same thing.

In a competitive offer the word on your letter matters. Pre-qualified means someone took your word for your income. Pre-approved means I pulled credit and reviewed real documents. Underwritten approval, sometimes called a TBD approval, means an actual underwriter has already cleared your file and the only thing still missing is the address.

That last one is the one that wins houses. It lets you write with short financing contingencies and compete against buyers who look like cash, and it costs you nothing but a few days of paperwork up front instead of a few days of panic later. Not every market needs it. I will tell you plainly whether yours does.

What you actually need at the table

There are two separate piles of money in a purchase, and buyers usually only budget for one of them. There is the down payment, and there is everything else.

The part people miss is that closing costs are negotiable, and they can be paid by the seller or offset by a lender credit. Trading a slightly higher rate to erase $9,000 of cash at closing is a good deal for some buyers and a bad one for others. It depends entirely on how long you keep the loan, so I run it both ways and show you the crossover point instead of picking for you.

Loan options for buyers

First home or fifth, the right loan depends on your credit, your down payment, and how long you plan to stay. I work in conventional, FHA, VA, jumbo, and non-QM programs. See the full rundown on the loan options page, or just call and we will find the fit together.

First-time buyers

If this is your first purchase, you do not need a big down payment or perfect credit. Several programs start at 3 percent down, and FHA is forgiving on credit. I will walk you through it in plain English, no jargon, and show you the real monthly numbers so nothing feels like a mystery.

Buying at age 62 or older? There is a third option.

Most buyers think the choice is cash or a mortgage. There is a third one almost nobody mentions, and it is called HECM for Purchase. You put down a substantial share of the purchase price, usually somewhere around half depending on your age, and a government-insured reverse mortgage covers the rest. You own the home, you are on title, and you have no required monthly mortgage payment for as long as you live there.

It exists in one transaction, which matters. Without it, a buyer downsizing out of a paid-off house either ties up all their cash in the new one or takes on a payment in retirement they did not want. H4P splits the difference and keeps a large chunk of the sale proceeds liquid. The trade-off is real: your equity in the new home grows more slowly, and you still owe property taxes, insurance, and upkeep like any other owner.

It is a HECM, so the age floor is 62 for this one, not the 55 that applies to some proprietary reverse programs. If you are house-hunting in that age range it is worth ten minutes on the phone before you write an offer, because it changes what you can afford. The full breakdown lives on the reverse mortgage hub.

Why buy through a broker

A bank offers its own loans. As a broker I shop many lenders at once and get paid the same no matter which one you choose, so the advice stays unbiased. You get more options, competitive pricing, and a real person on the phone evenings and weekends when you find the house you want.

A real purchase, start to finish

Numbers make this concrete, so here is a whole one. Illustrative, not a quote, and your file will look different.

At the 6.65 percent average Freddie Mac reported for the week of August 20, 2026, principal and interest on $570,000 runs about $3,660 a month. That is not your payment. Add mortgage insurance, property taxes, and homeowners insurance and you get the number that actually leaves your account, which is the one I quote you. A lender who leads with principal and interest alone is showing you a smaller number than the one you will live with.

Note the conforming limit in that example. At $832,750 in most counties for 2026, a $570,000 loan is nowhere near jumbo territory. In King County, Washington the limit is $1,063,750 and in Denver County, Colorado it is $862,500, so the same purchase price can sit in a different loan category depending on where you are buying. The loan options page has the full 2026 table.

How long it really takes

Under contract to keys is usually 21 to 30 days on a complete file. Here is where those days actually go, because the timeline is the thing everybody worries about and nobody explains.

• Days 1 to 3. We lock or float on purpose, I order the appraisal, and you get your document list.
• Days 3 to 10. Appraisal scheduled and completed. This is the single most common source of delay and it is largely outside anyone’s control, which is exactly why I order it on day one instead of day five.
• Days 7 to 15. Underwriting reviews the file and issues conditions. Every file gets conditions. It is not a bad sign.
• Days 15 to 22. Conditions cleared, final approval, closing disclosure issued. Federal rule: you have to receive that disclosure at least three business days before you sign, and that clock cannot be shortened.
• Days 22 to 30. Signing, funding, recording, keys.

I can move faster than that when a deal needs it, and I have. What I will not do is promise a date I cannot hold, because in a purchase your closing date is somebody else’s moving date too.

Frequently asked questions

How much do I need for a down payment?

Less than most people think. Conventional loans can start at 3 percent down, FHA at 3.5 percent, and VA often at zero for eligible veterans. We will find the lowest sensible option for your situation.

How long does it take to close?

Most purchases close in about three to four weeks once you are under contract, sometimes faster. Getting pre-approved first is what keeps it smooth.

Do you help buyers outside Washington?

Yes. I am licensed in Washington, Colorado, Texas, Florida, and Michigan.

How much house can I afford on my income?

Most programs let your total monthly debts run somewhere between 43 and 50 percent of gross income, and jumbo is usually tighter. That is the ceiling, not the target. The more useful exercise runs the other direction: tell me the monthly payment you are actually comfortable writing, and I will tell you what purchase price that supports. Same math, much better answer.

Does getting pre-approved hurt my credit?

It is a hard inquiry, so it can cost a few points temporarily. Mortgage inquiries pulled inside a 45-day window are scored as one event, so you can shop without stacking damage. Not shopping almost always costs more than the inquiry does.

Can I still buy with 3 percent down in 2026?

Yes. Several conventional programs go to 3 percent for qualified buyers, FHA is 3.5 percent, and VA is zero down for eligible veterans and service members. With the conforming limit at $832,750 in most counties this year, a 3 percent down payment still reaches a large share of the market.

What if my offer has to beat other buyers?

Get underwritten before you write, keep your contingency periods tight but realistic, and let me call the listing agent. A five-minute call from the lender saying the file is already cleared moves more offers than people expect. That call is free and I make it on every deal.