Questions, answered straight

With a conversation — a 15-minute call covering your goals, timeline, and rough numbers. No documents needed to start, no cost, no obligation. From there, if you're ready, a short application and a few documents get you pre-approved.

Less than most people think. Many buyers qualify for conventional loans with as little as 3% down, FHA at 3.5%, and VA or USDA loans at 0% down for those who are eligible. Down-payment assistance programs can help eligible buyers with even that. We'll walk through the options that fit your situation.

There's no single magic number. Different loan programs have different guidelines, and we work with a range of credit profiles. The best first step is a conversation so we can look at your full picture together — the answer is usually more encouraging than people expect.

Absolutely — and you should. A pre-approval tells you exactly what you can afford and shows sellers you're a serious, ready buyer. It's free to start and puts you in control.

Either order works, but talking to a lender first means you'll shop with a real budget from day one — and good agents strongly prefer buyers who arrive pre-approved. If you need an agent, we're happy to introduce you to excellent ones we work with regularly.

No. Conversations, pre-approvals, and running numbers with our team are free. You only ever incur costs when an actual loan is in motion — and those are disclosed to you in writing before anything happens.

Conventional loans follow Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac guidelines and reward stronger credit with better pricing and cancellable mortgage insurance. FHA loans are government-insured with more flexible credit guidelines and 3.5% down, but their mortgage insurance usually lasts the life of the loan. Which wins depends on your credit and down payment — we price both side by side.

Almost always worth pricing first: 0% down, no monthly mortgage insurance, competitive rates, and it's a reusable lifetime benefit. We'll pull your Certificate of Eligibility and show you the VA option next to alternatives so the choice is obvious on paper.

State housing agencies — like Minnesota Housing here in MN — offer programs that help eligible buyers with down payment and closing costs, usually as a second loan that's deferred, forgivable, or repaid monthly. Eligibility typically depends on income, credit, and homebuyer status. We work with these programs regularly and can tell you quickly whether one fits.

Yes — conventional investment property loans and DSCR programs that qualify off the property's rental income rather than your personal income. Try the DSCR calculator on our calculators page, then bring us the deal.

Yes, and the key is talking early. Self-employed income is documented differently (typically two years of returns), and how the file is structured matters. Our team handles self-employed borrowers all the time.

Yes. Our bilingual Production Partner, Aleida Galvan, guides Spanish-speaking clients through every step of the mortgage in Spanish. Sí — ofrecemos servicio completo en español.

Timelines vary with your situation and the market, but our team is known for some of the fastest turn times in the industry. Getting pre-approved early — and responding quickly when we ask for documents — are the two biggest things that keep a file fast.

For a typical W-2 employee: last 30 days of pay stubs, two years of W-2s, two months of bank statements, and a photo ID. Self-employed borrowers add two years of tax returns. Our pre-approval checklist walks through the full list.

Underwriting is the formal review of your complete file against program guidelines. A conditional approval with a short list of follow-up items is completely normal — we clear the conditions, resubmit, and move to final approval. Our production team's job is building the file right the first time so this loop stays short.

Don't open new credit, finance purchases, change jobs, move large sums without documentation, or co-sign anything — from application through the day of closing. When in doubt, call us first; a two-minute call prevents a two-week delay.

A rate lock holds your quoted rate for a set window while the loan closes. Lock timing depends on your closing date and the market; we'll talk through it together when your offer is accepted so movement doesn't work against you.

You review and sign the final documents, your funds and the loan funds are transferred, the deed is recorded, and you get the keys. You'll have received the Closing Disclosure at least three business days earlier, so there are no surprise numbers at the table.

Rates move with bond markets daily and vary with your credit score, down payment, loan type, property type, and loan size. That's why any rate you see advertised is a scenario, not a promise — and why we quote your actual scenario instead.

Nobody can time rates — and price appreciation while waiting often costs more than a rate difference saves. A useful frame: buy when your life and budget are ready, and refinance later if rates improve. You can change your rate; you can't buy last year's price.

The fees to originate the loan and transfer the home — lender fees, title, appraisal, government charges, and prepaid taxes and insurance. They generally run a low single-digit percentage of the purchase price, itemized in writing on your Loan Estimate. Seller credits and lender credits can reduce what you bring; see our closing costs guide.

Private mortgage insurance applies to conventional loans with less than 20% down. It cancels once you build sufficient equity — so it's temporary. Whether to avoid it by waiting and saving, or accept it and buy sooner, is a math problem we'll happily run with you.

Only if the numbers work in your favor. We'll compare a new loan against your current one — rate, term, costs, and break-even — and give you a straight answer, even if that answer is "not yet."

They're honest estimates — great for exploring scenarios, and they run entirely in your browser (we never see your numbers). A real quote from our team accounts for your credit, program, taxes, and insurance precisely. Use the calculators to think; use us to decide.

Because a mortgage has a dozen moving parts and a single person is a single point of failure. On our team, lending, operations, production, and client care are each someone's whole job — which is how files move fast and nothing falls through the cracks.

Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. Our home base is the Twin Cities, with offices in Eden Prairie and Wayzata.

Fairway (NMLS #2289) is one of the largest mortgage lenders in the country, with decades of lending strength behind it. Our team combines Fairway's national platform — pricing, products, and technology — with local, personal service.

No. And this website was built deliberately light on data: the calculators, checklists, and guides all run in your browser without collecting anything. The only information we receive is what you choose to send us.

Very much so. Questions about your escrow, your first payment, a renovation idea, or whether a refinance makes sense — the team answers for past clients every day. The relationship is the point.