Blair J. Beard, NMLS 333632

10/18/2026

Are you considering building your next home? Connect with me and let’s start laying one of the most important steps of your project, the financial foundation.

"We'll start our custom home once rates come down."

I've been hearing this more and more lately, and honestly, it makes complete sense. But while interest rates tend to grab the headlines, the cost of actually building a home is moving too — and it's not moving down.

According to NAHB's latest analysis of residential construction costs:

Residential building material prices are up 5.5% from a year ago — the fastest pace since 2022
Total costs to build a new home are up 10.3% year over year
Costs for skilled trades — framers, plumbers, and electricians — are up 14%
Nearly half of all home builders report shortages of skilled tradespeople
For a custom home, those increases land directly in your bids and your budget. A home that pencils out today may cost noticeably more to build a year from now — and that can mean trimming square footage, finishes, or the features you had your heart set on.

Timing matters for another reason: the best trade partners book up. Starting sooner means locking in pricing and securing a spot on the schedules of the crews you actually want building your home.

And here's something worth remembering — a custom home takes months to design and build. Rates can shift during that time, and a mortgage rate can always be refinanced later. Construction costs, once they rise, are baked into the home.

Every family's situation is different, so the right move is to talk with your lender about your specific numbers. But if you've been waiting on the sidelines, it may be worth starting the design conversation now.

10/17/2026

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!
Builder & Developer Roundtable with Mark Sprague.

We’re excited to welcome back Mark Sprague, State Director of Information Capital, for another insightful discussion on the real estate market and the opportunities ahead for builders, developers, and homebuyers.

With so much uncertainty surrounding interest rates, construction costs, and buyer demand, Mark will share his perspective on what’s happening today and what we can expect in the months and years ahead.

One of the biggest questions well explore: Is waiting for lower interest rates really the best strategy when building a custom home?

While many buyers are sitting on the sidelines waiting for rates to fall, todays softer demand may actually present a unique opportunity to build.

As interest rates eventually decline and buyer activity picks back up, builders could face increasing construction costs, greater competition for skilled trades, and longer construction timelines.

The opportunity to build may be better today than buyers realize.

Well discuss:
🔹Short- and long-term interest rate expectations
🔹 What’s driving the Central Texas real estate market
🔹 Current opportunities for builders and developers
🔹 Why todays construction environment may favor buyers who act now
🔹 How increasing demand and limited trade availability could impact future construction costs

Whether you’re a builder, developer, Realtor, or involved in custom home construction, this is a conversation you wont want to miss.

📅 January 2027 — Date TBD
📍 Location TBD
🍽️ Lunch provided

Hosted by Independence Title | Sponsored by Flagstar Home Loans

Additional details and registration information coming soon!

If you’d like to look at the information provided by Mark form last year’s event, feel free to reach out.

10/14/2026

It is such an honor to be not only recognized but also supported from the top down here at Flagstar. After a successful three-year run — capped by a strong final two-month stretch in 2023 closing $50M in volume — a former employer made a dramatic shift due to market challenges. That year, I finished #78 in the country in overall production, despite not closing a single loan from October 1st through the end of the year. I then made what seemed like a safe move to a larger regional bank, but it proved to be a poor fit given their limited appetite for the type of business I was accustomed to bringing in. After eight months, I resigned and transitioned to what appeared to be the next best opportunity — only to find it was built on false promises from a manager who lacked the experience and credentials to deliver.

Despite the difficult market conditions, I managed to submit approximately 75 loans during that period, though only about eight closed. Over those 12 months, I strained relationships with partners and clients due to a lack of support and instability in banks mortgage department. Fortunately, I made a good friend from my initial training class who had joined that bank at the same time. When I heard he was leaving and learned more about Flagstar, I didn’t hesitate — I called the hiring manager on a Friday evening at 7:30 PM EST. Accustomed to being a top producer fielding frequent recruiting calls, I found myself facing the toughest sales pitch of my career: explaining my lack of production over the resent 18-month period and why I had made a series of moves in search of a place to call home. Thankfully, he gave me the opportunity — and the rest is yet to come!

I owe a huge thanks to my new extended Flagstar family. I’m forever grateful for the partnership and support.

If you’re Texas and considering a move, Please reach out to me.

09/02/2026

🏡 Another Dream Taking Shape at Travis Club.

Congratulations to our clients on closing the financing for their beautiful custom home in Travis Club, one of the premier private golf and lake communities in the Texas Hill Country.

This incredible home will be brought to life by Cedar & Oak Homes, a full-service design studio specializing in custom homes, where thoughtful design and exceptional craftsmanship come together to create truly one-of-a-kind residences.

The timing couldn't be better. As Travis Club celebrates the grand opening of its championship golf course this weekend, our clients are breaking ground on a home that will grow alongside one of Central Texas' most anticipated luxury communities. It's exciting to see both the community and this incredible home begin their next chapter at the same time.

Every custom home has its own vision, and every construction loan requires a financing strategy tailored to the client's goals. Helping clients finance custom homes from blueprint to move-in is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.

A sincere thank you to our clients, the Cedar & Oak team, and everyone involved in bringing this dream to life. I can't wait to watch this home take shape over the coming months.

07/23/2026

Another Custom Home Funded. 🏡

Excited to help another incredible custom home get underway.
This stunning residence in Spanish Oaks was designed by Kai Geschke Group and is being brought to life by Texas Sage Custom Homes. It's an honor to help finance projects of this caliber with a construction loan built specifically for luxury custom homes.

At Flagstar, our One-Time Close Construction Loan gives clients flexibility that many lenders simply can't match.

Highlights include:
✔ Financing up to $10 million
✔ Loan-to-value based on the completed appraised value
✔ One-Time Close with no requalification at completion
✔ Free rate float-down when construction is complete
✔ No points
✔ Departure residence is not counted in the debt to income ratios
✔ Build terms up to 36 months
✔ Rate Relationship pricing discounts up to 1.125%
✔ Portfolio underwriting designed for complex luxury transactions

When you're building a one-of-a-kind home, the financing should be just as thoughtfully designed as the home itself.

Congratulations to everyone involved in another incredible project!

Architect: Kai Geschke Group
Builder: Texas Sage Custom Homes

If you're a builder, architect, Realtor, or buyer planning a luxury custom home, I'd love to show you how our portfolio construction financing can help make your next project possible.

07/18/2026

Another great week in the books!

This week we had the privilege of helping three clients achieve three very different real estate goals, representing $6,505,000 in closed loan volume.

🏡 Luxury Custom Home Purchase
🏡 Luxury Portfolio Purchase
🏗️ Custom Hillside Construction Project

Every loan required a different strategy. That's what makes portfolio lending so rewarding. It's not about fitting borrowers into a standard box—it's about understanding the story behind each transaction and finding the right financing solution.

Whether you're financing a luxury purchase, building your dream home, or navigating a complex financial scenario, having the right lending partner can make all the difference.

A sincere thank you to the Realtors, builders, title partners, and clients who trusted me to be part of these transactions.

Here's to another great week—and to helping even more families and investors achieve their goals.

Blair J. Beard
Senior Loan Advisor | Flagstar Home Loans
NMLS #333632

07/18/2026

06/18/2026

Financing Success Story

Not every construction lender is the same.

We recently closed financing for a custom home where the borrower had owned the lot for less than one year and had only put 25% down when purchasing the property.

Project Snapshot:

📍 Lot Value: $867,500
🏡 Build Cost: $2,200,000
📈 As-Completed Appraised Value: $4,350,000

Because we were able to utilize the future as-completed value, the borrower was able to leverage the substantial equity created by the appraisal, roll closing costs into the financing, and avoid bringing a large amount of additional cash to closing.

Program Highlights:

✅ One-Time Close Construction Loan
✅ No Lot Seasoning Requirement
✅ As-Completed Value Used for Financing Structure
✅ Closing Costs Financed Through Project Equity
✅ Interest-Only Payments During Construction
✅ No Requalification at Completion
✅ Free Rate Float-Down Option

For builders, this can be a game changer when working with clients who have recently purchased land but don’t want to tie up unnecessary cash before construction begins.

If you’re a builder or borrower looking for a lending partner that understands custom construction financing, let’s connect

04/17/2026

West of Weird Luxe Tour – Wrap Up

Another strong morning just west of Austin and away from the weirdness.

We had a great group out this week hitting some incredible luxury properties across Bee Cave + Lakeway — a mix of new-to-market and off-market opportunities that continue to show how active and creative this market is right now.

Big thanks to everyone who came out, connected, and shared insights along the way. The conversations were just as valuable as the homes — from builder trends to buyer demand shifting toward more custom, lifestyle-driven properties.

And as always… we wrapped with a little content capture + strategy, because if you’re not telling the story, you’re missing the opportunity.

📍 Highlights:

* Strong turnout of agents + builders
* $2M+ inventory with standout design + views
* Great discussion around custom builds + financing strategies
* Solid networking (and a few deals already in motion…)

If you haven’t joined us yet — come see what it’s about.
We’re building something different out here.

Next stop: even better lineup.

12/19/2025

Excited to close another Second-Home loan today at The Shores at South Padre Island 🌊
👉 https://theshoresspi.com/

This one was financed using our Private Client Group One-Time Close Construction program — giving the borrower a single closing, one set of closing costs, and the ability to roll construction and permanent financing into one streamlined loan. No re-qualifying at completion, the ability to float down if rates improve, and a smoother process for everyone involved.

Proud to partner with W.M. Burns Construction on this project
👉 https://www.wmburns.com/

Deals like this highlight why portfolio lending matters — not every strong self-employed borrower fits a box, and when a loan makes sense, we know how to structure it.

Congrats to the client and team on a great closing.