Your Mortgage Girl, Amy Lynne powered by Reliant Mortgage LLC #1405094

06/05/2026

The 3 Non-Negotiables for Every Home Buyer

After over a decade in the mortgage industry, I've seen buyers succeed and fail. The difference?
They either had these three things locked down or they didn't.

1. A budget that won't break them

Not what the bank says you can afford. Not what you think you can stretch to. What you can actually live with month after month without losing sleep. Your dream home becomes a nightmare real quick when you're house-poor.

2. A Realtor who knows how to win

In this market, "nice" doesn't cut it. You need someone who understands strategy, knows the competition, and can position your offer to stand out.

3. A lender who explains things clearly

Mortgage jargon shouldn't be a foreign language. Your lender should break down every fee, every rate change, every scenario in terms you actually understand. If they can't explain it simply, they don't understand it well enough.

The bottom line? These three pieces working together turn house hunting from a stressful gamble into a strategic win.

Let me help you make the journey to homeownership smooth and stress-free!

05/21/2026

Most people will tell you NOT to wait to buy a home..

Truth is.. you’ll spend more money on interest at 6.875% owning a home with a $450K loan than you would paying $2,500 in rent over 2 years..

WTF.. (What the finance)

To the average person, renting seems cheaper by $1,251 right?

But when you own a home, you OWN IT. If it goes up in value, you benefit

Over this same 2-year period, this home went up $30,000 in value making ownership the better financial move

This is why real estate people say, “Waiting will cost you thousands.”

The PRICE you pay is permanent.. But the rate and payment? Not permanent.

If you buy today at 6.875%, but rates drop into the 5’s in 2 years, you can refinance and lower your payment.

The only thing locked in forever? The price you pay.

My job? To run the numbers on EVERY decision so you always know what makes the most financial sense

- Should you buy?
- Should you sell?
- Should you rent out your current home?
- Should you refinance?

Never make this decision without running the numbers.. I'd be HAPPY to run the math for you.

05/11/2026

When you co-sign on a loan for a friend or family member, you are agreeing to be held responsible for the full amount of the loan and the monthly payments. If you run into a situation where it's absolutely necessary to be on a loan with someone else, you should be listed as the first person on the loan and have a written agreement in place between you and the other person that they will pay you back for the loan or that they will be responsible for making the payments. Questions? Leave a comment below or shoot me a message!

04/26/2026

No one really tells you the real reason to get pre-approved before you start looking at homes.

It’s not just so your Realtor knows you qualify.

It’s so we can fix anything that could slow down or completely derail your loan before you’re under contract.

A lot of buyers think, “I pay $2,200 a month in rent, so I’m good.”

But behind the scenes:

- Bonus or commission income? Lenders average it over two years, even if last month was your best month ever.
- Missing a single W-2 or year-end paystub? We have to stop and chase it down from HR before you can move forward.
- Own a business? Lenders use your tax returns, not your gross sales, and write-offs can shrink your qualifying income fast.

All of that takes time...

And if we’re doing it after you’ve found the home you love, you risk losing it to a buyer who’s already ready.

Pre-approval isn’t busywork.

It's for you to know and understand your numbers and be prepared the second the right home hits the market.

Send a message to learn more

04/25/2026

The one thing buyers keep doing between pre-approval and closing
that kills their deal (and no one talks about it)...

They were 10 days from closing.
Inspection done. Appraisal cleared.
The house was as good as theirs.

Then underwriting pulled their credit one final time.

There it was.
A new credit card, opened a week earlier.
$4,300 balance. Not a single missed payment.

They had opened it at a furniture store.
Zero percent for 18 months. Seemed smart.
They were furnishing a house. Of course they needed furniture.

Here's what they didn't know.

That new account changed their debt-to-income ratio.
Just enough to push them out of their loan program.

The deal didn't collapse immediately.
It unraveled slowly over the next nine days
while we tried to find a workaround.

There wasn't one.
Not for that loan program. Not on that timeline.

They had to extend the closing date, restructure the loan,
and pay off the full balance before we could salvage it.
They paid off their zero-percent promo card on day two.
Didn't even get to use the 18 months.

That is a very special kind of painful.

Pre-approval is not permission to keep spending.
It is a snapshot of your finances
at the exact moment you applied.

After that, underwriting watches everything.

Don't open a card. Don't finance furniture.
Don't co-sign anything. Don't buy a car.
Wait until after you close. Then do whatever you want.

04/23/2026

Having a mix of credit is important because it shows that you can be responsible with both payment types, however you should only open new accounts when necessary. If you're trying to purchase a home or get your scores into the 700 range and up, low credit card balances and your payment history are going to be the key! Questions? Leave a comment below or shoot me a message!

04/23/2026

Looking to purchase a home soon but don't have credit scores? It's not impossible, however you will have much better options by having them. Most banks and lenders want to see a history of responsible borrowing, especially if they are going to loan you a large amount of money. The trick is to utilize your accounts as a tool to build your credit, not to use them as an extension of your money. Questions? Leave a comment below or shoot me a message!

04/07/2026

If you're in the process of purchasing a new home or you're thinking about starting the homebuying process, don't open any new accounts unless absolutely necessary. Applying for a bunch of new credit in a short period of time is a red flag to lenders and to the scoring algorithm. Unless you're directed to open a new account by a professional, it's better for you to wait until after you close on your new home. Questions? Leave a comment below or shoot me a message!

04/07/2026

If you're in the process of buying a home, wait until after you have the keys to go out and buy new appliances, furniture, etc. Doing this before closing can cause your scores to drop and might even delay the process. If you wait until after you close, your scores will be as high as they possibly can be which means you'll get better offers and lower interest rates. ​Questions? Leave a comment below or shoot me a message!

03/24/2026

Closing out credit cards you don't use anymore or that have high interest rates is no big deal right? Wrong! When you close out a credit card your entire history of payments disappears from your credit scores, depending on how long the card was open for it can completely stop the homebuying process. ​Questions? Leave a comment below or shoot me a message!