Jake Planton, Home Mortgage Loan Officer NMLS 209327/1647999

06/11/2026

Time is running out to vote for me!
I would appreciate it so much. Thanks all! ❤

06/11/2026

🎓 Student Loans Showing $0 on Your Credit Report? Don’t Assume They Count as $0.

This is one of the most common surprises I see during the mortgage process.

Even when a student loan shows a $0 payment on a credit report, different loan programs may still count a payment against your debt-to-income ratio.

For example:

✅ Freddie Mac, FHA, and USDA may use 0.5% of the balance

✅ Fannie Mae may use 1% of the balance in certain situations

✅ VA has its own calculation method

These differences can impact how much home you qualify for.

That’s why online calculators and generic pre-approvals don’t always tell the full story.

Before you start house hunting, it’s important to know which loan program puts you in the strongest position.

📲 Have questions about your student loans and how they’ll affect your buying power? Send me a message and I’ll run the numbers for you.

🏡 Helping Oregon, Washington, and California homebuyers navigate financing with confidence since 2005.

06/05/2026

I get this question all the time, how can I buy a new home when I currently own another home. This video goes over some of the rules and guidelines that we have to follow with a conventional mortgage.

05/15/2026

Allerton Garden in Poipu. Always awesome.

05/14/2026

Poipu rushhour.

05/13/2026

Most people think getting approved for a mortgage is just about having a perfect credit score.

But real life is rarely that simple.

Maybe your income includes bonus or commission.

Maybe you’re self-employed.

Maybe funds are moving between
accounts.

Maybe your taxes look different because you own a business.

Maybe you’ve had life happen.

That does NOT automatically mean you can’t buy a home.

The truth is, very few loan scenarios fit into a perfect little box.

The difference is working with someone who understands how to structure the file correctly, explain the details, and look at the full picture…not just one number on a credit report.

A good loan officer doesn’t just quote rates.

They help navigate strategy, timing, documentation, and options.

Before you start shopping, have someone review the entire picture first. It can save you a lot of stress later.

05/05/2026

Most pre-approvals are built on shaky assumptions.

This is one of the biggest ones.

Two people can make the same income…
and qualify for completely different loan amounts.

But that doesn’t show up on the surface.

Because lenders don’t actually use your income the way most people think.

They break it down based on how you’re paid.

Salaried? Usually clean.

Bonus, OT, commission? Now we’re averaging and looking for history.

Self-employed? Now we’re in your tax returns… and your write-offs matter.

I’ve seen people get “pre-approved” online or from a quick convo…
only to find out later their income doesn’t work the way they thought it did.

That’s how deals fall apart.

Not at the beginning… at the worst possible time.

Before you get serious about a house,
have someone actually look at how your income will be calculated.

I’ll tell you straight up how it’s going to be viewed, and if there are any landmines ahead.

No guessing. No surprises.

05/05/2026

Financial advisor: where do you spend your money…?
Me:………

05/05/2026