Eric Hamilton at Guaranteed Rate NMLS #414113

Eric Hamilton at Guaranteed Rate NMLS #414113 Eric has assembled a highly skilled, dedicated, and customer service oriented team. I’m here to help you with Life’s Biggest Purchase! Guaranteed Rate, Inc.

nmlsconsumerccess.org | rate.com/licensing | rate.com/privacy
VP of Mortgage Lending at Guaranteed Rate NMLS #2611
Licensed by The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act

After 18 years in the mortgage industry, I have built my business largely from the referrals of past clients, realtors, attorneys, or financial planners. My team an

d I pride ourselves on being honest, transparent, and laser-focused on the customer service experience by remaining in constant communication throughout the transaction and after closing. Quite simply, my goal is to continue to offer the best customer service with the lowest rates and lowest costs possible to my clients. I am available 7 days a week from 7am until 11pm to ensure my customers and lead sources have access to me and my team. Whether you like to stay in touch through text, email, or phone, we’ll make sure you are never in the dark. Helping people’s dreams of home ownership come true is my primary motivation. For most people, purchasing a home is the single largest financial decision of their life- I enjoy being a part of something that affects people’s lives so positively and profoundly. Year after year, I am recognized as one of the Top 1% of Mortgage Originators. I strive to continuously build new relationships while staying connected with the prior clients and referral partners that I have worked with throughout my career. Our dedicated team leverages cutting edge technology and numerous value-added services to consistently close loans in under 21 days. Our online platform not only improves the customer experience, but also provides transparency and simplicity to a difficult process. However, this technology does not replace face-to-face meetings and consistent phone communication with my team; it simply improves efficiency and requires less work for each customer. Our customers are consistently ready for closing well before any deadline, which leads to a great customer experience. It is through the client’s understanding of the process, and a high level of communication and customer service, that we have developed so many trusting relationships that make others confident in referring our team to others. Give us the opportunity to prove to you why so many people entrust my team with providing their mortgage. DBA Rate NMLS 2611
3940 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL 60613
(866) 934-7283 • rate.com
Equal Housing Lender
For licensing information, go to www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org
www.rate.com/licensing • www.rate.com/privacy
AZ: Arizona Mortgage Banker License #0907078
GA: Residential Mortgage Licensee 414113

09/09/2026

You’re waiting for a lower rate because you want to make a smart decision.

I get it. Nobody wants to buy a home and feel like they should have waited.

But what if waiting for a better payment is moving that payment further out of reach?

That’s the part of this conversation that doesn’t get enough attention.

Buyers get focused on one number. They tell themselves, “Once rates hit that point, we’ll start looking again.”

Meanwhile, the price of the home can change. So can the competition, the down payment, and what that same monthly budget will buy.

A lower rate on a more expensive house might not deliver the savings you pictured.

In this video, I break down what buyers are waiting for, why some already regret pausing their search, and the calculation most people never make.

Does that mean everyone should buy today? Absolutely not.

Sometimes waiting is the right decision. But that decision should come from your budget, your timeline, and a comparison of your options.

You deserve more than “buy now” or “wait for rates to drop.”

You deserve to understand what each choice could mean for you.

Watch this before you put your home search on hold.

Then comment “WAIT” or send me a message. Let’s compare buying now with waiting, using your numbers and clear assumptions.

The goal is to help you make a decision you feel confident about.

The NFL season kicks off Wednesday night. Nobody wins it Wednesday night. The typical Chicago area home added $25,500 in...
09/08/2026

The NFL season kicks off Wednesday night. Nobody wins it Wednesday night.

The typical Chicago area home added $25,500 in the last twelve months. Most of the people who missed it were waiting on one number.

Here's the part that surprises people. That number is the only one in the entire deal you can change later.

The other one is permanent. Almost nobody is watching it.

Slide 4 is where it clicks. Slide 7 is the one that'll make you want to argue with me.

Save this for the next time someone at a watch party tells you to wait for rates.

Then send it to the friend who's been about to buy for three seasons now.

Swipe through, then DM the word SEASON and I'll run both numbers for your price range. Link in bio if you'd rather just book the call.

Week one doesn't decide the season. Neither does today's rate.

Eric Hamilton, NMLS 414113, Powered by Rate.

09/04/2026

A couple spending $25.85 a day at Starbucks probably does not feel like they are making a major financial decision.

That is exactly why this matters.

Most people think buying a home requires some massive financial sacrifice. They assume they need $30,000, $40,000 or $50,000 sitting in the bank before they should even talk to a lender.

But affordability usually looks very different when you actually break the numbers down.

$25.85 a day becomes a surprisingly large number over the course of a year.

And when I compared that number to what someone may actually need for a down payment, even I thought it was worth showing.

This is not a video telling you to stop drinking Starbucks.

Buy the coffee.

The point is that before you decide you cannot afford to buy a home, you should understand what your current spending, savings and income could actually do for you.

You may be much closer than you think.

Watch the math before you rule yourself out.

09/03/2026

Most buyers assume that offering $25,000 less will create a much lower monthly payment.

In this case, it was not even close.

One strategy saved $154 per month.

The other saved $633 per month during the first year and still gave the seller the price they wanted.

Same home. Completely different outcome.

Before negotiating price, you have to understand the real problem you are trying to solve.

For this couple, it was not the purchase price. It was the payment.

Watch the video to see how their Realtor negotiated a smarter solution and helped them get the home they loved.

Payment figures exclude taxes, insurance, mortgage insurance, and homeowners association fees.

09/02/2026

Waiting for 3% mortgage rates to come back? That’s noise.

A lot of buyers are still comparing today’s mortgage rates to the 3% rates they remember.

But those rates came during an extraordinary period in the mortgage market. They shouldn’t automatically be treated as the benchmark for what a “good” rate looks like.

And that mindset can keep you on the sidelines.

Instead of asking, “When will I get a 3% rate again?” ask a better question:

What does a smart entry point look like for me in the market we have today?

Your payment needs to work. The numbers need to make sense. And the strategy needs to fit your financial goals.

Because waiting for a rate that may never return could mean missing opportunities that are already in front of you.

You’ll want the complete strategy. Link in bio.

09/01/2026

Getting the loan closed is the easy part.

I have an amazing team. They know how to execute.

But that is not where I think the biggest value is anymore.

The bigger difference happens before a buyer ever writes an offer.

That became really clear with a client who had been trying to buy for over a year.

Then everything changed pretty quickly.

• Better clarity
• Better preparation
• Better conversations before the offer
• Real numbers before making a decision

They ended up closing in 15 days.

But the 15 day close is not really the point.

The point is what happened before they ever got under contract.

That is what I break down in this video.

09/01/2026

Your bank says your credit score is 750. Your mortgage lender might see something different.

That’s a lot of noise.

The score you see through your bank or credit monitoring app can be great for tracking your credit and spotting major changes.

But it may not be the same score used when you apply for a mortgage.

Why? Different lenders and industries can use different credit scoring models. The score used for a mortgage can differ from the one you see through your bank or even the score pulled when financing a car.

So don’t assume the number on your banking app is the exact number your mortgage lender will use.

If you’re getting ready to buy, know which score actually matters for your loan before making decisions around financing.

The full breakdown is waiting for you. Link in bio.

08/31/2026

The housing market feels confusing right now. That is exactly why this fall matters.

Rates are still above 6%. Home prices have not meaningfully come down. Yet buyers may start seeing opportunities they did not have earlier this year.

Here is what I am watching.

More choices as new listings hit.

Potentially less competition as we move deeper into fall.

Sellers who may be more willing to negotiate on price, credits, closing costs or a rate buydown.

For Realtors, this is where strategy can make the difference between a buyer staying on the sidelines and actually seeing a path forward.

For buyers, stop waiting for the entire market to change.

You only need the right opportunity to show up.

I break down what I think this fall could look like and what buyers and Realtors should be watching in the video.

I have hated the phrase “marry the house, date the rate” since the first time I heard it, and I still do.I understand wh...
08/29/2026

I have hated the phrase “marry the house, date the rate” since the first time I heard it, and I still do.

I understand what people are trying to say. If you find the right home, do not automatically walk away just because rates are higher than you hoped. Fair enough.

But the phrase makes refinancing sound like a promise. It is not.

Rates may come down, or they may not. Even if they do, you still need to qualify, the home needs to support the value, and the monthly savings need to justify the cost of refinancing.

After 22 years in this business, my advice is pretty simple. Buy the house when you love it and the payment works for your life today. Make sure you still have enough savings after closing to feel comfortable.

If rates improve later, great. We will look at the numbers and decide if refinancing makes sense. That should be an opportunity, not the plan holding the entire purchase together.

I believe in buying a home with a strategy, not a slogan.

If the numbers only work after a future refinance, they do not work yet.

Address

5002 Main Street Suite 201
Downers Grove, IL
60515

Telephone

+16307287918

Website

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