Megan Higgs

Megan Higgs Trusted by buyers. Counted on by agents. Megan Higgs NMLS 77202
Loan Officer | Sales Manager
Lic in AZ, CA, OR, & WA

Equal Housing Lender

Bryte Home Loans Team
powered by Canopy Mortgage, LLC
NMLS 1359687| CA 60DBO45254| OR ML-5379| AZ Corp BK 1012617
Licensed in AZ, CA, OR & WA
Equal Housing Lender
Licensed under the Oregon Consumer Finance Act
Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI). under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act. https://canopymortgage.com/privacy-policy/
https://canopymortgage.com/terms-of-use/
https://canopymortgage.com/state-licenses/
www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

09/03/2026

Let’s talk VA Jumbo loans and how much down payment is required.

Another really great question from the Call Your M.O.M. event.

And Jessica Knicely | REALTOR Gig Harbor + Tacoma knows her VA buyers, so of course she brought the nuance.

The word “jumbo” makes people think big loan = big down payment.

With VA, the first thing I want to see is the Certificate of Eligibility.

Full entitlement changes the conversation in a really good way.

If the Veteran has full entitlement available, VA does not set a loan limit. A larger VA purchase may still be possible with zero down, as long as the borrower qualifies, the appraisal supports the purchase price, and lender guidelines allow the loan amount.

The down payment conversation usually shows up when full entitlement is not available.

Maybe there is another VA loan.

Maybe entitlement is still tied up.

Maybe we need to look at remaining entitlement, county, purchase price, loan amount, and any lender overlays before we know what the structure looks like.

Local 2026 note:

Pierce County is a high-cost county with a one-unit conforming/high-balance limit of $1,063,750.

Kitsap County follows the baseline one-unit limit of $832,750.

Those limits do not cap a full-entitlement VA buyer, but they can matter when remaining entitlement is part of the math.

So yes, VA Jumbo can be an incredible option.

It just deserves a real review.

COE.

County.

Entitlement.

Purchase price.

Loan amount.

Overlays.

Jessica, thank you for the question.

Agents, if you have a VA buyer looking above the usual price point, send me the scenario.

I’ll tell you what I see.

General note: VA eligibility, entitlement, borrower qualification, appraisal, property type, county limits, and lender overlays can all affect final loan structure.

Megan Higgs
Loan Officer/ Sales Manager NMLS 77202
[email protected]

Very grateful for the opportunity to step in, work together, and help get this one to the closing table.Thank you, Roger...
08/18/2026

Very grateful for the opportunity to step in, work together, and help get this one to the closing table.

Thank you, Roger. I truly appreciate your trust and the kind words.

🙏🏻 Megan

An Aug-anized look at rates.👀The 6s are not a one-year spike anymore.I count four years in a row where early-August 30-y...
08/13/2026

An Aug-anized look at rates.

👀
The 6s are not a one-year spike anymore.

I count four years in a row where early-August 30-year fixed rates have started in the 6s.

That does not mean homebuyers love it.

It does mean we have to stop treating this like a temporary weird little detour and start having better conversations around payment, strategy, seller credits, timing, future refinance opportunities, and what actually makes sense for the household.

Waiting for the rate may not serve you if life, housing needs, inventory, or the right opportunity is already asking for a plan.

Rates matter.

Of course they do.

But they are not the only decision-maker in the classroom.

People still get married.
Families still grow.
Jobs still change.
Moves still need to happen.
The right house still shows up without checking the rate chart first.

And every August and September, this season also means something else in my business.

One Loan = One Backpack.

For the 9th year, every completed application or closed loan in August or September helps support a local school connected to that transaction through a backpack full of supplies valued at $100 or a $100 donation.

Creating this post also showed me I was a year off before. 🙃

The market will change.

The giveback will stay.

If home is on your mind, or if you have a client who needs a thoughtful plan in this market, I would be honored to receive your referral.

One Loan = One Backpack
August + September

Rate note: Historical rates shown for general market context only and are not a rate quote. Source: Freddie Mac PMMS, first August release each year from 2018–2026.

08/07/2026

Back with another question from my Call Your M.O.M. event.

This is a good one:

Why are FHA and VA interest rates often lower than Conventional rates?

The short answer? Risk.

FHA loans are government insured and VA loans are partially guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. That added protection reduces some of the risk for lenders and investors, which can translate into better interest rate pricing.

Conventional loans don’t have that same government backing, so pricing can be more sensitive to things like credit score, down payment, occupancy and property type.

Take note… this is also why I never want buyers comparing loan options based on rate alone.

A lower rate does not automatically mean a lower-cost loan.

Mortgage insurance, funding fees, points, cash to close and the total monthly payment all matter when deciding which loan actually makes the most sense.

The right loan choice isn’t always the one with the lowest rate. It’s the one that fits the buyer’s strategy and the full financial picture.

Keep the questions coming. Real questions from agents make for some of the best mortgage conversations.

Chat soon!
♥️
Your Mortgage Officer Megan

ONE LOAN = ONE BACKPACK 🎒📚Since we’re already talking back-to-school…For the 8th year in a row, my One Loan = One Backpa...
08/07/2026

ONE LOAN = ONE BACKPACK 🎒📚

Since we’re already talking back-to-school…

For the 8th year in a row, my One Loan = One Backpack campaign is officially back for August and September.

This has become one of my favorite annual traditions because it lets the work reach a little farther than the closing table.

A backpack is not just a backpack.

It can be the one that looks like the backpacks their friends have.

The graphing calculator she pulls out without hesitating.

The fresh books waiting on the reading nook shelf.

The paint supplies a student does not need their parents or teacher to stretch for.

The small things that help a student walk into the school year feeling a little more prepared.

For every completed application or closed loan in August or September, I’ll donate a backpack full of school supplies, or make a $100 donation, to a local school in the community where the transaction takes place.

Purchase loan? Counts.

Refinance? Counts.

Loan application with a contract? Counts.

And for my clients and referral partners, it means the home loan conversation you are already having gets to support the community connected to it.

Local loans.

Local schools.

Local impact.

Let’s do some good together.

One Loan = One Backpack
August + September

Megan Higgs
Loan Officer | Sales Manager | NMLS 77202
[email protected]
WA | AZ | OR | CA | MT

08/05/2026

This is not a “look what the other lender missed” story.

Lucy was under contract to purchase and the contract timeline had now been extended twice.

Her lender had worked hard on her loan but ultimately felt she did not have a path forward.

So before terminating, Lucy’s agent reached out with a quick text and asked if I would take a second look.

Yes. Always yes.

At this point, I know everyone is feeling all the things.

Lucy doesn’t want to lose the house.

Mr. Seller has moved his timeline, which affects his next step, and is fearful of starting over.

Both agents are trying to keep the transaction together, while also worried it may not be possible.

And I can assure you, the lender stepping away is not doing that lightly either.

That is a lot of people carrying a lot of stress around one file.

We know it is never just a file, right?!

We are talking about humans transacting together in a really big way over a very important commodity.

A home.

This story is a reminder that it is possible for two lenders to connect, share what has been reviewed, talk through what has been tried, and keep the focus where it belongs.

On the buyer.

On the seller.

On determining if there is still a path to closing.

And there was.

We calculated accurately, moved quickly, and closed in two weeks.

A second look with fresh eyes.

A clean handoff.

A very happy closing table.

Agents, if a file is going sideways and you need another set of eyes, send it over.

I’ll tell you what I see.

It may be the very same viewpoint already presented.

Or there may be another way to help.

And if no one asks for the second 👀… please know one of these faces is happening internally.
😝
Megan

Three purchases together, and this one was a new challenge! And it was about so much more than buying land.This is the l...
08/02/2026

Three purchases together, and this one was a new challenge!

And it was about so much more than buying land.

This is the lake their family has grown up visiting. The property sits directly across from the beach where they have played in the water for years, and now it will become part of their own family story.

Five kids growing up with kayaks and paddle boards. PB&Js on the beach. Long summer days in the water. And a place they can keep coming back to together.

The financing took strategy, strong communication, and speed…two-week close to compete against multiple cash offers.

Courtney and her husband now own waterfront property on their favorite lake, and I quite literally could not be happier for them.

Thank you for trusting Kelsey and me once again. Helping make this one possible was incredibly special. 🤍

Megan Higgs | NMLS 77202
Bryte Home Loans | Canopy Mortgage
[email protected]

07/31/2026

Shhhhh.

July’s loan credits are about to roll.

And while the properties often steal the spotlight, they are not the whole storyline.

Each one of these had something different to solve.

A first-time homebuyer learning the process while trying to move at the pace of the purchase.

A Veteran utilizing his VA eligibility.

An out-of-state buyer navigating a divorce and a contingency timeline.

A referral from my lending friend in Alaska for her Arizona second home buyer.

A home equity line of credit for a big purchase and some debt consolidation.

A land loan purchase with a location that holds big emotions for the buyers, paired with a two-week close to beat out two cash offers.

A move-up buyer coming back from living out of the country, trying to make their next chapter feel possible from a distance.

And a rescue file that another lender had already extended twice and could not close.

We closed it in under two weeks.

All very different files.

This is the part of lending I love.

My job title stays the same with each scenario.

But it is never just, “Can you do the loan?”

It is what needs to be solved.

How fast do we need to move?

Who needs answers?

What does the agent need?

What does the buyer need?

What is the cleanest way to get everyone to the finish line?

So agents, bring me the scenario.

The clean ones.

The weird ones.

The “can you take a quick look?” ones that are often not quick. 😆

I’m here for it.

And I’m here for you.

Beginning August 1st, every closed loan will also support local schools through my annual school supply donation campaign.

One loan = One backpack

One more way this work gets to matter beyond the closing table.

💛
Megan

Do you have a Sunday night ritual?I may have just added calendar planning with emojis to mine.Am I okay? Probably. Is it...
07/27/2026

Do you have a Sunday night ritual?

I may have just added calendar planning with emojis to mine.

Am I okay? Probably. Is it cute? Yes.

It does have me wondering…

Is it really on the calendar if there isn’t an emoji for it?

Still collecting data.

Last week of July is mapped out with a little mortgage, a little movement, a little family, a little strategy, and hopefully enough white space to feel like a real person outside of my inbox.

Happy Monday!

💕
Megan

This review was incredibly kind.The library card line totally got me.I have not gotten a new library card in a very long...
07/10/2026

This review was incredibly kind.

The library card line totally got me.

I have not gotten a new library card in a very long time. Like, Cat in the Hat reading age kind of long.

But I knew exactly what Heather meant.

A huge purchase, her first home, felt less intimidating.

Kelsey and I care a lot about the experience people have with us.

The fast answers. The clear updates. The words that need explaining. The moments where timing matters. The agent communication. The second explanation when the first one still feels like mortgage soup.

Especially for a first-time buyer.

Because first-time buyers are getting advice from . . . everywhere.

The internet. The group chat. The friend who bought in 2021. The lender comparison screenshots. The late-night “wait, what does this mean?” search.

Every single buyer we work with needs something a little different.

First-time buyers may need the words explained.

Move-up buyers may need strategy around timing, equity, sale proceeds, payment changes, or how to buy before they sell when life does not feel perfectly lined up.

Either way, Kelsey and I care a lot about meeting the communication where it is needed.

Clear. Fast. Honest. Never a wonky convo.

Heather, thank you for trusting us with your first home purchase.

Thank you for taking the time to write something so thoughtful.

Kelsey and I were so grateful to be in your corner.

OLYMPIA, WA REAL ESTATE AGENT | LIZ ANDERSON Thank you for trusting us to partner with you and your homebuyers! 🙏🏻

Address

5727 Baker Way NW Ste. 102
Gig Harbor, WA
98332

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+12536494051

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