Fairway Mortgage-Texas

Fairway Mortgage-Texas Clair, Wexford, Cranberry Township, Fox Chapel, Sewickley, and Mt. Lebanon.

James Ward | Top 1% Mortgage Loan Officer | 25+ Yrs Experience | Trusted in Mortgage Lending Across Texas & Pennsylvania | Fairway Home Mortgage formerly Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp | NMLS #2289 |
Equal Housing Lender James Ward is a trusted mortgage loan officer, mortgage broker, and mortgage originator serving clients across all of Texas and Pennsylvania, including Houston, TX, Pittsburgh,

PA, and surrounding communities. As the founder of The Ward Group at Fairway Home Mortgage (formerly Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp), James has provided expert mortgage financing guidance since 1999. With more than 25 years of experience, he is consistently ranked in the Top 1% of Mortgage Originators in America, supported by Fairway’s standing as one of the nation’s leading mortgage lenders. James has earned hundreds of verified 5-star reviews on Google, Zillow, Experience.com, and other social platforms, making him one of the most trusted names in mortgage lending. He specializes in jumbo and luxury home loans, VA and FHA loans, first-time buyers, relocation financing, new construction, renovation loans, investment property mortgages, and reverse mortgages for seniors (HECM). His client base includes executives, investors, families, and retirees across Houston’s most sought-after neighborhoods — including River Oaks, West University, Memorial, The Woodlands, Katy, Sugar Land, Friendswood, and Pearland — as well as Pittsburgh’s premier communities, such as Upper St. As the leader of The Ward Group, James collaborates with top real estate agents, financial advisors, estate attorneys, and CPAs, delivering trusted mortgage solutions and wealth strategies for his clients.

09/04/2026

Self-employed in Houston and your pre-approval came back way lower than you expected?

That might not be a purchasing power problem.

It might just mean your lender only calculates income one way. Business bank statements, 1099s, assets can tell a very different story.

Same income. Same business. Different math. Different home buying conversation.

Get a second opinion before you lower your price range.

DM me your pre-approval scenario and let's look at it together.

09/03/2026

Your home might be your retirement plan and you don't even know it.

Many retirees are sitting on substantial housing wealth but still feel financially stressed. For Americans 62 and older, their home is often their largest asset, yet it's the most underutilized part of their retirement strategy.

Here's what surprises me. Retirement conversations focus heavily on investment accounts but overlook what may be a retiree's biggest asset, their home. More financial planners should be discussing housing wealth alongside portfolios, social security, and taxes.

For the right homeowner, a reverse mortgage may help improve cash flow, eliminate mortgage payments, create financial flexibility, and preserve other assets while aging in place. Retirement planning is changing. The conversation around home equity needs to change too.

To learn more about how reverse mortgages work and whether it may fit into your retirement strategy, send me a message with the word REVERSE.

09/02/2026

Self-employed and planning to buy in Houston next year?

Talk to your CPA before you file. Not after.

Once that return is filed, those numbers decide how much home you qualify for. If the numbers don't cooperate, you're not automatically out of options. Bank statements, 1099 income, assets. There are alternative paths depending on how your business is structured.

Your CPA handles tax strategy. Mortgage strategy needs to be part of that same conversation.

Bring us in before you file, not after.

09/01/2026

Your CPA is doing their job right and it might still cost you the house.

Every deduction they find lowers your taxable income. Which lowers what traditional mortgage financing says you qualify for.

Self-employed Houston buyers, this is the gap nobody explains to you.

We use a 12-month business bank statement program instead. Qualify off deposits, not tax returns.

Tax returns and bank statements are two different conversations. If yours has been keeping you out of the house you want, the problem might just be the strategy, not your income.

Send me your scenario, let's find the right one.

08/31/2026

You manage your 401k with a strategy. Your mortgage just sits on autopilot.

That's backwards.

A real mortgage plan looks like this:
Recast to lower your payment when you have cash to put down.
At 62, a reverse mortgage can potentially wipe out the payment altogether.

The lowest rate isn't the same as the best plan.

Want your mortgage working as hard as the rest of your portfolio? DM me and let's map it out.

08/28/2026

Houston's move-up buyers keep asking the same question: sell first or buy first?

There's no universal answer. There's a right answer for your equity, your timeline, your risk tolerance.

That's the strategy conversation we have before you ever look at a rate.

Ready to map yours out? DM me.

08/27/2026

Got a bonus, inheritance, or gift and thinking about throwing it at your mortgage?

Before you do, ask your lender one question: can this loan be recast?

You still pay down principal. You still save interest. But your servicer recalculates your payment on the new lower balance. Same rate, same term, no refinance. Just a lower required payment while you keep paying it down at your own pace.

Most Houston homeowners have never even heard of it.

Ask before you send that check to principal and stop there.

DM me if you want to know if your loan qualifies.

Address

3311 Richmond Avenue #329
Houston, TX
77098

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 6pm
Tuesday 8am - 6pm
Wednesday 8am - 6pm
Thursday 8am - 6pm
Friday 8am - 6pm
Saturday 8am - 6pm

Telephone

+17135280333

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Fairway Mortgage-Texas posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Fairway Mortgage-Texas:

Shortcuts

Share

Category