Kim Doolan - Fairway Home Mortgage - NH & VT & ME

09/05/2026

Listen to this!!!

🏡 BIG FANNIE MAE UPDATE: NO LEASE REQUIRED ON A DEPARTING RESIDENCE
Let that sink in for a minute.
For years, one of the biggest obstacles for homeowners wanting to keep their current home as a rental and buy another primary residence was qualifying for the new mortgage.
Why?
Because you often needed:
❌ A signed lease
❌ A tenant already lined up
❌ Security deposit collected
❌ First month's rent collected
All before closing on your new home.
That created a real problem for homeowners who wanted to move but weren't ready to rent out their current home quite yet.
Now, Fannie Mae has changed the rules for eligible departing residences.
Instead of requiring a lease agreement, lenders can use documented market rent to determine potential rental income. In fact, the guideline specifically states that lease agreements are not permitted for departing residences. 
That means if you're buying a new primary residence and planning to convert your current home into a rental, we may be able to document market rent through sources such as:
✅ Zillow
✅ Redfin
✅ MLS rental data
✅ Comparable rent analysis

For eligible scenarios, 75% of the documented market rent can be used in the qualifying calculation to help offset the current housing payment. 
This could be huge for homeowners sitting on a 3% or 4% mortgage rate who don't want to sell their current home.
Instead of giving up that low rate, you may be able to:
✔️ Keep the home
✔️ Convert it to a rental
✔️ Purchase your next home
Every situation is different, but this is one of the most interesting guideline changes I've seen for move-up buyers in a long time.
If you've been thinking about moving but didn't think keeping your current home was possible, let's have a conversation.

09/02/2026

“I’d love to move… but there’s no way I’m giving up my 3% rate.”

I hear some version of that all the time.

And I get it.

If you bought or refinanced a few years ago, your current mortgage may be incredibly cheap compared to what you’d get today.

But here’s where I think the conversation needs to go a little deeper.

If you’ve owned your house for a while, you may also be sitting on a lot of equity.

And that equity can do more than just become a giant down payment on the next house.

Let’s say you sell and walk away with $150,000.

Maybe putting 20% down on the next home gets rid of PMI and gets the mortgage into a range you’re comfortable with.

Great.

But before throwing the rest into the house, I’d look at everything else you’re paying for every month.

Do you have a $900 car payment?

Credit cards at 20%+?

A personal loan?

Other debt that’s eating up $1,000, $1,500, maybe $2,000 a month?

Because this is where the math can get interesting.

Putting another $50,000 into the new mortgage might lower that payment a few hundred dollars.

Using that same $50,000 to wipe out expensive debt could reduce your total monthly outflow by much more.

Now the conversation isn’t just:

“My mortgage is going from 3% to 6%.”

It becomes:

“What does my entire monthly financial picture look like AFTER the move?”

That’s a much better question.

Because sometimes the smartest use of your equity is a bigger down payment.

Sometimes it’s paying off debt.

Sometimes it’s keeping more cash in the bank.

And sometimes it’s a combination of all three.

I’m not saying everyone sitting on a low rate should move.

I’m saying don’t let the rate make the decision for you before you’ve actually looked at what your equity could do.

A lot of homeowners may have more flexibility than they realize.

08/28/2026

Congratulations to The Hicks family on the purchase of your new home!

Thank you for allowing me to help make this journey come true

08/28/2026

Another great home available !!

08/28/2026

Even Montgomery Gentry is ready to come party!!!

08/27/2026

FYI!!

A lower mortgage rate does not always mean you’re getting a better deal.

Here’s the easiest way to understand it:

Sometimes, to get a lower rate, you have to pay more money upfront.

For example:

One option may give you a lower rate, but cost you an extra $6,000 at closing.

Another option may have a slightly higher rate, but let you keep that $6,000 in your bank account.

Now let’s say that lower rate only saves you $100 per month.

You paid $6,000 to save $100 a month.

That means it would take you 5 years just to make that money back.

And if you refinance, sell the house, or move before those 5 years are up?

You may have paid thousands upfront for savings you never fully received.

That’s why I always tell buyers:

Don’t just ask, “What’s the rate?”

Ask:

“What does it cost me to get that rate?”

Because two lenders can quote two different rates, and the lower one can still cost you more money overall.

Sometimes paying extra to lower the rate makes sense.

Sometimes it absolutely does not

The goal isn’t to get the prettiest number.

The goal is to choose the option that actually saves you the most money based on how long you expect to keep the loan.

If you’re comparing mortgage options, compare the rate, the upfront cost, and the monthly payment together.

That’s how you know which one is actually the better deal.

Want to know more - reach out anytime

08/26/2026

🚨 “But Rocket is SO QUICK!”

I hear this all the time.

And my answer is… quick is great — but ACCURATE is better when you’re making one of the biggest purchases of your life. 🏡

There’s a BIG difference between getting a quick online qualification and having a lender actually dig into your financial picture and provide a strong, thoroughly reviewed pre-approval.

When I pre-approve a buyer, I’m looking at the things that can actually affect whether that loan makes it to the closing table:

✅ Income — Is it calculated correctly and eligible to be used?
✅ Assets — Are the funds needed for closing verified and acceptable?
✅ Credit — Not just the score, but debts, payments and liabilities that impact qualifying.
✅ Loan program — Does the program actually fit you and the property you’re buying?
✅ The numbers — Do you understand your estimated payment and cash needed to close?

Because getting a piece of paper that says “PRE-APPROVED!” in a few minutes sounds awesome…

Until you’re under contract and someone discovers something that should have been caught BEFORE you made the offer. 😬

🏡 This is where working with a local lender matters.

I’m not trying to be the fastest person to hit “send” on a pre-approval letter.

I want to be the person who helps make sure that pre-approval means something.

And when your Realtor or the listing agent calls me about your offer?
📲 They get ME. Nights, weekends and even holidays
Not a call center.
Not a random person who has never looked at your file.

⚡ FAST is good.

✅ FAST + THOROUGH + RESPONSIVE is better.

Your pre-approval is the foundation of your offer. Let’s make it a strong one.

💚 Built on Trust. Closed with Confidence.

08/25/2026

Letsss gooooo

My pre approvals are like GOLD!!

08/24/2026

Motivation Monday!!

08/24/2026

5.0 star review received on Experience.com for Kim Doolan by Sarah B - The constant fight for me to give my family their first home .

Click to see all 75 reviews of Kim Doolan, Branch Manager