Craig LaBruno - NJ Mortgage and Down Payment Assistance

Craig LaBruno - NJ Mortgage and Down Payment Assistance NJ homebuyers: you probably need less money down than you think. With 23+ years of mortgage experience, I’m not just here to get you a loan.

I specialize in FHA + NJHMFA down payment assistance — including buyers with credit bruises and no 20% saved. 24 years, 4-6 families home every month
👇 Free NJ down payment assistance quiz 🏡 Helping First-Time Buyers Build Legacy Through Homeownership

Hey, I’m Craig LaBruno — Producing Branch Manager @ Guaranteed Rate and Founder of The Impact Lending Team. I’m here to be your Homebuyer Advisor —

the trusted guide who walks with you step-by-step through one of the biggest moves of your life. Whether you’re:

A busy mom renting for years, dreaming of a backyard for your kids 🛝

A hard-working tradesman ready to create your family’s forever home 🧰

Or someone who thought you “weren’t ready yet” because of your credit or savings...

We built this team for you.

💡 Our Approach? It’s Called the T.R.U.E. Buyer Formula:

TALK — It starts with a simple, no-pressure conversation. REVIEW — We go deep on your credit, income & goals. UNLOCK — You’ll get a customized, jargon-free roadmap. EXECUTE — We stay by your side, connect you with trusted pros, and close with confidence.

✅ You don’t need to “have it all together.” ✅ You don’t need to do it alone. ✅ You just need a team who truly has your back. We’ve helped hundreds of families stop renting and start building wealth. We specialize in: ✔️ First-Time Buyer Programs (including Down Payment Assisance) ✔️ FHA, VA, and Conventional Loans ✔️ Credit-Boost Coaching via Pivot 2 Purchase ✔️ One-Stop Shopping (agents, insurance, attorneys)

This isn’t about chasing the lowest rate. This is about building your legacy — with clarity, confidence, and care.

📲 Let’s Talk. I’ll meet you wherever you are today, and help you get to where you want to be. Your next chapter starts here.

09/08/2026

"I make too much for that." Almost nobody does.

The top of the NJHMFA chart is $216,720 a year. That's a real number on a real state fact sheet — Urban Target Area, 3+ person household, First-Time Homebuyer program.

Three things move your income limit: which county you're buying in, which of the three NJHMFA programs you use, and how many people live in your household.

The bottom of the range is around $134,600. The top is $216,720. That's an $82,000 swing inside the same state, same agency.

If you talked yourself out of this over a number you assumed, you may have left $22,000 on the table.

Comment 22K and I'll send you my NJHMFA eligibility checklist — every requirement on one page.

Figures effective 06.17.26 and subject to change.

Where others stop, we start.

09/07/2026

You don't need a tenant anymore. You do need to know the catch.

Fannie Mae changed the departing residence rules on 9/2. If you're keeping your current house and buying the next one, a signed lease is no longer allowed — an appraisal, a rent schedule, or three rental comps prove what it would rent for.

They count 75% of that and subtract your current payment.

Here's where people are getting it wrong: if the rent covers your old payment, that payment comes off your file. Real buying power. But anything extra, you don't keep. And if it comes up short, that gap counts against you like a car loan.

Under a year as a landlord? Six months of that old payment in the bank, on top of your down payment.

Conventional only. FHA and VA are unchanged.

If you're planning a move-up in NJ, this is worth a conversation before you start looking. Drop your question below.

09/06/2026

Some of you get $22,000. Some of you get $10,000. Same exact program.

Here's the part nobody finishes explaining. NJHMFA's down payment assistance is county-based — twelve NJ counties get $15,000, the other nine get $10,000.

The extra $7,000 is a separate first-generation program. And it gets misquoted constantly. It doesn't mean your parents never owned a home. It means they don't own one today. Sold years ago? You may still qualify. Ever in foster care in New Jersey? You qualify automatically.

Interest-free. No monthly payment. Forgiven after five years living in the house.

Comment your county below and I'll tell you your limit. No credit pull, no pitch — just your number.

Where others stop, we start.

09/05/2026

Somebody's sending an extra $500 to a 3% mortgage this month while a 22% card sits untouched.

Rocket Mortgage pulled five years of their own customer data. The homeowners making extra principal payments were more likely to be the ones with LOW rates — not high ones. Their chief business officer called it what it is: psychology, not math.

Here's the part nobody says out loud. Your mortgage is usually the biggest debt you'll ever carry AND the cheapest one. Those aren't the same thing.

Attacking the biggest number feels productive. Attacking the highest rate actually is.

Being debt-free feels incredible. I'm not talking anyone out of it. Just go in the right order.

What's the first digit of your rate? 👇

Craig LaBruno | NMLS 242811 | Rate | Equal Housing Lender

Not financial or investment advice. Everyone's situation is different.

09/04/2026

You got the keys. 🔑 Now comes the part nobody warned you about.

The first month of homeownership isn’t just unpacking boxes and figuring out where the couch goes.

It’s learning how your new house actually works.

And a few simple things handled early can save you a whole lot of scrambling later.

Save this for move-in week — or send it to someone who just bought their first NJ home. 🏠

Address

350 Main Road Suite 203
Melville, NY
07045

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