Rima Garrett: Mortgage Matchmaker

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Rima Garrett: Mortgage Matchmaker

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✨Making Mortgage Easy✨
Helping you navigate the home financing process with confidence, clarity, and care. Let’s get you HOME.

You deserve a mortgage experience that puts YOUR needs first. NMLS 2646998
https://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

11/05/2026

National Guard and Reserve members, this one's for you.

A lot of people think VA loans are only for active duty or veterans who served full time. Many Guard and Reserve members can qualify for the VA home loan benefit too, depending on their service history.

If you've served and aren't sure where you stand, let's find out together.

Very Respectfully,

Rima Garrett || Mortgage Matchmaker
Mortgage Broker
MtgMatchmaker.com
https://www.homeloansinc.com/our-team/rima-garrett/
(843) 259-2609
NMLS 2646998
Company NMLS 1728740

11/05/2026

If you owe back taxes to the IRS and a lender already told you no, don't count yourself out yet. This one is for you.

Meet Brittany. She's a fictional, illustrative homebuyer, but her situation comes up often. She owes federal taxes, she wants an FHA loan, and she assumed the debt ruled her out.

Here's what most people get wrong. The FHA guideline says borrowers with delinquent federal tax debt are ineligible, and that's where many folks stop reading. But the very next part matters: tax liens may remain unpaid if the borrower has a valid repayment agreement with the federal agency owed and has made timely payments for at least three months of scheduled payments. (Yes, the fine print has a plot twist.)

Two more details. The borrower cannot prepay scheduled payments to meet the three-month minimum. And the payment amount must be included in DTI, which is your debt-to-income ratio.

So here's what Brittany does. She asks the lender: "Does my repayment agreement with the federal agency show at least three months of timely, scheduled payments, and is that payment amount included in my DTI?" Then she gathers her written repayment agreement and proof of every payment made under it.

You can do that today. Every file is different, but a no isn't always the final word.

Want me to look at your scenario? Zero pressure. I answer my own phone at 843-259-2609, and I like a challenge.

Rima Garrett NMLS # 2646998, Home Loans Inc NMLS # 1728740, Equal Housing Opportunity

11/05/2026

Three words could change how you look at your credit score: no minimum score.

Meet Christina, a fictional veteran I use to illustrate a situation that comes up often. She hit a rough patch with her credit and assumed a magic number meant she couldn't qualify for a VA loan.

Here's what most people get wrong. The VA guideline actually says VA does not have a minimum credit score requirement. It also says the emphasis should be on the borrower's overall payment patterns rather than isolated occurrences of unsatisfactory repayment. (Translation: one rough chapter is not the whole book.)

One catch I like to be honest about: lenders can set their own rules on top of VA's. So Christina's smartest move is asking the right question.

Here's what you can do today. Ask any lender: "The VA guideline, Chapter 4, Topic 7, Subsection b, says VA does not have a minimum credit score requirement. Is there a minimum score that your company requires on top of that, and if so, what is it?"

Their answer tells you a lot. If it's a tough one, don't count yourself out yet. That's my lane.

Zero pressure. Call or text 843-259-2609. I answer my own phone, and I'll respond faster than your cable company.

Rima Garrett NMLS # 2646998, Home Loans Inc NMLS # 1728740, Equal Housing Opportunity

11/04/2026

Myth: Pre-qualified and pre-approved mean the same thing.

A pre-qualification is usually a quick estimate based on what you tell a lender. A pre-approval goes further. Your income, assets and credit are actually reviewed.

When you're ready to make offers, a pre-approval carries more weight with sellers.
Not sure which one you have? Send me a message and I'll tell you. 👇

Very Respectfully,

Rima Garrett || Mortgage Matchmaker
Mortgage Broker
MtgMatchmaker.com
https://www.homeloansinc.com/our-team/rima-garrett/
(843) 259-2609
NMLS 2646998
Company NMLS 1728740

11/04/2026

Harper went from planning a remodel around "whatever my house is worth" to a cash-out plan built on the real ceiling, and it took one multiplication problem.

Quick note: Harper is a fictional, illustrative homeowner, but her situation comes up often. She had built-up equity in her 1-unit primary residence and assumed she could borrow all of it for a remodel and some debt cleanup. (Honestly, who wouldn't assume that?)

Here's what most people get wrong. Equity is not the same as borrowing power. For a conventional cash-out refinance, the guideline says the maximum LTV is generally 80% for a 1-unit principal residence. LTV is loan-to-value, which just compares your new loan to your home's value.

So Harper did the math: estimated home value x 80%, minus what she owes. That number gave her remodel and debt cleanup plan a real budget instead of a hopeful guess.

Here's what you can do today. Grab your estimated value, multiply by 80%, and subtract what you owe. Then ask your lender: "For a cash-out refinance on my property, what is the maximum LTV for my property type and how I use the home, and what does that make my maximum new loan amount on my estimated value?"

Want a second set of eyes on your numbers? Call me at 843-259-2609. I answer my own phone, and there is zero pressure. That's my lane.

Rima Garrett NMLS # 2646998, Home Loans Inc NMLS # 1728740, Equal Housing Opportunity

11/03/2026

Did you know an FHA loan can be used to buy a duplex, triplex or fourplex?

The catch: you have to live in one of the units as your primary home. The other units can be rented out, which may help with your monthly payment.

It's a popular way for buyers to get started with homeownership and investing at the same time.

Curious if it could work for you? Let's talk. 💬 mtgmatchmaker.com

Very Respectfully,

Rima Garrett || Mortgage Matchmaker
Mortgage Broker
MtgMatchmaker.com
https://www.homeloansinc.com/our-team/rima-garrett/
(843) 259-2609
NMLS 2646998
Company NMLS 1728740

11/03/2026

If you're a veteran buying a home with a charge card you pay off every single month, this one is for you.

Picture Jeffrey, a fictional veteran homebuyer. He pays his charge card in full every month, no exceptions. Then he sees a card payment sitting in his debt picture and panics. He assumes it's going to hurt his VA loan.

Here's what most people get wrong: they assume every card on a credit report gets counted as monthly debt. (Understandable. Credit reports are not exactly warm and friendly.)

The VA guideline treats an open 30-day charge account differently. It says to determine if the borrower pays the balance in full each month and has verified funds to cover the account balance in addition to any funds required for closing costs. If there are sufficient funds, the payment does not need to be included in Section D of the VA Form 26-6393. If there are not sufficient funds, a minimum payment of 5 percent of the balance should be considered.

So for Jeffrey, the question is not just "do I pay it off?" It's "can I show the funds?"

Here's one thing you can do today: ask your lender, "This is an open 30-day charge account that I pay in full every month. Can you show me how you're treating it in my VA loan analysis, and what do you need from me to verify funds for the balance plus my closing costs?"

Don't count yourself out yet. That's my lane, and I like a challenge. Call or text me at 843-259-2609. I answer my own phone, zero pressure.

Rima Garrett NMLS # 2646998, Home Loans Inc NMLS # 1728740, Equal Housing Opportunity

11/02/2026

First-time buyer question I get a lot: what is earnest money?

It's a deposit you make when your offer is accepted, to show the seller you're serious. It's usually held by a third party, and it typically goes toward your down payment or closing costs at closing.

Your agent and your contract set the details, but I'll help you plan for it so it's not a surprise.

DM me or visit mtgmatchmaker.com 🏠

Very Respectfully,

Rima Garrett || Mortgage Matchmaker
Mortgage Broker
MtgMatchmaker.com
https://www.homeloansinc.com/our-team/rima-garrett/
(843) 259-2609
NMLS 2646998
Company NMLS 1728740

11/01/2026

Before you refinance, here's a question worth asking: how long will it take to make back the cost?

A refinance comes with closing costs, just like your original loan. If your monthly savings cover those costs before you plan to sell or move, it can be a smart move.
I'll run the math with you so you can decide with confidence.

Very Respectfully,

Rima Garrett || Mortgage Matchmaker
Mortgage Broker
MtgMatchmaker.com
https://www.homeloansinc.com/our-team/rima-garrett/
(843) 259-2609
NMLS 2646998
Company NMLS 1728740

Address

2557 Ashley Phosphate Road
North Charleston, SC
29418

Website

https://mtgmatchmaker.com/

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