Tim Taylor - Your Mortgage Pilot - Trident Home Loans, LLC

09/25/2026

𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟-𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗩𝗔 𝗟𝗢𝗔𝗡 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 🇺🇸

This one is frustrating, but it has a good ending.

Back in March 2024, a veteran closed a VA Jumbo loan with NewRez at 6.75%.

At that same time, I was offering VA loans around 6.25% with NO points.

Fast-forward to October 2025.

I was doing VA Jumbo IRRRL refinances around 5.30%.

Had he been a Trident customer, his loan would have been on my radar and I would have called him.

But he wasn't — so I didn't know about his loan.

Then a few weeks ago, he reached out to me.

NewRez was ready to refinance him to 6.25%.

Sounds pretty good, right?

Until you see what they were going to charge him...

😳 𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗦 — 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 $𝟮𝟮,𝟬𝟬𝟬.

He called me for a sanity check.

Good thing he did.

We just closed his refinance:

✈️ 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧
✅ 6.25% rate
✅ 𝗡𝗢 𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗦
✅ 𝗡𝗢 𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗦

His break-even on the remaining closing costs is about 7 months.

And now his loan IS on my radar.

𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧'𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗜 𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬 𝗩𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗡 𝗧𝗢 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪:

You do NOT have to refinance with the company that currently has your mortgage.

And you don't have to be an existing Trident customer for me to keep an eye on your VA loan.

🇺🇸 𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗠𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗩𝗔 𝗟𝗢𝗔𝗡?

Email me at:

📧 [email protected]

Just send me four things:

➡️ Date you closed
➡️ Current interest rate
➡️ Original loan amount
➡️ State where the property is located

𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧'𝗦 𝗜𝗧.

I'll put it on my massive VA tracking spreadsheet.

If rates get to a point where I think there's an opportunity worth looking at, I'll reach out to you.

Veterans — whether you're buying, refinancing, or just want somebody keeping an eye on your existing VA loan, it never hurts to have another set of eyes on the numbers.

✈️ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁
Tim Taylor
Trident Home Loans
NMLS #677644

09/10/2026

🇺🇸 𝗩𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗦 — 𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗕𝗘𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘. 𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗔𝗧 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗔𝗡 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 𝗖𝗢𝗦𝗧𝗦 𝗬𝗢𝗨.

I want to share a real-world example from a VA loan we just closed for a veteran.

He was doing a 100% VA cash-out refinance with credit scores around 650 and was already preparing to close with NewDay.

𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗗𝗔𝗬:

➡️ 𝟲.𝟵𝟵% interest rate
➡️ $𝟭𝟰,𝟬𝟮𝟴 in origination charges

Before he closed, he gave us an opportunity to take a look at the loan.

We just closed his VA refinance through Trident at:

𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧:

➡️ 𝟲.𝟴𝟵% interest rate (6.969% APR)
➡️ $𝟱𝟬𝟳.𝟱𝟬 in origination charges — and that small charge was due to a rate-lock extension that became necessary.

🔥 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧'𝗦 $𝟭𝟯,𝟱𝟮𝟬.𝟱𝟬 𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗚𝗘𝗦 — 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗔 𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘.

And here's another number that really jumps out at me:

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗣𝗥 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝟲.𝟵𝟲𝟮%.

NewDay's 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘 was 6.99%.

Think about that for a second.

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗣𝗥 — which factors in certain costs associated with obtaining the loan — 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘.

I'm attaching pictures from the actual loan documents because I don't want you to simply take my word for any of this.

𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗨𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙.

👉 Pay particular attention to 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟮, 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔 — 𝗢𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀.

That's one of the first places I tell borrowers to look when they're comparing lenders.

𝗔𝗡𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗤𝗨𝗢𝗧𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗔 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘.

The next question should be:

👉 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗠 𝗜 𝗣𝗔𝗬𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗢 𝗚𝗘𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘?

Points and origination charges can dramatically change the economics of a mortgage.

And to be clear, paying points isn't automatically bad.

There are situations where paying money upfront for a lower rate makes perfect financial sense. If the monthly savings justify the expense and you're going to keep the mortgage long enough to reach the break-even point, it may be a great decision.

But you should know what you're paying, why you're paying it, and how long it will take to get that money back.

𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗜'𝗟𝗟 𝗚𝗘𝗧 𝗔 𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗗.

Veterans are bombarded with mortgage advertising.

Some of the biggest VA lenders spend a lot of money advertising on national television, radio and online. NewDay is certainly one of the names veterans see regularly.

There's nothing wrong with advertising.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗧𝗩 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹.

When you see a lender on television telling you how much they specialize in helping veterans, don't let the commercial make the decision for you.

𝗠𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗨𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗜𝗧.

This veteran had credit scores around 650 and was doing a 100% VA cash-out refinance.

That doesn't mean he should simply assume that $14,028 in origination charges is what it costs to get the loan.

He gave us an opportunity to compete.

𝗡𝗲𝘄𝗗𝗮𝘆: 6.99% with $14,028 in origination charges.

𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁: 6.89% with $507.50 in origination charges.

𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗩𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗡.
𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘.
$𝟭𝟯,𝟱𝟮𝟬.𝟱𝟬 𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗚𝗘𝗦.

That's not a small difference.

🇺🇸 𝗕𝗘𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗩𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗡-𝗙𝗢𝗖𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗗𝗢𝗘𝗦𝗡'𝗧 𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 𝗠𝗘𝗔𝗡 𝗕𝗘𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗩𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗡-𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗟𝗬.

Veterans earned their VA home-loan benefit through their service.

They shouldn't assume that thousands of dollars in lender fees are simply the price they have to pay to use it.

Get the Loan Estimate.

Turn to 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟮, 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔.

Look at the points.
Look at the origination charges.
Look at the APR.
Ask questions.

𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗣 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗔𝗡 — 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗗𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘.

🇺🇸 𝗩𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗩𝗔 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 — 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁.

And one last thing...

𝗗𝗢𝗡'𝗧 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗣 𝗠𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗩𝗔 𝗟𝗢𝗔𝗡𝗦.

VA lending is one of my specialties, but it's far from all we do.

✈️ VA
🏠 Conventional
🏠 FHA
🔑 Purchases
💰 Refinances

Whatever type of mortgage you're considering, 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗣 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗟.

✈️ 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗣 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗚𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗣𝗜𝗟𝗢𝗧.

Tim Taylor
Your Mortgage Pilot
NMLS #677644
www.yourmortgagepilot.com

07/17/2026

I appreciate reviews like this.

07/13/2026

🏡 **Real examples from the past couple of weeks...**

One of the questions I hear most is, "Is there anything that can help with today's mortgage payments?"

The answer is yes.

I recently helped:

✈️ A VA homebuyer save **$8,831** during the first year using a FREE 1-0 Buydown.

✈️ Another VA buyer purchasing in a different state save **$10,668** during the first year with the same program.

A 1-0 Buydown temporarily lowers the payment during the first year, helping buyers ease into homeownership. And if interest rates improve, they can still refinance at any time.

The program is currently available on eligible **Conventional, VA, and FHA** purchase loans through **August 31**.

Every buyer's situation is different, which is why I always recommend looking at the numbers before deciding what's best.

If you're thinking about buying—or know someone who is—I'd be happy to help.

07/07/2026

💲 **Looking for a way to make today's mortgage payments a little more affordable?**

Here's one option many buyers don't know about...

A **FREE 1-0 Buydown** can lower your payment during the first year of your mortgage, giving you some extra breathing room while you settle into your new home.

✔️ Available on eligible **Conventional, VA, and FHA** purchase loans
✔️ Available through on locked loans thru **August 31**
✔️ You can still **refinance anytime** if interest rates improve.

The graphic below walks through a real example. If you're thinking about buying—or know someone who is—I'd be happy to run the numbers and see if this program makes sense for you.

📞 309-642-0008

Tim Taylor
NMLS 677644

07/01/2026

Six months into the year already…

Despite a challenging interest rate environment, it's been a great first half of the year helping families purchase homes and refinance.

One of the biggest questions I continue to get is, "What should I do with interest rates?"

I put together a quick one-minute update with how I think about buying, refinancing, and making good financial decisions in today's market.

Hope you find it helpful!

06/18/2026

So happy that our lender partner is offering these types of loans.

If you have a Dr. or Dentist looking for a home, have them call me and we can see if this program might work for them.

UWM is now offering Doctor Loans — a tailored solution to help medical doctors, dentists and other eligible healthcare professionals achieve homeownership by overcoming common financial hurdles like significant student loan debt and limited down payment savings. https://bit.ly/4uEMu6k

05/15/2026

One of the most common questions I get right now is:

“Where are interest rates going?”

The honest answer is — no one truly knows. There are too many outside factors that can move rates quickly.

So instead of trying to perfectly time the market, I usually encourage people to focus on the numbers, their goals, and making the right decision for their situation.

A few thoughts in the quick video below

05/06/2026

Realtors and Buyers,

Take a look at this. The largest mortgage lender in the country is paying for 1-0 buydowns for locks initiated between now and June 30th. This is a free 1 year, 1 % lower interest rate for conventional and VA loans.

So, if you are waiting for lower interest rates, this might be a way to get into a home.

So, if today's rate is 6.5%, for the first year, your rate is 5.5%. You can refinance this at any time if rates drop. (VA IRRRL has to wait 210 days after first payment of this loan)

I have already locked 2 of these today, at substantial savings.

I will post the deals offered into the comments section.

Give me a call for a pre-approval or if you are under contract. Not only can I offer this deal, I can close a loan in 21 days.

Thanks

Tim

Now through June 30, UWM will cover the cost of your 1-0 lender-paid temporary rate buydowns on conventional and government purchases by providing a credit to offset the buydown expense. This allows your borrowers to take advantage of a payment equivalent to an interest rate 1% lower for the first year of the loan without any additional cost to them or you. https://bit.ly/48M608V

05/01/2026

Proud to be a long time sponsor of Morton Baseball with the Morton BullPen Club and my other sponsors.