Jeff Ohm Home Loans

Jeff Ohm Home Loans Personal NMLS 894175
Company NMLS 2006640 I grew up in Southern California, but have very strong ties to the Valley and consider myself a die-hard ASU SunDevil.

I have an MBA from Arizona State University and more than 16 years of lending experience in the consumer finance industry. Having personally underwritten more than $100 million in consumer loans and reviewed thousands of credit applications, I am a stickler for detail and work meticulously to find my clients the ideal loan for their needs. Always striving to make the loan process simple and worry-

free by keeping my clients fully informed in each stage of the process is a value I share with my colleagues. I love to work with and meet new people and always make it a priority to build long-lasting relationships. My wife and I live with our two boys in Phoenix and love to spend time downtime at our condo in Rocky Point, Mexico. We’re also very involved with SunDevil athletics, as well as youth sports.

04/15/2026

Sellers can pay your closing costs.

Most first-time buyers have no idea this is even an option.

Here's the math.

Closing costs run 2-5% of the loan amount. On a $400K home? That's $8,000 to $20,000. Out of pocket. At closing.

Most buyers drain their savings just to get the keys. Then they have nothing left for repairs, furniture, or emergencies.

It doesn't have to work that way.

It's called a seller concession. Completely normal. Completely legal. Happens every day.

Here's how.

Option one: Offer slightly above asking price. Ask the seller to credit you back the difference at closing to cover your costs.

Seller gets their number. You keep your cash. Everyone wins.

Option two: In a slower market, skip the price adjustment. Just ask for the concession directly.

Seller wants to move the house. You want to keep cash in your pocket. It's a negotiation.

Your realtor and loan officer should be discussing this before you ever write an offer.

If they're not? Ask them directly.

"What seller concession options make sense for my situation?"

You don't have to show up to closing broke.

Structure the deal so you walk in with keys and walk out with cash still in the bank.

04/13/2026

The rate on their website is not your rate.

It never was.

Here's how advertised rates work.

They're based on a perfect scenario. 760+ credit score. 20% down. Primary residence. Loan amount in the sweet spot.

Hit every checkbox? That's your rate.

Miss one? Higher.

Lower credit score? Higher rate.

Less than 20% down? Higher rate.

Investment property? Way higher.

Cash-out refi instead of purchase? Higher.

Two-unit instead of one? Higher.

But they don't tell you that upfront. They show you the best possible number because it gets you in the door.

By the time you find out your real rate, you've already given them your information. You're already emotionally invested.

That's not an accident. That's the strategy.
Here's what we do differently.

Forward Loans has a real-time rate tool. You build your own scenario. Your credit. Your down payment. Your property type.

You get your rate. Not theirs. Not the billboard number. Yours.

No bait. No switch. No "perfect borrower" fantasy.

Just the actual number you'll pay based on your actual situation.

In real time. Before you talk to anyone.

Stop chasing rates that were never meant for you.

See what you actually qualify for.

04/10/2026

The last 6 months matter more than the last 6 years.

One small move can cost you thousands.

Here's what lenders actually look at.

They pull two years of financial history. But the six months before you apply? That's under a microscope.

And most buyers have no idea what triggers a red flag.

Large cash deposit you can't explain? Flagged.

Changing jobs, even for more money? If you switch industries or go from salaried to self-employed, that complicates everything.

Opening a new credit card? Score drops. Debt-to-income rises.

Taking out an auto loan? Same problem. Worse timing.

Co-signing for someone else? That debt is now yours on paper.

Even moving money between your own accounts can trigger documentation requests that slow your approval.

These moves seem harmless. You're just living your life.

But to an underwriter, each one is a question mark that needs answering.

And if those answers push you into a worse rate tier?

That's tens of thousands over the life of your loan.

Gone. Because of something you did six months ago without thinking.

The fix is simple.

Talk to a loan officer before you make any financial moves. Six months out minimum.

One question: "What should I avoid doing between now and closing?"

The deal you lose isn't always the one you can't afford.

Sometimes it's the one you accidentally disqualified yourself from.

04/09/2026

You can apply with five lenders and it only counts as one credit pull.

Almost nobody knows this.

Here's the rule.

When multiple mortgage lenders pull your credit within a 14-45 day window, the credit bureaus count all of those pulls as a single inquiry.

Read that again.

Five applications. Five loan estimates. Five real numbers to compare.

One hit to your score.

This is how the system actually works. But most buyers never use it.

They apply with one lender. Take whatever rate they're offered. Never shop.

Because they're afraid of "hurting their credit."

That fear is costing them thousands.

The rate difference between lenders can be massive. Same borrower. Same day. Wildly different offers.

You'll never know unless you compare.

So here's the play.

Get your loan estimates within that 14-45 day window. Line them up side by side. Pick the best one.

No credit damage. No downside. Just leverage.

The lenders who don't want you to shop are the ones who can't compete.

Don't leave money on the table because nobody explained the rules.

Now you know.

04/08/2026

Your preapproval doesn't lock you in.

You can switch lenders. Anytime.

Here's what happens.
Your agent introduces you to their lender. You get preapproved. Feels like the deal is done.

It's not.
That preapproval is just a letter. It says you qualify. That's it.

You can take your same financials to another lender and get a new preapproval in a day or two.

No penalty. No starting over. No credit damage if you do it within the rate shopping window.

But most buyers don't know this.

So they stick with whoever their agent sent them to.

Never shop. Never compare. Never question.

That's expensive loyalty.

Your agent's lender might be great. Might not be.

You won't know unless you talk to a broker.

Brokers aren't married to one rate sheet. We shop your loan across dozens of investors to find who's sharpest.

Even if you're already preapproved somewhere else, get a second opinion.

Worst case? You confirm you have a good deal.

Best case? You save thousands.

Either way, you win.

03/27/2026

Your credit score can jump 30-40 points in under 30 days.

Most loan officers will never tell you how.

Here's the play.

Pull your credit report. Look at utilization on every card.

Utilization is how much of your available credit you're using.

Any card over 30% of its limit is dragging your score down.

Pay those cards down before you apply. One billing cycle. Score updates.

Then call each card and request a credit limit increase.

Higher limit. Same balance. Lower utilization. Score goes up.

One rule: Make sure they do a soft pull, not a hard pull. Ask before they process it.

A 40-point increase can move you from one rate tier to a better one.

That's tens of thousands saved over the life of your loan.

Most people walk into a mortgage application with a fixable score and don't even know it.

Don't be most people.

DM me "credit" and I'll show you exactly what to fix before you apply.

03/24/2026

Your bank can't be good at everything.

So they pick what to be bad at.

Credit unions and banks specialize. Strong on government loans like FHA and VA. Or strong on conventional.

Never both.

You cannot be all things to all people. The ones who try end up competitive in none.
That's why the same bank that gave your neighbor an incredible conventional rate just quoted you garbage on FHA.

They're not built for your loan type.

Forward Loans works with over 50 investors.

Some dominate conventional. Some crush jumbo. Others are unbeatable on government loans.

When your file comes in, we don't force it into one rate sheet.

We find who's sharpest for your exact program. Your loan goes to whoever earns it.

That's how we beat pricing across every program.

Not because we're bigger than the banks.

Because we're not stuck with one rate sheet.

03/20/2026

Smart buyers don't finance with institutions that don't have to earn the deal.

Big banks don't need your mortgage.

They have your deposits.

Here's what nobody tells you about where you get your home loan.

Big banks are depositories first. Mortgage lenders second.

Your loan is a rounding error on their balance sheet.

So when rates drop during your transaction, they have zero incentive to pass those savings to you.

Why would they? You're already in the system. You're not going anywhere.

They don't need to compete. They already have your checking account.

Retail lenders are different. But not better.

Their capital markets teams are hedging gains and mitigating losses on a minute-by-minute basis.

That's literally their job.

Protect the company's margin. Not yours.

When rates improve, they're not calling you with good news.

They're locking in their profit before you notice.

Now compare that to a mortgage broker.

We don't have one lender. We have dozens.

Forward Loans operates as a mortgage marketplace.

Lenders compete for your business. Every single deal.

When rates move, we see which investor is sharpest that day and route your loan there.
No loyalty to one bank's rate sheet. No capital markets team protecting someone else's margin.

Just whoever gives you the best terms wins.

The only exception?

If you have a massive private banking relationship. Eight figures liquid. Your own banker on speed dial.

Then sure. Use your bank. You have leverage.

Everyone else?

You're just another file in the queue.

Smart buyers don't finance with institutions that don't have to earn the deal.

They finance with brokers who have to win it.

That's the difference.

03/19/2026

Should you pay points to buy down your rate?

Depends on one question.

How long are you staying?

Here’s the math.

One point costs 1% of your loan amount. On a $400K loan, that’s $4,000 upfront.

That point typically drops your rate by 0.25%.

Lower rate means lower payment. Every month. For the life of the loan.

But you paid $4,000 to get there.

So you need to calculate your breakeven.

How many months of savings does it take to recover what you spent upfront?

If your breakeven is 36 months and you’re planning to stay 10 years?

Pay the points. You’ll save tens of thousands over that window.

If your breakeven is 36 months and you’re selling in two years?

You just lit $4,000 on fire.

This is why I ask every client one question before we talk rate strategy:

What’s your plan for this house?

Starter home you’ll outgrow in three years? Don’t pay points.

Forever home you’re raising kids in? Pay the points.

Investment property you’re flipping in 18 months? Definitely don’t pay points.

Long-term rental you’ll hold for a decade? Run the numbers. Probably worth it.

The rate isn’t the strategy.

The hold period is the strategy.

Most lenders quote you a rate with points baked in because it looks better on paper.

They never ask how long you’re staying.

That’s how you end up paying for savings you’ll never see.

Know your timeline. Then decide.

03/18/2026

Big banks and retail lenders don’t get paid to educate you.

So they don’t.

First-time buyers need the most help. Most questions. Most guidance. Most explanation.

They get the least.

Here’s why.

A retail loan officer gets paid the same whether you understand the loan or not.

Same commission. Same bonus. Same quota.
Your education doesn’t move their numbers. Your closing does.

So they optimize for speed. Not understanding.
Get the application. Run the file. Close the loan.
Next.

There’s no line item for “spent 45 minutes explaining amortization.”

That doesn’t show up on the P&L.

So it doesn’t happen.

The result?
First-time buyers sign documents they don’t understand.

Accept terms they didn’t know were negotiable.
Leave money on the table because nobody showed them it was there.

Ask yourself this:
Has your lender ever spent 30 minutes explaining something you didn’t ask about, just because you needed to know it?

Or do they only answer when you ask?
That’s the difference between a partner and a processor.

If you’re buying for the first time, you deserve someone who gets paid to care whether you understand.

Not someone who gets paid regardless.

Address

4526 N 7th Street
Phoenix, AZ
85014

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 8pm
Tuesday 8am - 8pm
Wednesday 8am - 8pm
Thursday 8am - 8pm
Friday 8am - 8pm
Saturday 8am - 5pm
Sunday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+16027140532

Website

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