Lisa Fleck

Lisa Fleck Certified Divorce Lending Professional
Producing Branch Manager - NMLS #351370
NEO Home Loans

08/21/2026

What’s the best time of year to buy a house? 🏡

There isn’t one answer for every buyer. Each season comes with a different mix of inventory, competition, and negotiating room.

Late summer is when things can start to shift, especially as we head toward fall.

If you were buying this year, which season would you choose: winter, spring, summer, or fall?

Drop your answer below and tell us why.

If you love someone in real estate, you already know the schedule is more of a suggestion than a plan.A showing pops up....
08/19/2026

If you love someone in real estate, you already know the schedule is more of a suggestion than a plan.

A showing pops up. An offer needs attention. A client has a question at exactly the moment dinner arrives.

It comes with the territory when you care about helping people through a big decision.

Realtors, finish the sentence:
Loving someone in real estate means ________.

Fall is when a lot of first-time buyers start quietly researching. Not necessarily because they’re ready to make an off...
08/17/2026

Fall is when a lot of first-time buyers start quietly researching. Not necessarily because they’re ready to make an offer tomorrow.

They’re trying to figure out whether buying in the next few months makes sense, what they could comfortably afford, and what they should be doing now if their timeline is later.

Those are good questions to answer before the house hunt gets serious.

A pre-approval can help you understand what financing may be available, but I’d also want to talk about how much savings you want to keep, what monthly housing expense feels comfortable, and what other goals need room in your budget.

Then, when you find a home you like, we look at that property specifically. Taxes, insurance, HOA dues and other details may change the numbers.

Buying your first home shouldn’t begin with pressure to make a move.

It should begin with clarity.

If you’re researching your options this fall, I’m happy to help you understand what the path could look like, even if you’re still months away from buying.

National Financial Awareness Day is a good time to ask a question most homeowners are never taught to consider:Is the eq...
08/14/2026

National Financial Awareness Day is a good time to ask a question most homeowners are never taught to consider:

Is the equity in your home part of a larger plan, or is it simply accumulating without a strategy?

The latest U.S. Census Bureau data show a striking difference. In 2024, homeowner households had median wealth of $449,800, compared with $9,320 for renter households. Even after excluding home equity, homeowners had median wealth of $106,200.

That does not mean a house automatically creates wealth.

It DOES show why becoming an asset owner, when someone is financially prepared, can change the long-term financial picture.

The next opportunity is understanding what to do as equity grows.

Only 6.5% of U.S. households owned rental property in 2024. Among those households, median rental-property equity was $250,000.

A primary residence can be the foundation. It does NOT have to be the entire real estate strategy.

For some homeowners, the next step may be keeping the current home and building more equity. For others, it may be preparing the property to become a future rental, purchasing another asset, or establishing responsible access to equity before the right opportunity appears.

The key word is responsible.

A HELOC or home-equity loan creates debt secured by the home. The proceeds generally are borrowed funds rather than income, but that does not make the capital free, riskless, or automatically tax-deductible. Interest treatment depends on how the money is used and the homeowner’s circumstances.

Before repositioning equity, I believe homeowners should understand the borrowing cost, expected return, monthly cash-flow impact, reserves, operating risk, and exit strategy.

The goal is not to extract equity simply because it exists.

The goal is to determine whether that capital can be used to acquire another asset that strengthens the household’s long-term position.

That is a different conversation than simply getting another loan.

It is the kind of conversation a Mortgage Advisor should continue having long after the first closing. :)

08/12/2026

If you would love to host Thanksgiving or the end-of-year holidays in a new home, August is a good time to begin the conversation.

Because buying a home usually involves more than finding the right listing. There is financing to review, documentation to gather, homes to tour, offers to consider, and time needed for inspections, appraisal, underwriting, and closing.

Starting earlier gives you more room to make thoughtful decisions.

A practical first step is to answer a few questions:

1. What monthly payment would feel comfortable?
2. How much cash do you want to keep after closing?
3. Has your income, debt, credit, or savings changed since your last pre-approval?
4. Are you hoping to move before Thanksgiving, before the end of the year, or simply before winter?

Those details help shape the home loan strategy and the search timeline.

One thing I would not recommend is waiting until you find the perfect home to begin reviewing the financing.

A pre-approval is only the starting point.

Before an offer is written, it is also important to review the estimated payment for that specific property, including taxes, insurance, HOA dues, and other costs that may apply.

No one can promise an exact closing date before the full picture is known... but starting now may give you a better chance to move without forcing the decision.

Question for ya (which you can answer privately or in the comments):

Which would matter more to you: hosting Thanksgiving in the new home, or being settled before the end of the year?

A lot of mortgage advice gets reduced to one number.How much you qualify for.What the rate is.Whether refinancing lowers...
08/10/2026

A lot of mortgage advice gets reduced to one number.

How much you qualify for.
What the rate is.
Whether refinancing lowers the payment.

Those numbers matter, but they rarely tell the whole story.

A pre-approval should help you understand your options, not pressure you to shop at the top of a range.

The right mortgage is not automatically the one with the lowest rate. Depending on the situation, loan costs, cash to close, monthly comfort, savings after closing, and how long you expect to own the home may all matter.

The same is true with refinancing. It may help some homeowners improve cash flow, adjust the loan structure, or use equity for a specific goal. It may also make sense to leave the current mortgage alone.

The useful question is not simply, “Can this be done?”

It’s, “Does this fit the life and financial plan I am trying to build?”

That is the conversation I want families to have before making a decision.

If you are trying to make sense of your options, I am happy to help you look at the full picture.

Everyone wants to buy when mortgage rates are lower.That makes sense.But here's the question I often ask buyers:What if ...
08/07/2026

Everyone wants to buy when mortgage rates are lower.

That makes sense.

But here's the question I often ask buyers:

What if rates fall... but home prices rise at the same time?

A lower interest rate can reduce your monthly payment.

A higher purchase price can increase the amount you're borrowing.

Sometimes those two forces offset each other.

Sometimes they don't.

That's why I encourage buyers to avoid making decisions based on one headline or one market prediction.

Instead, we compare different scenarios using real numbers and talk through questions like:

• What if rates fall?
• What if prices continue to rise?
• What if both happen?
• Which option fits your budget and long-term plans?

No one can predict exactly where rates or home prices will go next.

What we can do is build a strategy based on what you know today and help you understand how different outcomes could affect your monthly payment and overall costs.

If you're trying to decide whether buying now or waiting makes more sense for your situation, I'd be happy to walk through the numbers with you.

One of the hardest conversations I have is with someone who waited months, or even years, to reach out because they assu...
08/05/2026

One of the hardest conversations I have is with someone who waited months, or even years, to reach out because they assumed their credit score wasn't good enough.

Sometimes a lower credit score does limit certain financing options.

Sometimes it changes the timing.

Sometimes it means taking a few intentional steps before buying.

But it doesn't always mean homeownership is out of reach.

Every buyer's financial picture is different, and a credit score is only one part of the conversation.

If you're wondering where you stand, I'd be happy to walk through your situation, explain what your options may be today, and, if needed, help you build a plan for tomorrow.

One of the conversations I enjoy most with buyers is showing them the different ways the exact same seller credit can be...
08/03/2026

One of the conversations I enjoy most with buyers is showing them the different ways the exact same seller credit can be structured.

Sometimes a small change in strategy can make a meaningful difference in how comfortable homeownership feels after closing.

If you're trying to make sense of your options, I'm happy to walk through the numbers with you, compare different scenarios side by side, and help you understand how each strategy could affect your costs over time.

If you'd like to see what that could look like in your situation, send me a message and we'll find a time that works for you.

08/02/2026

Most people think my job is helping them buy a house.

I don’t.

Helping someone get the keys is important.

Helping them become a more successful homeowner over the next 30 years is even more important.

That’s why our conversations don’t end at closing.

Over the years, life changes.

You get married.
You have kids.
You change jobs.
You refinance.
You build equity.
You buy investment property.
Parents age.
Beneficiaries change.
Estate plans evolve.

The mortgage is only one piece of the picture. 🏞️

One of the biggest mistakes I see isn’t choosing the wrong loan. It’s assuming the financial plan you created years ago still fits the life you’re living today.

That’s why we meet every year after closing. During the Annual Financial Review, we discuss things like:

• Mortgage strategy
• Equity opportunities
• Insurance coverage
• Beneficiary designations
• Estate planning documents
• Emergency savings
• Long-term financial goals

I’m not an attorney or financial planner, but I believe one of the best things I can do is help families recognize when it’s time to revisit those conversations with the right professionals.

To me, that’s what being a Mortgage Advisor means.
Not just helping you buy a home.

Helping you protect everything you’ve worked to build, before, during, and long after closing.

If it’s been a few years since you’ve looked at your overall plan, I’d be happy to help you start that conversation.

Address

560 Mill Street Suite 200
Reno, NV
89502

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+17756889100

Website

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