Stephanie Johnstone - Loan Originator - NMLS #920930

Stephanie Johnstone - Loan Originator - NMLS #920930 Helping buyers take the first step toward homeownership with clear guidance and smart mortgage strategy.
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Purchase • Refinance
CA Licensed Mortgage Advisor | NMLS #920930 Mortgage expertise for both residential purchase and refinance

Homeownership: apparently the chores are hereditary. 😂🏡Dad mows. Lily mows.Dad wears the yard-work hat. Lily wears the y...
09/04/2026

Homeownership: apparently the chores are hereditary. 😂🏡

Dad mows. Lily mows.
Dad wears the yard-work hat. Lily wears the yard-work hat.

She takes her responsibilities around here VERY seriously. 😂

One of my favorite things about owning a home has nothing to do with equity, interest rates or square footage. It’s these completely ordinary little moments that somehow become the good stuff.

A yard to play in. A driveway covered in sidewalk chalk. Neighbors you wave to. Watching your toddler insist on “helping” with Saturday chores.

This is the side of homeownership I probably don’t talk about enough. 🤍

Hope everyone has a safe, happy and very low-productivity Labor Day weekend. 😂🇺🇸

And to everyone spending part of theirs tackling a house project or yard work… apparently we know a tiny landscaper looking for work. Her rates are unreasonable and she requires snacks. 😉

Hi, I’m Steph 👋 — but the graphic already covered that part. 😂So here’s what I’d rather you know:You do not have to have...
09/01/2026

Hi, I’m Steph 👋 — but the graphic already covered that part. 😂

So here’s what I’d rather you know:

You do not have to have everything figured out before you talk to a lender.

You don’t need to know which loan program you need.
You don’t need to know exactly how much you can afford.
And you definitely don’t need to know all the mortgage terminology before you call me.

That’s my job.

My job is to meet you wherever you are, answer the questions (yes, even the ones you think you “should” already know), run the numbers, explain your options, and help you figure out what your next step actually looks like.

Sometimes that next step is buying a house.

Sometimes it’s refinancing, using equity, or making a plan for six months from now.

And sometimes it’s simply, “Hey Steph… am I even close?”

Those conversations are always welcome here. 🤍

No pressure. No judgment. Just answers.

Because I don’t think confidence comes from already knowing everything — it comes from finally having someone help you understand it.

🏡 Purchase or Refi? First step, call Steph!

Okay, admittedly I Googled myself. 😂But seeing this summary stopped me for a second.Because after 15+ years in mortgage,...
08/27/2026

Okay, admittedly I Googled myself. 😂

But seeing this summary stopped me for a second.

Because after 15+ years in mortgage, these are exactly the things I want someone to say about working with me: clear communication, responsiveness, problem solving, and making an often-confusing process feel a little less stressful.

Rates and loan programs matter. But the experience you have while making one of the biggest financial decisions of your life matters too.

And apparently Google has been reading my reviews. 😂

Purchase, refi or just trying to figure out what your options are? First step, call Steph. 🤍

What if the first step toward buying a home… wasn’t an application? 👀🏡Sometimes it’s just a conversation.You tell me whe...
08/26/2026

What if the first step toward buying a home… wasn’t an application? 👀🏡

Sometimes it’s just a conversation.

You tell me where you are, what you’re thinking, and what you’re unsure about. I help you make sense of the rest.

Maybe you’re closer to buying than you thought.
Maybe there are a few things we should work on first.
Maybe your timeline is six months or a year away.

All of those are perfectly good answers.

You don’t need to have everything figured out before talking to a lender. In fact, figuring it out is kind of the point. 😉

Not sure where you stand? DM me “FIRST STEP.” We can start with a conversation — no pressure, no commitment.

08/20/2026

Turns out, 15+ years in the mortgage business does NOT make you immune to homebuying stress. 😅

Going through the process myself last year was a really valuable reminder of something I never want to lose sight of:

What feels routine to those of us who do this every day can feel really big when it’s your home, your money, your family and your future.

So yes, my job is to know the guidelines, solve the problems and get the loan to the closing table.

But I think my job is also to notice the questions you don’t know to ask yet. To explain what’s happening before you have to wonder. To communicate when things feel uncertain. And to remember that just because I’ve done this hundreds of times doesn’t mean you have.

I can’t promise buying a home will be completely stress-free.

But I can promise you won’t have to figure it out alone. 🤍

That’s a big part of what the First Step Steph Experience means to me.

A reminder I’ve needed myself lately. 🤍Being scared and moving forward aren’t mutually exclusive.Sometimes we wait to fe...
08/18/2026

A reminder I’ve needed myself lately. 🤍

Being scared and moving forward aren’t mutually exclusive.

Sometimes we wait to feel confident, certain, or completely ready before we do the thing. But sometimes the confidence comes after we take the first step.

That applies to a lot more than buying a home… but it certainly applies there too. 😉

If homeownership is something you’ve been thinking about but you’re nervous to even find out where you stand, you don’t have to have it all figured out before we talk.

That’s what the first step is for. 🔑

📊 Fed FridayThis week, the Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged.Does that mean mortgage rates stay...
07/31/2026

📊 Fed Friday

This week, the Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged.

Does that mean mortgage rates stay the same? Not necessarily.

Mortgage rates are influenced by a lot more than just the Fed. Inflation, the bond market, economic data, and investor confidence all play a role in where rates move from day to day.

That’s why I always encourage buyers and homeowners to focus on their personal situation instead of waiting for the “perfect” headline.

Whether you’re:
🏡 Thinking about buying
🔑 Wondering if refinancing makes sense
📈 Or just trying to understand what’s happening in today’s market…

I’m always happy to help break it down in plain English.

Purchase or refi? First step, call Steph!

Address

3900 Lennane Drive, Suite 200
Sacramento, CA
95834

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 5:30pm
Thursday 8am - 5:30pm
Friday 8am - 5:30pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

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