Cameron Watson-Lariscy, Lending Heights NMLS #659073

Cameron Watson-Lariscy, Lending Heights NMLS #659073 Mortgage lender specializing in customized mortgage options to realize the dream of homeownership. Lending Heights, LLC | NMLS #2576331

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NMLSR # 659073
Coastal Custom Mortgage Inc | NMLSR #1828852
Residential mortgage licensee in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina

Member of the Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce - https://blufftonchamberofcommerce.org/list/member/coastal-custom-mortgage-3320

08/27/2026

If a lender gives you a rate before pulling your credit, that number isn't really yours yet.
Your actual rate depends on your credit score, your down payment, your debt-to-income ratio, and the loan program you qualify for. A phone-call quote, before any of that's been verified, is really a quote for a hypothetical borrower with perfect numbers — not necessarily you.
I saw this play out with a client who was quoted 6.25% over the phone. Once we actually ran his numbers, his real rate came back at 6.875% — an extra $187 a month, same lender, same day.
If you're getting quotes right now, it's worth asking what those numbers are actually based on before you compare them against each other.
Comment LOAN and I'll send you the Home Loan Estimate Guide, or message me directly if you'd rather just ask about your specific situation.

08/26/2026

Here's something worth knowing before you start shopping for a mortgage: the rate you hear on the news was never going to be your rate.
That number is a national average, priced for one specific type of borrower — usually someone with a 740-plus credit score putting 20% down on a single-family primary residence. Your actual rate gets built from five separate things: your credit score, your down payment, the loan program you use, whether you're living in the home or renting it out, and the type of property itself.
I saw this play out with two people who called me the same morning, both asking about that "rate in the news." Same type of home, same 20% down — but one had a 760 credit score and the other had a 680. That gap alone, on a $400,000 loan, came out to about $4,500. And that's before factoring in anything else. If the property were a rental instead of a primary home, or a two-unit instead of a single-family, the cost moves again, separately from the credit score.
If you're thinking about buying sometime this year, it's worth understanding that the number you hear in the news is a starting reference point, not a quote for you specifically.
Comment ROADMAP and I'll send you the Roadmap to Homeownership, or feel free to message me directly if you'd rather just ask your question.

08/25/2026

Here's something a lot of buyers don't realize: two people can walk into the same lender on the same day and lock completely different mortgage rates. It's not because the market moved between their appointments.
A mortgage rate isn't a flat, posted number everyone gets quoted. The lender starts with a base rate, then stacks adjustments on top based on you specifically — your credit score, your down payment, your loan type, even the kind of property you're buying. Those are called loan-level price adjustments, and each one either adds to your rate or takes away from it.
I see this play out constantly. A borrower with a strong credit score and 20% down on a single-family home might lock well below 6.5%. Another borrower, same lender, same week — lower score, 5% down, a two-unit property — locks well above it. Same lender, same rate sheet, over a full point apart.
So if you're planning to buy sometime this year, keep that in mind the next time you hear a headline rate on the news. That number is a starting point, not your number. Your actual rate gets built from your file.
Comment LOAN and I'll send you the Home Loan Estimate Guide, or message me directly if you'd rather just ask your specific question.

08/25/2026

Someone told me they got quoted a rate over the phone in under two minutes. No credit pull, no questions about their down payment. That number wasn't real, and here's the part that should bother you more: it's not because anyone lied to her.

Full article below in the comments

08/24/2026

When someone asks me what rates are right now, I have to explain that there isn't one answer — and it usually catches people off guard.
Rate isn't a flat number that everyone gets quoted the same way. It's priced to you individually: your credit score, your down payment, your loan type, even the property you're buying. Two people can call the same lender on the exact same morning and walk away with completely different numbers, and neither one is wrong. They're just different borrowers with different risk profiles.
I saw this happen with two buyers in the same week. Same lender, same day. One had a 760 credit score and put 20% down — his rate came in at 6.375%. The other had a 680 score and put 5% down — hers came in at 7.125%. Three-quarters of a point apart, on the same loan program, same lender, same day. That's not the market shifting overnight. That's the risk profile moving.
If you're planning to buy sometime this year, the rate you see quoted online isn't really "the" rate — it's a starting point built on a best-case profile that may or may not be yours.
Comment ROADMAP and I'll send you the Roadmap to Homeownership, or message me directly if you'd rather just ask about your specific situation.

08/21/2026

Here's something most people don't think about when they're working on their credit before buying: it's not just about getting approved. It's about what you're approved at.
Right now, a 620 credit score prices around 7.46% on a 30-year loan. A 760 prices around 6.80%. That's not a small gap — it follows every payment, for as long as you hold that rate.
And here's the thing almost nobody accounts for: hardly anyone keeps a mortgage for the full thirty years. Most people sell or refinance well before that. So the number that actually matters isn't the thirty-year total you see quoted everywhere — it's what that rate gap costs you in the years you'll realistically have the loan.
On a $380,000 loan, that's about $170 more a month. Over ten years, that adds up to $20,400 — before you've even picked a house.
If you're thinking about buying sometime this year, your credit score is worth a real conversation before you start looking, not after you're already under contract.
Comment LOAN and I'll send you the guide that breaks down what your score is actually costing you — or feel free to message me directly if you'd rather talk it through.

08/20/2026

Your credit score doesn't have to hit 780 to get you a better rate. It works in tiers — and every tier is worth real money.
Here's the part most people miss: lenders price your mortgage rate in bands, usually every 20 points. 620 to 639 is one tier. 640 to 659 is the next. Each one comes with its own rate attached. So if you're a few points below the next tier line, that's not a small thing — that's a specific, calculable discount waiting for you.
I had a client earlier this year who moved just 2 points — 658 to 660 — and it bumped them into the next tier. Their rate dropped a quarter point. About $55 a month. Close to $20,000 over the life of the loan.
If you're thinking about buying this year, or you're already mid-process, don't fixate on some far-off "perfect score." Find the tier you're closest to and close that gap first.
Comment ROADMAP and I'll send you the Roadmap to Homeownership — or feel free to just message me directly if you'd rather talk it through.

08/19/2026

Here's something that surprises a lot of buyers: two people can have the exact same mortgage insurance coverage and pay completely different amounts for it every month.
PMI isn't one flat fee that everyone with less than 20% down pays equally. It's priced by risk tier, just like your interest rate is. The lower your credit score, the higher the perceived risk, and the higher your premium. The higher your score, the lower it goes.
I saw this firsthand with two clients last month. Same loan amount, $380,000. Same 5% down payment. One had a 780 credit score and her PMI came in around $160 a month. The other had a 620, and his came in at $410. That's almost $3,000 a year apart, on the exact same loan.
If you're thinking about buying sometime this year, your credit score is doing more work behind the scenes than you might realize — not just on your rate, but on your mortgage insurance too.
Comment PMI and I'll send you the Smart Guide to Mortgage Insurance, or feel free to message me directly if you'd rather just ask your specific question.

08/18/2026

There's a line item on every mortgage that most people never hear about. It's called an LLPA — a loan-level price adjustment — and it's part of why two people can get different rates on the exact same loan.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac use a pricing grid. Every loan gets scored on things like credit score, down payment, and property type before your lender ever gives you a number. It's not your loan officer marking things up — it's baked into the price of the loan itself, before it reaches you.
Here's what that can look like: a 50-point difference in credit score can shift your rate by a quarter percent. On a $360,000 loan, that's about $60 a month — or roughly $21,500 over the life of the loan.
If you're thinking about buying or refinancing this year, this is worth understanding before you start shopping rates. Your credit score isn't just a yes-or-no on qualifying — it's pricing your loan down to the decimal.
Comment LOAN and I'll send you the Loan Estimate guide that walks through it, or feel free to message me directly if you'd rather just ask.

08/17/2026

Here's something most homebuyers don't know about credit scores: they don't just affect your interest rate. They affect your mortgage insurance too — and those two costs stack on top of each other.
I ran the numbers on a $400,000 loan with two borrowers, same down payment, different credit scores. At a 760, PMI is manageable — around $95 a month. At a 620, PMI alone jumps to $475 a month, and the interest rate runs almost a full point higher on top of that. Add it up and you're looking at over $600 more, every single month, on the exact same loan amount.
If you're thinking about buying in the next year, this is worth knowing now rather than finding out at the loan estimate. Improving your credit score before you shop isn't just about getting a better rate — it's about fixing two costs at the same time.
Comment LOAN below and I'll send you the Home Loan Estimate Guide so you can see exactly where this shows up on paper. Or feel free to message me directly if you'd rather talk it through.

Address

22 Montgomery Cross Road
Savannah, GA
31406

Telephone

+19123419743

Website

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