Brandi Brickler, Mortgage Broker - NMLS 1188579

06/09/2026

Introduction - Meet Christy Meaux!
Business Development
The Brandi Brickler Team

05/20/2026

Big news for future homeowners 👏

There’s a new way to look at credit qualifications, and it could open more doors for buyers who may have felt overlooked before.

Vantage Scores are now available for:
✔️ Conventional Loans with as little as 3% down
✔️ VA Loans

This creates more opportunities for:
• First-time homebuyers
• Self-employed borrowers
• Credit builders
• Buyers with strong payment history that traditional scoring may not fully reflect

Homeownership may be closer than you think.

If you’ve been told “not yet” in the past, this may be worth a conversation.

11/06/2025

💥 Big change from Fannie Mae for homebuyers 💥

Fannie Mae has officially removed the hard-coded 620 minimum FICO score requirement for conventional purchase loans.

✅ What changed

Previously, most conventional single-family loans required a minimum 620 credit score to be eligible.

Now: Underwriters will determine eligibility based on the borrower’s overall credit profile rather than one fixed score.

This means they’ll evaluate things like:

Payment history

Credit utilization

Derogatory credit events

Depth and mix of credit

Other compensating risk factors

🤔 What it doesn’t mean

It doesn’t mean anyone can qualify with any score. Lenders can still set their own minimums.

It doesn’t replace good credit habits — your history, income stability, and reserves still matter.

It doesn’t guarantee approval, but it allows more flexibility for buyers who’ve built strong payment patterns but haven’t hit that “magic number.”

💡 Why this matters

This shift opens new doors for homebuyers — especially those working to rebuild or improve credit — by allowing a more balanced, real-world view of financial strength.

If you’ve been told your score was “too low,” it might be time for a second look.

10/29/2025

Fed Update: Why Rates Got Worse Today

Jerome Powell spoke after the Fed meeting today, and to be honest, it left the markets uneasy. The short version is this:
the Fed is “driving in fog.”
With the government shutdown disrupting economic data, Powell said they’re relying on alternative sources like Adobe and ADP, but even he admitted that doesn’t replace the official numbers.

He mentioned that inflation, excluding tariffs, isn’t far from their 2% goal. But tariffs have added roughly half a percent to core inflation, which complicates things. Add in uncertainty about jobs, AI-related layoffs, and a “K-shaped” economy where higher earners are still spending but lower-income households are feeling the strain — and you get a picture that’s hard to read.

Because of that uncertainty, Powell said it makes sense to slow down and be cautious. In plain English: no December rate cut is expected.

Lenders reacted immediately to his tone, and pricing worsened this afternoon. Markets don’t like confusion, and right now, Powell gave them a mix of “almost there” and “not quite sure yet.”

For anyone watching rates closely — today was a reminder that sometimes it’s not the data that moves markets, it’s the lack of data.

08/04/2025

🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨
The Homebuyer Privacy Protection Act (HR 2808 / S 1467) has officially passed Congress and is now pending the President’s signature to become LAW! 🎉

This is a huge win for homebuyers, mortgage brokers, and consumer privacy. This bill finally ends abusive trigger lead practices—the ones that flooded borrowers with unsolicited (and often deceptive) calls, texts, and emails right after applying for a mortgage.

As one of the many Broker Action Coalition State Captains, it’s been such an exciting journey into the world of politics—and to be even a very small part of helping a bill actually become law is… WHOA! 🙌

I’m beyond grateful to those who took on a much larger role in creating the environment that made this possible—Katie Sweeney, Brenden McKay, Rachel Clark—and of course, none of this could have happened without the sponsorship of EPM, PennyMac, The Loan Store, Inc., PRMG, Rocket Pro, Freedom Mortgage, Newfi Lending, and Gold Star Wholesale. 💙

📢 Change happens when we get involved. This is proof. Join me in pushing for even more positive change in our industry.

07/30/2025

If I thought I was a salesperson, I’d quit immediately!

I’m not here to “sell” you a mortgage — I’m here to guide you through the biggest purchase of your life with straight talk, smart strategy, and zero pressure.

07/10/2025

🔥 Just got the nicest Google review from one of my VA refinance clients, and I had to share!

This one was not your average file—self-employed, multiple businesses, high debt-to-income ratio....this file had a little bit of everything.

But guess what? We got it done—and I was able to help him lower his mortgage payment by over $800 a month 💥. Even in this rate environment.

VA loans are powerful tools when used the right way, and I’m so thankful he trusted me to help him through the process.

If you’re wondering whether refinancing makes sense for you, even with today’s rates—let’s talk. Sometimes the numbers still tell a very good story. 📲

06/13/2025

🚨 **Common Theme This Week: GARBAGE Pre-Approvals** 🚨

Realtors — we need to talk. 👇

If your clients are filling out mortgage apps online 🧑‍💻 and NOT talking to a **licensed loan officer**, you’re playing with fire 🔥.

Life changes like job moves, PCS orders, or home sales 🏡 matter — and if that info isn't captured accurately, you’re looking at what we call **GIGO** ➡️ **Garbage In = Garbage Out.** 💥

This week ALONE I’ve seen:
1️⃣ A buyer approved to purchase *without* needing to sell their home... except they 100% need to sell it 😬
2️⃣ A big bank gave a pre-approval to an *active duty* borrower without verifying their orders 🪖
3️⃣ A buyer’s *undisclosed debt* blew up their approval 💣

🛑 Let’s stop shopping with garbage pre-approvals

✅ Real approvals come from asking the **right** questions, checking the **actual** documents, and **knowing** the borrower’s situation.

Do you have a recent transaction that was destroyed by a bad approval??????

Drop your scenario below!

05/19/2025

A past client called me in tears—her mortgage payment went up $300/month and she had no idea why. 😰

We dug into her escrow statement and found the problem: her escrow company never paid her homeowners insurance. The mortgage company had to step in and pay it, causing an escrow shortage = higher monthly payment.

💡 The kicker? She paid $2,700 upfront at closing for that insurance. After a few calls, she’s getting it back—and her payment is going back down. 🙌

I can't stress how important it is to pay attention to your escrow and mortgage statements so you catch problems sooner rather than later.

04/04/2025

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