Deb Griffin Sr Home Lending Advisor NMLS ID 481255

06/13/2026

Spring market is here in DC. I’m ready with my Chase closing gifts! See you at settlement

05/17/2026

Chase was recognized among the best mortgage lenders for first-time homebuyers in May 2026, voted best for on-time closings! 🏘️🔑

Rocket Mortgage, Chase and Bank of America are among CNBC Select's top picks for first-time homebuyers.

05/16/2026

"Welcome to the drive-up may I take your order please"

Great customer service for fast food, not so much for home loans. We strive to offer personalized attention to detail and know you and your needs. We often hear that dealing with an 800 number at a credit union or internet bank is frustrating... clients need to state their "story" over and over again.

Lost paperwork - that's another serving...

People are individuals not hamburgers.

We work on treating one of the most important buying decisions with care and like it's our own. You'll speak with us directly and we'll be able to assist you, and if not, we'll find the resource to help you with your home buying, refinancing or building needs. Likely we'll even remember you from your last transaction with us! Give us a try!

Deb Griffin NMLS ID 481255

Lisa Bennett NMLS ID 482234

05/12/2026

“Pivot, Pivot, Pivot” think about this before getting to that…

No secrets…. Ok… We need to know what is going on up-front… because (spoiler alert) we will find out and it could be when furniture is mentally moved in and days away from closing.

Here’s what a lender will need to know:

💵 Any Recent Job Changes or any Upcoming Changes to your employment 10 days prior to closing employment on the application is verified. If there is a job change, please remember the lender needs to know immediately.

💵 💵 Planning on Taking out a Loan for Down Payment or Closing Costs - Please discuss any plans to borrow any funds for closing, even from a family member or friend

**Please don’t ever borrow from a credit card or unsecured loans for any of part of the transaction. Don’t use a credit card check for the down payment – these are generally not acceptable funds for closing!**

💵 💵 💵 Bankruptcy, Short Sale or Foreclosure - these must be disclosed upfront as these could significantly impact loan approval.

💵 💵 💵 💵 Ownership in any other Properties or Land - All properties… even if owned free & clear or co-signed need to be disclosed. Payments for property taxes, homeowners insurance or monthly association need to be accounted into debt to income ratios.

💵 💵 💵 💵 💵 Tax Liens, Unpaid Taxes or any Federal Debt - back taxes owed or have a payment plans with the IRS need to be disclosed.

💵 💵 💵 💵 💵 💵 Lawsuits or Legal Obligations Any pending lawsuits or have any legal financial obligations will need to reported them as this might impact financial standing

💵 💵 💵 💵 💵 💵 💵 Child Support or Alimony - any legal obligation to pay for Child Support or Alimony will need to be taken into consideration and a lender will need to review a divorce decree and separation agreement so these payments can be allocated into debt-to-income ratios.

Transparency will ensure a smooth application process for everyone involved and get the furniture physically moved into the home after settlement day!

Deb Levy
NMLS ID: 481255

Lisa Bennett
MNLS ID: 482234

05/06/2026

Tips from Lisa -
Last week we discussed reviewing your credit prior to applying for a mortgage loan application. This week we are going to discuss WHAT NOT TO DO after you have applied for a mortgage loan.

🏠 Do Not Open or Close Out any Credit Accounts – When you open any new credit or close out any existing credit this can be questioned by your lender and may negatively impact your credit score.

🏠 🏠 Do Not Apply for a New Personal Loan or Lines of Credit – You cannot use any funds from personal loans or cash advances on credit cards and apply them towards your down payment and/or closing costs on a home mortgage. Underwriters will review not only your credit but your assets and if they see any new deposits or new debt that is not listed on your credit report they will question these and this could impact your loan approval.

🏠 🏠 🏠 Do Not Forget to Make all of your Payments on Time – This includes any credit cards, rent, existing home loans, personal loans, car loans or utility payments just to name a few. A missed payment can cause your credit score to go down.

🏠 🏠 🏠 🏠 Do Not Max Out your Credit Cards – Credit Cards that are at or over their limit can not only negatively affect your credit score but can increase your debt to income ratio when applying for your loan. And this brings us to #5.

🏠 🏠 🏠 🏠 🏠 Do Not Make any Major Purchases – I know you are excited about your new home and want to buy new furniture or new appliances or even a new car. Now is not the time. Do not take advantage of any of “Holiday” sales offering interest free financing. Please wait until after you have closed on your new home loan.

Deb Levy
NMLS ID 481255

Lisa Bennett
NMLS ID 482234

Want to learn more? Head over to Chase.com/personal/mortgage/mortgage-purchase/first-time-homebuyer/mortgage-options

04/28/2026

Last week you got to meet Lisa, my business partner of over 19 years.

Here is Lisa’s Homebuyer Tip Of The Week :

Buying a new home is exciting but can be overwhelming if you are not prepared. Over the next few weeks I will go over the best ways to set yourself up for success when applying for a mortgage. Whether you are a first time home buyer or a seasoned pro here is what I consider the most important tip to get you on the path to home ownership.

Check your Credit Report and Score:

One of the most critical factors when applying for your loan is your credit score and credit history. If there are any outstanding debts, past due payments, foreclosures, bankruptcies, maxed out credit balances or any credit that was recently opened, this will impact your score. Start by checking your credit early in advance before applying for a mortgage loan and get a jump start on working to improve your credit score. Cleaning up your credit report does not happen overnight, it can take a year or more, this is why it is imperative to review and improve your score as soon as you get the inkling to buy a house.

A great place to start is Chase Credit Journey®, it’s FREE and you do not need to be a Chase customer to use Chase Credit Journey®!

https://www.chase.com/personal/credit-cards/free-credit-score

Deb Levy
NMLS ID:481255

Lisa Bennett
NMLS ID: 482234

04/21/2026

I met one of the most important people in my life the summer of 1999. We met were most couples meet, Dewey Beach, DE. We made our partnership official in 2005 and enjoyed our partnership in 4 different moves.

And NO, I am not speaking of my husband. If you have not met her already in person or on the phone, you really need to get to know Lisa Bennett. Formerly and still referred to as Lisa Berry or LB.

Lisa is one of the few people is from Lewes, DE. You’re either from there or come there and her family has lived in Sussex County going back 6 generations since the 1700’s! It’s a big deal if you know Sussex County.

Lisa has a degree in Public Relations from Florida State University. She’s also the daughter of a CPA and both of those skills come in handy in our world. While we met in 1999, we became acquaintances in the early 2000’s. A mutual friend put us together saying “I think you two will work well together….” And her professional matchmaking skills were spot on.

While Lisa had no background in financial services and I had no background in having an assistant as I had only one before her, she was a quick study and quickly has taken over the financial analytics of our business. Many things I showed her once and her skills surpassed mine. She is truly the ying to my yang in terms of paperwork, follow up and getting the loan to closing. Often times we draw on the financial knowledge she learned as a daughter of a CPA.

We balance each other well as I love getting out and meeting new people, and Lisa is great at cultivating the relationships. Once I’d introduce a borrower to her, she becomes a close part of their life. A lot of our borrowers reach out to her after settlement to catch up with their lives. She has a warm way of engaging borrowers while tracking down some of our tricky documentation that the underwriter needs. Lisa’s attention to detail and concise delivery makes our loan process smoother. In every company in which we’ve worked, Lisa has become an integral part of the team and a resource for our coworkers when confused.

These are the many ways that Lisa is fantastic and truly my external brain. When not at work she and her husband share two beautiful daughters, 2 cats and an adorable English Cream Retriever.

Stay tuned to hear more from Lisa.

Photo circa 2012 from one of our first ads together.

Deb Levy
NMLS ID: 481255

Lisa Bennett
NMLS ID: 482234

Text "Debbie" to 227-777 for more information. Message and Data Rates May apply. Not all carriers supported.

04/10/2026

🏡 Agents, take a look! Chase Homebuyer Advantage℠ with Lock and Shop gives your clients so many benefits while they’re looking to buy a home. Among other advantages, Lock and Shop lets them:
• Lock in a rate for 90 days, with 60 days to find a home
• Pay no upfront fees
• Get a one-time option to lower their rate before closing

Contact me or visit https://bit.ly/3rbkMTP today for more details on how we can help your clients buy a home.

04/09/2026

As seen in April 2026 Washingtonian Magazine

Read the nomination here: washingtonian.com/best/mortgage-professionals

NMLS ID 481255

Equal Housing Opportunity
Member of FDIC

04/08/2026

Mortgage lender, what were you like in the 90’s?

Song Credit: Iris by Goo Goo Dolls