Mortgage Basics and Choosing the Right Loan: Learn How to Match Your Mortgage to Your Life
Buying a home is one of the biggest financial moves most people make—and the mortgage you choose shapes your payment, flexibility, and long-term financial health. This event, Mortgage Basics and Choosing the Right Loan, is designed to help you understand how mortgages actually work so you can choose a loan that fits your real life, not just a rate on a screen.
What This Event Is All About
This session is part of the Prepare to Buy a Home Series hosted by The Shaina McAndrews Team, powered by eXp Realty, with special guest lender Matt Gordon from The Federal Savings Bank. It focuses on making the lending side of homebuying clear, honest, and actionable—no sales pressure, no jargon-heavy presentations.
You will learn how the pieces connect: from loan types and monthly payments to what underwriters look at behind the scenes and how to position yourself for approval before you start writing offers.
Understanding Your Loan Options
There is no one “best” mortgage—there is only the one that fits your situation, timeline, and comfort level. This event breaks down the most common types of home loans so you can understand where you likely fit.
You will hear about:
Conventional loans and when they work well for buyers with stronger credit and some money saved for a down payment.
Government-backed options like FHA, VA, and USDA loans that can serve buyers with smaller down payments, unique eligibility (such as veterans), or more flexible credit profiles.
Fixed-rate versus adjustable-rate mortgages, and how to decide between long-term stability and lower short-term payments depending on how long you expect to stay in the home.
By the end, you will have a clearer sense of which loan “bucket” you likely fall into and what questions to ask your lender next.
What Lenders Look For (And How to Get Ready)
Getting approved is about more than liking a house; lenders are evaluating whether the numbers and your history support the loan you are requesting. Matt Gordon will walk through the core factors lenders analyze and how you can strengthen your file before you apply.
You will learn about:
Credit score and credit history, and why on-time payments and fewer high-interest debts can open doors to better rates and more options.
Debt-to-income ratio, income stability, and employment history—how your existing monthly debts and income work together to set your approval range.
Savings, down payment, and reserves, including why having money set aside for closing costs, emergencies, and ongoing home expenses makes you a more confident buyer.
This part of the session is designed to give you a realistic plan—what to tackle first, what matters most, and how far you may be from being approval-ready.
Preparing Your Finances Before You Buy
Good financial preparation can turn a stressful, rushed search into a calm, strategic experience. The event will highlight practical steps you can start taking now, even if you are months away from making a move.
Expect guidance on how to:
Build or protect your emergency fund so you can handle repairs, taxes, and surprises without stretching every month to the limit.
Reduce key debts and avoid new high-interest balances to improve your debt-to-income ratio and strengthen your overall profile.
Create a realistic homebuying budget that factors in more than just your principal and interest—like taxes, insurance, maintenance, HOA fees, and utilities.
You will walk away knowing the financial habits that set future homeowners up for success, not strain.
Education First, No Pressure, Ethics Always
This event sits within a broader Prepare to Buy a Home Series created by The Shaina McAndrews Team to guide buyers through every major step, from financing and credit to inspections and making strong offers. The philosophy is simple: educate first, build trust over time, and earn the right to represent you when you are ready to move.
To honor industry ethics, these sessions are meant for buyers who are not currently under a signed buyer representation agreement with another agent, so that existing relationships are respected. If you are exploring your options, want straight answers, and appreciate a no-pressure environment, this mortgage class is an ideal place to begin.
Eventbrite Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mortgage-basics-and-choosing-the-right-loan-tickets-1979556463671
