Before I ever closed a mortgage, I spent 13 years in banking, working on HELOCs, personal loans, auto loans, and small business lending. That’s where I learned how lenders really evaluate a borrower: how credit, income, and debt fit together, and what makes a file strong or shaky. I spent over a decade looking at deals the way an underwriter does.

Then I got my real estate license and spent 10 years representing both buyers and sellers. That showed me what a home purchase feels like from the client’s side: the deadlines, the negotiations, the surprises at the inspection, and the stress of a closing date that can’t slip. I know what a loan has to do to keep a deal together, and why the right lender can make or break a contract.

I’m also a real estate investor. I’ve flipped homes and I run short-term rentals, so I understand the numbers behind a property: renovation budgets, cash flow, carrying costs, and exit strategies. When I advise an investor on financing, I’m drawing on my own experience.