Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, all members of the Fidelity team are licensed in the state of Florida and registered with NMLS.

Every situation is different. As mortgage brokers, we have access to many lenders and many different programs which all may have differing guidelines for qualification. The best way to determine if you qualify is for us to have a conversation with you about your goals. Our job is to figure out if/how you can qualify.

Great question! Loan originators with banks and retail lenders are only able to offer to their clients the programs and rates that the institution they work for provides. Since we work with many wholesale lenders who are all competing for business, we do all the work shopping for our clients to find the best lender with the best rates for the product that best fits our client’s situation. Online-only lenders have their merits, but when it comes to personalized service and speed to respond, an experience local mortgage broker can’t be replaced. If you have a trickier financial situation, an online lender’s algorithm may turn you down without exploring every avenue to make your dream of homeownership a reality. Sometimes the opposite happens as well with online-only lenders – borrowers will get approved even when they shouldn’t be.

We always recommend contacting us first. Going through our process will help to ensure that you are qualified to purchase a home. Additionally, you and your Realtor will be able to start looking with confidence, knowing how much you can afford.

Closing costs are the costs that a borrower pays to obtain the loan. Some of these costs may include, but are not limited to: origination charges, discount points, appraisal fees, credit report fee, state/county tax, recording fees, settlement and lender title policy fees, escrow funds, homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance premium, survey, and underwriting fees.

This is a very individualized question and takes many factors to determine. Income, credit score, current debt, and available funds can all have an impact. After going through our process, we can determine how much our clients can afford.

The easy answer is…as much as possible. We realize that saving up for a large down payment can be challenging. Some programs offer as low as 3% down. VA and USDA loans offer 0% down options for qualified borrowers.

We have decades of experience working with self-employed borrowers.

We help our clients to determine the best type of loan for their individual situation. Sometimes there may be multiple options, each with advantages and disadvantages that we present so that our clients can make an informed decision.

While every loan is different, most loans include the following: Principal, Interest, Property Tax, Homeowners Insurance Premium, Mortgage Insurance (if required). Some clients prefer to pay their annual Property Tax and Homeowner’s Premium on their own, outside of the mortgage, so those could be eliminated.