Jeffs Mortgage Minute

# Smoking Bones, Closing Loans: How I Help Veterans Win With Mortgages

If you hang around me long enough, you’ll hear two things a lot:
good barbecue stories and straight talk about mortgages.

I’m an Air Force veteran and senior loan officer who believes you deserve clear answers, fair treatment, and a loan that actually fits your life—not a sales script. Around my house we joke that my job is “smoking bones and closing loans,” but underneath that is something serious: I care a lot about how Veterans are treated when they sit down to talk about money, credit, and homeownership.

This is how I approach helping you win with VA and home loans—step by step, no fluff.

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## From the Air Force to the Mortgage Desk

I didn’t wake up one day and randomly decide to sell mortgages.

I served in the Air Force, worked alongside people who gave a lot for this country, and saw firsthand how money stress can follow you from base to base, move to move. After the military, I watched too many Veterans sit across from lenders who talked in circles, pushed them into whatever product paid the most, and never explained the “why” behind the numbers.

That didn’t sit right with me.

I got into this business because I knew Veterans and their families needed someone who could:

– Speak their language
– Respect their time and service
– Break down complex rules in plain English
– Fight for the best structure, not just the quickest approval

That’s still how I show up today.

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## What It’s Like to Work With Me

If you’ve ever felt talked down to by a lender, you’re not alone. My goal is to be the exact opposite of that experience.

Here’s what you can expect when we work together.

### Straight Talk, No Scripts

You won’t get a polished, canned pitch from me.

You’ll get honest feedback about:

– What looks strong in your file
– What needs work
– What options are realistically on the table

If something doesn’t make sense, I’ll slow down and explain it. If I think another route is better for you—even if it’s not the easiest for me—I’ll say that out loud.

### Education First, Then Decisions

I believe you make your best decisions when you understand the “why.”

So I’ll walk you through:

– The difference between VA, FHA, and conventional
– What your payment would look like at different price points
– How fees, rates, and closing costs play together
– What changes if you wait 6–12 months vs move now

My goal isn’t to impress you with jargon; it’s to give you enough clarity that you feel calm, not pressured.

### Respect for the Uniform

I take it personally when Veterans get bad advice.

Your service earned you benefits and options that many civilians simply don’t have. I see it as my responsibility to:

– Make sure you understand your VA benefit
– Help you use it wisely, not blindly
– Protect you from avoidable mistakes that cost you money or sleep

You’ve carried a lot for this country. The least I can do is carry some of the complexity of this process for you.

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## How I Use Underwriting Knowledge to Help You Win

Most people only interact with the front end of a loan: the application, the pre-approval letter, and a few phone calls.

Behind the scenes, there’s a whole other world: **underwriting**.

Underwriters are the ones who decide if your loan meets guidelines, if the story your documents tell makes sense, and if your file can be approved. I’ve spent years learning to think the way underwriters think—and that changes how I structure your loan from day one.

Here’s what that means for you:

– **Fewer surprises:**
I’m looking for issues upfront—credit quirks, income gaps, entitlement questions—so they don’t blow up a week before closing.

– **Stronger files:**
I build your file with underwriter questions in mind, so the story of your income, assets, and housing history is clear.

– **Better fit:**
Sometimes the “easiest” loan type on the front end isn’t the one that gives you the best long-term outcome. I structure for what fits your life, not just what prints nicely on a pre-approval letter.

Think of it like BBQ: the finished plate looks simple, but there’s a lot of prep, seasoning, and low-and-slow work you never see. That’s how I handle your loan.

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## Real-World Examples (Names Changed, Lessons Real)

Here are a few quick snapshots of how this plays out in the real world.

### 1. The Veteran Who Thought Past Mistakes Ruled Him Out

“Mike” came to me convinced he couldn’t qualify. A couple of late payments from a rough stretch and a maxed-out credit card had him sure he’d be renting for years.

Instead of shutting the door, we:

– Dug into the full credit report and timeline
– Cleaned up a few errors
– Put a simple 60–90 day plan together to pay certain balances down first

We didn’t sugarcoat anything, but we also didn’t write him off. A few months later, we had a clean enough file, a solid VA pre-approval, and he closed on a home that fit his budget and his family.

### 2. The File That Needed a Different Structure, Not a Miracle

“Angela and Chris” had talked to another lender who said, “You’re right on the edge; we might be able to make it work.”

That’s not what you want to hear when you’re moving a family.

When I looked at their file, the issue wasn’t that they “barely qualified”—it was that the loan was structured poorly. We:

– Adjusted the debts we counted
– Clarified a side-income history with better documentation
– Switched the product and tightened the timeline

The end result: a cleaner approval, less stress, and no surprise conditions two days before closing.

### 3. The Time I Advised Not to Move Forward (On Purpose)

Not every file ends with “Congratulations.”

“Tony” came to me excited to buy but admitted he was living paycheck-to-paycheck and had almost no savings. Technically, we could have structured a loan to get him into a house.

Instead, I walked him through:

– What even a small emergency would look like with a new mortgage
– The risk of being “house poor” and stressed
– A 6–12 month game plan to build savings and clean up a few items

We pressed pause. That cost me a commission in the short term, but it was the right call for him. That’s the standard I try to hold myself to.

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## My Promise to You

When you trust me with your mortgage conversation, here’s what I’m committing to:

– **I will tell you the truth, even if it costs me a deal.**
– **I will explain your options in plain English.**
– **I will treat your loan like it’s my own family’s.**
– **I will prepare your file like an underwriter is going to ask me hard questions—because they will.**

You don’t need someone to hype you up. You need someone to walk you through the real numbers and help you make a decision you can live with for years.

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## Ready to Talk About Your Situation?

You might be:

– Wondering if you can use your VA benefit
– Debating whether to buy now or wait
– Trying to clean up credit or get “mortgage-ready”
– Comparing VA vs other options and feeling stuck

Wherever you’re starting, you don’t have to figure it out alone.

Tell me a bit about your situation—your service history, goals, timeline, and what’s worrying you—and I’ll give you straight, specific guidance.

Use the **“Ask Jeff Your Mortgage Question”** button or the form on my Advice page, and let’s figure out your next best step together.