Former mortgage underwriter. Current homeowner advocate. Based in Denver, Colorado.
I spent 12 years behind a desk approving and denying refinance applications. Now I help regular people avoid the mistakes I watched thousands of homeowners make.
I started in mortgage underwriting in 2006, right out of college. Back then, the housing market was booming, and I was the guy who reviewed your application, checked your debt-to-income ratio, and decided whether your refinance made sense for the bank.
Over 12 years, I reviewed more than 2,000 refinance applications. I saw people save $50,000. I saw people lose $20,000 to bad timing. I saw self-employed borrowers get rejected because they didn't know how to document their income. I saw doctors with 800 credit scores pay too much because they didn't shop around.
By 2018, I was burned out. The corporate quotas were getting ridiculous. "Approve more loans" was the mantra, even when it wasn't in the borrower's best interest. I left and started writing.
I live in the Denver suburbs with my wife Laura, our two kids Emma (11) and Jack (8), and our golden retriever Summit. We bought our first house in 2010 and have refinanced three times since then. I've made mistakes. I've paid too much in closing costs. I've locked a rate too early and watched it drop the next week.
I started Refinance Calc Tool because I was tired of seeing smart people make expensive mistakes simply because the mortgage industry is designed to confuse them. My goal is to give you the tools and knowledge to make confident decisions—without paying a consultant $300 an hour.