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Resources That Actually Help

No fluff, no lead-magnet games. Educational guides I built from years of reviewing mortgage files.

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Drop your info and I'll email every guide — plus occasional Michigan market notes. No spam, and you can tell me to stop any time.

First-Time Homebuyer Kit

The complete starter pack: how the process works step by step, what you'll need to document, and what to expect along the way.

Download The Kit

Homebuyer Checklist

A printable, week-by-week checklist so nothing slips between offer accepted and closing table.

Download The Checklist

DPA Guide

Michigan down payment assistance explained: how the programs generally work, what they typically require, and questions to ask.

Affordability & Debt Consolidation Calculator

Play with the numbers yourself — then let's look at your real situation together.

Annual household income

Monthly debt payments

Car, student loans, card minimums

Down payment

Est. monthly taxes & insurance

Interest rate you want to test (%)

Loan term (years)

Estimated home price$299,120

Estimated loan amount$284,120

Estimated monthly housing payment$2,196

Results are estimates only based on common debt-to-income (DTI) guidelines and the information you enter. Interest rate, monthly payment, and any amounts shown are not guaranteed and may change based on your loan program, credit, income, property, and underwriting approval. This does not constitute an offer, pre-approval, or commitment to lend. Not all applicants will qualify.

For educational purposes only. Results are estimates based on the information you enter and are not a loan offer, pre-approval, or commitment to lend. Interest rate shown is a value you choose to test, not a quoted rate. Actual terms depend on credit, income, property, loan program, and underwriting approval.

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The Blog

Latest From The Backwards Hat Advisor

Educational articles on how mortgage files really work — written by a former underwriter, for Michigan families.

August 18, 2026

What Underwriters Really Look For

It isn't just the credit score. Here's how a file gets read on the other side of the submit button — and what makes a story hold together.

August 5, 2026

Do You Really Need 20% Down?

The most common myth in homebuying. What down payment expectations actually look like, and what the tradeoffs are.

July 22, 2026

FHA vs Conventional In Michigan

Two very different programs with very different guidelines. A plain-English comparison for Michigan buyers.

July 9, 2026

How Much Home Can You Afford?

How lenders evaluate affordability versus what you actually want your monthly life to feel like — rarely the same number.

June 24, 2026

Understanding Down Payment Assistance

How Michigan down payment assistance programs generally work, what they typically require, and the questions worth asking up front.

June 10, 2026

What To Avoid Before Closing

New credit, big purchases, and moving money around. The habits that keep a file on track between pre-approval and the closing table.

Video Library

Watch & Learn

Short, plain-English videos on the parts of the mortgage process that trip people up.

Inside The Underwriting Review

A former underwriter walks through how a mortgage file is actually reviewed, line by line.

Down Payment Myths, Busted

The 20% rule, gift funds, and what 'sourced assets' really means in plain English.

FHA vs Conventional Explained

A quick side-by-side for Michigan buyers deciding which program to explore.