Justin Patnode · Fairway Home Mortgage · Eden Prairie, MN
Advice first.
Then the mortgage.
Most lenders start with an application. Justin starts with a conversation — about your numbers, your timing, and whether buying even makes sense right now. He's worked both sides of the transaction, so the advice comes with the whole deal in view, not just the loan.
Loan Officer · NMLS #2766163 · Licensed in Minnesota
Justin Patnode
Loan Officer · usually replies fast
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Sides of the transaction he's worked
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Years in housing & sales
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Point of contact, application to closing
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Pressure, scripts, or spam
Meet Justin
An advisor who's seen the whole deal — not just the loan
Before he was writing mortgages, Justin spent years on the real-estate and housing side of the business — walking properties, negotiating offers, and watching good deals live or die on the financing. That's the perspective he brings to lending: the mortgage isn't the goal, theright move is.
Based at Fairway's Eden Prairie branch and Minnesota through and through, Justin works with buyers the way a good advisor should: numbers on the table, options side by side, and a straight recommendation — even when the recommendation is "wait."
How an advice-first mortgage works
Four steps, in the right order
The consult
A real conversation about your income, savings, debts, timing, and goals. No application required, no credit pull, no obligation.
The plan
Buy now, buy later, or build savings first? Justin lays out the scenarios with actual numbers so the decision is yours — made with clear eyes.
The pre-approval
When it's time, a pre-approval through Fairway's system — the kind of preparation listing agents take seriously in a competitive offer.
The close
One point of contact from application to keys. Justin quarterbacks the file and keeps you, your agent, and the deal on schedule.
Loan programs
Every tool in the kit — and advice on which one fits
Conventional Loans
The workhorse of home financing — flexible terms, competitive costs, and down payments as low as 3% for first-time buyers.
Learn more →FHA Loans
The first-time buyer favorite — 3.5% down, friendlier credit requirements, and forgiving guidelines for real-life finances.
Learn more →VA Loans
For those who served — $0 down, no monthly mortgage insurance, and some of the strongest terms in all of lending.
Learn more →USDA Loans
$0 down for homes in eligible smaller communities — many Twin Cities exurbs qualify, and most buyers have no idea.
Learn more →Jumbo Loans
Financing above conforming loan limits for higher-priced homes — with the same guidance and straight answers.
Learn more →Down Payment Assistance
Minnesota has real down payment help — Minnesota Housing programs can put thousands toward your down payment and closing costs.
Learn more →Refinancing
Lower the payment, drop mortgage insurance, tap equity, or shorten the term — when the math works, Justin will show you. When it doesn’t, he’ll tell you.
Learn more →No idea which one?
That's normal — and it's exactly the advisor's job. One text and Justin will tell you where to start.
💬 Ask JustinNo dumb questions
The advice is free. So is the education.
Plain-English explanations of every mortgage term, myth, and milestone — no email walls, no "download our guide" traps. Read it all, then ask Justin the questions that are actually about you.
Browse the glossary →Get the advice before you need the loan.
No pressure, no jargon, no obligation — a straight answer from someone who has worked both sides of the transaction. Text, call, or apply whenever you’re ready.