Asked and answered — straight

No and no. The first conversation is free advice, full stop — no application, no credit pull, no obligation to use Fairway, no follow-up spam. If the advice is useful and the fit is right, you'll know what to do next.

It means the first conversation is about your situation, not a sales process. Justin looks at your income, savings, debts, and timing, and gives you a straight recommendation — buy now, buy later, or fix these two things first. The application only happens when the plan calls for it.

Two things: judgment and presence. Online lenders quote rates to a form; Justin advises a person — including on the parts a form can't see, like offer strategy in a competitive market. Having worked the real-estate side of transactions, he structures financing the way listing agents actually evaluate it.

Nope — lender first is actually the better order. Your budget defines your search, and agents strongly prefer buyers who arrive pre-approved. If you need an agent, Justin can point you toward good ones he'd trust with his own transaction.

Depends on the program: VA and USDA can be 0% down, FHA is 3.5%, and conventional starts at 3% for qualified first-time buyers. Minnesota Housing assistance can help cover down payment and closing costs for eligible buyers. The 20% figure only determines whether you pay mortgage insurance.

Closing costs — typically 2–4% of the purchase price — cover lender, title, appraisal, and prepaid items like taxes and insurance. You can't eliminate them, but you can negotiate seller contributions, use assistance programs, or structure the loan to offset them. All strategies Justin walks through up front.

No — and be wary of any site that does. Real rates depend on your credit, down payment, program, property, and the day's market. Any number published on a webpage is either marketing or already stale. Justin quotes real scenarios to real people, in writing.

Conventional programs generally start around 620, and FHA guidelines can allow lower. Pricing improves as scores rise, so sometimes the best advice is a 90-day credit plan before applying — the kind of recommendation you only get from an advisor who isn't rushing you to a closing.

Earlier than feels natural — six to twelve months before you want to buy is ideal. Early conversations cost nothing and open options: credit improvements, savings targets, assistance program windows. The most expensive words in home buying are "I wish I'd asked sooner."

Once you've had the initial conversation and submitted documents through Fairway's secure system, pre-approval can move in days. If there's a house on the line right now, tell Justin — urgency changes the playbook and he'll run it accordingly.

Typically around 30–45 days from accepted offer to keys, depending on the transaction. The variables are mostly predictable — appraisal scheduling, document turnaround, title work — and Justin manages the timeline so the surprises stay theoretical.

The honest answer: nobody can time rates, and waiting has costs too — rising prices, rising rents, lost equity-building years. The advisor framework is simpler: if the payment fits your budget and the home fits your life, the market timing takes care of itself. And if rates drop later, refinancing exists.