Stephanie Henkelman is the Chief Financial Officer and member of the Executive Leadership Team at Direct Mortgage Loans. With nine years of experience in the mortgage industry and a background in public accounting, she is passionate about providing financial leadership [...]
What are discount points? Discount points also referred to as mortgage points, are upfront payments made to the lender during the mortgage process. Specifically, discount points allow borrowers to reduce their interest rate, resulting in decreased monthly mortgage payments throughout the [...]
What does being a direct lender mean? A direct mortgage lender is a financial institution that provides funds directly to borrowers without the involvement of non-bank creditors. In the mortgage industry, direct lenders offer home loans and handle the entire [...]
Direct Mortgage Loans is proud to announce that we have been awarded Top Workplaces 2023 by The Washington Post for the second year in a row. This award is based on anonymous employee feedback from the Energage Workplace Survey, which assesses [...]
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has just released the updated Area Median Income (AMI) limits for the years 2023/2024, and these new limits indicate an increase in most parts of the country. Notably, this update marks the first time [...]
Kendall Winkelman, Branch Manager of The Hill Group of Direct Mortgage Loans started her journey in the mortgage industry 5 ½ years ago. What she loves most about working in the industry is the ever-changing nature of the work and [...]
Lisa Etchison is the Post Closing Collateral Team Lead at Direct Mortgage Loans. Prior to joining Direct Mortgage Loans, she worked for a small law office specializing in real estate for 18 years, where she developed a passion for investigating [...]
What is the best option for first-time home buyers? The best mortgage option for first-time homebuyers depends on their individual financial situation and goals. Nonetheless, the most popular loan options for first-time homebuyers include conventional, FHA, USDA, VA, and Specialty loans. [...]
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has recently announced a significant decision to remove a contentious loan-level pricing adjustment (LLPA) that directly affected conventional borrowers with debt-to-income (DTI) levels at or above 40%. Originally slated for implementation on May 1, [...]
Jan Ozga began his career in the mortgage industry 28 years ago, after spending more than 15 years working in hospitality. Despite transitioning to a new and unfamiliar industry, he was able to draw upon the skills he had developed in [...]
