I’m Duane Buziak Mortgage Maestro, and this is a pattern I see often. Suppose a buyer is pre-approved on a standard conforming assumption of an $800,000 loan, then writes an offer on a $1,150,000 home with 10% down. The real loan is $1,035,000, which is jumbo territory (a loan above the conforming limit). At an illustrative 6.5% on a 30-year fixed, principal and interest rises from about $5,057 to about $6,542 a month, roughly $1,485 more. If the investor asks for six months of reserves (verified funds left after closing), that is about $39,250 the buyer never planned to document. Illustrative only, not a quote.
The direct answer: I am a broker who shops your clients’ loans across multiple wholesale lenders, and the seven resources below are the ones I give agents to keep luxury, jumbo and high-balance deals on track after contract. Options and approval depend on each file.
By Duane Buziak, NMLS #1110647
In this article
- Soft Pull Pre-Approvals That Protect Your Buyer’s Credit
- A Jumbo and High-Balance Briefing Before the Search Starts
- Self-Employed, Asset-Based and Physician Loan Pathways
- Total Monthly Cost Worksheets
- Closing-Certainty Timelines and Document Checklists
- Broker-Versus-Bank Explainers
- A Referral Partnership Workflow
- Ten Questions Agents Ask Me
- Where to Start
1. Soft Pull Pre-Approvals That Protect Your Buyer’s Credit
A soft pull is a credit check that does not appear as an inquiry affecting a score. A hard pull is the full inquiry required for underwriting. My NoTouch Credit Pull pre-approval gives you a real financing read from a soft pull, so buyers can shop seriously without stacking inquiries. It is subject to credit approval and underwriting guidelines, and it is not a pre-qualification letter. A pre-qualification is a quick estimate from stated information. A pre-approval rests on reviewed credit and documents. Many buyers and some agents treat the two as the same, and that is the misconception that sinks offers.
Consider this illustration. A buyer touring homes in two counties completes one soft pull pre-approval. They authorize a hard pull only when a contract is signed, so their credit file stays quiet through weeks of searching.
- Send the client to the pre-approval page at PremiumMortgages.com.
- Have them complete the soft pull application.
- Review the result with me, including what still needs verification.
- Attach the letter to offers once the file supports it.
The common mistake is treating the soft pull pre-approval as a final underwrite. It is a starting point. Income, assets and the property itself still have to be verified, and a letter that overstates certainty hurts your credibility with the listing side.
To measure it, track the share of your referred buyers who have a completed pre-approval before their first showing. If that number climbs, fewer offers get written on guesswork.
2. A Jumbo and High-Balance Briefing Before the Search Starts
Loan type changes documentation, reserves and monthly cost. High-balance loans are conforming loans above the baseline limit in higher-cost counties. Jumbo loans exceed even that county limit and follow each investor’s own guidelines. Tell clients this before showings and the surprise never arrives in week three of escrow.
In the opening example, the buyer assumed a conforming loan on a $1,150,000 purchase. With 10% down, the $1,035,000 loan sits above the baseline limit, and depending on the county it may also exceed the high-cost ceiling. That shifts documentation and reserves.
| Item | Figure | Source link | As-of date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 baseline conforming loan limit (one unit) | $832,750 | fhfa.gov | FHFA 2026 limits announcement, November 2025; confirm your county before use |
| 2026 high-cost area ceiling (one unit) | $1,249,125 | fhfa.gov | FHFA 2026 limits announcement, November 2025; confirm your county before use |
- Pull the current county limit from fhfa.gov and note the as-of date.
- Map your client’s target price range against it, with an assumed down payment.
- Schedule a 15-minute call with me before showings.
The mistake to avoid is quoting a limit from memory or applying one county’s limit to the next county over. Limits are set by county, and a client searching two counties may face two answers.
Measure the number of deals where loan type was confirmed before the offer rather than after. That is the count that tells you the briefing is working.
3. Self-Employed, Asset-Based and Physician Loan Pathways
Tax returns often understate what a business owner earns, because write-offs reduce taxable income. Non-QM loans (loans that use documentation outside standard qualified-mortgage rules) exist for that gap. Asset depletion counts a portion of verified liquid assets as qualifying income. Physician programs weigh a signed contract and future earnings for newly practicing doctors. Whether any of these is available depends on the investor and the file.
| Option | Who it fits | Documentation | Credit approach | Down payment and reserves as the official source states |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full documentation | W-2 earners and owners whose returns show strong income | Tax returns, pay records, asset statements | Credit review per investor guidelines | Set by the investor; confirm for the file |
| Bank-statement path | Self-employed borrowers with heavy write-offs | Business or personal bank statements over a set period | Credit review per investor guidelines | Set by the investor; confirm for the file |
| Asset depletion | High-net-worth borrowers with large liquid assets | Asset statements and sourcing | Credit review per investor guidelines | Set by the investor; confirm for the file |
| Physician program | Doctors early in practice or in transition | Employment contract, license, assets | Credit review per investor guidelines | Set by the investor; confirm for the file |
Here is an illustration. A business owner with heavy write-offs looks weak on returns but strong on deposits, so a bank-statement path is worth exploring instead of a tax-return path.
- Share the option table with the client.
- Ask for the documents each path needs.
- Let me match the file to a wholesale lender’s program.
The pitfall runs two ways: telling a self-employed buyer they will not qualify on returns alone, or implying a program fits everyone. Neither is true. Measure how many self-employed or high-asset buyers moved from declined elsewhere to a workable path.
4. Total Monthly Cost Worksheets for Listing and Offer Conversations
Sellers and listing agents read strength in total monthly cost, not just a price. A one-page worksheet shows principal and interest, county property tax, insurance, mortgage insurance if any, and the total. It also keeps your buyer from falling in love with a payment that was built on principal and interest alone.
Illustration, using the $1,150,000 price and a $1,035,000 loan at an illustrative 6.5%. Tax rates and insurance here are placeholders for the example only, not county data or a quote.
| Scenario | Principal and interest | County property tax (assessor link) | Insurance | PMI if any | Total monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County A, 0.8% illustrative tax rate | $6,542 | $767 | $250 | Confirm per file; not included | $7,559 |
| County B, 1.2% illustrative tax rate | $6,542 | $1,150 | $250 | Confirm per file; not included | $7,942 |
The same price produces a gap of about $383 a month purely from the tax line. That is why the tax figure must come from the county.
- Gather the purchase price and county.
- Look up the tax figure on the county assessor’s official page, and note the date.
- Get an insurance estimate from the client’s agent.
- Fill the cost table with me, then attach it to the offer discussion.
The common mistake is using a stale or generic tax figure, or showing principal and interest alone. Reassessment after a sale can raise taxes, so ask the assessor’s office how that works in the county.
Measure the offers where the worksheet is attached and the seller’s side acknowledges buyer strength, whether by reply, fewer questions or a faster response.
5. Closing-Certainty Timelines and Document Checklists
Most late failures are not mysteries. They are documents nobody looked at until underwriting did. A shared checklist moves that review to the front of the deal, which is when it is cheap to fix.
Here is an illustration. A large unexplained deposit surfaces after contract, and the buyer scrambles for a paper trail while the financing deadline approaches. A checklist handed over at pre-approval would have flagged the deposit early, because large deposits generally need a sourcing explanation.
A workable checklist covers:
- Recent pay records, tax returns or bank statements, depending on the path
- Asset statements for every account used for funds or reserves
- Written explanations for large deposits and any credit items
- Entity or business documents for self-employed borrowers
- Gift letters or sale documents if funds come from outside the buyer’s accounts
To put it into practice, hand the checklist to clients at pre-approval, ask them to gather documents before contract, and have me flag open items weekly so you are not chasing them.
The mistake is promising a closing date. Explain what the timeline depends on instead: verified documents, appraisal, title and investor conditions. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau publishes buyer guidance on loan estimates and closing that makes a good companion reference.
Measure the count of conditions cleared before the contract’s financing deadline. A rising number is the clearest sign your clients are arriving at contract prepared.
6. Broker-Versus-Bank Explainers You Can Hand to Clients
Clients ask whether they should go through their bank or a broker. A fair answer is structural, not promotional. A single-company shelf offers that company’s products and guidelines. An independent broker such as me can compare options across multiple wholesale lenders. Neither model is right for everyone, and I never claim a better cost or faster closing as fact.
| Factor | Independent broker | Named company model (for example, Rocket) |
|---|---|---|
| Product range | Options from multiple wholesale lenders, depending on the file | The company’s own loan programs and guidelines |
| How guidelines are compared | I compare several investors’ guidelines for the same file | One set of guidelines applies |
| Fit for complex income | Useful when a file needs a particular investor’s approach | Can work when the file fits the company’s programs |
| Fit for straightforward files | Works, with comparison available | Often a direct, one-stop experience |
For an illustration, take a client with a complex income file whose bonus, rental and business income need several investors’ guidelines compared. A broker’s access to more than one set of rules matters more there than for a salaried buyer with a simple file.
- Provide the structural comparison table.
- Walk the client through when each model fits.
- Let them choose.
The mistake is knocking a named company or quoting prices. Stay on structure and give credit where it is due. Prices change daily and are specific to the borrower.
Measure client questions the explainer answers without a follow-up call. If you stop getting the same three questions, it is doing its job.
7. A Referral Partnership Workflow With Duane Buziak
A defined hand-off protects the client from repeating themselves and protects you from silence. Everyone knows who does what, when updates arrive and what the client has agreed to share. You reach me directly at 804-212-8663.
Illustration: you refer a physician buyer, I request their contract and asset documents, and you receive status updates with the client’s consent. The offer goes in with a supported pre-approval, subject to credit approval and underwriting guidelines.
- Confirm the client’s property state is one where I am licensed: VA, FL, TN, GA, DC, NC, SC, MD, TX, KY or WV.
- Make the introduction by call or message.
- Agree on update cadence and get the client’s consent for what I share with you.
- Use the shared checklist from strategy five.
The common mistake is referring a client in a state where Premium Mortgages is not licensed. It wastes the client’s time and puts your relationship at risk, so check the state first.
Measure two things: referral-to-pre-approval conversion, and time from introduction to the first status update. If the second number is long, the hand-off needs tightening.
Ten Questions Agents Ask Me
What mortgage resources help real estate agents most?
A soft pull pre-approval, a jumbo briefing, a total monthly cost worksheet, a document checklist and a clear referral process cover most of what keeps a deal intact after contract.
What is the difference between pre-qualification and pre-approval?
Pre-qualification is an estimate based on information the buyer states. Pre-approval involves reviewed credit and documents, and it is still subject to credit approval and underwriting guidelines.
Does a soft pull affect a buyer’s credit score?
A soft pull does not result in the hard inquiry used for underwriting. A hard pull is authorized later, once the buyer is under contract.
What documents should I ask buyers for?
Typically recent pay records or bank statements, tax returns where relevant, asset statements, and explanations of large deposits. The exact list depends on the loan path.
How do I know if a buyer needs a jumbo loan?
Compare the likely loan amount against the current county limit at fhfa.gov. If the loan exceeds it, jumbo guidelines apply and the investor sets documentation and reserves.
What is a high-balance loan?
It is a conforming loan above the baseline limit in a county where the limit is raised. It is a different category from jumbo, so confirm which one applies.
Is Duane Buziak a lender?
No. Duane Buziak is a broker who shops loans across multiple wholesale lenders and compares your clients’ options.
Can Premium Mortgages help a self-employed buyer?
Often, through bank-statement or asset-based paths, depending on the file. I match the documents to a wholesale lender’s program, and approval is never assumed.
Which states can Premium Mortgages serve?
Duane Buziak is licensed in VA, FL, TN, GA, DC, NC, SC, MD, TX, KY and WV. Confirm the property state before you refer.
How do I refer a client to Duane Buziak?
Call 804-212-8663 or send the client to PremiumMortgages.com to start the soft pull pre-approval, then agree on update consent and cadence.
Where to Start: The Order I Recommend for Your Practice
Begin with the soft pull pre-approval and the jumbo briefing. Together they settle who the buyer is and which loan type applies before anyone writes an offer. Add the cost worksheet and the document checklist next, since they strengthen offers and head off the late surprises. Finish with the partnership workflow, which makes the first four repeatable. The broker-versus-bank explainer and the loan pathway guide can come in as client questions arise.
My record includes 5.0 reviews and 2,000+ verified reviews across all platforms, Scotsman Guide Top Originator 2025 and 2026, VA Broker of the Year 2024 and 2025, and UWM PRO ELITE 2025.
Ready to see where you stand without putting your credit score at risk? Check today’s mortgage rates with a soft-pull pre-qualification and get personalized guidance from Duane Buziak, so you can move forward on your home purchase or refinance with confidence. Call 804-212-8663. Approval depends on the file.
Sources
- Federal Housing Finance Agency: conforming loan limits, 2026 announcement (November 2025)
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: loan estimate and closing guidance
- County assessor official pages for property tax figures, checked for the specific county and dated at time of use
Legal Disclaimer
All dollar examples are illustrative only and are not a quote or an offer. Options, documentation and approval depend on the specific file and investor, and all pre-approvals are subject to credit approval and underwriting guidelines. Limits and tax figures change; confirm them at the official source for your county.
Operated by Duane Buziak Mortgage Maestro, Coast2Coast Mortgage, LLC NMLS: 376205 / Duane Buziak NMLS#1110647 / NMLS Consumer Access / Legal Disclaimer, ‘Equal Housing Lender’ This information is not intended to be an indication of loan qualification, loan approval or commitment to lend.