Wholesale Interest Rates
Ultra Low Fees
No Monkey Business
Complete My Loan Application
Apply 100% online using my secure portal. You’ll need to provide information about your income, assets, credit, and general information about the property you’re planning to purchase.
Upload a Few Docs
After completing the application, you’ll receive a list of documents to upload to your secure portal. I don’t need too many documents at this stage, just those verifying your income and assets. Your debts will be pulled from your credit report. Note that it is not necessary to upload documents for a simple pre-qualification.
Super Fast Pre-Approvals
Once I have reviewed your application and documents and have run a soft credit pull (that won’t affect your credit score), I can issue your loan pre-approval, usually within a few hours. A certified pre-approval requires a hard credit check and approval through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s automated underwriting system. Loans that have AUS approval still have to be manually reviewed by an underwriter, but a preliminary loan approval means your loan can close more quickly and you are far less likely to have your loan denied at the last minute.
As An Exclusive Buyer’s Broker And Loan Officer, I’ve Helped Nearly 1,000 Families Purchase A Home!
My name is Alysse Musgrave, and I’ve been a consumer advocate for the homebuyer since 1995. I am the broker & owner of HelpUBuy America and a Mortgage Loan Officer serving borrowers all over Texas. Helping people find, buy, and finance homes is my life’s work, and I love it. I’m a horrible salesperson but a great caretaker and friend. My job is to teach, advise, and protect my clients, and I take my role seriously. And, as you can see from my reviews, I’m very good at what I do.
wholesale rates
I keep my pricing simple and cheap. I start with the lowest wholesale interest rate for which you qualify. Then, I add my ultra low origination fee, which you or the lender can pay. That’s it! There’s no bait-and-switch pricing or fine print. I earn a reasonable commission that is FAR less than what other lenders charge, and you save thousands of dollars upfront and tens of thousands over the life of your loan.
full transparency
Expect me to be completely transparent each step of the way. I’ll send you various loan options, explain the differences, and help you decide based not only on the cost of your loan but also on one tailored to the home you choose, your future plans, and your lifestyle. No tacky, cheap car salesman tactics. Just solid, honest advice from someone with decades of experience working with homebuyers.
fiduciary duty
Have you heard horror stories about what can happen when the person you count on for mortgage advice turns out to be looking out for their interests over yours? I act as your fiduciary, which means I accept the legal responsibility of putting your interests above mine. You before me. All Ways. Always.
I play nicely with realtors
After helping roughly a thousand buyers purchase a home, I know how to beat out other buyers and win the bid. I’ll provide your agent with a carefully crafted pre-approval letter to help them present your qualifications in the best possible light and help you outshine other buyers in a competitive market. Your agent and I will work as a team to get the deal done.
lowest possible price
I shop over 80 lenders within the wholesale marketplace to find the best rate, term, and payment structure most appropriate to your particular circumstances. If you need a loan with a low down payment requirement or your credit is not so pristine, for example, I can look for lenders that offer products specific to your situation. You’ll always pay the lowest possible price for which you qualify. Always.
buyers only since 1995
While I can assist with refinances, reverse mortgages, and investment loans, home buyers – particularly first-time homebuyers – are my expertise, specialty, and passion. Primary residence buyers have been my focus since 1995! You simply will NOT find another agent or loan officer more committed to the buyer than me.
An Accidental Loan Officer
I wrote the first edition of my book for home buyers in 2013. In it, I describe the newly mandated Know Before You Owe or TRID rules and discuss the best way to shop for a mortgage. As a longtime and outspoken critic of predatory lending and real estate fraud, I was elated to see new procedures designed to help home buyers avoid becoming victims of mortgage fraud.
Much to my dismay and annoyance, the rules put in place to protect buyers were being skirted. The advice I gave buyers described how things should work—but usually didn’t. After a decade of trying (and failing) to learn the behind-the-scenes happenings of mortgage banks and brokers, I earned my mortgage license to see how things work firsthand. My biggest takeaway? Just like hiring a Realtor, choosing a loan officer requires a considerable leap of faith and a great deal of trust. The systems designed to level the playing field for the borrower are ineffective; trust is paramount.
Now, armed with my mortgage license, I am dedicated to providing borrowers with the same duty and care I give to my home buyer clients. My commitment is unwavering, and I strive to deliver the best mortgage experience possible.
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Exclusive Buyer’s Broker & Owner of HelpUBuy America
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29-years experience working with home buyers
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Mortgage Loan Officer
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B.S., Texas A&M University, College Station
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Graduate, Sheffield School of Interior Design, NYC
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Zillow Contributing Writer & 5-Star Agent
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Best selling author of four (4) books for home buyers
Finding an honest mortgage broker shouldn’t be as daunting as buying a house in the first place.
Humble Brags
I’ve been in business since long before online reviews become a thing. Now that they are, you’ll find many a glowing review about me on Zillow, Trulia, Google, Yelp, HAR, Facebook, and elsewhere.
You Ask, I Answer
Can you be my loan officer and my Realtor?
I work with a very limited number of home buyers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Please visit https://HelpUBuyAmerica.com to learn more about Exclusive Buyer’s Agency and my services. If I can’t represent you, I’ll gladly help you find a buyer-friendly agent in your area.
Note: I am not in the business of “stealing” clients from other agents. If you’re already working with another agent, I won’t be able to represent you. If you need a “sanity” check about something going on with your transaction, consider me a resource for advice and guidance. However, it would be unethical for me to interfere with your relationship with your agent.
How can you save me money?
All mortgage brokers have access to roughly the same wholesale rates. The company decides how much profit it wishes to make on each loan—usually 2.5-2.75% of the loan amount—and adds it to the price of the loan either on the front end as an origination fee or on the back end as a yield spread premium.
I earn about half of what other loan officers charge, saving my borrower clients thousands of dollars upfront and potentially tens of thousands over the life of their loan.
Is a broker better than a direct lender?
There are a lot of reasons why brokers are better. The most obvious reason is that mortgage brokers have access to dozens of wholesale lenders and can offer much lower rates and fees than retail lenders, saving you thousands of dollars over the life of the loan. By contrast, retail lenders offer only a few different loans, and their pricing is fixed.
Here are some other reasons why brokers are better than bankers:
- Brokers are required to disclose their compensation, and bankers are not. This means bank consumers are often in the dark about what percentage of their money is going toward the house and what percentage is going into their banker’s pockets.
- Brokers are compensated in two ways: by the borrower or by the lender through which they send the loan. Regardless of the source, each broker charges their borrowers the same percentage. When the lender compensates a broker, and the chosen rate includes a rebate, the broker is obligated to pass on those savings to the borrower by applying them to the closing costs. In contrast, a banker typically keeps that potential savings as additional revenue.
- Brokers have compensation caps. QM rules prohibit brokers from making more than 3% on a loan. Bankers often make substantially more than 3% on loans and have no such rules. Higher compensations for bankers mean higher rates for consumers.
- Sometimes, broker compensation—even if a lender credit offsets other costs—is included in the APR. Conversely, lender compensation is NEVER included in the APR unless generated with fees. This creates scenarios where the consumer’s bottom line is better with a broker, even if the broker shows a higher APR than a mortgage banker. In other words, the banker’s APR is artificially low because they do not have the same duty to disclose as brokers.
While brokers and bankers seemingly serve the same role, the truth isn’t as straightforward.
How to get the best rate?
Interest rates are based on the lender’s risk. The higher the risk to the lender, the higher the cost to the borrower. Conversley, the lower the risk to the lender, the lower the cost to the borrower.
Borrowers with good credit, lots of assets, a larger down payment, and steady employment/income are deemed to be less risky than those with lower scores, smaller down payments, and inconsistent earnings, and therefore qualify for the best rates.
How Can I Help?
Have questions? Let’s talk. I guarantee no complicated loan speak, no tacky, cheap car salesman tactics, just solid, honest advice from someone with decades of experience working with home buyers.
Years Experience
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Repeat Business
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Retention Rate
Conventional
Conventional loans are mortgage loans not backed or insured by the government. Private lenders such as banks, credit unions, and mortgage companies offer them. Conventional loans are best for buyers with higher credit scores and low debt-to-income ratios. You can buy a home with conventional financing for as little as 3% down.
Government Loans
Government housing loans, such as those provided by agencies like the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) in the United States, help individuals and families purchase homes. These loans often require lower down payments and have more lenient credit requirements than conventional loans.
Jumbo
A jumbo loan is a mortgage used to finance properties that are too expensive for a conventional conforming loan. In 2024, the maximum amount for a conforming loan in most counties is $766,550. Homes that exceed the local conforming loan limit require a jumbo loan. Jumbo loans are riskier for lenders because Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac don’t protect the lender from losses. They are, therefore, more expensive than conventional loans.
Self Employed
A jumbo loan is a mortgage used to finance properties that are too expensive for a conventional conforming loan. In 2024, the maximum amount for a conforming loan in Texas is $766,550. Homes that exceed the local conforming loan limit require a jumbo loan. Jumbo loans are riskier for lenders because Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac don’t protect the lender from losses. They are, therefore, more expensive than conventional loans.
All Are Welcome Here.
All races. All sexual orientations and identities. All religions & the irreligious. All countries of origin. All abilities & disabilities. All langugages. All ages. All political affilations. ALL are welcome here.
Get a Great Rate on a Mortgage
Not all home loans are the same. Knowing what kind of loan is most appropriate for your situation helps you get the best deal. Rates and programs change constantly, and I shop over 80 lenders to find you the possible rates, closing costs, and terms. Whether you need a new mortgage or want to refinance your existing loan with one with better terms, I’ll work tirelessly to get you the financing you need at the lowest possible pricing.
Do This Right Now!!
Credit reporting agencies like Equifax, Transunion, and Experia are legally allowed to sell your name to other lenders and insurers after you apply for a loan, and your lender does a hard credit pull. It’s not uncommon for borrowers to receive hundreds of unsolicited calls, texts, and emails from credit providers. You have the right to “opt out” of these offers, which prevents them from contacting you. Follow the link below to do so, and be sure to allow at least a week for your request to be processed.
What’s the Difference?
Pre-Qualification
Getting pre-qualified is a good step for first-time home buyers who are just testing the waters and aren’t ready to jump in. You’ll share information about your employment, credit, income, assets, and debts, and I’ll estimate how much you can borrow. I’ll also let you know how much cash you’ll need to close and what you can expect your monthly mortgage payment to be. No pre-qualification letters are issued at this stage.
Pre-Approval
Ready to take the next step? Pre-approval is a comprehensive process that verifies your income, employment, and assets. I’ll review your W-2s, bank statements, and paystubs, and run a soft credit report that won’t impact your credit score. If everything checks out, I’ll issue a custom pre-approval letter. This letter will clearly state the amount and type of mortgage I can offer, along with the terms. For well-qualified buyers, this is all that’s needed to issue a pre-approval letter.
Certified Pre-Approval
A certified, underwritten pre-approval takes the process even further! In addition to reviewing your documents, I’ll run a tri-pull hard credit report and run your file through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s underwriting system for approval. Loans that have AUS approval still have to be manually reviewed by an underwriter, but a preliminary loan approval means your loan can close more quickly, and you are far less likely to have your loan denied at the last minute.
About My Iconic Monkey
I started my real estate brokerage in 1995 when most Realtors had their glamour shots and “I Sell Houses” bling posted all over town. As a 20-something, anti-establishment type, I decided to use a picture of a monkey rather than a picture of myself. For better or worse, I’ve been the “monkey lady” for 29 years and counting. You can read all about it by following the link below.