Your Surprise, AZ mortgage broker for planned communities and new builds

In Surprise, the home comes with a community.

Most Surprise homes I finance sit in planned communities: similar floor plans, HOA dues, and new phases still being built. Some are age-restricted 55+ neighborhoods. Others are resale streets now 15 or 20 years old.

With so many similar homes selling nearby, appraisals tend to go smoothly. The surprises come from HOA costs, builder timing, and offers that look better in the model home than on paper.

Send me the community name and the listing. I'll tell you what the loan needs to look at.

Buy a home · Loan options

My office is on Shea Blvd in Phoenix, so most Surprise clients start with a phone or video call. The appraiser and title company are local. The person answering your questions is me.

Before you tour, estimate your payment on the calculator with HOA dues included. It's an estimate, not a quote.

Down payment help in Surprise: Phoenix Open Doors stops at the Phoenix city line, so it doesn't apply here. Home in Five Advantage, a Maricopa County program, and HOME Plus, a statewide program, can. Programs change, so I check what's open and whether your address and income fit. down payment assistance

HOA dues, solar, and the costs a listing doesn't show

Here's what I look at early:

• HOA dues and fees. Your dues are part of your monthly payment, and the lender counts them. Many communities also charge a transfer fee at closing. I add both before you write an offer.
• Solar panels. Owned and leased panels are handled differently. Send the solar paperwork early. A lease can slow a closing more than a credit score.
• Older resale homes. A 20-year-old home may need a roof, an AC unit, or a pool fence repair. FHA looks closely at condition. Conventional usually looks less at it. When both make sense, I run both. FHA loans
• Appraisal gaps. If a home appraises below your contract price, you need a plan for the difference. Let's make it before you offer, not after.

Builder lender or your own? Compare them in writing.

Every model home has a preferred lender and an incentive that sounds like free money. Sometimes the builder's package wins. Sometimes a loan I shop costs less, even without the incentive.

The only way to know is side by side. Ask the builder for two things in writing: the incentive, and their lender's Loan Estimate (the standard three-page form that lists the rate, fees, and cash to close). I'll put my strongest option next to it on one sheet, and you choose. You never have to use the builder's lender out of courtesy.

A few new-build timing notes:

• Rate locks. A rate lock holds your interest rate for a set number of days. A home that isn't built yet can slip by weeks, so I plan the lock around the realistic date, not the hopeful one.
• Upgrades. Options raise the price and the loan. Before the design center, let's make sure your pre-approval covers them.

New construction

Buying in a 55+ community, or buying for the commute

55+ communities. Buying in an age-restricted neighborhood? Tell me in our first call. The loan works the same way. What changes is the paperwork: HOA rules and how we document your income. Social Security, a pension, or regular retirement account withdrawals can count when documented. Selling a home elsewhere to buy here? We'll plan the timing of both. Age 62 or older? A reverse mortgage for purchase is one more option worth a look. reverse mortgage

The commute. Surprise prices can look kinder than central Phoenix. HOA dues and a long drive can eat into the difference. I'll run your full housing payment. Try your commute at rush hour before you decide.

Property taxes. The tax on the listing is the seller's bill. On new construction, it may only reflect the lot. I'll estimate yours before you write.

Still deciding between Surprise and nearby cities?

• Peoria: northwest Valley HOA communities, a little closer in. Peoria
• Buckeye: newer construction, farther west. Buckeye
• Goodyear: for households whose day runs on I-10. Goodyear

Your next step: Call or text (602) 448-4470 with the community name and whether the home is finished. If it's new construction, send the builder's options sheet too. When you're ready, start your secure application. apply