Guides and Resources
The explanations I find myself repeating
Written the way I would explain it sitting across from you, with the terms defined rather than assumed. If something here raises a question, that is what the phone is for.
Jennifer Ferrara
Loan Officer · NMLS #2781982
Fourteen years navigating real estate deals taught me to listen before I recommend anything. Tell me what you're working with, and let's talk it through.
- First-time buyers6 min read
FHA or conventional? How to actually tell which one is cheaper for you
A plain-language comparison of FHA and conventional loans for Central Texas buyers, including the mortgage insurance difference most people find out about too late.
July 31, 2026
- First-time buyers8 min read
First-time home buyers: everything to know before you start
A plain-language guide to buying your first home in Central Texas: budgeting, pre-approval, down payment assistance, and what happens from offer to closing.
August 7, 2026
- Rates and strategy6 min read
Navigating mortgage rates in Central Texas: what actually moves them
What actually changes the rate you are quoted, why the same lender can give you two different numbers on two different days, and why shopping your file matters more than trying to time the market.
August 7, 2026
- Self-employed and 10997 min read
Self-employed income documentation: what actually helps your file
Why a tax return alone rarely tells a lender what a self-employed borrower actually earns, what to gather before you apply, and the mistakes that slow a self-employed file down most.
August 7, 2026
- Refinancing6 min read
Texas cash-out refinance rules: what Section 50(a)(6) actually means for you
Texas is the one state with its own constitutional rules for pulling equity out of your home. The 80 percent cap, the 12-day wait, and the once-a-year rule, explained plainly.
August 15, 2026
- Rates and strategy5 min read
2026 loan limits for Central Texas: what changed and why it matters
The 2026 conforming and FHA loan limits for Austin, Kyle, Buda, San Marcos, and the rest of Central Texas, and what actually changes for you once your loan crosses them.
August 15, 2026
- Refinancing5 min read
When does a refinance actually pencil out?
The real math behind a refinance decision: what the breakeven point is, how to calculate it, and why the reason you refinance matters as much as the rate.
August 20, 2026
Coming next
Guides I am working on
Listed honestly as what they are, rather than posted as empty pages. If one of these is the thing you need right now, ask me and I will just walk you through it.
- What $400k buys in Kyle versus Buda
- How seller concessions actually work in Dripping Springs
- What a 2-1 buydown does to your first two years
- Down payment assistance in Hays County, explained without the jargon
Tell me what you are trying to do
Send me the situation in your own words. I will tell you honestly what it can do and what it cannot, before anybody pulls your credit.