Align Lending Learn Center
Straight answers about mortgages, from a Michigan broker.
Every figure here is checked against the agency that issued it, and every article says where its numbers came from. No rate quotes, no predictions.
- 154 guides across 8 subjects
Browse by subject
Eight subjects, one plain-language library
Home buying
Buying a home takes 30-45 days from accepted offer to closing.
67 guides · 5 topicsLoan types & programs
Compare conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, jumbo and ARM loans side by side, and learn how credit.
21 guides · 8 topicsHomeownership
Homeownership costs more than the mortgage.
18 guides · 5 topicsMortgage basics
Learn mortgage basics every buyer should know.
13 guides · 4 topicsReal estate investing
Real estate investing means owning property for rental income and appreciation.
11 guides · 5 topicsRefinancing & home equity
Refinancing replaces your mortgage with a new loan.
10 guides · 4 topicsMortgage rates & market
Mortgage rates come from the bond market, then get adjusted for your file.
8 guides · 4 topicsSelling a home
Selling a home takes 60 to 90 days and costs 6% to 10% of the sale price.
6 guides · 4 topicsStart with what you are trying to accomplish
Buy a Home
Get a clear picture of what you can do and what it would actually cost, before you talk to anyone about a house.
Build My Homebuyer Game PlanReview My Mortgage
Refinancing is not automatically a good idea. Work out where your break-even sits before you decide anything.
See If Refinancing Makes SenseUse My Home Equity
There is more than one way to reach the equity in your home, and they are not the same. Start with the question, not the product.
Explore My Equity OptionsNot sure which one of those you are?
That is a normal place to start. Tell us what you are trying to do and we will work out which question you are actually asking.
The library
Every subject, every topic
Topics
Loan types & programs
Compare conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, jumbo and ARM loans side by side, and learn how credit.
All 21 guidesTopics
Topics
Real estate investing
Real estate investing means owning property for rental income and appreciation.
All 11 guidesTopics
Mortgage rates & market
Mortgage rates come from the bond market, then get adjusted for your file.
All 8 guidesFree guides
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Run the numbers
The first conversation does not have to turn into anything
Tell Samantha what you are trying to do, and she will tell you what actually matters in your situation. If the answer is that you should wait, she will say that too.
- 1
Tell us what you are trying to do
Not what product you want. What you are actually trying to accomplish.
- 2
We look at your situation
A licensed Align loan officer works out what matters most for you specifically.
- 3
You leave with a plan
Your options, the tradeoffs, and your next step. No obligation to go further.
Align Lending LLC, NMLS #2041154, is a mortgage broker. Samantha Shelton, NMLS 1647301. Equal Housing Opportunity. Licensed in Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana and Texas. These guides are for education only. They are not a credit decision, a preapproval, a commitment to lend, or an offer of credit.
