Why work with Align Lending: a Michigan mortgage broker who stays on your loan

Written by Samantha SheltonNMLS 1647301Updated October 2026

A couple sits across a wooden desk from a mortgage broker whose hands rest on a printed loan document, in a sunlit small-town office

Work with Align Lending if you want your mortgage compared across multiple wholesale lenders and handled by one person you can actually reach. Align is an independent Michigan mortgage broker, paid by the lender rather than by a fee you pay Align. Its owner, Samantha Shelton, handles each loan herself from the first conversation to the closing table, with a processor supporting her.

Her own one-sentence version of the job: “I own a mortgage brokerage in Michigan and I help people understand their options before they make one of the biggest financial decisions they’re ever going to make.” Her background is on Samantha’s profile page.

Key takeaways:

One application, multiple lenders: Align is a broker, so your file goes to the wholesale lender whose rules and pricing fit it, not to the one menu a bank or online lender sells.
Paid by the lender: You do not pay Align a fee, and federal rules do not let a broker’s pay rise with your interest rate or fees.
One person on your loan: Samantha handles your file from the first conversation to the closing table, with a processor behind the scenes. There is no call center.
Ready early: Over the last 12 months, her loans averaged under 14 days from application to clear to close, across more than 100 loans. Your purchase agreement still sets the closing date.
Local: Samantha lives and works in Oakland County, and you can meet her at 2625 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford.

What does Align Lending do, and what does it not do?

Align Lending LLC is an independent mortgage broker, NMLS #2041154. It does not lend its own money, and it does not service loans after closing. What it does is the part that decides your price and your experience. Samantha learns what you are trying to do, gathers the documents that support it, takes your file to the wholesale lender whose guidelines and pricing fit it, and manages the loan to the closing table. That lender underwrites and funds the loan.

The structure pays off when something goes sideways. Lenders layer their own requirements onto each program’s minimums. If one lender says no, or an appraisal changes the picture, that is not automatically the end of the conversation. Samantha can take the file to a different wholesale lender whose rules fit it. In her words, “complicated and impossible are not the same thing.” To read quotes from several lenders yourself, see comparing mortgage lenders.

Does working with a broker like Align cost less?

On purchase loans, the federal data points that way. A 2024 Polygon Research study of 2023 federal mortgage data compared 30-year fixed purchase loans made through brokers with loans from nonbank retail lenders. It was commissioned by a wholesale mortgage lender and an advisory firm, both named in the sources below. Broker buyers paid less in upfront costs, 1.15% of the loan against 1.48%, at about the same average interest rate. Separately, it estimated that broker borrowers paid about $10,662 less over the life of a $400,000 loan held 30 years than borrowers at nonbank retail lenders. You can read the full Polygon Research study.

That is an average across purchase loans, not a promise about yours, and it says nothing about refinances or home equity loans. So Align makes a plainer offer. Already have an offer from one of the big national lenders you see advertised? Bring us the Loan Estimate. We will compare it line by line and show you where we can do better.

How Align is paid

Align is paid by the lender, not by a fee you pay Align. Under 12 CFR 1026.36, a broker’s pay cannot be based on your interest rate or fees, and a broker the lender pays cannot also charge you on the same loan.

Why a small brokerage

Align is a small, owner-run brokerage. There is no national ad campaign, no call center and no layers of management between you and the person doing your loan.

Who actually handles your loan?

Samantha does. She handles each loan herself, from the first conversation to the closing table, and a processor supports her behind the scenes with paperwork and lender conditions. You are not handed to a team after you apply.

Her first question is usually “What are you trying to do?” On keeping you informed: “Silence is what makes people nervous.” On paperwork: “If I know we’re going to need something later, I’d rather ask for it now.” And to people who apologize for a messy financial picture: “You don’t need to apologize. This is what we do.”

How early your loan is ready

Over the last 12 months, Samantha’s loans averaged under 14 days from application to clear to close, across more than 100 loans. Clear to close means the lender has signed off and the loan can close. It is not the closing itself. Your closing date is set by your purchase agreement, and her job is to have the loan ready well before it.

For context, the ICE Mortgage Monitor reported that the average purchase loan took 36.8 days from application to closing in March 2026. That measures a different finish line, so do not read the two numbers as a race. What a loan that is ready early gives you is room: room for a repair negotiation, a moved date or a seller who needs a few more days.

What should you ask a loan officer before choosing one?

These questions work with any bank, credit union, online lender or broker. Here is how Align answers each one.

Question to ask	Why it matters	Align’s answer
What is your NMLS number?	You can check both licenses on NMLS Consumer Access before you send documents.	Align Lending LLC is NMLS #2041154. Samantha Shelton is NMLS #1647301.
How are you paid on my loan?	Federal rules, 12 CFR 1026.36, bar a loan originator’s pay from rising with your rate or fees.	By the lender, not by a fee you pay Align.
Can you price my file with more than one lender?	One lender means one menu of programs and prices.	Yes. One application goes to multiple wholesale lenders.
Who handles my file after I apply?	Handoffs are where questions go unanswered.	Samantha, from the first conversation to the closing table, with a processor behind the scenes.
How early will my loan be ready?	A loan that is ready early leaves room if something comes up before closing.	Over the last 12 months, her loans averaged under 14 days from application to clear to close, across more than 100 loans. Your purchase agreement sets the closing date, and clear to close is not the same as closing.
What property tax figure is in my estimate?	The year after a Michigan home sells, its taxable value resets to half of the assessor’s market value, so the seller’s tax bill is not your tax bill.	Your own figure after the reset, estimated on the high side on purpose.
Which states are you licensed in?	A loan officer can take your loan only where they hold a license.	Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana and Texas.

How do you choose a lender beyond the advertised rate?

An advertised rate is priced for an assumed borrower and sometimes includes discount points, so it is not your price. Compare Loan Estimates for the same loan on the same day: the rate, the points and origination charges in Section A, any lender credit in Section J, and the cash to close. Then compare the people: who handles your file, how early the loan will be ready, and whether the tax figure is yours or the seller’s.

Why do real estate agents bring Samantha in for a second opinion?

Local real estate agents call Samantha when a buyer arrives already preapproved somewhere else. She regularly finds a lower rate or less cash to close, whichever helps the buyer more.

That is not a knock on anyone’s first lender. It is what happens when one file is priced across multiple wholesale lenders instead of one. In October and November 2022, Freddie Mac found that borrowers with two quotes on a 30-year fixed purchase loan could have saved as much as $600 a year. Those who got four or more could have saved more than $1,200 a year.

For a second opinion, bring the Loan Estimate itself, not the number you remember. Samantha goes through it section by section, next to what she can find.

Is Align local to Rochester Hills, Lake Orion and the rest of Oakland County?

Yes. Samantha lives and works in Oakland County, and her office is at 2625 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford. That puts her in the same county as Rochester Hills, Lake Orion, Clarkston and Troy. Whoever you call, check the loan officer’s NMLS record and ask how they are paid. Then compare at least two Loan Estimates for the same loan on the same day.

Michigan property taxes depend on the exact city or township and school district, and she will not guess them from a county name. “We need the actual property,” she says.

Samantha’s ties to the community show up off the clock too: donations to local causes, a free community Easter egg hunt, and other events Samantha pays for herself. None of them come with a sales pitch.

How Align started

Before mortgages, Samantha was a stay-at-home mom with three boys. She was licensed in May 2020 and founded Align Lending in August 2020. When Michigan shut down in the middle of her licensing, she drove to Ohio to get it done. “It started with me,” she says. “No big team.” The business grew one client at a time.

Her work has been recognized with Hall of AIME, NAMB Broker of the Year and Woman with Vision honors. Her view of awards is that they should help you trust she knows what she is doing, and then the conversation should get back to you.

How does Align help veterans?

Samantha starts a VA loan by making sure you use the benefits you earned, before you write an offer.

The VA funding fee: Veterans who receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability, and certain others, do not pay it. Your Certificate of Eligibility shows whether the fee applies, and Samantha looks at it at the start.
Michigan’s Disabled Veterans Exemption: Under MCL 211.7b, the principal residence of a qualifying disabled veteran, or an unremarried surviving spouse, can be exempt from property taxes. You file Form 5107 with your local assessor.
Shopping still matters: In the 2024 Polygon Research analysis, veterans who used a broker paid about $13,432 less over the life of a $400,000 VA purchase loan than veterans at nonbank retail lenders.

If you used your VA benefit before, do not assume it is gone. Samantha looks at your actual Certificate of Eligibility and your prior loan first. Her line on it: “You earned the benefit. Before somebody talks you out of using it, let’s at least understand what actually applies to you.” Start with the VA homebuyer plan or our guide to buying a home with a VA loan.

What loans can Align place?

Because Align works with multiple wholesale lenders, your options are not limited to one lender’s programs. Samantha places:

Purchase and refinance loans: conventional, FHA including 203(k) renovation loans, VA, USDA and jumbo.
Self-employed and investor loans: non-QM, bank statement and DSCR loans.
Property-specific loans: Fannie Mae HomeStyle renovation loans and non-warrantable condo loans. See renovation financing.
Home equity: standalone HELOCs, home equity loans and cash-out refinances.
Michigan programs: MSHDA loans, including down payment assistance.

If you already have a low rate on your first mortgage, a standalone HELOC or home equity loan lets you borrow without giving it up. On any equity loan, Samantha asks why you want the money before she talks about how.

Who services your loan after Align places it?

Align places your loan. It does not service it. After closing, the wholesale lender that funded the loan either collects your payments itself or sells the servicing rights to another company. That is routine, and it says nothing about you or your loan.

A transfer does not change your interest rate, balance, term or principal and interest payment. It can change where you send the payment. Under federal servicing rules, you generally get written notice at least 15 days before a transfer takes effect. For 60 days afterward, a payment sent on time to your old servicer cannot be treated as late. Our guide to mortgage servicing covers the rest.

Who is Align a good fit for?

Align is a good fit if you:

want one person on your loan who knows your goals, not a queue;
are buying in Michigan, especially Oakland County, and want your taxes estimated on your number, not the seller’s;
are self-employed, an investor, a veteran or a first-time buyer and want the program matched to your file;
already have a Loan Estimate and want a second opinion before you lock;
are six months or a year out and want to know what to work on first.

On that last one, Samantha would rather hear from you early: “I’d rather know that six months ahead of time than six days before you want to write an offer.”

Align is not the fit if the property is outside the six states where it is licensed: Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana and Texas. And if you want to finish a mortgage without ever talking to a person, a brokerage built around one person on your file is not built for that.

What Michigan homebuyers should know

The seller’s tax bill is not yours: The year after a Michigan home sells, its taxable value resets to half of the assessor’s market value, so the seller’s tax bill is not your tax bill. Samantha quotes your number on the high side on purpose. Her short version: “Don’t build your budget around somebody else’s tax bill.” See the Michigan Property Tax Uncapping Study.
Down payment help runs through participating lenders: MSHDA’s MI 10K DPA offers up to $10,000 toward your down payment and closing costs as an interest-free deferred loan paired with a MI Home Loan, with a 640 minimum credit score. Align places MSHDA loans, including this one.
Two tax bills shape your escrow: Michigan’s summer tax bill becomes a lien July 1 and is typically due by September 14. The winter bill becomes a lien December 1. Where your closing falls between those dates changes how much your first escrow deposit collects. See mortgage escrow accounts.

How Align works, and how we are paid

Align is a mortgage broker. One application goes to multiple wholesale lenders, and Samantha matches your file to the loan that fits. Align is paid by the lender, not by a fee you pay us, and federal rules bar a broker's pay from changing with your rate or fees.

Most people never compare. In a federal survey of 2023 home buyers, 66% applied with only one lender or broker. A 2024 Polygon Research analysis of federal mortgage data found broker borrowers paid about $10,662 less over the life of a $400,000 loan than borrowers at nonbank retail lenders.

Sources: Regulation Z, 12 CFR 1026.36(d); FHFA and CFPB, National Survey of Mortgage Originations, loans made in 2023; Polygon Research, Loan Costs Channel Study 2024 (2023 federal HMDA data, 30-year fixed purchase loans; commissioned by United Wholesale Mortgage and Willow Canyon Advisors).

FAQ: Working with Align Lending

Short answers to what people ask before they call.

Is Align Lending a lender or a mortgage broker?

A broker. Align Lending LLC, NMLS #2041154, takes your application to multiple wholesale lenders. The lender Samantha places your loan with underwrites and funds it.

How does Align Lending get paid?

By the lender, not by a fee you pay Align. Federal rules do not allow a broker’s pay to rise with your interest rate or fees, and a broker the lender pays cannot also charge you on the same loan.

Who will I work with at Align?

Samantha Shelton, NMLS #1647301, Broker Owner and Senior Loan Originator. She handles your loan herself from the first conversation to the closing table, with a processor supporting her behind the scenes.

How fast can Align close my loan?

Your closing date is set by your purchase agreement, not by the lender. What Samantha controls is how early the loan is ready. Over the last 12 months, her loans averaged under 14 days from application to clear to close, across more than 100 loans. Clear to close is not the same as closing.

Will Align service my loan after closing?

No. The wholesale lender that funds your loan services it or sells the servicing rights. Your rate and terms do not change if the servicing moves.

Can I bring an offer from another lender?

Yes. Bring the Loan Estimate itself. Samantha compares it line by line with what she can find across multiple wholesale lenders and shows you where Align can do better.

Which states is Align Lending licensed in?

Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana and Texas. The office is at 2625 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford, Michigan.

The bottom line on working with Align Lending

Align Lending is a small, owner-run Michigan brokerage. It takes one application to multiple wholesale lenders, it is paid by the lender, and it puts one person on your loan from the first conversation to the closing table. The federal data on purchase loans favors brokers. Samantha’s loans have averaged under 14 days from application to clear to close, and your purchase agreement still sets the closing date. And local agents bring her in when a buyer’s first preapproval deserves a second look.

What she wants you to feel when you finish this page is simple: “Not sold. Not pressured. Just better.” Call 248-506-5727, or schedule a time to talk with Samantha.

Sources: Polygon Research, Loan Costs Channel Study 2024, 2023 HMDA data, 30-year fixed purchase loans, commissioned by United Wholesale Mortgage and Willow Canyon Advisors. Loan originator compensation, 12 CFR 1026.36(d). Freddie Mac Research, February 2023. ICE Mortgage Monitor, May 2026. Servicing transfers, 12 CFR 1024.33. VA funding fee, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Disabled Veterans Exemption, MCL 211.7b. MI 10K DPA, Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Michigan tax lien dates, MCL 211.44a. Clear-to-close average and loan count, Align Lending loan records.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal, financial, or tax advice. Rates, fees, and loan programs vary by lender, borrower, and market conditions; confirm your actual numbers on your Loan Estimate and consult a qualified professional about your situation. Research figures are averages, are not a rate quote or an offer of credit, and are subject to change. Align Lending works with VA-approved lenders and is not endorsed or sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and is not acting on behalf of or at the direction of HUD, FHA or any government agency. Align Lending is an independent Michigan mortgage broker, NMLS #2041154.