01ConventionalFlexible choice for many buyers
3–5%+
Orlando VA and Florida mortgage guidance · straight answers first
Let's make the mortgage make sense before you make a move.
I'm Dennis Ross, an Orlando-based Navy veteran and Florida mortgage broker. I help veterans, buyers, and homeowners understand the payment, the cash, and the choices before they commit to a loan.
Ready to apply now?Open the secure application→No credit check to startAbout 60 secondsReviewed by a real loan officer
HundredsFlorida families served
Your guideDennis RossNavy Veteran · NMLS #2018381
Today's national mortgage rate index
Checking Mortgage News Daily...Check a rate for my situation
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National daily index data from Mortgage News Daily. This is not DR. Mortgage USA pricing, a rate quote, APR, or an offer to lend. Your available rate depends on credit, loan program, property, down payment, points, and current market conditions.
FloridaStatewide service
VA · FHA · ConventionalPlus specialty options
Human reviewNo generic call center
Home 1st LendingCompany NMLS #1418
Try your numbers · see what changes
Put in the numbers you know. We will help with the rest.
Use this as a starting point, not a quote or approval. Change the price, cash, and rate to see how the monthly payment and possible loan paths respond.
YOUR LIVE ESTIMATE Purchase
Estimated total monthly payment
$3,198per month including principal, interest, estimated taxes, insurance, and mortgage insurance when applicableLoan payment $2,439Taxes $400Insurance $200Mortgage insurance or fee $158
Options worth comparingHow different paths may fit your goalThe bars are a visual comparison, not underwriting, approval, or a recommendation.
02FHAWorth comparing with less cash down
3.5%+
03DPA pairingMay help with upfront cash
Varies
Start where you are
What are you trying to make possible?
Choose the situation that sounds most like yours. I will show you the questions worth asking and the tools that can help you answer them.
Choose your conversation
Purchase roadmap
Let's start with the payment you can live with, not the maximum someone will approve.
Whether this is your first home, your next home, or a relocation, we will look at the monthly payment, cash needed, and timing of the move together.
01Your comfortable payment
02Your current home and timing
03Your cash and loan options
Start with your real budget
What can you comfortably pay each month?
A loan approval tells you what may be possible. It does not tell you what will still feel comfortable after groceries, daycare, travel, savings, and everything else life brings.
- Put in the taxes and insurance that match the home you are considering.
- See how different down payments change both your payment and cash needed.
- Save your numbers, or send them to me and I will help you check the assumptions.
Illustrative monthly payment$3,236$400,000 home · 5% down · sample assumptions
- Principal & interest
- $2,528
- Property taxes
- $400
- Home insurance
- $150
- Estimated PMI
- $158
Educational example only. Not a quote, approval, or offer to lend.
Why people call me
“You should understand every number, every tradeoff, and every next step before you feel pressured to move.”
I spent fifteen years serving in the Navy and built my first career in social work. Both taught me how to listen, stay calm, and explain hard decisions clearly. You will get a direct conversation, a plain-language recap, and options built around your actual life.
Do your homework on me. Before you share anything personal, verify my license and read what clients have said. You should feel comfortable with the person helping you.
A calmer process
You do not have to figure it all out before we talk.
Start with the question on your mind. We will build the next step from there.
Start simple. Build from there.
Useful, not generic
If borrowers keep asking it, I write about it.
The blog is where I answer the real Florida mortgage questions I hear every week, including VA, FHA, self-employed income, insurance, equity, and what to do next.
01
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Florida Bank Statement Mortgage Loans for Self-Employed Borrowers
Florida bank statement mortgage loans for self-employed Orlando buyers: how they work, documents needed, risks, reserves, and questions to ask.
Read the article →03VA loans · June 29, 2026
Florida Mortgage Gift Funds Rules for Homebuyers
Florida mortgage gift funds rules for Orlando buyers in 2026: who can give money, gift letters, bank statements, FHA, VA, and conventional rules.
Read the article →Questions before the call
Ask the question you are worried might sound basic.
You are not supposed to know all of this already. Start with a quick answer here, then reach out if your situation needs a closer look.
Straight answers, no blanket promises.I will tell you what is generally true and what still depends on your actual file.
Can I explore my mortgage options without a credit check?
Yes. The pathfinder and calculators can organize your goals, payment assumptions, and likely questions without a credit pull. A formal preapproval is different: it normally requires your authorization, a credit review, and supporting information before a lender can make a credit decision.
What happens after I send Dennis my scenario?
Dennis reviews the goal, timing, rough payment range, and the questions that could change the path. You can then choose whether to keep planning, book a conversation, or move into the secure application. Starting the conversation does not obligate you to apply.
How much cash might I actually need to buy a home?
Cash to close can include the down payment, lender and third-party closing costs, prepaid taxes and insurance, the initial escrow deposit, inspections, and sometimes reserves. The number changes with the loan, property, closing date, seller credits, and any eligible assistance, so it should be modeled as a complete scenario instead of guessed from the down-payment percentage alone.
If my mortgage rate is fixed, can my total monthly payment still change?
Yes. On a typical fixed-rate mortgage, scheduled principal and interest generally remain stable, but the complete housing payment can change when property taxes, homeowners or flood insurance, mortgage insurance, or escrow requirements change. HOA dues are another housing cost and are often paid separately.
How should I compare FHA, VA, conventional, and USDA financing?
Compare eligibility, down payment, mortgage insurance or funding fees, rate and APR, property requirements, loan limits, cash to close, and the complete monthly payment. The lowest advertised rate or smallest down payment is not automatically the lowest-cost or best-fitting option for your timeline.
What credit score do I need for a mortgage?
There is no single website number that answers this reliably. Program rules, automated underwriting findings, lender overlays, credit history, debt-to-income ratio, reserves, property, occupancy, and loan purpose can all matter. Dennis can explain which paths may be worth reviewing without promising an approval from a score alone.
Already know what you need?
Ready to skip the planning and apply?
Use the secure application when you are ready to share income, assets, employment, and credit information.
Your next move
You do not need to have the loan figured out before we talk.
Answer a few simple questions and I will help you find a clearer next step. No credit check is needed to start.