Gregg KnightMortgage & Money CoachQualify Smarter

Looking to Buy Your First Home?

Find Out What You Qualify For on Your Own, Before You Ever Call a Lender. And Avoid the 5 Costly Mistakes. One Can Shrink It by $90,400.*

By Gregg Knight

Mortgage Broker Since 1998

Every lender looks at the same 4 things to decide what you qualify for. Most buyers never look at them until a lender does. That's when they find out the credit score in their bank app isn't the one lenders use, and they qualify for less. In 5 short lessons, I'll show you the one place to get the same scores lenders use, without calling a lender. Plus what to avoid, how to improve your numbers, and how to skip fees you don't need, like points.

*Example: a $542 car payment at a 6% rate.

Gregg's sales video plays here on the live site.

Yes! Show Me the Math Before I Buy

What most buyers find out too late

The 5 Costly Mistakes.

The car payment. A $542 car payment can shrink what you qualify for by about $90,400. Most buyers find out when a lender tells them.
Trusting the credit score in your bank app. It's not the one lenders use. Lenders use different scores, usually lower. A lower score can cost you about $49,800 more on the same home loan. Same house. Same loan.
Shopping for a home before you know what you qualify for. Most buyers fall in love with a home, then find out it's out of reach. You'll learn the same debt-to-income math lenders use, and do it yourself, before you look at a single home.
Paying points you don't need. Paying 1 point does not lower your rate by 1%. I paid $3,800 in points on my first home I didn't need to pay.
Paying down the wrong debt first. One little-known rule helped a buyer qualify for about $90,000 more home, for just $2,710.

Every one of these costs money you can't get back. Qualify Smarter shows you how to avoid all 5, and how to improve your numbers so you can qualify for more home.

Examples use a 6% mortgage rate, for illustration only. Your numbers will change with the rate.

What every lender looks at

The 4 Things That Decide What You Qualify For.

Your mortgage credit scores.
Your debt-to-income ratio: how much of your pay already goes to debt payments.
Your job and your income, and which income number lenders actually use. Most buyers guess, and guess wrong.
Your cash.

Most buyers see these numbers for the first time sitting across from a lender. You'll know yours first, and how to improve them, before any lender ever pulls your credit.

A letter from Gregg

Dear future homeowner,

I've been a mortgage broker since 1998. I've done more than 1,500 mortgages and saved my clients over $3.5 million in closing costs. And I've watched good, hardworking people make the same costly mistakes, over and over. Not because they did anything wrong. Because nobody showed them the math.

I know, because I was one of them.

At 28, I was a young cop buying my first home. I trusted the lender to look out for me. I paid $3,800 in points on a $190,000 loan that I didn't need to pay. That was 2 points. On a $350,000 loan today, that same mistake costs $7,000. My car payment shrank what I qualified for. Nobody told me. And nobody showed me the math.

At 30, I was forced to medically retire. When I refinanced that first home, I finally learned the math. And I knew right then what my next career would be: making sure people know their numbers, and the math, before they make mistakes they can't take back. Especially first-time buyers, because that's where I made mine.

That's why I live by Serve to Protect. It flips the police motto "To Protect and to Serve." I teach you the math first, so you can protect yourself from money mistakes you can't undo. I call it Know Your Numbers, and Know the Math.

This is the course I wish I'd had when I bought my first home. It shows you how to be fully prepared, so you qualify for the most home you can, at the best rate you can, and never pay for a mistake you didn't see coming.

Gregg Knight

What my clients say

Why People Trust Gregg to Explain the Math.

From Gregg's mortgage clients since 1998.

"I was most nervous about a professional (expert) taking advantage of my lack of knowledge. ... He makes sure I understand what is happening and feel comfortable before taking the next step. ... Most importantly, he never makes his clients feel ignorant for asking questions or like they are a burden. He genuinely wants you to understand your options and feel confident in your decisions."

Jyll R., Senior Employee Relations Analyst

"He explained everything in detail, in a way I could understand, but if I had questions, I never had to wait very long to get satisfactory and understandable answers. ... If a friend asked me whether they could trust Gregg, I would tell them I have not met anyone more trustworthy."

Scott H., Deputy Attorney General

"Once I started working with Gregg, I was able to understand how the mortgage industry worked and how to best position ourselves for financial stability and prosperity. ... He always took the time to explain the best strategies and educate us on the best practices for our financial future."

Dave M., Retired Police Officer

What's inside

Here's What You'll Find Out.

Which of your 3 mortgage credit scores a lender really uses.
The one place to pull the same scores lenders use, without hurting your scores.
The everyday mistake that can drop your scores right before you apply.
The most your house payment can be, based on your own debt-to-income. Figure it yourself, before any lender does.
Why your paycheck may qualify you for more home than you think.
How to estimate your full house payment for any price, before you fall in love with a home.
What to avoid with your job while you're buying.
How much cash you really need to close, and why your first house payment works differently than rent.
The 30-second math that tells you if paying points is worth it.
Found the home yourself? How your agent may help pay part of your closing costs.
The 2 surprises that show up after closing, and what to do when they arrive.
Every step from applying to getting your keys.

Buying a home comes with a lot of new words. You'll hear them in every lesson, and I explain each one in plain English.

What you'll be able to do

Show Up Knowing Your Numbers.

Picture yourself talking to a lender and saying something like this:

"My middle mortgage credit score is 755. My debt-to-income ratio is 37.5%."

You won't be asking what you can get. You'll be telling them what you already know. You choose the lender. The lender doesn't choose you.

What you get

5 Short Lessons. One Clear Path, in the Order You'll Live It.

Each lesson is made of short videos, each just a few minutes. Watch on your phone. Every lesson ends with your Action Steps, so you know exactly what to do next.

Lesson 1

Know Your Real House Payment.

Why most buyers start backwards, and how to know your full house payment before you look at a single home.

Lesson 2

Know Your Real Numbers.

Pull the same credit scores lenders use, and see what they mean for your rate. Includes a bonus video.

Lesson 3

Know the Math.

Figure your own debt-to-income, and the most your house payment can be.

Lesson 4

Qualify for More.

How to qualify for more home without earning more money, or spending money you can't get back.

Lesson 5

Your Road Map to the Keys.

Every step from applying to getting your keys.

Only with the full course

Get All 5 Lessons, and You Also Get 2 Bonuses.

Bonus 1

The Know Your Numbers Workbook.

One simple, printable workbook. Write in your own numbers as you go, so you always know where you stand.

Bonus 2

Words to Know.

The mortgage and real estate words you'll hear, explained in plain English. Never nod along to a word you don't understand again.

Plus lifetime access. Watch any lesson as many times as you want, whenever you want.

Who it's for

Is This You?

You rent and want to buy your first home. Whether you're shopping now or a year away.

You're buying again, and you want to do it right this time.

You're a parent who wants your kids to buy smarter than you did.

Shopping now? Watch it before you sign anything.

A year away? Even better. Some changes take time to show up.

Not for you if you already own a home. Want to pay off debt or use your equity without losing your low rate? That's Borrow Smarter, my course for homeowners.

Get started

Everything You Get With Qualify Smarter.

All 5 lessons, made of short videos you can watch on your phone
Your Action Steps at the end of every lesson
Bonus 1: The Know Your Numbers Workbook ($27 value)
Bonus 2: Words to Know: mortgage and real estate words, in plain English ($17 value)
Lifetime access

All 5 lessons, one at a time: $623 All 5 lessons together: $199

A $542 car payment can shrink what you qualify for by $90,400. Knowing the math first costs $199.

Yes! Show Me the Math Before I Buy

Want just one lesson? You can buy any lesson on its own on the next page.

Wherever you live, this is for you. The education works the same in every state. If a rule changes by state, I'll show you how to check yours.

About Gregg

Licensed Ca. Mortgage Broker & Financial Educator since 1998.

One of 90 Certified Liability Advisors (CLA™) in the U.S.

Founding Member, National Institute of Financial Education.

Retired law enforcement. Serve to Protect.

Questions people ask

How long does it take?

Each lesson is made of short videos, each just a few minutes. Watch at your own pace.

I'm already talking to a lender. Is it too late?

No. As long as you haven't signed, it's not too late to Know Your Numbers and Know the Math.

Do I have to be buying right now?

No. Shopping now or a year away, it helps. Some changes take time to show up, so the sooner you start, the better.

Can I watch on my phone?

Yes.

Do I have to live in California?

No. Wherever you live, this is for you. The education works the same in every state. If a rule changes by state, I'll show you how to check yours.

Is there a workbook?

Yes. The printable workbook comes with the full course. If you buy one lesson on its own, you write on paper, using the fill-in boxes on screen.

How long do I have access?

For life. Watch any lesson as many times as you want, whenever you want.

Do you offer refunds?

No. This is a digital course you can watch the minute you buy it, so all sales are final.

You get one shot at buying your first home.

Know Your Numbers. Know what to avoid. And know how to qualify for more home. Let me show you the math, before it costs you.

Yes! Show Me the Math Before I Buy

Tonight, watch Lesson 1.

P.S. Thinking about a new car first? Read this before you sign. A $773 new car payment can cost you about $128,900 of home. That's the kind of math this course shows you, before it costs you.

Example at a 6% rate, for illustration only.