Grey Square doesn't originate loans — and we won't pretend to. What we do is connect you with vetted lenders across Texas and California, model the all-in monthly cost on every property you tour, and read closing disclosures with you line by line. Your loan officer competes for your business; we make sure you're getting a real number, not a teaser.
Twenty minutes. We talk about your savings, income, credit profile, and how long you intend to hold the property. We tell you which loan products are realistic and which lenders we trust to deliver.
We send you to two or three lenders — never one — so you can compare rate sheets, lender fees, and turn-times. We do not take referral fees from any of them. Period.
Not a rate quote. A pre-approval means a human underwriter has reviewed your income, assets, and credit. In a competitive market, sellers can tell the difference. We make sure you have one before tour day.
For every property you tour, we model principal, interest, taxes (Texas runs hot), insurance, HOA, and PMI. You see one number — what it actually costs to live there each month — not a misleading P&I figure.
Once you're under contract, we coordinate appraisal, conditions, and the rate-lock window with your lender. We chase paperwork so you don't. We tell you when something is at risk of slipping the close date.
Three days before closing, the CD lands. We sit on a call with you and read every line — origination fees, points, prepaid taxes, escrow setup. If a number moved from the loan estimate, we ask why.
No. We are licensed real estate brokerages in Texas and California — not a mortgage company. We refer you to lenders we've worked with for years and whose closing performance we can vouch for. We do not accept referral fees, kickbacks, or marketing reimbursements from any lender. Our recommendation is unbiased because our compensation is unrelated to which lender you choose.
Conventional loans go as low as 3-5% down with PMI; FHA loans require 3.5% with mortgage insurance for the life of the loan; VA loans (eligible veterans) require 0% down. Jumbo loans (above $806,500 in most counties for 2026) typically require 10-20%. The right answer depends on your savings cushion, the rate environment, and how long you plan to hold. We model both scenarios for you.
Pre-qualification is a soft conversation — the lender takes your stated numbers at face value and tells you what you might qualify for. Pre-approval means an underwriter has actually reviewed your tax returns, W-2s, bank statements, and credit. In a competitive market, listing agents will tell you which one a buyer brought. Always get pre-approved before touring.
Texas: assessed value × the combined county/city/school/MUD rate, typically 2.0-2.7% of market value. There's no state income tax to offset it. California: under Prop 13, your assessed value is the purchase price, increasing at most 2% annually until you sell. Effective rates are typically 1.0-1.25%. The carrying cost on a $1.2M home is dramatically different in Dallas vs. Pasadena — we model both.
Points are pre-paid interest. The math is simple: divide the cost of the points by the monthly savings to find your break-even in months. If you'll hold the loan past the break-even, points pay. If you'll refinance or sell sooner, they don't. We run this with you per property, per scenario. Most buyers overpay for points because no one shows them the break-even calculation.
If you already own, we can introduce you to lenders who specialize in cash-out refis (replacing your mortgage with a larger one) and HELOCs (a separate revolving line against your equity). We'll help you decide whether the rate spread, closing costs, and tax treatment make sense for what you're trying to fund — typically a renovation, an investment property, or a 1031-adjacent purchase. We won't push either product if neither one is the right tool.