Buying Our First Home
About 16 years ago, my wife and I stood together dreaming of buying our first home, about having keys in our hands. We were early in our marriage, financially uncertain, and honestly pretty clueless about the whole process. I remember calling a loan officer whose name I'd gotten from somewhere—probably off of a recommendation I can barely recall now—and feeling intensely insecure the entire time.
Shouldn't I know how to do this already? Am I asking dumb questions? Why does being an adult feel so confusing?
But that loan officer did something remarkable: he paused, he listened, he gave me space. Every single time I had a question—no matter how basic—he answered it fully. If I still didn't understand, he'd answer it again. He took all the time in the world to make sure I knew what was happening at every step. Because of him, we got more than just a mortgage. We got confidence. We got peace of mind during what could have been an overwhelming experience.
And when we finally opened that door as homeowners, it felt surreal. And in that moment, I realized something profound: I wanted to be that person for as many people as possible.
From UCLA to USC Campus Ministry to Your Kitchen Table
My path to mortgage lending wasn't exactly linear. I graduated from UCLA with a degree in Business Economics—honestly, because I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and figured "business and numbers" would be useful no matter where I landed. Turns out, I was right.
Right out of college, I became a campus pastor at USC. For about 12 years, I invested in college students during one of the most pivotal seasons of their lives. I loved it. There's something incredibly meaningful about walking alongside people during moments of transition, confusion, and growth—helping them navigate the deepest questions about life, identity, and purpose.
The Move to Hawaiʻi and a New Chapter
In 2014, my family and I moved to Hawaiʻi to be closer to my wife's family. A few years in, I started feeling called to continue ministry work—but in a different way. I wanted people's financial gifts to go toward actual community impact: helping the homeless, supporting local missions, meeting real needs—not paying my mortgage or putting food on my kids' plates.
So I asked myself: What could I do in the "normal working world" that would actually use my skills?
After some conversations and thought, the answer I landed on honestly surprised me: Mortgage loan officer.
I thought about it—I'm good with numbers and business. I love helping people through transitional, high-stakes moments in their lives. And buying a home? That's one of the most significant milestones a family will ever experience. It's a step from one stage of life to another.
As it turned out, I'm really good at this. And even more importantly, I love it.
Shepherding Families, One Loan at a Time
I still see myself as a pastor in many ways—just in a different context. Instead of shepherding people through spiritual questions, I'm shepherding people and families through one of the most stressful, confusing, and important decisions they'll ever make.
My main concern for you as a first-time home buyer? I want you to understand the process as well as possible so you have confidence—not confusion. So your stress is as low as it can be during an inherently stressful time. My goal is for you to hold those keys in your hand and feel the same surreal, empowering moment I felt 16 years ago.
I work with all kinds of clients—first-time buyers, move-up buyers, refinancers, investors. But my absolute favorite? First-time home buyers. I know personally what a significant moment that is. And I want to help as many people as possible achieve it.
What It's Like to Work With Me
When people work with me, I think they feel that I genuinely care—because I do. I'm interested in your story. I want to know about your kids, your job, your hobbies, why you're making this move. Sometimes we talk about youth sports for a while before we even get to interest rates. And honestly? I love those conversations.
I'm patient. I don't rush. If you ask a question and my answer doesn't click, ask it again. I'll explain it differently. You're not supposed to know all this stuff—that's literally what I'm here for.
At the end of the day, a mortgage isn't just a financial product. It's a gateway to a new chapter. And I want to walk alongside you and help you open that door.
