ABOUT KEITH
Hi there! I’m Keith, a Certified Mortgage Planner (CMP) and co-founder of The Lending Collective. My passion is helping people navigate the often-overwhelming world of homeownership with clarity and confidence.
At The Lending Collective, we believe there’s a smarter, more affordable way to achieve your homeownership dreams. With access to over 100 lending options across the country, we specialize in personalized mortgage solutions that fit your unique goals—because one size definitely doesn’t fit all.
Our wholesale approach means better rates and fewer headaches for you. Whether you’re buying your first home, refinancing, or exploring long-term financial strategies, my goal is to make the process smooth, stress-free, and tailored to your success.
Outside of mortgages, I’m a husband, dad, and community guy. My wife Noelle and I are raising our two daughters, Haven and Harlow, on a little slice of land just outside Nashville, where we take care of chickens, horses, and even a few beehives. I also lead 100 Strong, a nonprofit that brings local men together to support Middle Tennessee charities through collective giving.
If you’re looking for a mortgage expert who’s as invested in your financial success as you are, let’s connect. I’d love to help you or your clients make homeownership dreams a reality!
RESOURCES
Blended Rate Calculator
The Lending Collective
Blended Rate Calculator
Your mortgage rate is not your rate
You might have locked 3% on the house and still be paying eleven percent on the money you actually owe. Add up every debt you carry and see the real number.
Your blended rateWeighted by balance
—
The true average rate across everything you owe
← Width = balanceHeight & weight = rate ↑
How to read it. The solid line is your blended rate. Anything reaching above it is pulling your average up. The circled block is the one costing you the most per dollar borrowed — usually it's the narrowest one on the page.
What it costsAt current balances
Total owed$0
Interest / year$0
Interest / month$0
Your debtsBalance & rate
Skip anything at 0%, and skip any card you pay off in full each month. Those aren't costing you.
If it were one loanConsolidation scenario
7.25%Consolidated rate
4%16%
Add a debt or two to see the difference.
Want the real numbers?
This is a back-of-napkin average. What it can't see is your equity, your term, or what a lender will actually approve. That part takes a conversation.
Book a 15-minute callPROCEEDS STRATEGY
The Lending Collective
Proceeds Strategy
Don't put it all down
Almost every seller assumes the whole check from the old house belongs in the new one. Meanwhile two car notes and a pile of credit card debt come along for the ride. A dollar of mortgage debt costs you a fraction of what a dollar of consumer debt costs every month — so the same money does more work paying off the expensive stuff.
Loaded with example numbers. Replace them with yours.
The sale & the purchaseStart here
$
After paying off the old mortgage and agent commissions.
$
%
yrs
$
Closing costs, prepaids, escrows.
%/yr
Applies only above 80% loan-to-value.
Debt you're carryingBalance & monthly payment
Cost per $1,000 borrowedMonthly
This is the whole argument. Every $1,000 of mortgage debt costs a few dollars a month. Every $1,000 on a credit card costs several times that. The circled bar is your most expensive money — it's the one your proceeds should be aimed at.
How much to put downStrategy B
10%Down payment
3%40%
The two strategiesMonthly household outgo
—
Lower every month by paying off debt instead
Mortgage P&I
Mortgage insurance
Consumer debt
| A — All down | B — Pay off debt | |
|---|---|---|
| Down payment | — | — |
| Loan amount | — | — |
| Loan-to-value | — | — |
| Mortgage P&I | — | — |
| Mortgage insurance | — | — |
| Consumer debt payments | — | — |
| Monthly outgo | — | — |
| Debt paid off at closing | — | — |
| Cash left in reserves | — | — |
Enter your numbers to see the comparison.
Run this on your actual file
Every lender has limits on how low a down payment can go, and paying off debt at closing has rules of its own. Let's find out what your file will actually support.
Book a 15-minute call