Editorial Policy — Mortgage Advisor Guide

Mortgage Advisor Guide exists to help homebuyers, refinancers, and real estate investors understand the mechanics and strategy behind home loans. We publish research-backed articles on mortgage types, rate shopping, qualification criteria, closing costs, underwriting processes, and refinancing decisions. Because this is Your Money or Your Life content—decisions made here affect tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars of a reader’s assets and liabilities—we hold ourselves to exacting standards for accuracy, source transparency, and editorial independence. Every claim we publish is traceable to verified sources, and every piece of guidance is written with the understanding that a person on the other side of the screen is making a real financial decision based partly on what we’ve written.

Our Editorial Team

David Park serves as Mortgage & Real Estate Finance Editor for Mortgage Advisor Guide. For 16 years, David worked as a mortgage underwriter and loan processor at both regional banks and national lenders, reviewing and approving thousands of loan applications across conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, and jumbo product lines. During that time, he developed fluency in underwriting guidelines, pricing engines, APR calculations, disclosure requirements, and the day-to-day mechanics of how mortgages actually close.

That institutional knowledge is the backbone of Mortgage Advisor Guide’s editorial voice. David has seen the specific red flags that cause loan denials, understands why certain borrowers qualify for certain programs, and knows the difference between what the guidelines say and how loan officers actually implement them in the field. When we explain why a debt-to-income ratio matters, or why a credit repair claim is misleading, or how lender overlays differ from investor guidelines—that comes from someone who has actually applied these rules to thousands of real applications.

Before transitioning into content strategy, David also completed the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB) certification program and maintains continuing education in mortgage regulations and lending law. He does not currently hold licenses as a loan officer or mortgage broker, which is intentional; our editorial role is to explain, not to originate. His role is to ensure that everything published on this site reflects both regulatory requirements and industry reality.

How We Research

Research at Mortgage Advisor Guide always begins with primary sources. Before we write an article on, say, FHA loan requirements, we do not rely on summaries or secondhand reporting. We pull the current FHA Loan Limits from the Federal Housing Finance Agency, cross-reference HUD Handbook 4000.1 (the actual underwriting guidelines), and review any recent policy memos from HUD’s Office of Single Family Housing. If we’re explaining conventional conforming loan limits, we read Fannie Mae’s current Selling Guide and Freddie Mac’s guidelines directly—not a lender’s interpretation of them.

When a claim about mortgage rates appears in one of our articles, we verify it against Federal Reserve data (H.15 selected interest rate series), Mortgage Bankers Association survey data, or primary data from lender rate sheets—never from press releases or marketing materials. If we cite a statistic about borrower behavior or lending trends, we check the original study, not a news article reporting on the study. We do this because secondary sources are often simplified, misquoted, or contextually incomplete in ways that matter when people are making six-figure financial decisions.

We also build relationships with experts in specific subdomains. For questions about VA loans, we consult the Veterans Benefits Administration’s official resources and often reach out to VA-trained loan originators. For FHA policy changes, we track updates from HUD’s official channels directly. For real estate law questions that vary by state, we consult published state bar association resources and, where needed, verify against practitioner handbooks from organizations like the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.

When sources conflict—and they sometimes do—we report the conflict transparently. We explain why one source may be authoritative in its domain, and what assumptions or time periods might explain the divergence. For example, mortgage rate averages reported by different surveys can vary slightly because they measure different loan products, points, and borrower profiles; we explain that context rather than hiding it.

Source Standards

We rely on the following categories of sources as authoritative for mortgage and real estate finance content:

  • Government agencies: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Federal Housing Administration (FHA/HUD), Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Federal Reserve, Veterans Benefits Administration, and USDA Rural Development.
  • Government-sponsored enterprises: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loan guidelines, pricing guidance, and policy updates.
  • Government-approved databases and directories: HUD’s counselor directory, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) database, and the Homeownership Preservation Foundation (HOPE) hotline directory.
  • Academic research: Peer-reviewed studies from university researchers, Federal Reserve economists, and think tanks like the Urban Institute or Brookings Institution.
  • Industry standards bodies: Mortgage Bankers Association survey data, National Association of REALTORS® statistics, and published guidelines from major investor entities.
  • Legal and regulatory texts: Published state and federal statutes, regulatory guidance documents, and court opinions (where they interpret lending law).

We do not rely on:

  • Lender marketing materials, testimonials, or press releases, even from major institutions (unless they’re announcing a policy change, in which case we verify through regulatory channels).
  • Unverified anecdotes or single case studies presented as representative.
  • Sponsored research, white papers funded by product manufacturers, or studies without clear methodology disclosure.
  • Bloggers, content farms, or aggregators, even if they cite sources (we go to the sources directly).
  • Real estate agent advice on financing topics (agents are experts in markets and transactions, not underwriting).
  • Paid or affiliate-driven comparisons with no transparent methodology.

When we reference a statistic, regulation, or policy, readers can trace the claim back to its source. We provide links to official documents, cite specific guideline sections, and name the organization behind the data.

Accuracy and Fact-Checking

Before any article is published, David Park reviews every factual claim against the primary sources cited. Specific numbers—loan limits, interest rate averages, percentages of borrowers in a category—are checked against the original data source, not a summarizing website. Regulatory claims (e.g., “FHA requires a minimum 3.5% down payment”) are verified against the governing guideline document, not against how a particular lender happens to state it.

When sources conflict on the same fact, we investigate the discrepancy. Sometimes the difference is semantic or contextual (for instance, “average mortgage rate” varies depending on which loan products and credit profiles are included in the survey). Sometimes a source is outdated. We report our finding transparently: we explain which source we’re relying on, why, and whether there’s meaningful disagreement in the field. For time-sensitive data like interest rates, we note the date the data was pulled and explain that rates change daily.

Keeping Content Current

Mortgage lending operates under a shifting regulatory landscape. The CFPB publishes new guidance; Fannie Mae updates its Selling Guide; FHA announces policy changes; Congress passes legislation affecting veterans’ benefits or first-time homebuyer incentives. Mortgage Advisor Guide reviews all published articles on an annual cycle and updates content immediately when major regulatory bodies publish new guidance that affects the accuracy of what we’ve written.

Each article displays a “Last Reviewed” date. This date tells readers when David Park or another qualified editor last verified the information against current sources. If a reader encounters an article with a “Last Reviewed” date more than 13 months in the past, they should be cautious and check whether regulatory or market conditions have changed. In a field where policy and rates shift frequently, currency matters as much as accuracy.

Corrections Policy

If you find an error in one of our articles, please report it using the contact form at mortgageadvisorguide.com/contact/. Include the article title, the specific claim you believe is inaccurate, and the source that contradicts it. Our editorial team investigates all reported errors within 48 hours. If we confirm a factual error, we correct the article within 7 days and add a correction note visible at the top or bottom of the article describing what was changed and why. Significant corrections that affect the overall conclusion of an article are noted with publication date and scope.

Editorial Independence

Mortgage Advisor Guide is independently operated and editorially independent from any lender, loan servicer, or real estate technology company. We generate revenue through two channels: display advertising and Amazon affiliate commissions (when readers click through to purchase mortgage-related books or tools we recommend). Neither revenue source determines what we recommend, what we research, or what our articles conclude.

We do not accept payment to review specific lenders, endorse particular loan products, or promote certain companies. We carry no sponsored content, no paid placements, and no manufacturer-funded comparisons. If an article compares lender features, that comparison reflects our research into publicly available information and stated policies, not a financial arrangement with any of the lenders featured.

Our goal is to explain how mortgages work and to help readers understand their own financial picture well enough to evaluate lenders and loan terms for themselves. We succeed when a reader feels more confident and informed, not when they’ve clicked a particular lender’s link.

A Note on Professional Advice

The content on Mortgage Advisor Guide is educational and informational. It is not personalized financial, legal, or tax advice. Every reader’s situation—credit history, income profile, state of residence, tax circumstances, family situation—is different. Mortgage decisions involve trade-offs that depend on your specific goals and constraints. Before applying for a mortgage, refinancing an existing loan, or making decisions about loan programs, consult a licensed mortgage loan officer, a HUD-approved housing counselor (find one free at HUD’s counselor directory), a real estate attorney licensed in your state, or a fee-only financial planner. These professionals can review your full situation and provide advice tailored to you.

What We Don’t Do

  • We do not provide personalized loan recommendations. We explain how different loan programs work and what criteria lenders use to evaluate them. We don’t tell you which loan program is “right for you.”
  • We do not sell mortgages, refinances, or any financial products. We are not a lender, broker, or servicer.
  • We do not offer investment advice or strategies. Our scope is home loans and residential real estate financing, not investment property analysis, portfolio construction, or tax optimization.
  • We do not diagnose credit or underwriting problems. If your application was denied, that’s a conversation for the lender or a housing counselor—not something we can troubleshoot in an article.
  • We do not provide state-specific legal guidance. Real estate and mortgage law varies significantly by state. We explain general principles and direct readers to a licensed attorney in their state for state-specific questions.
  • We do not engage in rate shopping for readers. We explain how to shop for rates and what to ask for, but we don’t check current rates, compare specific lenders’ offers, or pre-screen borrowers.

Last reviewed: January 2026. This page is updated whenever our editorial practices change.