About T.C. Strait / Mortgage Loan Officer
I’m TC Strait. Mortgage Loan Officer. Mason, Ohio. NMLS #164070.
I got into mortgages in 2002 after a friend talked me into a career change. That was over 20 years ago. I never left. About 10 years in, the company owner retired and gave me partial ownership. I’m now co-owner of a small, local community mortgage broker. Three of us total. Each operates independently. When you work with me, you work with me. Not a call center. Not a rotating team.
Born and raised in Southwest Ohio. UC Bearcats season ticket holder. Business Economics degree from the University of Cincinnati, early 2000’s. Married. Two stepkids, 14 and 12. A four-year-old daughter we call The Ginger. Two dogs, both purebred idiot.
What I Do
Residential mortgages. Purchases and refinances. That’s it.
I’m an independent broker, which means I shop your loan across 30+ wholesale lenders instead of being stuck with one bank’s product lineup. Most clients walk away with a lower rate and lower monthly payment than they’d get at their local bank.
Loan types I originate:
→ Conventional
→ FHA
→ VA
→ USDA
→ Jumbo
→ DSCR
→ Non-QM / Bank Statement
→ Investment Property
→ Refinances (cash-out, divorce, debt consolidation)
Licensed in Ohio. Core market: Mason, Maineville, Morrow, Loveland, and the rest of Southwest Ohio.
What makes me different
Underwriter-reviewed pre-approvals. Most pre-approvals are a loan officer running numbers through software and printing a letter. Mine aren’t. The actual underwriter who reviews your file when you go under contract has already signed off before you’ve found a house. Sellers and listing agents notice the difference.
I answer. Nights, weekends, holidays. The questions don’t come up during business hours. They come up at 8pm when you’re lying in bed doing math in your head, or Sunday morning at an open house when the agent asks if you’re pre-approved.
Hard cases are my specialty, not my problem. Self-employed buyers with write-offs. Sub-640 credit. Recent job changes. Non-traditional income. If I can’t get you approved today, I’ll build a real plan to get you there. One client took 8 months from credit coaching to closing table. That’s the job.
Local. Really local. I know property taxes by county. I know which neighborhoods are still inside USDA boundaries. I know the closing attorneys in Warren, Hamilton, and Butler Counties by name.
Sponsor of Little Miami School District events, PTO activities, and youth football. Also on my HOA board. I know. Yuck
How I Work
Here are just a few reasons why you should want to work with me.
Available
I answer when you have questions. Nights, weekends, holidays. Bank loan officers clock out at 5pm. I don’t.
Transparent
You’ll know what’s happening and why at every step. If there’s a bump in the road, you’ll hear about it from me before it becomes a problem.
Knowledgeable
20+ years in mortgages and access to 30+ wholesale lenders. I know who has stricter requirements, who has the best rates, and which programs fit which situations. I know the rules and the gray areas.