Michael Stallings

That quiet moment after the papers are signed and the keys are finally yours, that's the whole reason we do this. 🔑

There's a lot of front porches waiting for the right people. When you're ready to find yours, we'll handle the part that feels complicated.

Save this for the version of you that's almost there. 🤍

There are two types of homebuyers and they usually end up married to each other. 😂

The Planner has the spreadsheet. The Dreamer has the vision board. The magic happens when someone helps them meet in the middle (that's where we come in).

Tag your other half, which one are they? 👇

The 20% myth has talked more people out of homeownership than any interest rate ever has. 🏡

The truth? The "rules" you've heard about buying a home are mostly outdated, oversimplified, or just plain wrong. The only real first step is a conversation with someone who'll tell you where you actually stand.

Save this for when you're ready, and send it to the friend who keeps saying "someday." 👇

This was me, probably late 2016. I had just bought my first building and was starting to grow out the team.

Ten years later, 20,000 or so families served and I’m still not wearing shoes most days.

It’s crazy to think how much I thought I knew then.

Looking at this guy now makes me smile, realizing how little I really knew about anything.

The wisest man in any room is the one who believes he truly doesn’t know anything yet - The one that seeks wisdom and understanding, more often than he conveys it.

That’s the journey I’ve been on, seeking to understand so that I could increase my impact.

Today we launched Elevate, our mortgage advisor coaching platform, built by David and myself for our team at Northstar Mortgage Advisors.

The platform was Inspired by coaching greats in our business and the many incredible mentors in my life with one thing in mind.

Helping Mortgage Advisors architect the best version of themselves and their business, so that they can serve and influence our world for the better.

I’m standing on the shoulders of some great people who have poured into me and I’m excited about the opportunity to continue to pay it forward.

If you’re in the mortgage business and this is something that resonates with you. Click on my link in the bio and let’s set up a one-on-one call.

Here's something I'm proud of:

At NorthStar, every one of us is held to the same standard of client experience.

You won't get passed to a call center. You won't work with someone who disappears after you apply. You won't be handed off and forgotten.

You get an advisor. Someone who knows your file, your goals, and your timeline.

That's not marketing language. That's the expectation we set for ourselves — and the one our clients hold us to.

Ready to experience the difference? Let's connect.

I've watched people wait for the perfect time to buy for years.

Waiting for rates to drop. Prices to cool. Life to settle.

And here's the truth: the market never lines up perfectly. It never has for anyone.

What I've seen make the difference isn't timing the market. It's being ready when your life says it's time.

Financially prepared. Pre-approved. Clear on what you want and what you can sustain.

That's the 'perfect time.' And I help people get there every day.

Are you ready to start that conversation?

Today we remember and honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

Wishing everyone a meaningful Memorial Day spent with the people and places that feel most like home. ❤️🤍💙

Underwriting gets a bad reputation. Let me clear it up.

Underwriters aren't hoping to reject you. They're following a checklist — and when your file is clean, they check boxes fast.

Here's what causes slowdowns:

→ Large deposits that can't be sourced
→ Changing jobs mid-process (even for more money)
→ Opening new credit or financing a car
→ Co-signing on someone else's loan
→ Moving money between accounts without documentation

None of these are disqualifying — but they create questions, and questions create delays.

I tell my clients exactly what to do (and not do) from application to closing. That's how we close on time.

Let me tell you about a client who made great money and felt broke every month after closing.

The loan was technically affordable. It qualified. But between the payment, taxes, insurance, and HOA — there was nothing left.

That's not a success story. That's a structuring failure.

My job isn't just to get you to the closing table. It's to make sure your life on the other side of that closing actually works.

We talk about your full budget, your goals, and what you need left over every month. Then we build the loan around that.

Here's something most first-time buyers don't realize until it's almost too late:

The purchase price is just the beginning of the negotiation.

Seller concessions can cover your closing costs. Rate buydowns can lower your payment for the life of the loan. Inspection findings can bring the price down before you close.

Every one of those levers is money in your pocket — if you know to ask for them.

I prep my clients before they ever step into a negotiation so they know exactly which levers to pull.

That's not luck. That's preparation.