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Mecklenburg County, NC

Matthews Mortgage Broker and Lender

1st Advantage Mortgage is a licensed mortgage broker and lender in Charlotte, NC. Matthews homebuyers in Mecklenburg County can compare loans near Stumptown Park.

Matthews at a glance

Serving Matthews
Our full North Carolina licensed team
Programs
Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, Jumbo and more
Typical pre-approval
24 hours
Office
About 25 minutes from Matthews in Uptown Charlotte

Also serving Mint Hill, Stallings, Indian Trail and southeast Charlotte.

Matthews grew up around a railroad crossing southeast of Charlotte and kept its own center: Stumptown Park, the Saturday market, Squirrel Lake Park and Novant Health Matthews Medical Center. Most of the housing is established rather than new, which makes it a steady purchase market and a strong refinance one.

Our team works across Mecklenburg County, NC and the wider Charlotte metro. As a mortgage lender and broker, we compare offers from multiple wholesale lenders on each file, so Matthews borrowers can review pricing, fees, and loan-program fit for the property they are considering.

A Matthews address is not always Mecklenburg County

The county line runs close to town, and a number of properties with a Matthews mailing address sit in Union County rather than Mecklenburg. That changes the tax rate and the school assignment, and it catches buyers out more often than any other local quirk.

We check the county on the parcel record rather than the postal address, so the payment estimate you are working from is the right one for that specific house.

Refinancing an established Matthews home

Because so much of Matthews is established housing rather than new construction, plenty of owners here have held the same loan for years without anyone reviewing it. Two things are worth checking: whether you have enough equity to drop mortgage insurance, and whether a shorter term costs less each month than you assume once the rate changes.

Both take a short conversation to answer. If the answer is that you should stay where you are, we will tell you that.³

Loan programs for Matthews buyers

We place every program for Matthews borrowers. Each one has its own page with full eligibility detail. These are the short versions.

Program Best suited to Minimum down
ConventionalCredit and pricing vary by lender3%
FHAFirst-time buyers, lower credit3.5%
VAVeterans and active military$0⁴
USDAEligible addresses outside the metro core$0¹
JumboAbove the conforming limitVaries
InvestmentRental and second propertiesVaries
Adjustable-rateShorter expected ownershipVaries

Refinancing instead? We handle rate and term, cash-out and VA rate-reduction refinances and will show you the break-even before you commit.³

Get Pre-Approved

Estimate your payment

Drag the sliders for a realistic monthly figure. No sign-up, no credit pull.

Open the calculator

Officers serving Matthews

Esther LawaniNMLS #1704708
Alex HodgsonNMLS #1996007
Michael VittatoeNMLS #1906987
James ScottNMLS #1381403
See the whole team →

Loan programs

Conventional
FHA
VA
USDA
Jumbo
Investment property
Adjustable-rate (ARM)

Talk to a licensed officer

Our full North Carolina licensed team works on Matthews files. Pre-approvals usually within 24 hours.

Find your officer

More guides

Best Mortgage Programs For First-Time Homebuyers In North Carolina And South Carolina
The Home Loan Process in North Carolina: From Application to Closing
Common Mortgage Myths For Homebuyers In Charlotte, NC
See all →
Your local team

Loan officers serving Matthews

Every North Carolina licensed loan officer on our team serves Matthews and Mecklenburg County, NC.

See the whole team

Around Matthews

Neighborhoods and towns we lend in

Same team, same programs, same 24-hour pre-approval across Mecklenburg County, NC. Before you write an offer, read what our clients say and our guide to getting approved for a mortgage in NC.

MatthewsMint HillStallingsIndian TrailWeddingtonCharlotte
Questions

Matthews mortgage questions, answered

What down payment assistance is available to Matthews buyers?

North Carolina buyers can look at the NC Home Advantage Mortgage from the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, which pairs a conventional, FHA, VA or USDA loan with down payment help for buyers who qualify. Every one of these has income and purchase price limits, and the limits change, so we check what you qualify for at the time you apply rather than quoting you a number today.

How long does closing take in Mecklenburg County, NC?

Most purchases close in about 21 to 45 days from an accepted offer, and refinances are usually similar. Where you land in that range depends on the loan program, the appraisal and how fast documents come back. You get a timeline on day one and a call the moment anything moves it.

Can I get a VA loan in Matthews?

Yes. A VA loan works in Matthews exactly as it does anywhere else in North Carolina: no down payment for eligible veterans, service members and surviving spouses, no monthly mortgage insurance, and a VA funding fee that some borrowers are exempt from. Several of our officers write VA loans.

Is Matthews a good place to buy a home?

That is a question for a real estate agent rather than a mortgage broker, and we would rather say so than guess. What we can tell you is exactly what you can afford in Matthews, what the monthly payment looks like at today's pricing, and what it would take to be competitive on an offer. If you need an agent who works Matthews regularly, we can introduce you to one.

Do you work with first-time buyers in Matthews?

Yes, and a good share of our Matthews files are first-time buyers. We start with what you can comfortably afford rather than the maximum a lender will approve, walk through which program fits, and show you real closing costs before you start looking, so nothing at the table is a surprise.

Do you lend in Matthews?

Yes. 1st Advantage Mortgage is a licensed mortgage broker in North Carolina, and our loan officers licensed there can take your file. We handle both purchase and refinance in Matthews.

How fast can I get pre-approved in Matthews?

Usually within 24 hours of us having your information. We start with a short conversation about your goals, income and credit, then issue a pre-approval letter you can put in front of a seller.⁶

Are you a bank?

No, and that is the point. We are a broker, so we compare offers from multiple wholesale lenders on every file instead of fitting you to one institution's product. That covers conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, jumbo, investment and adjustable-rate programs.

What credit score do I need to buy in Matthews?

It depends on the program. FHA can go as low as 500 with a larger down payment, and 580 with 3.5% down. Conventional generally starts at 620, with pricing that varies by lender and borrower profile. We will tell you which programs you qualify for before you start looking.

Can you help if I am refinancing rather than buying in Matthews?

Yes. We handle rate and term refinances, cash-out refinances and, for eligible veterans, the VA interest rate reduction refinance. We will run the numbers and tell you where your break-even point is.³

Hero photograph: Trade Street in downtown Matthews, North Carolina by Jon Platek, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Legal information

¹ No-Down Payment Disclaimer: Closing costs and fees may still apply.

² Representative example (conventional, fixed rate): Purchase price $300,000 with a 5% down payment of $15,000 and a loan amount of $285,000. 30-year fixed rate at 6.000% (6.390% APR). 360 monthly principal-and-interest payments of $1,708.72, plus estimated private mortgage insurance of $95.00 per month until the loan balance reaches 78% of the original value (approximately 129 months). APR reflects $1,995 in lender fees, 15 days of prepaid interest, and mortgage insurance. Payment does not include property taxes, homeowners insurance, or HOA dues; your actual payment will be higher. The interest rate is fixed and will not increase. Example dated September 12, 2026, for illustration only. Rates change daily. This is not an offer, quote, or commitment to lend. All loans are subject to credit approval, property appraisal, and program eligibility. Your rate, APR, and payment will depend on your credit, down payment, property, and loan program.

³ Refinancing Disclaimer: When refinancing your mortgage, you can typically reduce your monthly payment amount. However, your total finance charges may be greater over the life of your loan. Your 1st Advantage Mortgage loan professional will provide you with a comprehensive refinance comparison analysis to determine your total life loan savings.

⁴ VA Mortgage Disclaimer: VA home loan purchases offer options for a 0% down payment, no private mortgage insurance requirements, and competitive interest rates with specific qualification requirements. VA Interest Rate Reduction Loans (IRRRL) are exclusively for veterans with current VA loans. Current loan rate restrictions apply, and limits to recoupment of costs and fees apply. VA cash-out refinances are available for veterans with or without current VA loans. Policies and guidelines may vary and are subject to individual borrower(s) qualifications. Program and lender overlays apply.

⁵ Down Payment Assistance Disclaimer: First-lien interest rates may be higher when using a DPA.

⁶ Pre-Approval Disclaimer: Pre-approvals are granted to clients who meet qualifying approval criteria and specific loan requirements at the time of application. Results may vary.

General Disclaimer: The content on this page has not been approved, reviewed, sponsored, or endorsed by any department or government agency.