Can you tell us a bit about how you got your start and what originally inspired you to work in mortgage lending?
I graduated from the Darden School of Business at UVA in 2009 and began my career in banking in a back-office corporate role. I enjoyed the business side, but I realized fairly quickly that what energized me most was the relationship side, sitting across the table from someone and helping them think through meaningful decisions.
In 2021, I joined Fulton Mortgage Company and had the privilege of working alongside longtime Charlottesville mortgage advisor Doug Adamson prior to his retirement in 2024. During that time, I became a Certified Mortgage Advisor®, which emphasizes integrating mortgage strategy into long-term wealth planning rather than treating it as a standalone transaction.
Real estate finance touches nearly every major life transition: growing families, career moves, and retirement planning. Mortgage lending is a blend of intellectual rigor, problem-solving, and community involvement.
What values or guiding principles shape how you work with clients?
I approach lending as part of a long-term relationship, not just a transaction. Education and holistic thinking guide the process so that clients approach a mortgage as a strategic decision that deserves thoughtful analysis.
A mortgage should fit your financial plan, so beyond rate and payment, I look at structure, liquidity, time horizon, and opportunity cost, ensuring each choice supports broader financial goals. Clients understand not just what they chose, but why it makes sense for their situation.
Because Fulton Mortgage services the loans we originate, that relationship continues well beyond closing. I remain a resource for questions, strategy reviews, and refinancing opportunities as markets shift and life evolves. A mortgage plan should adapt as circumstances change.
When most people think about a mortgage, the interest rate dominates the conversation. What else matters?
Rate matters, especially because it’s the most visible number in the conversation. But how the loan is structured and how long the borrower realistically expects to keep it often has just as much impact. Historically, most people do not hold the same mortgage for thirty years. Over five or ten years, amortization, time horizon, and down payment allocation can meaningfully change the outcome.
Liquidity provides flexibility. Committing more capital to a down payment or accelerating principal reduction reduces interest expense, but it also affects flexibility. That trade-off depends on the broader financial plan.
The interest rate sets the cost of borrowing. Structure determines how that cost unfolds over time.
How do you help clients evaluate the true cost of a mortgage beyond the monthly payment?
I model decisions over time rather than just at closing. Instead of focusing solely on payment, I build side-by-side comparisons that show how different loan structures perform over several years. We look at total interest paid, principal reduction, break-even points, and how preserving liquidity might influence other financial opportunities.
For some clients, that means comparing a 30-year structure to a hybrid loan. For others, it’s evaluating whether allocating less to a down payment and keeping more capital invested produces a stronger result.
Seeing the numbers unfold visually over time tends to shift the conversation from emotional to disciplined.
Can you share an example of when the lowest interest rate wasn’t the best option?
This comes up more often than people expect.
Sometimes, a borrower can lower their rate by paying discount points. On paper, that reduces interest expense. But if the financing is likely temporary because of a planned move or refinance, the break-even period may exceed the expected holding period. Paying two points to save $80 or $100 per month may look attractive until you realize it could take five or six years to recover that upfront cost. If the loan won’t last that long, the math doesn’t support it.
In those cases, preserving liquidity or accepting a slightly higher rate in exchange for lender credits can make more sense. When you analyze the decision over five years instead of thirty, the “best” option often looks different. The spreadsheet tells a fuller story than the rate sheet.
Anything else you’d like readers to know?
It’s never too early to have a strategic mortgage conversation, and it’s often more costly to wait than people realize. Underwriting guidelines, liquidity positioning, and credit structure are easier to optimize with time. Small adjustments made months in advance can meaningfully expand flexibility.
I’ve worked with clients for a year or more before they made an offer, not because they had to, but because preparation builds options and confidence. If you’re considering a move, renovation, or refinance, or considering a vacation or investment property, in the next year or two, let’s have a brief strategy session to clarify what’s possible now. Good decisions are easier to make when they’re not made under pressure.
My role is to help clients move forward with clarity and confidence, knowing their financing decisions align not only with today’s market but with where they want to be years from now.
I realized fairly quickly that what energized me most was the relationship side, sitting across the table from someone and helping them think through meaningful decisions.
My role is to help clients move forward with clarity and confidence, knowing their financing decisions align not only with today’s market but with where they want to be years from now.
Before an offer is written, Reid Thompson walks clients through scenarios:.
- What happens if the appraisal comes in low?
- How does that affect loan-to-value, down payment structure, or flexibility after closing?
"When buyers understand those trade-offs in advance, they act confidently instead of reactively," he said.