[Ken Coury]

This is the right warning. The number on Zillow is usually just principal and interest — the real payment adds taxes, homeowners insurance, PMI if the down payment is under 20%, and HOA. The insurance piece is the one that varies most by house, so I tell buyers to price it before they fall in love with the house, not after the offer is in.

[Ken Coury]

The prepaid homeowners insurance line is the one that surprises buyers most. At closing you’re usually prepaying a full year of premium, plus a couple of months into escrow as a cushion — so it’s not a small line. It helps to get the insurance quote early, so that number isn’t a surprise on the settlement statement.

[Ken Coury]

Good breakdown. The piece I see buyers miss most is the insurance line inside that housing ratio. Two houses at the same price can carry very different premiums — roof age, location, prior claims — and that difference changes the monthly payment, which changes the price a buyer can actually afford. It’s worth pricing the insurance before the offer, not after.

[Ken Coury]

Michelle covered the DTI, credit, and overlay side well — the one piece I’d add from the insurance side is the housing payment itself.

A pre-approval is usually built on an estimated payment, and the insurance number inside that estimate is often the seller’s prior premium or a generic figure. The actual premium is set later, after the carrier’s inspection and underwriting — roof age, rebuild cost, claims history, location — and if it lands higher, the payment rises and the DTI tightens with it. The same can happen when taxes and escrow get recalculated.

That’s why the insurance number matters before the DTI is final, not after. When the real quote is in the file during the inspection period, the payment the lender is qualifying against is the real one — no surprise at the end.

— Ken

[Ken Coury]

Ammitai, thank you for raising this. Gus’s explanation and Mridula’s point about someone being able to pick up the file highlight where clear communication from the insurance side can help.

From my perspective as an insurance broker, I can contribute by keeping the insurance portion organized and communicating its status to the designated loan officer or processor.

That means bringing together the borrower’s property information and coverage needs, the lender’s insurance requirements, and the carrier’s underwriting requirements. If something remains outstanding, I can clarify what is needed, who we are waiting on, and when I will follow up.

For example, if a carrier needs an inspection before approving coverage, a clear update gives the mortgage team something specific to track and helps the borrower understand the next step.

Building on Gus’s point about clear ownership, keeping those updates documented helps whoever handles the file understand what has been confirmed and what still needs attention. My role is to support the team’s process by making the insurance piece easier to follow through on, including if the file changes hands.

— Ken Coury
Coury Insurance Group

[Ken Coury]

Otis, yes—life insurance can help provide the surviving spouse with funds to keep the home, provided appropriate coverage is in place before the loss occurs.

One distinction I would add: mortgage protection does not necessarily require a policy that pays the lender or decreases with the mortgage balance. A traditional level term life policy can provide a fixed death benefit to the named beneficiary, giving the family flexibility to address the mortgage and other needs.

There are also different ways to approach the amount of protection.

Ideally, we would explore enough coverage to pay off the mortgage and help with ongoing household expenses. But if that premium is more than the couple can comfortably maintain, another approach is a smaller death benefit designed to provide a mortgage payment cushion.

In your example, the $4,000 monthly housing payment would total $48,000 over 12 months. That could be a starting point for discussing coverage, with other living expenses and available survivor income considered separately. Twelve months is an illustration—the appropriate amount and timeframe depend on the household.

That cushion could give the surviving spouse time to adjust, evaluate whether keeping the home is affordable, or prepare to sell and access the remaining equity without the immediate pressure of missed payments. It would not pay off the mortgage or guarantee that the home could sell within that period.

For a couple in their mid-sixties, I would review existing coverage, health, mortgage obligations, survivor income, and budget before recommending a policy or discussing premiums.

The goal is practical: help the family maintain coverage they can afford and give the surviving spouse time, options, and financial breathing room.

— Ken Coury
Coury Insurance Group
Licensed Independent Insurance Broker

[Ken Coury]

Great work, Gus and team! Getting a borrower from a denial to the closing table takes persistence, communication, and people willing to work through the challenges. Congratulations to everyone involved in making this happen!

[Ken Coury]

Thanks, Gus. Appreciate it — the post-closing piece is the part that gets overlooked most, so I’m glad it landed.

[Ken Coury]

Appreciate it, Gus!

On the directory: Razel already has our business listing live in the directory, and we’re rounding it out with our company pages and videos so your borrowers can find everything in one place, easy to navigate.

Thanks for pushing this forward.

— Ken