Skip links

Brian Houk

Loan Officer

NMLS ID 1500967
Purchase Refinance

About Brian

I was born and raised here in Des Moines and have been in the mortgage industry for 5+ years now. I love to watch and play sports and am a die-hard Iowa Hawkeye and Chicago Cubs fan. I love to help people find the right loan for their specific situation and hope that I can help you as well. Contact me today with ANY questions you have!

Contact Details

2370 NW 128th Street,
Urbandale, IA 50322

bhouk@homeside.com

(515) 421-0259

I am licensed in Iowa, Illinois, Florida.

  • By far the best Mortgage team I've ever worked with. Polite, professional and very knowledgeable. I've bought and sold multiple houses in the past before working with their team and after my recent home purchase experience I will continue to work with them going forward. - Ryan S
  • We have been in our new home for 5 days now and we're so happy here!!! Love love love all our new space has to offer our growing family. We want to thank Brian Houk for making the mortgage process insanely simple. We went straight through a bank when purchasing our first home and it was such a mess and gave us lots of sleepless nights. We switched to Brian for our refinance and it was so easy that I wasn't a bit nervous going into this purchase. He handles everything and keeps you so updated along the way. He's easy to reach anytime of day and also went above and beyond to help us snag this home when we had competing offers! Thank you, Brian! In summary, we love our new home and you need to call Brian if you're even thinking about purchasing a home! - Juan C
  • Brian and his team were awesome! They helped ensure we found a mortgage that fit us best and never fell short on providing us great service. Brian especially helped us be comfortable by answering any question we had, regardless of when we had it. He even made sure to bring humor and fun to the process to help offset some of the stress that comes with buying a new house. With Brian as our partner, we were able to feel confident closing on our new home! - Dakota D

Homeowner Benefits

  1. Shelter and Security – Beyond fulfilling the basic need of shelter, owning your home provides added security that your shelter is in your control.
  2. Building Equity – Growing your equity increases your borrowing and purchasing power, building your future financial resources.
  3. Tax Benefits – Mortgage interest and property taxes are deductible! Dependent on your circumstances, additional tax breaks may be available as well.
  4. Good Long-Term Investment – Rather than paying for the use of someone else’s property, you are able to invest in your own with a high likelihood of profitability in the future.
  5. Creative Freedom – Homeownership comes with the added benefit of being able to make decisions about permanent changes to your home that renting does not. That pink door you’ve always wanted or that ultimate deck set-up you’ve been dreaming of can be yours.

For benefits specific to you, reach out to your loan officer today!

Dos & Don'ts of Home Buying

Avoid some of the most common pitfalls of the mortgage process. Here are a few tips to ensure a speedy process and smooth closing.

DO

  • Get preapproved. We don’t want you to fall in love with a house that’s out of your budget.
  • Inform us of any financial or employment changes.
  • Continue to pay your rent, mortgage and all monthly payments on time.
  • Maintain your current employment and income.
  • Keep a paper trail of important documents such as W2’s, tax returns, paystubs etc.
  • ASK QUESTIONS! We’re here to help and will never be too busy to respond to you.

DON’T

  • Go house shopping without knowing what you can afford.
  • Change or quit your current job.
  • Make major purchases such as furniture, new cars, boat, etc.
  • Make large cash deposits in your bank account other than your paycheck.
  • Plan a vacation during your loan process.
  • Apply for, pay off, max out or close any credit card accounts.

Mortgage Application Checklist

Ready to get started? Below is a list of documentation we’ll need to get started processing your loan.

-Two most recent and complete tax returns
-Two most recent W2s*
-Two most recent pay stubs
-Two most recent and complete bank statements
-A copy of your photo ID

*Self employed borrowers may need to provide additional documentation

Mortgage Acronyms

ARM: Adjustable-Rate Mortgage
CD: Closing Disclosure
CLTV: Combined Loan-to-Value
DTI: Debt-to-Income
DU: Desktop Underwriter
EMD: Ernest Money Deposit
HELOC: Home Equity Line of Credit
LE: Loan Estimate
LTV: Loan-to-Value
MIP: Mortgage Insurance Premium
PMI: Private Mortgage Insurance