CompareAK by Derek Huit · NMLS #203980 Start My Application

Derek Huit · NMLS #203980 · Cardinal Financial

Compare your Alaska mortgage options

Side-by-side loan comparisons and a plain-English calculator — built for Alaska homebuyers. No hype, no hidden agendas, just the numbers that matter.

Start My Application Compare Loan Types

Licensed in: AK · FL · GA · IL · IN · MI · MT · OK · TX · WA

Four loan types. One honest comparison.

Every buyer is different. Here's how the major programs stack up at a glance — then dig into the details on the comparison page.

VA Loan

For eligible veterans & service members

0% down payment for eligible borrowers, no monthly mortgage insurance, and competitive terms for those who served. Alaska's military community — JBER, Eielson, Fort Wainwright, Coast Guard — this is your lane.

See VA details →

FHA Loan

Lower barrier to entry

3.5% minimum down payment and more flexible credit guidelines. A strong fit for first-time Alaska buyers getting into their first home.

See FHA details →

Conventional

Flexible and widely used

Down payment options vary by program, and stronger credit is typically rewarded. Private mortgage insurance can usually be removed once you build enough equity.

See Conventional details →

Jumbo

For higher-priced Alaska homes

When the home you want exceeds standard loan limits, a jumbo loan covers the difference. Talk with Derek about what your price range makes possible.

Ask about Jumbo →

Short on down payment? There's help.

Cardinal's national down payment assistance program offers 3.5% or 5% toward your down payment as a repayable second lien — a second loan you repay, not a grant. No income limit.

How Down Payment Assistance Works

Run your own numbers

Enter your own home price, down payment, rate, and term. The calculator shows estimated principal & interest — nothing pre-filled, nothing promised.

Open the Calculator

Estimates only — not a credit offer, quote, or commitment to lend. For illustration only.

How comparing works here

Compare loan types

Read the side-by-side breakdown of VA, FHA, and Conventional so you know which lane fits your situation.

Run the calculator

Plug in your own numbers to estimate principal & interest. You control every input.

Apply in minutes

When you're ready, start a real application with Cardinal Financial — soft credit pull, real pre-approval, no obligation.

Watch: What I Tell My Kids About Buying a Home

This is the exact conversation I have with my own kids about buying a home — recorded as a 25-episode video series. No hype, no sales pitch: the math on renting vs. owning, the lies that keep renters stuck, the three numbers that decide whether you're ready, how down payments and closing costs really work, and how to find out where you stand in about ten minutes. Watch them in order, or jump to the one that answers your question today.

Episodes 1–10

  1. Why I'm Teaching My Kids About Buying a Home (Before They Need It)
  2. Renting vs. Owning: The Math Nobody Shows You (Rent Is 100% Interest)
  3. 5 Lies Renters Tell Themselves (And What They Cost You)
  4. Are You Ready to Buy a House? The 3 Numbers That Decide
  5. The 10-Minute Check: Find Out If You Can Buy a Home
  6. How Much House Can You Afford? Payment First, Not Price
  7. 3 Numbers Every Home Buyer Must Know Before Shopping
  8. Why Waiting to Buy a House Costs You More Than Rates
  9. What Every 25-Year-Old Should Know About Buying a Home
  10. Your First Home Is a Tool, Not a Trophy (Starter Home Strategy)

Episodes 11–20 · Money Foundations

  1. How to Save for a House While Paying Rent (The System That Actually Works)
  2. What a Down Payment Really Is (Your First Chunk of Ownership)
  3. How Much Down Do You Actually Need? (The 20% Myth, Busted)
  4. Where Down Payment Money Can Come From (Savings, Gifts, and a Second Lien)
  5. Gift Funds: The Rules in Plain English (Paperwork That Protects Your Loan)
  6. Down Payment Assistance Without the Fairy Tales (It's a Loan, Not Free Money)
  7. Closing Costs: Every Fee Explained (The 2–5% Nobody Budgets For)
  8. Cash-to-Close: The Only Number That Matters (Down Payment + Costs − Credits)
  9. Earnest Money: What It Is and How to Protect It (Don't Lose Your Deposit)
  10. The True Cost of Your First Year (Budget Beyond the Mortgage)

Episodes 21–25 · Credit, Demystified

  1. What a Credit Score Actually Measures (It's a Prediction, Not a Report Card)
  2. The 5 Factors, Ranked by Damage (Focus on the Top Two)
  3. Read Your Credit Report Like an Underwriter (Your App Score Isn't the One That Decides)
  4. Disputes: How to Actually Fix Errors (One in Five Reports Has One)
  5. The 6-Month Credit Game Plan Before You Buy (Month by Month, Plus the 90-Day Crash Plan)

Find out where you're at — it's free, takes 10 minutes, and commits you to nothing. Call or text (907) 244-9368.

Watch the series here   Open the YouTube playlist

Derek Huit · NMLS 203980 · Cardinal Financial · NMLS 66247 · Equal Housing Opportunity

Ready to see which loan fits?

Talk with Derek Huit, NMLS #203980 — licensed in Alaska and nine other states.

Start My Application

Soft credit pull. Real pre-approval. No obligation.