About Gary Bourgeois

I’m Gary Bourgeois, an experienced mortgage advisor, retired U.S. Army E8 and Texas real estate professional helping homebuyers, homeowners, veterans and investors navigate a wide range of mortgage and real estate decisions.

Gary Bourgeois, mortgage advisor and retired U.S. Army E8

I work with first-time buyers, move-up buyers, veterans, military families, self-employed borrowers, investors and clients purchasing higher-priced homes. My experience includes VA, conventional, FHA, USDA, jumbo, new-construction and investment-property financing, as well as more complex situations that don't always fit neatly into a standard mortgage scenario.

While I work across many types of mortgage financing, VA home loans are a particular area of specialization for me. After serving 23 years in the Army, helping veterans understand and make the most of the home loan benefit they've earned is personal to me.

From Military Service to Mortgage Lending

I spent 23 years in the U.S. Army before retiring as an E8. Military service taught me the value of preparation, communication and taking responsibility for the people who are counting on you. Those principles still shape the way I work today.

As a mortgage advisor with Barrett Financial Group, I help clients look beyond simply getting a loan approved. A mortgage is often one piece of a much larger financial decision, and I believe borrowers should understand their options before deciding how to finance a home.

Sometimes that means comparing VA financing with conventional financing. Sometimes it's determining how to buy a new home before selling the current one, financing new construction, working through self-employed income, purchasing an investment property or evaluating how much cash to put into a transaction.

The right answer isn't always the same for every borrower.

A Special Focus on VA Home Loans

My military background gives me a particular connection to the veterans and military families I serve, but experience with VA lending involves much more than knowing that a veteran may be eligible for a zero-down loan.

Questions involving remaining entitlement, subsequent use, multiple VA loans, military retirement income, higher-priced homes, construction financing and keeping an existing property can require a much deeper look at the borrower's overall situation.

That's one reason I created Mortgage Insights With Gary.

I want veterans to have a place where complicated VA questions are explained clearly, while also providing useful information for anyone trying to make a smarter mortgage or real estate decision.

Mortgage Guidance for North Texas and Beyond

I'm based in North Texas and work with homebuyers throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area, while my mortgage licensing allows me to serve borrowers in multiple states.

Whether you're buying your first home, moving into your next one, building a custom home, purchasing an investment property, relocating, retiring from the military or simply trying to determine which financing strategy makes the most sense, my job is to help you understand the options and the numbers behind them.

More Than Choosing a Loan Program

One of the biggest misconceptions about working with a mortgage professional is that the conversation starts with choosing a loan.

I think it should start with a different question:

What are you trying to accomplish?

From there, we can determine which financing options deserve consideration.

I stay personally involved in the strategy and communication surrounding my clients' mortgages. I also have a team behind me helping keep the details organized and transactions moving.

You're not being handed off to a team. You're working with me, with a team supporting the process behind the scenes.

Why I Write Mortgage Insights With Gary

There is plenty of mortgage information online. The problem is that a general answer isn't necessarily the right answer for a particular borrower.

Here I break down questions I regularly hear about:

VA and conventional financing, new construction, jumbo and higher-priced homes, self-employed borrowers, investment properties, mortgage strategy, homeownership and the financial decisions surrounding real estate.

My goal is to explain these topics in plain English, point readers toward authoritative resources when appropriate and help people know which questions they should be asking before making a decision.

Connect With Gary

Gary Bourgeois
Mortgage Advisor
VA Home Loan Specialist | Conventional | FHA | USDA | Jumbo | Construction | Investment
Retired U.S. Army E8 | 23 Years of Service
Barrett Financial Group
NMLS #2074070

LinkedIn

YouTube

Apply / Start a Conversation

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

VA Loan vs. Conventional With 20% Down: Which Is Better for Veterans?

Image
  VA Loan vs. Conventional With 20% Down: Which Is Better for Veterans? If you're eligible for a VA loan and have enough cash to put 20% down on a home, you may be asking a question I hear from financially established veterans: Should I still use my VA loan if I can afford a 20% down payment? Maybe. Having the money to put 20% down doesn't automatically mean you should. It also doesn't mean a VA loan is automatically the better choice. I'm a retired Army veteran and a mortgage advisor, and when I'm looking at this decision with another veteran, I don't start with which loan program sounds better. I run the numbers. Because the real question isn't simply VA loan vs. conventional loan. It's: Which financing strategy puts you in the strongest financial position? Prefer the Short Version VA Loan vs. Conventional With 20% Down: The Quick Comparison Here's the basic difference. VA Loan Conventional With 20% Down 20% down required? No Yes for this compariso...
Read more

Can You Have Two VA Loans at the Same Time?

Image
Can You Have Two VA Loans at the Same Time? Yes. In some situations, you can have two VA-backed loans at the same time. That does not mean everyone with an existing VA loan will qualify for another one. The answer depends on how much entitlement you have remaining, the mortgage you already carry, where you are buying, the price of the next home and whether you can financially qualify for both properties. I’m Gary Bourgeois. I served 23 years in the Army, retired as an E8 and now work as a mortgage advisor. When a veteran asks me this question, I don’t give them a quick yes or no based on one number. I look at the entire situation. Prefer the Short Version? Watch my video explanation below. Then, if your situation is different from the example, send me the details and I’ll help you sort through it. Watch My Video Here Why Would Someone Need a Second VA Loan? This usually comes up when a veteran: Relocates for a civilian job or receives PCS orders Needs a larger home for a growing family...
Read more