Suppose you are buying in Mechanicsville, VA for $400,000 with 5% down ($20,000), which leaves a $380,000 loan on a 30-year term. At an illustrative interest cost of 6.50%, principal and interest comes to about $2,402 a month. At 6.25%, it is about $2,340. Now add illustrative monthly escrow items: roughly $267 for property tax (assuming $0.80 per $100 of assessed value), $125 for homeowners insurance, and $158 for mortgage insurance. The full payment is about $2,952 at 6.50% and about $2,890 at 6.25%. Those figures are examples as of 2026, not quotes.
A gap of about $62 a month is roughly $744 a year, and it only shows up if someone shops your file and shows you both numbers. No agency publishes an official ranking of mortgage brokers in Hanover County, so any “top rated” label is only as good as the checks behind it. Here are five checks you can run on any broker, and a side-by-side summary of Duane Buziak’s verified credentials follows them.
1. Verify the License on NMLS Consumer Access
Every mortgage loan originator in the United States must be registered in the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System, and the public can search it for free on NMLS Consumer Access. A license is the entry ticket. A broker who cannot pass this check should not reach your shortlist, however good the reviews look.
As an illustration, search NMLS #1110647. You should see Duane Buziak’s name, the jurisdictions where he is licensed (Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, DC, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Texas, Kentucky and West Virginia, which makes 11 jurisdictions), his employment history, and any regulatory actions on file. Run the same search for every broker you consider.
- Go to nmlsconsumeraccess.org and search by the individual’s name or NMLS number.
- Confirm that Virginia appears with an active status.
- Check that the name and number on the record match the person you are talking to.
- Read the regulatory actions section for any disciplinary history.
- Look up the company separately and confirm the individual is employed there.
The common mistake is treating the company’s license as proof of the individual’s license. They are separate records. The second mistake is accepting a number someone recites without looking it up. Ask for the number up front, and treat hesitation as information.
To measure it, count how many of your candidates pass. A pass means a match on name, number and state, with an active status and a clean actions section. Anyone who fails drops out before you compare anything else.
2. Read Reviews for Volume, Recency and Detail
A star average on its own proves very little, because a handful of friendly reviews can produce a perfect score. What carries weight is the size of the base and how widely it is spread across platforms. Reviews also tend to reveal how a broker behaves when a loan hits trouble, and that is the part you cannot see in a rate sheet.
Here is an illustration. A 5.0 average across 2,000+ verified reviews on several platforms says far more than a 5.0 across a dozen reviews on one site. Duane Buziak has 2,000+ verified reviews across all platforms at a 5.0 star average, built while helping families find their new homes since 2014. Apply the same test to everyone you consider, including Duane.
How to read a review page
- Sort by newest and read the last 20 reviews. Recent reviews show current service, not service from years ago.
- Read the lowest-rated reviews and see how the broker replied.
- Note specifics: closing on the date promised, answers to texts and calls, and how a snag such as an appraisal issue or a missing document was fixed.
- Check whether several platforms tell the same story.
The mistake to avoid is relying on the headline stars and ignoring count, recency and replies. Be wary of reviews that praise “great service” and nothing else. Vague praise is easy to write and hard to verify.
Three numbers are worth tracking in a notes page: total review count, the share written in the last 12 months, and how many reviews describe a specific delay and how it was handled. The last number is the most useful, because a broker with ten stories of fixed problems has probably handled yours before.
3. Run Dare to Compare on Loan Estimates
Two quotes only mean something when they describe the same loan on the same day. Dare to Compare is a pricing challenge: you bring a Loan Estimate from anywhere, and it is set beside what can be built for the same scenario. It promises no particular result, only a clean comparison.
Start with a NoTouch Credit Pull soft pull pre-approval, which means no credit hit, no cost, no fees and no commitment. That gives you a real file to quote from without a hard inquiry. Then go back to the opening example: a $380,000 loan at about $2,402 a month in principal and interest at 6.50%, versus about $2,340 at 6.25%. The lower figure can still lose if it comes with a heavy fee package, so the monthly number alone is never the answer. A lender credit can lower your cash to close and raise your monthly cost, and points can do the opposite.
- Give each source the same price, down payment, credit profile and loan type.
- Request a Loan Estimate from each on the same day, so market movement does not skew the comparison.
- Line up Section A (origination charges), Section B (services you cannot shop for), Section C (services you can shop for), any lender credits, and the APR, using the CFPB guide.
- Add up total cost to close and the full monthly payment for each, on identical assumptions.
The common mistake is comparing verbal quotes, or setting a low interest cost against a high fee package without totaling both. A spoken number is not a Loan Estimate, and it cannot be held to anything.
Measure two figures per estimate: total cost to close, and monthly payment including taxes, insurance and mortgage insurance. If the assumptions do not match, recalculate before you decide.
4. Ask How the Broker Reaches Lenders and Gets Paid
The business model decides how many options your file can see. A retail lender originates loans through its own platform and its own programs. An independent broker submits your file to wholesale lenders, meaning lenders that fund loans through brokers rather than directly to the public. Duane Buziak’s model is the second: I shop your loan across hundreds of wholesale lenders.
Here is a structural comparison, with credit where it is due. Rocket Mortgage and Movement Mortgage are retail lenders with their own origination platforms, and Rocket in particular is known for a polished digital application. C&F Mortgage, Southern Trust Mortgage and Sparrow Home Loans also originate under their own companies’ loan programs. Lower.com is a retail lender whose wholesale arm, PowerTPO, is the same team Duane Buziak reaches directly, without a retail markup. None of this makes one model automatically cheaper. It changes who is comparing options for you.
Put three questions in writing to every candidate:
- Which lenders can you submit my file to?
- How are you paid on this loan?
- Where does that compensation appear on the Loan Estimate?
Broker compensation falls under the CFPB’s loan originator rules in Regulation Z, and the cost shows up in the origination charges you see in Section A. Compare the written answers side by side.
The mistake is assuming “broker” means cheaper or “retail” means costlier. Neither is true by default. The real question is how many options get compared for you. Measure two things: whether compensation is disclosed clearly and in writing, and how many distinct lender options are actually shown for your file, rather than described in general terms.
5. Test Local and Loan-Type Knowledge
Friendliness is easy to find, so test knowledge. Hanover County, VA has its own tax picture, a large commuter population on I-95 and Route 301 heading to Richmond, a steady flow of new construction, and many VA and self-employed borrowers. A broker who handles those well will catch problems before they reach your contract.
Take an illustration. A buyer in Atlee Station signs with a builder, and the builder’s closing date slips by three weeks. Ask the broker how a lock extension works, what it costs, and whether the lock period can be matched to the construction timeline from the start. A specific answer beats a reassurance.
Prepare three questions before you call:
- Taxes: How would you estimate the monthly property tax on a Hanover County purchase? A good answer points to the current rate published by Hanover County and applies it to the assessed value.
- VA loans: How does the funding fee work for my situation, and how would you handle my entitlement? Compare the answer with VA.gov. A knowledgeable broker can usually pull the Certificate of Eligibility electronically on your behalf and will explain second-tier entitlement if you have used your benefit before.
- Builder timeline: What happens to my lock and closing if construction runs late?
The common mistake is hiring on likability and skipping the test, then finding gaps at the contract stage, when a missed deadline can cost you a deposit. Self-employed buyers should add a fourth question about how tax returns and business income are documented.
Judge the answers for specifics that match your loan type and cite sources. The final measure is whether your closing date holds. Duane Buziak, NMLS #1110647, answers these questions before you sign anything, not after.
Verified Credentials Side by Side
Here is how the checks above apply to Duane Buziak, with structural notes on the other names mentioned. Every item in the first group can be verified independently.
- License: NMLS #1110647, searchable on NMLS Consumer Access, with licensing in 11 jurisdictions: VA, FL, TN, GA, DC, NC, SC, MD, TX, KY and WV.
- Reviews: 2,000+ verified reviews across all platforms at a 5.0 star average.
- Model: Independent mortgage broker, and I shop your loan across hundreds of wholesale lenders, including direct access to Lower.com’s wholesale arm, PowerTPO.
- Pre-approval: NoTouch Credit Pull soft pull pre-approval with no credit hit, no cost, no fees and no commitment.
- Comparison: Dare to Compare, a pricing challenge against any Loan Estimate you bring, with no promised result.
- Retail platforms: Rocket Mortgage and Movement Mortgage originate through their own retail platforms, each with its own application process and loan programs.
- Company-based lenders: C&F Mortgage, Southern Trust Mortgage and Sparrow Home Loans originate under their own companies’ programs, and each can serve borrowers well.
- Lower.com: A retail lender whose wholesale arm, PowerTPO, accepts loans from brokers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the top rated mortgage broker in Hanover County VA?
No agency publishes an official ranking, so verify instead of trusting a label. Duane Buziak Mortgage Maestro offers a license you can look up (NMLS #1110647), 2,000+ verified reviews across all platforms and a 5.0 star average.
How do I check if a mortgage broker is licensed in Virginia?
Search the broker’s name or number on NMLS Consumer Access, confirm Virginia is listed with an active status, and read the regulatory actions section.
Is Duane Buziak licensed in Virginia?
Yes. Duane Buziak, NMLS #1110647, is licensed in VA, FL, TN, GA, DC, NC, SC, MD, TX, KY and WV, and you can confirm it on NMLS Consumer Access.
What is a mortgage broker?
A mortgage broker is an independent professional who submits your application to wholesale lenders, rather than lending from a single company’s own funds.
What is a wholesale lender?
A wholesale lender funds loans submitted by brokers instead of selling directly to the public. A broker can send one file to many of them.
What is a NoTouch Credit Pull soft pull pre-approval?
It is a pre-approval started with a soft pull, so there is no credit hit, no cost, no fees and no commitment.
What is Dare to Compare?
It is a pricing challenge in which you bring a Loan Estimate from another source and it is compared with what can be built for the same scenario. No result is promised.
What is a Loan Estimate?
It is a standardized three-page form that lenders must provide after you apply, listing costs, fees and monthly payment. The CFPB explains how to read it.
How are mortgage brokers paid?
Compensation is regulated by CFPB loan originator rules and appears on your Loan Estimate. Ask for it in writing before you commit.
How many reviews should I look for?
There is no fixed number. Look for volume, recent dates, several platforms and reviews that describe how problems were handled.
Verify First, Then Compare, Then Choose
Start with the license, because it removes anyone who cannot pass the most basic test. Next, run a soft pull pre-approval and put Loan Estimates side by side, with the same scenario and the same day. Then use reviews and local knowledge to choose among the finalists. Those last two checks matter most when the numbers are close.
Ready to see what you qualify for in Hanover County? Duane Buziak, VA Broker of the Year 2024 & 2025 and Scotsman Guide Top Originator, runs a soft credit check first so there’s no hard inquiry on your credit report. Call 804-212-8663 or apply online. Duane Buziak NMLS #1110647 | Coast2Coast Mortgage LLC NMLS #376205 | Equal Housing Opportunity.
