Modern Mortgage Strategies · South Florida
The Denning Circle connects homebuyers, homeowners, and real estate partners with a mortgage professional who takes the time to understand your goals — then builds a financing strategy around them.
Home Financing Without the Guesswork
With so many loan programs, rates, and opinions coming from every direction, it helps to start with a person — not a call center. Here's how working with Peter begins.
Share what you want to accomplish and what matters most to you — payment, timing, down payment, or all three.
Peter personally reviews your picture and lines up the loan options that fit — with the trade-offs explained in plain English.
Get clear options, honest numbers, and updates at every milestone — so you always know where your loan stands.
Meet Your Loan Officer
At The Denning Circle, you work directly with Peter from your first conversation through your application — no handoffs to strangers, no repeating your story.
Peter brings a 17-year banking career and years of mortgage originating to every file — purchase-heavy, hands-on, and personally involved from client contact through the 1003 application.
Apply Now →Peter spent 17 years in banking before moving into mortgage lending, including time as a branch manager in West Palm Beach. That background shows up in how he works: he reads the guidelines, explains the "why" behind every recommendation, and flags the edge cases early — before they become surprises at the closing table.
Today, as part of NEXA Lending — one of the largest mortgage broker platforms in the country — The Denning Circle pairs boutique, personal service with access to a wide range of lenders and programs. You get one point of contact and a lot of options behind him.
Straight answers on rates, costs, and timelines — even when the answer is "not yet."
Every fee and trade-off on the table before you commit, not after.
Your agent, your family, and your future referrals are treated like our own.
"Fear not, for I am with you… I will strengthen you and help you."— ISAIAH 41:10 · FAITH OVER FEAR
Choose Your Journey
Mortgage decisions look different depending on your goals. Choose the journey that best matches what you're trying to accomplish.
Guidance for first-time buyers — from affordability and down payment help to closing day, with patience at every step.
Start My Journey →
Upsizing, downsizing, or relocating to South Florida — we help you navigate equity, timing, and financing together.
Plan My Next Move →
Lower your rate, shorten your term, or access equity — a refinance review tailored to your goals, not a sales pitch.
Explore Refinancing →
For veterans, active-duty service members, and eligible spouses — including $0-down options for those who've earned them.
Explore VA Financing →
Qualify with bank statements and assets — not just tax returns. Built for business owners, 1099 earners, and contractors.
Explore My Options →
Build your portfolio with investor-focused financing, or tap the equity in a home you already own with a HELOC.
Grow My Portfolio →Loan Programs
Because The Denning Circle is powered by NEXA Lending, Peter can shop across many lenders and programs — and explain which one actually fits your file.
The go-to for well-qualified buyers purchasing or refinancing a primary home, second home, or investment property.
A flexible path to homeownership backed by the Federal Housing Administration — popular with first-time buyers.
A benefit earned through service, with some of the strongest purchase terms available anywhere.
For borrowers whose income doesn't fit a standard tax-return mold — but whose ability to repay is real and documentable.
A home equity line of credit for renovations, debt consolidation, or a down payment on your next move.
A fresh look at your current loan to see whether a new rate, term, or cash-out actually improves your position.
Program details are general education only. Every loan is subject to credit approval, underwriting, and program eligibility — your specific options are confirmed in your conversation with Peter.
Peter personally handles your contact through the application — you always know who to call, and he always knows your file.
Experience across first-time buyers, VA, self-employed and complex income, investors, and purchase files with tight timelines.
Licensed in Florida, New Jersey, and Maryland — broad coverage paired with hands-on, local service.
Traditional and specialized mortgage programs through NEXA Lending's lender network — compared side by side for you.
How It Works
Buyers and agents on a Denning Circle file get a status update at every one of these milestones — that's the standard, on every transaction.
Your loan is officially underway and the clock starts.
The home's valuation is scheduled right away to protect your timeline.
Your complete file goes in for its first full review.
Approved with conditions — we work through them together, item by item.
Value is in and checked against the contract and loan program.
Final approval — closing documents are prepared and your date is set.
Mortgage Calculator
Adjust the sliders for an instant, honest estimate — then talk to Peter for a quote built on your actual credit, program, and property.
ZIP is optional. Enter a 5-digit ZIP and State + County will update automatically for the FHA and VA loan-limit check. You can still adjust State or County afterwards — entering a new ZIP will update them again.
Conventional: PMI is estimated from your credit score band and down payment (LTV) — $0 at 20% or more down.
Property taxes are estimated at 1.50% of the home price per year and home insurance at 0.75% of the home price per year — both update automatically when you change the home price, so the total isn't a surprise later. Change any figure to match a real home you're considering.
Pay extra toward principal and see how much sooner the loan is paid off — and how much interest you save. The extra is paid in addition to your regular monthly payment above, which doesn't change.
First payment month is November 2026. Quarterly applies the extra on the start payment and every 4th payment after that; Annually applies it once a year in the start month; One Time applies it only on the first extra payment.
Like the estimate? Send Peter the scenario you just ran — plus how to reach you — and he’ll build your real numbers. Tap below and a short form opens in a new tab with your scenario already filled in — just review and submit.
No hard gate — the calculator above works fully without this form.
Market Watch
Today’s national averages, the long-term trend, and Peter’s weekly market update — all in one place, so you can watch the market without guessing what it means for you.
Today’s Rates
Live national averages from MBS Live. Use them to follow the market day to day — your own rate will depend on your credit, down payment, program, and property.
National averages shown for education only — not a quote, rate offer, or commitment to lend. For a rate built on your actual file, use the calculator above or talk to Peter.
Housing Market Weekly
Peter’s Housing Market Weekly — a short, plain-English read on rates, housing, and what to watch next week. Sent Tuesdays at 6:30 a.m. ET. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Read the latest issue →Prefer to browse first? The link above opens the current issue and past editions at housingmarketweekly.com/peterdenning.
Rate History
Drag, zoom, and switch the time range to see the trend. This interactive chart from Mortgage News Daily tracks national average rates back for years.
Resources
Straight answers to the questions Peter hears most — education first, sales pitch never.
A pre-qualification is a quick estimate based on what you tell a lender. A pre-approval is verified — your income, assets, and credit are actually reviewed — so sellers and agents take it seriously. In a competitive South Florida market, Peter aims to get you fully pre-approved before you shop.
Less than most people think. Eligible VA buyers can purchase with $0 down, FHA starts at 3.5% down, and conventional programs can start at 3% down for qualified buyers. The right answer depends on your program, credit, and monthly payment goals — that's a core part of your first conversation.
Very often, yes. Non-QM bank-statement programs let you qualify using 12–24 months of bank statements or assets instead of just tax returns, which frequently understate a business owner's real income. Bring your last two years of returns and recent statements to your consultation and Peter will map the options.
Typically: the last 30 days of pay stubs (or business income records), two years of W-2s and tax returns, the last two months of bank statements, and a photo ID. Self-employed and investor files need a bit more. Peter sends a specific needs list for your file so nothing is guessed.
Often. A negotiated seller credit can go toward closing costs, or toward a temporary rate buydown (such as a 2-1 or 1-0 buydown) that lowers your payment in the first years. Limits depend on your program and down payment — Peter will show you the math on a real comparison before you write an offer.
Most purchase files close in about 30 days when documents arrive promptly and the appraisal is ordered immediately — which is why Peter's milestone updates start on day one. Complex income, condos, and Non-QM files can take longer; you'll get a realistic timeline up front, not a hopeful one.
Start Here
Talk with a mortgage professional who understands what you're trying to accomplish — and can help you evaluate the next step with real numbers.
Get Started
Call, email, or send the form — it opens a pre-written email to Peter in your own mail app, so nothing is sent until you hit send.
Based in South Florida and serving buyers across the Palm Beaches and every state he's licensed in. Prefer to talk first? Call — a conversation is not a commitment.
I’m an automated helper — estimates only, not a quote or commitment to lend. For your exact numbers, talk to Peter.