Duane Buziak (NMLS #1110647) is a mortgage broker with an office at 4860 Cox Rd in Glen Allen, serving homebuyers and homeowners across Henrico County, Virginia. A mortgage broker is a licensed intermediary who compares a borrower’s file across multiple wholesale lenders instead of offering a single in-house rate sheet.
Written by Duane Buziak, NMLS #1110647 | Coast2Coast Mortgage LLC NMLS #376205
What follows explains what a broker does, how the process runs for a Henrico buyer, what a rate comparison is worth in real dollars, and how to vet any broker before you apply, including me.
Duane Buziak: A Glen Allen-Based Mortgage Broker for Henrico County Neighborhoods
Duane Buziak is an independent mortgage broker working through Coast2Coast Mortgage, LLC (NMLS #376205), with an office at 4860 Cox Rd, Glen Allen, VA 23060. He has been helping families find their new homes since 2014, and borrowers can reach him at 804-212-8663.
The work is concentrated in the neighborhoods where Henrico buyers actually shop: Short Pump, Innsbrook, Wyndham, Twin Hickory, Lakeside, Tuckahoe, and the River Road corridor, along with buyers eyeing homes near Deep Run Park and Dorey Park. Knowing how those areas differ, from newer Short Pump construction to established Tuckahoe streets, shapes which loan structure makes sense.
Services include:
- Purchase loans for first-time and move-up buyers
- Refinancing, including rate-and-term and cash-out options
- FHA, VA, conventional, and jumbo loan options
- Credit-safe pre-qualification using NoTouch Credit Pull, a soft pull that does not affect your credit score
Duane is licensed in Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, and Washington, DC. You do not have to take that on faith. Anyone can look up an individual or company by NMLS number at NMLS Consumer Access, which shows license status, authority to operate by state, and any regulatory actions.
Broker vs. Direct Lender: What Changes for a Henrico Borrower
A mortgage broker is a licensed intermediary who submits a borrower’s file to a range of wholesale lenders and helps choose among them. A direct lender underwrites and funds loans in-house, priced from its own rate sheet. Both are legitimate. The difference is how many pricing and program options your file sees before you commit.
The most common misconception is that a broker adds a layer of cost. Broker compensation is disclosed on your Loan Estimate, and that document is the right place to compare. A direct lender’s margin is built into its rate and fees; a broker’s is shown line by line. Judge the total, not the label.
| Feature | Duane Buziak / Coast2Coast | Single-shelf direct lender (generic) | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loan program access | Wholesale lenders with differing FHA, VA, conventional, and jumbo guidelines | One set of programs and overlays | If your file does not fit one lender’s rules, another may approve it on better terms. |
| Pre-approval credit pull | NoTouch Credit Pull, a soft pull with no credit impact | Often a hard pull at application | Hard inquiries can add up while you tour homes and compare options. |
| Pricing check | Dare to Compare challenge: bring a written offer and the file is re-shopped against it | One rate sheet | You see the spread between sources instead of a single take-it-or-leave-it number. |
| Local presence | Henrico-based; Duane works with you personally | May hand off to a call center or processing team | One accountable person is easier to reach when a closing date is tight. |
A direct lender can be a fine fit for a straightforward file: strong credit, a standard down payment, salaried income. The broker advantage shows up with unusual income, loan amounts approaching jumbo territory, or periods when rates and programs differ noticeably across wholesale lenders. In those cases, access matters more than convenience.
How Working With a Henrico Broker Goes, Step by Step
- Goals conversation. Budget, timeline, target neighborhoods, and how long you expect to stay.
- Credit-safe pre-qualification. A soft pull gives a realistic price range without touching your score.
- Document collection. Pay stubs, W-2s or tax returns, bank statements, and ID.
- Shopping the file. Your scenario is compared across wholesale lenders for rate, fees, and program fit.
- Loan Estimate review. You get the standardized three-page form and walk through it line by line.
- Rate lock. You choose when to lock and for how many days.
- Underwriting. Conditions are cleared and the appraisal comes in.
- Closing. You review the Closing Disclosure and sign.
The soft pull matters most at step two. A buyer touring homes in Short Pump on Saturday and Lakeside on Sunday is still comparing options. Knowing a price range without generating hard inquiries keeps that flexibility.
Closing costs in Virginia include lender or broker fees, title insurance and settlement charges, recording fees and recording taxes, and prepaid items such as homeowner’s insurance and property tax escrows. Henrico real estate taxes and exact recording charges change, and contract-to-close timelines commonly run about 30 to 45 days. Treat any figure as an estimate and confirm current numbers with your broker and the Henrico County real estate pages as of 2026.
Consider a first-time buyer in Glen Allen who is comparing FHA, VA, and conventional paths. A VA-eligible veteran may be able to buy with no down payment, while another buyer may find a conventional loan with a modest down payment suits better. A move-up buyer heading to Wyndham or Twin Hickory has a different question: how to structure financing when selling and buying overlap.
A Worked Rate-Shop Example: What 0.25% Means on a Henrico Home
The following is an illustration, not a quote. Suppose you buy a $400,000 Henrico home with 5% down ($20,000), financing $380,000 on a 30-year fixed loan.
- At 6.50%, principal and interest is about $2,402 per month.
- At 6.25%, principal and interest is about $2,340 per month.
The difference is roughly $62 per month. Over 360 payments, that is about $22,000 if you hold the loan to term. These figures exclude property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, and mortgage insurance, which would raise your total monthly payment.
A quarter point is a realistic gap between sources because wholesale lenders price the same borrower differently on a given day. A broker comparing several rate sheets can surface that spread; a single shelf can only show you its own number. Rates change daily and depend on credit score, down payment, loan program, and points paid, so the 6.50% and 6.25% figures here are examples only and not current offers as of October 2026.
To check any claim yourself, request written Loan Estimates from two or three sources on the same day, using the same loan amount, program, and lock period. Then compare the interest rate, the origination charges in section A, and the cash needed to close. The CFPB’s Loan Estimate guide explains how to read each section.
How to Vet Any Mortgage Broker Before You Apply
Run through these checks with any broker, in Henrico or anywhere else:
- Look up the individual’s NMLS ID and the company’s at NMLS Consumer Access, and confirm both are authorized in Virginia.
- Ask for a Loan Estimate in writing and see whether fees are itemized clearly.
- Ask whether pre-approval requires a hard credit pull.
- Find out who answers the phone and who handles your file after you apply.
Loan limits shape your options. For 2026, FHFA set the conforming baseline at $832,750 and the high-cost ceiling at $1,249,125, according to its 2026 conforming loan limit announcement. Henrico is generally covered by the baseline limit rather than the high-cost ceiling, so confirm the county figure on FHFA’s lookup tool. Loans above the applicable limit are jumbo loans and follow different guidelines. Program rules also differ on cash-out refinancing: conventional cash-out tops out at 90% loan-to-value, while VA cash-out can reach 100%.
Henrico is a large market. The Census Bureau’s QuickFacts page for Henrico County reports roughly 334,000 residents from the 2020 Census, which is why neighborhood-level knowledge matters.
Common mistakes to avoid:
- Choosing on the advertised rate alone and ignoring points and fees.
- Letting several hard inquiries stack up while shopping.
- Assuming “local” means a real local office, rather than a website with a Virginia address.
Henrico Mortgage Broker FAQ
Who is a mortgage broker in Henrico County, VA?
Duane Buziak (NMLS #1110647) is a mortgage broker based at 4860 Cox Rd in Glen Allen, serving Henrico County buyers and homeowners. He works through Coast2Coast Mortgage, LLC and has helped families find their new homes since 2014, comparing options across wholesale lenders.
What does a mortgage broker do that a bank does not?
A broker shops your file across multiple wholesale lenders instead of offering one in-house rate sheet. That can open program options and pricing differences a single bank cannot show you. A bank may still suit a simple file, so compare written Loan Estimates before deciding.
Does a broker cost more?
Not necessarily. Broker compensation appears on your Loan Estimate, so you can compare it against any other offer. A direct lender’s margin is built into its rate and fees. Judge total cost, meaning rate, points, and fees, across written estimates from two or three sources.
Does pre-qualification affect my credit?
Not with Duane Buziak. Pre-qualification uses NoTouch Credit Pull, a soft pull that does not affect your credit score. You can learn your realistic price range before touring homes. A hard pull typically comes later, once you choose a loan and move toward formal application.
Where is Duane Buziak’s office?
The office is at 4860 Cox Rd, Glen Allen, VA 23060, in western Henrico County. Duane serves buyers across Short Pump, Innsbrook, Wyndham, Twin Hickory, Lakeside, Tuckahoe, and the River Road corridor. You can reach him at 804-212-8663 to arrange a conversation.
What loan types can a Henrico buyer get through a broker?
Henrico buyers can pursue FHA, VA, conventional, and jumbo loans through a broker, for both purchases and refinances. Which one fits depends on credit, down payment, income documentation, and loan amount. A pre-qualification conversation narrows the choices before you commit to one program.
What are the 2026 conforming loan limits?
For 2026, FHFA set the baseline conforming limit at $832,750 for one-unit properties, with a high-cost ceiling of $1,249,125. Henrico is generally under the baseline limit, though you should confirm your county’s figure on FHFA’s site, since limits are updated annually.
How do I verify a broker’s license?
Search the broker’s name or NMLS number at NMLS Consumer Access, the free public lookup. It shows employment history, state licenses, and regulatory actions. Check both the individual and the company are authorized in Virginia. Duane Buziak’s NMLS number is 1110647.
Start With a Soft Pull and a Local Conversation
Duane Buziak is a Glen Allen-based broker serving Henrico County who can compare options for your file, from first-time FHA and VA purchases to jumbo-adjacent amounts. Your dream home in Henrico County is closer than you think. Discover exactly what you can afford with our credit-safe pre-qualification process that protects your score while unlocking your options. Get pre-qualified today and take the first step toward homeownership with a local mortgage expert who understands your community. You can also call 804-212-8663 to speak with Duane directly.