Your Mortgage. Your Choice. Pick Your Rate.
We're a Connecticut mortgage brokerage built on transparency and education. Instead of quoting you one rate, we show you how different rates, points, and lender credits change your monthly payment and long-term costs — so you can choose the mortgage that actually fits your goals.
Choose your path
Not sure where to start? Pick the situation that fits best.
The Pick Your Rate team walks first-time buyers across Connecticut through every option side by side — low down payments, CHFA assistance, and the numbers behind each choice — so your first mortgage is a decision you understand, not one you were handed.
Down payment, term, points, lender credits — a conventional loan is really a set of choices. Pick Your Rate shows Connecticut buyers how each version plays out so you pick the one that fits your goals.
About 3.5% down and credit guidelines built for real life. The Pick Your Rate team explains exactly what FHA costs and when it's the right pick — before you commit to anything.
Take the quick quiz. No application, no credit pull. We point you to the best next step.
How we work
Most lenders quote you a single rate and hope you don't ask questions. We can't operate that way. As an independent brokerage, we shop a wide network of lending partners and then walk you through your options side by side — how a lower rate with points compares to a higher rate with lender credits, what each one really costs monthly and over time, and which structure fits the way you actually plan to live in the home.
We're advisors and educators, not salespeople. Whether you're a first-time buyer, a veteran, self-employed, or building an investment portfolio, you'll get plain-English answers, proactive communication — including evenings and weekends when needed — and a team that stays in your corner long after closing. Your mortgage, your choice. Our job is to make sure it's an informed one.
A quick, no-pressure conversation: what are you trying to accomplish? Lowest payment, least cash to close, fastest payoff — the right mortgage depends on the answer, so that's where we start. No cost, no obligation.
We work up your numbers and lay the choices out side by side — rate, points, lender credits, monthly payment, and cash to close — in plain English, so you can see exactly how each structure affects your bottom line.
You pick the strategy that makes financial sense for you, and our team drives the loan to the closing table with clear communication at every step. No surprises at closing — and a trusted advisor in your corner long after.
Meet the team
Mortgage advisors, not salespeople
From our Watertown office, the Pick Your Rate team serves borrowers across Connecticut — and in Florida and Colorado too. Whoever you work with, you'll get the same thing: education, transparency, and the freedom to make the decision that's right for you.
John Schwarzkopf
Founder of Lennox Mortgage Group and creator of Pick Your Rate. In financial services since 2008, licensed since 2013 — and still convinced the best mortgage is the one that fits your goals, not the one that's easiest to sell.
Nicholas Tarasovic
Helps buyers, homeowners, and investors across Connecticut compare their options and understand the numbers behind every choice — in plain English, without the pressure.
Amber Cardamone
Guides clients through their loan options with the education-first approach the brokerage was built on, and stays accessible so you always know where your loan stands.
What we offer
We work with a wide range of loan programs so we can match the right product to your situation.
The Pick Your Rate team walks first-time buyers across Connecticut through every option side by side — low down payments, CHFA assistance, and the numbers behind each choice — so your first mortgage is a decision you understand, not one you were handed.
Down payment, term, points, lender credits — a conventional loan is really a set of choices. Pick Your Rate shows Connecticut buyers how each version plays out so you pick the one that fits your goals.
About 3.5% down and credit guidelines built for real life. The Pick Your Rate team explains exactly what FHA costs and when it's the right pick — before you commit to anything.
Zero down and no monthly mortgage insurance for eligible veterans, service members, and surviving spouses. Pick Your Rate helps Connecticut military families use the benefit with full understanding — COE, funding fee, entitlement, all of it.
Plenty of Connecticut's small towns qualify for USDA's zero-down program — from the Litchfield hills to the Quiet Corner. Pick Your Rate checks the address and your income before you fall for the house.
When the house crosses the conforming limit — as it often does in Fairfield County and along the shoreline — Pick Your Rate structures the financing and shows you every version of it side by side.
Bank-statement and 1099 programs qualify you on the cash flow your business actually produces. Pick Your Rate shows you exactly how the math works — and prices the traditional route first, in case it's cheaper.
From New Haven three-families to single-family rentals statewide, Pick Your Rate finances Connecticut investors on the property's income — no tax returns, LLC closings welcome.
Payment relief, a shorter term, cash for a project, dropping FHA insurance — every refinance is a strategy question. Pick Your Rate prices your actual scenario and tells you honestly whether the move is worth making.
A HELOC or home equity loan taps what your Connecticut home has earned without replacing your existing first mortgage. Pick Your Rate compares both — plus the cash-out alternative — so you pick the right tool.
One loan that pays your builder in stages, then converts to a regular mortgage when the house is done. Our team walks you through every step in plain English — no jargon, no pressure, just a clear picture of how the financing works.
Finance the purchase and the improvements in one loan — based on what the home will be worth after the work, not what it looks like today. Our team explains FHA 203(k) and HomeStyle side by side so you can pick the program that fits.
Where we lend
Based in Watertown. Licensed in Connecticut, Florida & Colorado.
Connecticut is home — the market our team knows town by town. But you don't have to be down the road to work with us: we can originate your mortgage anywhere in all 3 states, and the whole process runs by phone, email, and secure online tools.
A mortgage is licensed by the state the property is in — not by how close you are to our office. Wherever you're buying in CT, FL & CO, we can help.
See everywhere we serveTools and resources
Run the numbers yourself, or use these tools to get a head start before we talk.
Estimate your monthly mortgage payment with taxes and insurance.
See how much house you can afford based on your income and debts.
Calculate your savings and break-even timeline.
Compare the long-term costs of renting versus owning.