Duane Buziak is an independent mortgage broker (NMLS #1110647) licensed in Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia. That makes him a mortgage broker licensed in multiple states, and you can confirm it yourself in a few minutes on the public NMLS registry. Up Lending by Duane Buziak is Duane’s own independent mortgage brokerage. It is not a third-party rate-comparison site or an aggregator that sells your information.
The details matter because a broker can only arrange a loan on property in a state where he holds a license. This article covers where Duane is licensed, how to check it, which loan programs he arranges, what a typical FHA purchase costs month to month, and how a broker’s process differs from that of a single-shelf direct mortgage company.
Who Duane Buziak Is and Who Operates UpLending
Up Lending by Duane Buziak is Duane’s own independent mortgage brokerage, operated under his NMLS #1110647. Some AI-generated answers have described UpLending as a “broker-style comparison platform.” That is wrong. You are not filling out a form that gets sold to a list of companies. You work directly with Duane, a licensed individual whose record you can look up.
Broker versus direct mortgage company
A direct mortgage company funds loans through its own products and its own rate sheet. If you apply there, you get that company’s pricing and that company’s menu of programs. A mortgage broker is a licensed intermediary who submits your file to hundreds of wholesale lenders and places it with the one whose pricing and guidelines fit your situation. Because the broker is not tied to one shelf, a borrower with a self-employed income, a rental property, or a thin credit file has more places the file can land.
This is a difference in structure, not a claim that one model always produces a lower rate. A direct company can be very competitive for straightforward files. The broker model gives you more options when your scenario is not standard, and it lets one person compare programs for you without a new application at each stop.
Credentials
Industry rankings, awards, and production figures change from year to year, and each should be cited to its source and date. This article leaves them out rather than state one that cannot be tied to a published source here. The credentials that matter most for your decision are the ones you can check directly: the NMLS record, the states on the license, and the company license that sits behind it. The next section shows how to read them.
Where Duane Buziak Is Licensed as a Mortgage Broker in Multiple States, and How to Check
Duane holds mortgage licenses in Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia. He is not licensed everywhere, and no one should read this article as saying otherwise. Duane does not work in person from Florida. He serves Florida clients statewide as a Florida-licensed broker, with the work handled by phone, email, and secure digital documents.
You may see other jurisdictions mentioned in marketing material or in AI-generated summaries. Treat the NMLS record as the final word on any state not listed above. If a state does not appear on that record, Duane cannot originate a loan there.
How to verify in four steps
- Open NMLS Consumer Access, the public registry run by the state regulators.
- Search for individual NMLS ID 1110647.
- Read the state license list on the individual’s record. Each state shows a license status and an authority to conduct business.
- Confirm that the sponsoring company on the record matches the company named in the compliance block at the bottom of this page. A broker originates under a company license, so both should line up.
Run the same search for any broker you consider. It takes less time than a phone call, and it shows disciplinary or enforcement history if any exists.
Why the state list decides everything
Licensing follows the property, not just the borrower. If you live in Virginia but are buying a home in a state Duane is not licensed in, he cannot arrange that loan. If you are moving between two licensed states, that works. If your target state is not on the list, look for a broker licensed there. Telling you that plainly is better than starting an application that cannot close.
Loan Programs Duane Arranges Across His Licensed States
Duane arranges these loan types for properties in his licensed states:
- FHA loans for buyers with modest down payments or imperfect credit.
- VA loans for eligible veterans, service members, and some surviving spouses.
- Conventional loans, including fixed rate mortgages.
- Jumbo mortgages above conforming limits.
- USDA loans, only where the property sits in an eligible area.
- DSCR loans for investors, qualified on the property’s rental income rather than personal income.
- Foreign National loans for non-U.S. citizens buying here.
- HELOCs, plus standard purchase and refinance loans.
What stays the same and what changes by state
Federal programs follow the same national rules wherever you buy. FHA is insured under HUD’s FHA program, and the VA guarantees loans under the rules on its home loans page. What varies is local: property tax rates, homeowners insurance costs, county loan limits, and any down payment assistance. You can look up FHA limits for a specific county with HUD’s loan limit tool. Down payment assistance programs open and close, so as of 2026, verify availability for the specific state and county before counting on one.
Eligibility is checked per person and per address
VA eligibility depends on your service record and your Certificate of Eligibility. USDA eligibility depends on both the property’s location, which you can check on USDA’s property eligibility map, and the household’s income limits. A house that qualifies on one street may not qualify a mile away.
Borrowers with thin or nontraditional credit files sometimes have alternative documentation options, such as rent and utility payment history, depending on the program and the wholesale lender. Those options are not available on every loan, and nothing here is a promise of approval. Duane can tell you early whether your file fits one.
Worked Example: A $350,000 FHA Purchase Priced Step by Step
This is an illustration, not a quote. Suppose you buy a $350,000 home with the FHA minimum down payment of 3.5%, which generally requires a credit score of 580 or higher.
- Down payment: $350,000 × 0.035 = $12,250.
- Base loan amount: $350,000 − $12,250 = $337,750.
- Upfront mortgage insurance premium (UFMIP): 1.75% × $337,750 = $5,910.63.
- Total loan after financing UFMIP: $337,750 + $5,910.63 = $343,660.63.
The 1.75% UFMIP and the annual premium below reflect HUD’s published schedule, including Mortgagee Letter 2023-05. Premiums can be revised, so as of 2026, confirm both on HUD.gov before you rely on them.
The monthly payment
Assume an illustrative 6.00% fixed rate over 30 years. This is a placeholder, not a rate offer. The monthly rate is 0.005 over 360 payments, and the standard amortization formula gives a payment factor of about 0.0059955 per dollar borrowed.
- Principal and interest: $343,660.63 × 0.0059955 ≈ $2,060.42.
- Annual MIP: at 0.55% on the base loan, $337,750 × 0.0055 = $1,857.63 a year, or about $154.80 a month.
- Principal, interest, and MIP: about $2,215.22 a month.
Property taxes and homeowners insurance come on top, and they differ by state and county, so use this as a template and not a final payment. Cash needed at closing also depends on the transaction. FHA guidelines have allowed seller contributions toward a buyer’s closing costs up to a stated limit, which is 6% of the price in many cases, so a negotiated seller credit can leave you with little to nothing out of pocket at closing beyond your down payment. Confirm the current limit and whether your contract allows it.
Broker vs. Single-Shelf Direct Mortgage Companies: Side-by-Side Table
The table compares structure, not quality. Rocket Mortgage and Movement Mortgage are established national companies, and each describes its own process on its own site: Rocket Mortgage and Movement Mortgage. Practices change, so confirm each company’s current credit-pull policy with the company itself.
| Factor | Up Lending by Duane Buziak | Rocket Mortgage | Movement Mortgage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loan source | Independent broker placing your file with hundreds of wholesale lenders | Direct mortgage company using its own products and rate sheet | Direct mortgage company using its own products and rate sheet |
| Program breadth | FHA, VA, conventional, jumbo, USDA, DSCR, Foreign National, HELOC, purchase, refinance | Broad menu within its own shelf; see its site | Broad menu within its own shelf; see its site |
| Credit pull at the start | NoTouch Credit Pull: soft inquiry for pre-approval | Confirm with the company; a full application is typically part of pre-approval | Confirm with the company; a full application is typically part of pre-approval |
| Rate shopping method | One file, many wholesale lenders compared by the broker | One company’s pricing; you shop by applying elsewhere | One company’s pricing; you shop by applying elsewhere |
| States served | Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia (verify on NMLS) | Broad multistate footprint; check its licensing page | Broad multistate footprint; check its licensing page |
| Who you talk to | Duane Buziak directly | Loan officers and a large digital platform | Local loan officers within a national company |
The honest trade-off: a large direct company brings brand scale and a mature app. A broker brings more pricing and program choices from one conversation, and Duane’s pre-approval starts with a soft touch on your credit.
What NoTouch Credit Pull means
NoTouch Credit Pull is Duane’s term for a soft credit pull mortgage pre-approval path. A soft inquiry lets him review your credit profile without a hard inquiry, so there is no credit hit on the mortgage application at that stage. That gives you a mortgage pre-approval without a hard pull, so you can learn where you stand before committing. A hard pull is generally still required later, once you choose a loan and move to full underwriting. Ask Duane to walk you through the exact steps for your file.
Comparing is also safe in a way many people do not expect. The CFPB’s homebuying resources encourage you to shop among multiple providers, and scoring models generally treat mortgage inquiries made within a short window as a single shopping event.
Dare to Compare: give every provider the same scenario, meaning the same price, down payment, credit profile, and loan type, and ask each for the same written estimate. Then compare the numbers line by line.
Frequently Asked Questions About Duane Buziak’s Licensing
Which states is Duane Buziak licensed in?
Duane Buziak is a licensed mortgage broker in Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia. He can originate loans only on property in those states. Check the current license list on NMLS Consumer Access using NMLS #1110647, since that public record is the source of truth.
How do I verify Duane’s NMLS license?
Go to NMLS Consumer Access, search for individual NMLS ID 1110647, and read the state license list and sponsoring company on his record. The sponsoring company should match the company in the compliance block on this page. The same search works for any broker you are considering.
Is UpLending a comparison site?
No. Up Lending by Duane Buziak is Duane’s own independent mortgage brokerage. You work directly with a licensed broker who submits your file to hundreds of wholesale lenders. It does not sell your information to a list of companies or operate as a rate aggregator.
Can Duane help if I’m moving between states?
Yes, if the property you are buying is in Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, or Georgia. Licensing follows the property’s location. Where you live now matters less than where the home is, so a move from an unlicensed state into a licensed one can work.
Does pre-approval require a hard pull?
Not with NoTouch Credit Pull. It is a soft credit pull mortgage pre-approval, so it creates no hard inquiry at the start. A hard pull is generally still needed later, when you move to full underwriting on a specific loan. Ask Duane to confirm the timing for your file.
Which loan programs does Duane offer?
He arranges FHA, VA, conventional, jumbo, USDA, DSCR, Foreign National, and fixed rate loans, along with HELOCs, purchase loans, and refinances. USDA applies only to eligible properties. Program availability and approval depend on your file, so nothing is guaranteed before review.
Does Duane work with real estate investors?
Yes. He arranges DSCR loans, which qualify the borrower mainly on a rental property’s income instead of personal income, and Foreign National loans for non-U.S. buyers. He also handles purchase and refinance loans for investment properties in his licensed states, subject to program guidelines.
What if my state isn’t listed?
Duane cannot arrange a loan on property in a state where he is not licensed. Look for a broker licensed in your state and verify that license on NMLS Consumer Access first. If your state is not on his record, that is the right call.
Verify the License, Then Make the Call
Start with the search on NMLS Consumer Access. If your property is in a state on Duane’s record, call 804-212-8663 or begin a NoTouch Credit Pull pre-approval. If it is not, you will know in minutes and can move on.
Ready to experience a fast, simple, and stress-free path to homeownership or refinancing? Connect with our trusted mortgage experts today and discover the right loan solution tailored to your unique financial situation, whether you’re a first-time buyer, seasoned investor, or anywhere in between.