Real Talk.

A captain doesn’t need to be the loudest, the funniest, or the flashiest. When the weather turns, they’re the one whose hand stays steady on the wheel. You don’t always expect the captain to look like this. But Desiree McSwain doesn’t fit anyone’s template — she rewrites them.

Surprising ways to take control of your mortgage approval, gain bargaining power, and make smart moves—whether you’re buying for the first time or again.