A mortgage built around you.
Not the bank.
I'm Micah Johnson. I help homebuyers stop overpaying and start building wealth through a loan structure built just for you.
I'm buying
First home or fifth. Find out what you qualify for before you fall in love with a listing.
Start here →I'm refinancing
Lower the rate, drop the mortgage insurance, or pull equity out. We'll run the math.
Run the numbers →I'm investing
DSCR, BRRRR, and portfolio financing for when conventional lending runs out of room.
See investor options →What structure means
The decisions that can matter as much or more than the rate
- Loan product
- Discount points
- Mortgage insurance
- Term
- Where your cash goes
- and more
Two buyers can get the same house at the same price and end up miles apart on their equity position.
We'll walk you through every one of these
Starting with the one that drives the rest: how long you'll actually keep the loan.
In their words
We run a referral-based business
Agents refer us because the deal closes on time and their client is looked after the whole way. Our clients refer us because they want their friends and family to have the same experience.
Micah Johnson was fantastic to work with. He got our client pre-approved before we started the selling and buying process. Micah was personable, his communication was excellent, and he made everything feel smooth. He handled potential issues before they came up and went above and beyond. We're truly grateful for his support!
I'm beyond grateful to Micah Johnson and the whole team at Absolute Mortgage & Lending for helping me buy my house! From start to finish, they made the process smooth, clear, and stress-free. Micah was always available to answer questions, explain every step, and guide me with so much patience and care.
Micah and his team are AMAZING! Their attention to detail and sense of urgency to work on your behalf is unlike anything we've ever experienced in the home buying process. We were never left wondering where things stood. We would use them again in a heartbeat.
Micah & his team at AML are top notch, very responsive and helpful, provided insight on any questions I had and offered suggestions & coaching where I needed. Thank you for making this home buying process seamless. 10/10 would recommend.
Path finder
Start here. It takes about two minutes.
No credit pull, no obligation, no sales sequence. Tell us where you're at and we'll come back with what actually fits.
What we know so far
Nothing is submitted until you press send.
Alpharetta & metro Atlanta
Built for the modern mortgage marketplace
With over a decade in mortgage lending and more than 500 families served, the Micah Johnson Mortgage Team (NMLS #1555495) has been around long enough to see the industry change. That's why we built this branch differently: the scale to be a direct lender when that fits a client's needs, and the ability to broker to one of dozens of wholesale lenders to take advantage of a specific incentive or program.
We're licensed across six states, which lets us serve our extended network wherever it reaches. We do plenty of Conventional, FHA, and VA financing for people buying a home to live in. We're also built for business owners, self-employed borrowers, and real estate investors who don't fit the boxes a bank likes to see: heavy write-offs that bury real income on a tax return, or a portfolio that has outgrown conventional limits. Those situations are often a better fit for a bank statement loan, DSCR loan, or another of our non-QM options.
Almost everyone who calls us was sent by a past client, a real estate agent, or a CPA. That only keeps working if we deliver for our clients and their families.
Loan programs
Dozens of loan programs.
One fits you the best.
Each one exists because a certain kind of borrower gets a worse deal without it. Shopping dozens of wholesale lenders is how you find out which is actually yours — and that part's our job, not yours.
Non-QM
Bank statement, profit-and-loss, and asset-depletion loans for borrowers whose tax returns understate what they earn.
DSCR
Qualifies on the property's rental cash flow instead of your personal income. No tax returns, no debt-to-income calculation.
Conventional
The default loan for steady income and decent credit. Down payments start at 3% for first-time buyers, and mortgage insurance drops off at 22% equity.
FHA
Government-insured, built for thinner credit files or limited savings. More forgiving than conventional, in exchange for mortgage insurance that stays on most loans.
VA
For eligible veterans, service members, and surviving spouses. No down payment, no monthly mortgage insurance. The strongest product in the market if you qualify.
Jumbo
For loan amounts past the conforming limit. Tighter credit and reserve requirements, but pricing is competitive on strong files.
HELOC
A revolving line against your equity. Renovations, debt consolidation, or a down payment without touching your first mortgage rate.
USDA
100% financing in designated rural areas, which includes much of the outer Atlanta ring. Income limits apply.
Common questions
Questions we get every week
How long does a pre-approval take?
Our normal turnaround is within 24 hours once all requested documents are provided. A full pre-approval means we have reviewed your actual income documents, assets, and credit, so the letter carries weight with a listing agent rather than being a rough estimate. Getting the documents together on your end is usually what sets the pace.
What are your rates?
Asking for a rate without any detail is a bit like asking what the weather is in the United States today. Your rate depends on credit, loan type, down payment, how you'll use the property, loan amount, and the day itself. Anyone claiming to always have the lowest rate is guessing. What we can tell you is that we price competitively, and because we can broker your file to dozens of wholesale lenders or fund it ourselves, we can take your loan wherever the pricing works out best.
Which states are you licensed in?
We are licensed in six states: Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Texas. Metro Atlanta is home base and where most of our business is. Licensing across six states lets us better serve our extended network, so when a client or a referral partner needs us somewhere else, the file stays with our team instead of getting handed to a stranger.
What credit score do I need to buy a house in Atlanta?
There is no single cutoff. FHA loans generally start around a 580 score with 3.5% down, conventional loans typically start around 620, and VA loans have no VA-set minimum though most lenders look for roughly 580 to 620. Because we broker across many wholesale lenders, a file one lender declines can often be placed with another whose overlays are looser.
How much do I need for a down payment?
Less than most people assume. VA and USDA loans allow 100% financing for eligible buyers, FHA requires 3.5% down, and some conventional programs go as low as 3% for first-time buyers. On a $400,000 Atlanta home that ranges from $0 to about $14,000. Georgia Dream and other assistance programs can reduce it further.
What is the 2026 conforming loan limit?
The 2026 baseline conforming loan limit is $832,750 for a one-unit property in most counties, including metro Atlanta. Above that it is a jumbo loan with different credit, reserve, and down payment guidelines. Limits are higher for two-, three-, and four-unit properties, and some high-cost counties have higher ceilings.
What is the difference between a mortgage broker, a bank, and a direct lender?
A bank can only offer its own products, so your file either fits their guidelines or it does not. A broker shops your file across many wholesale lenders and compares their pricing and guidelines against each other. A direct lender underwrites and funds in house, which means more control over the timeline. We do both: we broker when another lender's pricing or guidelines fit you better, and we fund the loan ourselves when your file needs speed and tighter control. That flexibility matters most when a situation is not textbook, because one lender's decline is routinely another lender's approval.
How long does it take to close?
Most purchase loans close in 21 to 30 days from a fully executed contract. Refinances typically run 30 to 45 days. The timeline depends more on how fast documents come back and the appraisal gets scheduled than on the loan program. Getting fully pre-approved before you shop removes about a week.
Where we work
Metro Atlanta first. Licensed across six states.
Alpharetta is home, and metro Atlanta is where we've built our reputation. A digital-first process means our licensing — six states and growing — lets us bring that same level of service wherever our clients and partners need us.
Areas served
Rate watchlist
We'll tell you when it's worth a call.
Give us your current rate and we'll reach out only when the market moves enough to actually save you money. Not a newsletter. One message when the math changes.
Let's talk.
No application, no credit pull, no commitment. Tell us what you're trying to do and we'll tell you straight whether now is the right time.