About John Pastre
Personal Life
I was born in sunny southern California. I spent my early teenage years in the Washington, DC area, and when it came time for high school, I shipped off to St. Edwards School, Oxford. There, I graduated with an International Baccalaureate diploma. I was a competitive rower, something I am extremely proud of. My international experience in the UK broadened my horizons beyond the American point of view and helped me develop ambitions with a worldly perspective. I became friends with citizens of the world, learned about different cultures, visited new places, created lasting friendships, and established a passion for exploration.
After high school, I was lucky and worked hard enough to get accepted into the University of Virginia, a prestigious university founded by Thomas Jefferson. There, I studied computer science and philosophy. At university, my family had a house that made me fall in love with real estate. During university, my parents sold this home,
The Start of My Career
After university, my first office job was in US politics. Working on Capitol Hill taught me valuable life lessons and created important relationships. Between researching legislation and learning the process of appropriation, I realized politics is not for me.
I got my first job and license as a mortgage loan officer at CityWorth Mortgage. While there, I originated FHA and VA loans for people with low credit scores and down payments. These are hard-to-fund loans, and most of my time was spent in advising clients on credit building, learning about the intricacies of government-sponsored mortgages and their underwriting guidelines.
My First Mortgage Loan
My first mortgage client was a US Army veteran, Olly. He was trying to buy a home in Georgia and wanted to finance it with the popular VA loan (mortgages designed for US veterans with no down payment). It was a long process. First, we worked on his credit profile, and I coached him on how to improve his credit in the short term. We talked about what he could afford to spend on housing payments. As a father of three daughters, Olly’s monthly budget was tight, to say the least, and I needed to help him understand not just about the cost of financing a home but also about the cost of buying and owning one.
The entire process of compliance, qualification, and closing my first loan showed me a lot about the amount of patience, work, and dedication it takes to truly help a client. Ultimately, months of work all felt worth it when Olly called to thank me while sitting on the couch in his new home. He didn’t think it was possible.
Working For Paramount Residential Mortgage Group Inc.
At the beginning of the pandemic, I started my own mortgage branch at one of the biggest national lenders, Paramount Residential Mortgage Group. There, I grew a team from zero to seven mortgage loan officers and grew my experience in DSCR, conventional, and jumbo mortgages. At PRMG, I started funding millions of dollars a month, thanks in part to the new technology in the mortgage world, but especially because of the low rates brought on by the pandemic.
Approaching the end of the pandemic, there was a big shift in real estate investment resulting in DSCR mortgages gaining popularity with lenders and investors alike. PRMG was one of the first national lenders to offer a DSCR program, the program allowing investors to qualify for financing based on the income a property can generate, but the documentation requirements were nothing like the low documentation required in today’s DSCR loans.
In other words, it was still a pain to write these types of loans. One of the most common questions investors I worked with at PRMG asked was “Why do you need my tax returns?”. In contrast to today, I write DSCR mortgages with one month’s worth of bank statements showing proof of funds to close.
Brokering Mortgages – The Best Option for Clients
In my pursuit to help my clients get the best rates, I realized that brokering loans instead of funding them at PRMG was way better for them.
By becoming a mortgage broker, I can sell mortgages at wholesale rates, saving investors money on origination costs.
As a broker, I have the freedom to offer hundreds or even thousands of different loan structures specifically designed for every particular scenario.
At Edge, I have built my reputation by becoming the broker other brokers refer their toughest files to. I work closely with clients purchasing their first home, buying multiple units, forming LLCs, navigating DSCR guidelines, or seeking better long-term leverage. On top of primary and secondary residence mortgages, I am known for crafting deals that align with investment logic.
Moving to Florida, Dealing With Investors
My switch to working with investor clients came as a result of moving to Florida. Due to the state’s diverse population, heavy tourist traffic, and property values doubling seemingly overnight during the pandemic, I started working with clients from all around the country and world looking to take advantage of the market. I regularly helped people from New York, Canada, DC, Baltimore, Ohio, Virginia, and Georgia, with all of these investors looking for different things with different business plans.
The best part was that these investors are not doing this once every five years; they are buying property five times a year. This high volume investors in Florida allowed me to quickly develop my skills in dealing with a diverse range of mortgage scenarios for investors. It also led to me to funding over $81 million worth of loans.
My specialization in structuring mortgages for real estate investors—particularly those with complex financials, first time investors, complex entity setups, or international ties—quickly set me apart from others in the industry. Most brokers shy away from investor loans that don’t fit into the traditional mold. I leaned into them.
Founding Unbeatable Loans
I started Unbeatable Loans after I helped my fourteenth client buy a house without a realtor. What began as a learning opportunity quickly evolved into something much more. I realized that the mortgage industry lacked brokers who could actually solve problems and write purchase offers—especially for investors. Most brokers are trained to input data into software and wait for approvals.
That experience led directly to the founding of Unbeatable Loans—a platform designed to give real estate investors the kind of mortgage insight, offer generation capability, and deal analysis they can’t find anywhere else.
At Unbeatable Loans, whether it’s helping a client buy their first duplex or working with a seasoned investor refinancing a portfolio across three states, my focus is the same: create funding strategies that scale with the investor.
At Unbeatable Loans, I look to build long-term financial blueprints for people building wealth through real estate.
See My Recent Blog Posts
2025 Investor Market Outlook
Rates are expected to remain volatile bottoming out at 6.5%, check out why. ...more
Mortgage
May 19, 2025•4 min read
Writing a Mortgage To Your Kid
The benefits and process of writing a mortgage to your kid instead of gifting them the cost or downpayment of a home. ...more
Mortgage
May 15, 2025•5 min read
Thank you for choosing me. I am dedicated to helping you achieve your homeownership goals with personalized service and expert guidance. For more information or assistance, feel free to reach out to me anytime.