About Andy Hess | Former Firefighter & CA Mortgage Advisor

Andy Hess | California Firefighter & First Responder Mortgage Advisor

NMLS #1791379

DRE #02051920

Licensed California

Meet Your Advisor

Andy Hess

Mortgage Loan Originator · Hess Mortgages

For two decades, my job was showing up on someone’s worst day. I spent 22 years as a paramedic and 12 as a firefighter — high-pressure work where staying calm and communicating clearly is the whole job.

After a career-ending injury, I brought that same approach into mortgages: understand the situation, lay out the facts, and help you make a clear decision. No pressure, no jargon.

Today I help California families find the right loan, not just any loan. And because I lived the schedule, I know how first-responder pay really works — the overtime most lenders never count right. Whether you’re buying your first home, refinancing, or moving up, I’m the advisor who picks up the phone and tells it to you straight.

200+ Loans Closed

25+ Years as First Responder

CA Licensed Statewide

Find Your Rate Schedule a Call

Philosophy

Your Mortgage Should Work for You — Not the Bank

For most families, a home is one of the largest pieces of their financial picture. It provides shelter and stability, but it's also a major financial instrument, and traditional banks treat it like one.

Most lenders operate on assumptions that haven't changed in decades. Piles of paperwork. Little visibility into what's actually going on beneath the surface. Thirty years later, you own your home free and clear, and the bank walks away with a healthy profit.

I take a different approach. I look at the larger picture: short-term and long-term. I craft your financing to fit your actual life, not the bank's interests. Because life today won't be the same as life thirty years from now, and your mortgage shouldn't pretend it will be. An interest rate is much more than a number; it's a story, and you deserve to understand every chapter.

What's unique about andy

Why Firefighters Send Me Their Friends

No fees stacked on fees. No pressure. Just straight advice from someone who lived the schedule and knows how your pay really works.

I Lived Your Schedule

Twenty-two years a paramedic, twelve a firefighter. I know the 48-on, 96-off life and what it does to a family, because I worked it.

I Count Your Overtime Right

Most lenders see your base pay and stop. I know how to document overtime and shift pay, so you qualify for what you actually earn.

I Stay Calm Under Pressure

A fire scene teaches you to take the facts, stay calm, and make the call. I run your loan the same way. No panic, no pressure.

I Pick Up the Phone

You get me, not a call center. Your questions get answered, and I stay in it through closing and long after.

Start with a Free Call

Before the Mortgage

From the Firehouse to Your Financing

I was in college studying business when the September 11 attacks happened. Watching it unfold changed something in me. That’s when I knew I wanted to join the fire service and give back. I finished my degree, then went all in.

The job was rarely what TV makes it look like. It was 48 hours on, 96 hours off, a lot of ordinary calls, and a team you trusted with your life. I loved it. A career-ending injury took me out before I was ready, and letting go of that identity was hard. But the things the job taught me — stay calm, communicate, put the team first — are exactly what I bring to a mortgage now.

That schedule also taught me what first responders give up. Holidays, birthdays, routines, the small moments you don’t get back. They work so hard for their communities that their own finances usually come last. That never sat right with me.

So that’s who I built this for. I know how your pay actually works, I know the schedule, and I know the overtime that most lenders leave on the table. Helping firefighters and first responders buy a home, the right way, is how I keep giving back.

Andy Hess with his wife Alicia and their three daughters | Hess Mortgages

OFF THE CLOCk

A Husband and a Girl-Dad First

Off the clock, I'm a husband to Alicia and a dad to three daughters. More time with them is the best part of this chapter, and a big reason I care about helping other families build something steady of their own.

What Clients Say

Real Words from Real People

Andy's clients return because the experience is different — and they tell others. Here's what they say.

Andy made the entire process so easy to understand. He answered every question patiently and we closed on time with a rate better than we expected. Couldn't recommend him more.

Sarah M. First-time homebuyer · Sacramento, CA

We refinanced through Andy and dropped our rate significantly. He broke everything down clearly, was responsive the whole time, and made sure we understood every step. Highly recommend.

James & Lisa T. Refinance · San Diego, CA

As a veteran, finding someone who really knows the VA loan process is so important. Andy walked me through everything and got me into my home with zero down. He's the real deal.

Marcus D. VA Loan Purchase · Los Angeles, CA

About Andy

Getting to Know Andy Hess

What makes working with Andy different from going to a big bank?

A bank runs your file through a formula. I look at your whole situation, including income a big lender often misses, like overtime. I explain your options in plain language and help you choose, then I stay reachable the whole way.

Where is Andy licensed, and where can he help?

I’m licensed statewide in California. My home base is Contra Costa County and the East Bay, with a lot of clients in Sacramento, but I work with buyers across the state.

Does Andy specialize in helping firefighters and first responders?

Yes. I spent 22 years as a paramedic and 12 as a firefighter, so I understand public-safety pay and schedules. Counting overtime income correctly is where I add the most value, and it applies to police, EMTs, paramedics, and nurses too.

Can I really use my overtime to qualify for more home?

Often, yes. Lenders generally want a history of overtime and average it, so documentation is what makes or breaks it. Done right, it can meaningfully change what you qualify for. That’s the part I handle.

What does it cost to talk with Andy?

Nothing. A first conversation is free, with no credit pull and no obligation. You can ask questions and get a real picture before you decide anything.

How do I start a conversation with Andy?

Use the schedule a call form or reach out through the contact page. Just rough numbers to start, no documents and no credit pull. I’ll come back with a clear picture of your options.

Overtime-income specialist

NMLS Licensed #1791379