When I'm working with a client, I ask myself one question before I recommend anything: would I tell my brother to do this?
Not a generic client. My actual brother. Someone I care about, someone I'll see at Christmas, someone who will absolutely call me out if I steered him wrong.
If the answer is yes, if I'd genuinely tell him to go with this loan, this rate, this product, then I'll recommend it to you. If the answer is no, or even if I'm not sure, I'm going to say so. Even if it means a smaller commission. Even if it means slowing things down.
Most lenders won't tell you when you're stretching. They'll approve you for the max and let you figure out the rest. That's not advice. That's just paperwork.
The Brother Rule isn't a policy. It's just how I think about every decision I make for a client. If it's not good enough for the people I love most, it's not good enough for you.