About Kelly Fest

Where Strategy Meets Success

As a devoted mom to her son Anthony and a doting fur-mama to their schnauzer Cooper, her world is stitched together with love, laughter, and a little bit of paw-print chaos.

When she isn’t guiding investors through complex acquisitions with the strategic precision of someone curating the perfect charcuterie board, you’ll usually find her writing stories or whipping up treats that make their home feel like a hug.

And on those rare, dreamy afternoons when life slows down, she dives into creating stained glass — piecing together fragments of color the way she structures capital stacks for her clients: thoughtfully, methodically, and with a clear vision for the final result.

Get to Know Kelly...

Why did you choose NEXA Mortgage?

I chose NEXA Mortgage for 3 reasons:

1. They support their women employees and have an entire division called Women of NEXA.

2. They have a very high volume of loans, which in turn means they are given better rates by the lenders they broker to, kind of like getting a discount at Sam's or CostCo when you buy something in bulk.

3. They have more support than any company I have ever seen, while still allowing employees to work remotely.

What made you decide to get into the mortgage industry?

I had been a realtor back in the 1990's, and then a family friend became a Loan Officer and started talking to me about it. I've always been such a Math nerd, so I decided to take the leap and am so glad I did! Come to find out, my own grandfather was in Finance at one time, long before I was born, so it must have been something in my genes that attracted me and then made me fall in love with the mortgage business.

Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Del Rio, TX until I was 13 years old. We then moved to Killeen when my parents (who were both educators) bought the Western Auto.

As an adult I lived mostly in Austin, but now I hang my hat in Seymour, TX where I chose to raise my son, mainly due to the fact that I felt a smaller town was a better place to raise a child, plus we had family connections here dating back to the 1890's. My great granddad was even a famous chuckwagon cook on the Waggoner Ranch, of all things!

What is something you wish every investor knew?

I wish every investor knew that a decline isn't a dead end—it’s often just a puzzle waiting to be solved. If a deal doesn't pencil out today, my goal is to show you how to stabilize the asset or restructure the capital stack so it works tomorrow.

I also believe in the power of visualizing your exit strategy. While leverage is key, understanding how strategic principal reduction builds equity for your next acquisition is vital. That is why I’ve embedded a suite of calculators on this site in the Calculator Lab—so you can see exactly how the numbers impact your portfolio's bottom line

What are your professional goals?

My main focus in the coming months will be growing webinars, podcasts, and resources so Realtors and buyers always have a “pretty little cheat sheet” for anything REI-related. There is not enough education out there about the real estate investment process, so I would also like to advocate for schools to provide this info to kids in high school before they get out in the working world so that they they can make more educated financial choices.

What do you like to do for fun?

I love being a football mom and literally have a 10-inch cowbell for football games, much to my son's chagrin. I adore reading novels and writing poetry, but I don't always have time for that right now as a single mother of a teenager. When I get back down to Austin to visit, I like going to festivals and concerts, as well as kayaking on Ladybird Lake. I recently took up meditation a-la-Silva-Method style, and it has made me feel truly centered in a way nothing else ever has.

Invite Kelly to Speak at Your Event

Review Widget
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Game Changer for my Portfolio!
"I’ve been investing in Dallas real estate for a few years, but I recently hit a wall... Kelly was a breath of fresh air. She immediately suggested a DSCR loan... She was driven, educated, and completely optimistic when I wasn't. She got the deal done when others couldn't. If you are an investor in Texas, you need Kelly and NEXA Mortgage in your corner!"
- Mark T.
Dallas, TX
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Made the Impossible Possible
"I found the perfect rental property here in Colorado... Kelly was the opposite. She was so down to earth and realized immediately that the rental income from the property would cover the loan. She handled the DSCR process seamlessly... I am now the proud owner of a cash-flowing property I didn't even think I could buy."
- Sarah
Denver, CO
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Seamless Investment Experience
"We wanted to buy a vacation rental in Florida... Kelly made the whole experience feel great! She is incredibly knowledgeable about the market... She was always there for us, answering texts and emails quickly, making sure we felt comfortable... We are 100% recommending Kelly to our investor friends."
- Roberto & Irma Gutierrez
Orlando, FL

Contact Us

Kelly Fest

NMLS # 202374

[email protected]

972-854-3270

NEXA Mortgage LLC

https://nexamortgage.com

NMLS #1660690

AZMB #0944059

Corporate Office

5559 S Sossaman Rd

Bldg # 1 Ste # 101

Mesa, AZ 85212

NvEXA Mored.

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