Buying our first home meant learning fast — Arthur answered every question, responded to calls and emails quickly, and stayed on top of every deadline. We closed in about a month.
Verified client · Chicago, ILFirst-time buyer
Meet Arthur
Hey, I’m Arthur. 👋
Branch Manager at Fairway Home Mortgage in Skokie, and the person on the other end when you text “what’s my payment?”
NMLS #22305221+ years in lendingFairway since 2018Licensed in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Florida, Texas & California
Who is Arthur Blachno?
Arthur J. Blachno is a Branch Manager and Mortgage Loan Officer with Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation (doing business as Fairway Home Mortgage), leading the Skokie branch at 5250 Old Orchard Rd, Suite 360, right by Old Orchard. He has been in home lending since 2005 — through multiple rate cycles, a housing crash, a refinance boom and a housing shortage — and since 2018 he’s run the Skokie branch that closes his clients’ loans.
A North Shore native who grew up in Highland Park, Arthur knows the difference between a Skokie tax bill and a Glenview one, why a Rogers Park 2-flat qualifies differently than a Wilmette single-family, and which IHDA program actually fits a first-time buyer in Cook County. Before Fairway he originated with Compass Mortgage, Stearns Lending and BBMC Mortgage, which is a long way of saying he has seen how a lot of lenders do it — and built his branch around the parts that work for clients.
Outside the office he’s married with three kids, spends his free time lifting weights and Florida Gulf Coast vacations with the family, and answers texts faster than most people answer email.
How Arthur works
Ask anything
There are no dumb questions here. The entire premise of this site is that you should be able to just ask — and get a real answer, not a sales pitch.
Straight numbers
Real Cook County taxes, real closing costs, real break-even math. And an honest “not yet — here’s the plan” when that’s the truth.
Accountable to the finish
Arthur runs the branch. When he says your loan will close on time, the person responsible for that is the person you’re texting.
Where Arthur works
Arthur’s clients are mostly buying in Skokie, Evanston, Wilmette, Glenview, Northbrook, Morton Grove, Niles, Park Ridge, Lincolnwood, Highland Park, Deerfield and Chicago’s North Side, across Cook County and Lake County. He’s also licensed in Indiana, Wisconsin, Florida, Texas and California for clients moving across state lines — including a fair number of North Shore families buying on the Florida Gulf Coast.
Real clients, real reviews
Five stars.4.99 across 234 client reviews
Posted on Zillow & Google — every review lives on the platform where the client left it.
Finally found someone who could actually get a VA loan done right. Highly recommended.
Verified client · Skokie, ILVA loan
Third home purchase, and by far the best lending team we have worked with. Seller-side delays piled up and Arthur’s team still got us great terms and an expedited closing.
Verified client · North ShoreRepeat buyer
Nervous first-timer with a long list of questions. Arthur was professional, patient, and gave me the comfort I needed.
Verified client · Chicago, ILFirst-time buyer
Good, honest advice on the different options for my mortgage — it was appreciated.
Verified client · Evanston, ILRefinance
Responsive, addresses questions and concerns in a timely manner, and the whole team was excellent from start to finish.
Verified client · Chicago, ILPurchase
Buying our first home meant learning fast — Arthur answered every question, responded to calls and emails quickly, and stayed on top of every deadline. We closed in about a month.
Verified client · Chicago, ILFirst-time buyer
Finally found someone who could actually get a VA loan done right. Highly recommended.
Verified client · Skokie, ILVA loan
Third home purchase, and by far the best lending team we have worked with. Seller-side delays piled up and Arthur’s team still got us great terms and an expedited closing.
Verified client · North ShoreRepeat buyer
Nervous first-timer with a long list of questions. Arthur was professional, patient, and gave me the comfort I needed.
Verified client · Chicago, ILFirst-time buyer
Good, honest advice on the different options for my mortgage — it was appreciated.
Verified client · Evanston, ILRefinance
Responsive, addresses questions and concerns in a timely manner, and the whole team was excellent from start to finish.
Verified client · Chicago, ILPurchase
Want to talk it through with Arthur?
Text him. Fifteen minutes, no paperwork, and you’ll leave knowing what’s realistic — and what step one is.