Buying a first home felt intimidating until it didn’t — Amillya called working with Cole knowledgeable, educational, and supportive, and said the process ended up far easier than her family expected.
Amillya K. · Forest Lake, MNFirst-time buyer
NMLS #197735 · Since 2005
Meet Cole
The friend part isn’t branding.
It’s the whole strategy.
“Everyone should have a friend in the mortgage business.” Cole has been proving that sentence true for two decades — one patiently-explained, on-time closing at a time.
The story
21 years, one philosophy
Cole Thimsen started in the mortgage industry in 2005 — which means he has guided clients through just about every market that exists: the boom, the crash, the recovery, the refi frenzy, the rate spike, and everything between. That range matters. Loan officers who have only known easy markets give easy-market advice; Cole gives advice that holds up.
He joined Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation in 2015, drawn to a lender built around speed and service — underwriting, funding, and closing under one roof. The fit shows: Cole has closed 100% of his loans on time since joining, and Fairway’s platform lets him offer every major program — conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, jumbo, renovation, and Minnesota down payment assistance — so his recommendation is never limited by his shelf.
As a Certified Mortgage Advisor, Cole’s specialty is the part of the job most of the industry skips: education. His clients don’t just get approved — they understand their loan, their options, and their tradeoffs well enough to explain them to someone else. It’s why first-time buyers fill his review pages, why past clients come back for their second and third homes, and why real estate agents hand him their most nervous buyers.
Off the clock, Cole is a longtime St. Louis Park resident who bikes and walks the Minneapolis lakes, snowboards in the winter, travels abroad whenever he can (Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, and Mexico are stamped in), volunteers locally — and has kept a daily meditation practice for twenty years, which may explain how he stays calm while your offer deadline is ticking.
He’s licensed in Minnesota, Colorado & Wisconsin, based at Fairway’s Eden Prairie branch as part of the Oliver White Mortgage Team, and — per the handle — happy to be your mortgage friend too.
🎓 Educate first
You’ll understand every document you sign and every dollar you pay. Confused clients make expensive decisions; Cole’s clients don’t stay confused.
⏱️ Close on time
100% on-time closings since 2015. Behind that stat: files structured right up front, proactive updates, and a lender that controls its own underwriting.
🤝 Friend for life
The relationship doesn’t end at closing. Rate check-ins, refi math, equity questions, your sister’s pre-approval — that’s what the friend part means.
Follow along
Mortgage education, in your feed
Cole posts plain-English mortgage content as @yourmortgagefriend_ — the same straight answers, in video form.
Real clients, real reviews
Five stars.5.0 across 431 verified reviews
Pulled from Experience.com, Google, Zillow & Facebook — every word verified, every buyer real.
A repeat client across a first home, a refinance, and now a dream home — Jessica says Cole takes the time to break everything down so an unfamiliar industry actually makes sense.
Jessica T. · Buffalo, MNRepeat client
Tim describes himself as very cautious with finances. Cole answered every question thoroughly — and often answered the next one before Tim could ask it.
Tim P. · Saint Paul, MNCautious by nature
As first-time buyers, Laura and her partner had a lot of questions. She calls Cole communicative, attentive, and reassuring — “in good hands” from start to finish.
Laura M. · Minneapolis, MNFirst-time buyer
Ashlee describes true five-star service — professional, responsive, and organized — with Cole removing the uncertainty from a process that could have been stressful.
Ashlee S. · Superior, WIFive-star service
Cole went above and beyond to close in time for Aaron’s wedding — responsive throughout, with Aaron’s best interest in mind the whole way. His verdict: 10/10.
Aaron E. · Maplewood, MNClosed on a deadline
Buying a first home felt intimidating until it didn’t — Amillya called working with Cole knowledgeable, educational, and supportive, and said the process ended up far easier than her family expected.
Amillya K. · Forest Lake, MNFirst-time buyer
A repeat client across a first home, a refinance, and now a dream home — Jessica says Cole takes the time to break everything down so an unfamiliar industry actually makes sense.
Jessica T. · Buffalo, MNRepeat client
Tim describes himself as very cautious with finances. Cole answered every question thoroughly — and often answered the next one before Tim could ask it.
Tim P. · Saint Paul, MNCautious by nature
As first-time buyers, Laura and her partner had a lot of questions. She calls Cole communicative, attentive, and reassuring — “in good hands” from start to finish.
Laura M. · Minneapolis, MNFirst-time buyer
Ashlee describes true five-star service — professional, responsive, and organized — with Cole removing the uncertainty from a process that could have been stressful.
Ashlee S. · Superior, WIFive-star service
Cole went above and beyond to close in time for Aaron’s wedding — responsive throughout, with Aaron’s best interest in mind the whole way. His verdict: 10/10.
Aaron E. · Maplewood, MNClosed on a deadline
Have a question? Just ask your friend.
No pressure, no jargon, no obligation — just a straight answer from someone who’s been doing this since 2005. Text, call, or apply whenever you’re ready.