JoelWallMortgage

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  • New I-20 Exit at Calks Ferry? What Lexington Homebuyers Should Know Before the Nov. 17 Hearing

    If you live off Exit 51 or Exit 44, you already know the drill. Longs Pond Road backs up, and getting from western Lexington to I-20 can take longer than it should. Lexington County is now working on a fix, and there’s a public hearing coming up this month where you can weigh in.

    What’s being proposed

    The project would add a full I-20 interchange where Calks Ferry Road already crosses the interstate. Today there’s no access at that overpass, which sits 2.3 miles west of Exit 51 (Longs Pond Road) and 4.4 miles east of Exit 44 (Pond Branch Road). The county’s preferred design is a partial cloverleaf with a new bridge next to the existing overpass. The plan also widens Calks Ferry Road from Two Notch Road to Sherwood Drive and improves several intersections along the way. Lexington County is leading the work with the SC Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. (Source: CalksFerryInterchange.com and the project’s Draft Environmental Assessment, October 2026.)

    Why it matters

    The county says the goal is better connections between I-20 and the growing western side of Lexington. Its traffic study projects that the new interchange would cut congestion on the Exit 51 ramps by about 16 to 17 percent by 2045. (Source: Draft Environmental Assessment.) Anyone who drives past Ferry Grove, Summer Orchard, and the other new neighborhoods along Calks Ferry can see why access is a big topic.

    It’s still years away

    This is the planning stage. The county estimates final design, right-of-way, and construction at roughly $85 to $125 million, and construction funding hasn’t been secured yet. No official start date has been set. In June, a county council member told The State it could take five or six years to complete. (Sources: project FAQ; The State.) If you’re buying in this area, it’s worth knowing about, but don’t plan around a finish date yet.

    How to have your say

    Public hearing: Tuesday, November 17, 2026, 5 to 7 p.m., Boiling Springs Methodist Church, 2373 Calks Ferry Road, Lexington. The open house starts at 5, and the formal presentation is at 6. You can sign up to speak on the project website or at the open house.

    Comments are due December 2, 2026. You can comment at the meeting, on the website, or by phone, email, or mail. The Draft Environmental Assessment is posted at CalksFerryInterchange.com and on the Lexington County website. (Source: Lexington County public hearing notice.)

    If you’re thinking about buying in western Lexington, Gilbert, or Red Bank and want to talk through your options, I’m always happy to help. Knowing what’s planned nearby is part of buying with confidence.

    Joel Wall, OriginPoint
    NMLS #406462 | Origin Point LLC FKA Guaranteed Rate Affinity, NMLS #1598647 | Equal Housing Lender

    Sources:
    https://www.calksferryinterchange.com/
    https://lex-co.sc.gov/sites/lexco/files/Documents/Lexington%20County/Departments/Public%20Works/I-20CalksFerry_DraftEA_Approval_w.Appendices_1.pdf
    https://www.thestate.com/news/traffic/article315941007.html
    https://www.noticeregistry.com/south-carolina/notice/public-hearing-lexington-657371

  • Guaranteed Rate Affinity Is Now OriginPoint

    Same Team, New Name: Guaranteed Rate Affinity Is Now OriginPoint

    If you’ve worked with me on a home loan, or you’ve seen my name on a flyer around Lexington, you’ll start seeing a new name next to it: OriginPoint. Here’s what’s happening, and what it means for you.

    On Nov. 4, 2026, Rate and Compass International Holdings announced in a press release on GlobeNewswire that they’re combining their two mortgage joint ventures, Guaranteed Rate Affinity and OriginPoint, under the OriginPoint brand. According to the release, the combined company is a top 10 national retail mortgage lender.

    What’s new

    The biggest change is reach. The release says OriginPoint is “seamlessly connected to Compass International Holdings’ owned-brokerage network of more than 80,000 real estate professionals.” For buyers here in the Midlands, that means a closer working relationship between the agent helping you find a home and the loan officer helping you pay for it.

    Victor Ciardelli, Rate’s founder and CEO, put it this way: “OriginPoint now connects the best real estate professionals and the best loan officers in the country.” Robert Reffkin, Chairman and CEO of Compass International Holdings, said the goal is “to create a simpler, more seamless and connected experience for homebuyers.”

    The company also says buyers can “find, secure and close on a home in as few as 10 days.” Every loan is different, but faster and smoother is the direction we’re heading.

    What stays the same

    According to the release, OriginPoint is still backed by Rate’s advanced AI technology, breadth of products and end-to-end lending platform. Those are the same tools I’ve been using to help Midlands families get to the closing table.

    My licensing hasn’t changed either. My NMLS number is still #406462, and the company NMLS number is still #1598647. Only the name is new. On my materials you’ll see “Origin Point LLC FKA Guaranteed Rate Affinity” for a while, so it’s easy to connect the dots.

    Why now?

    Asked about the timing, Ciardelli told HousingWire on Nov. 3: “It wasn’t the current rate environment that was a driver in it at all.” HousingWire also reports that Dave Dickey of Guaranteed Rate Affinity and James Elliott of OriginPoint will serve as co-presidents of the combined company.

    Ciardelli summed it up: “This merger creates a powerhouse lending platform never before seen in the real estate industry,” and “This announcement is a milestone, but it’s just the beginning of what’s to come.”

    What this means for you

    If you’re already working with me, nothing changes about how we work together. You’ll have the same point of contact and the same process. If you’re thinking about buying or refinancing in Columbia, Lexington or anywhere in the Midlands, I’d love to talk through your options.

    Same Joel. New name. More behind me than ever.

    Sources: Rate and Compass International Holdings press release, GlobeNewswire, Nov. 4, 2026; HousingWire, Nov. 3, 2026.

    Joel Wall, NMLS #406462. Origin Point LLC FKA Guaranteed Rate Affinity, NMLS #1598647. Equal Housing Lender.