Meet
Alex E. Edwards
Mortgage Before Marriage is a movement for people who are done playing catch up with money, love, and life. We believe in securing the foundation before the feelings. The bag before the bouquet. The deed before the diamond.
Alex E. Edwards is more than a broker he’s a visionary, educator, and cultural architect redefining what wealth looks like for a new generation. As the founder of Thumbprint Realty and author of Mortgage Before Marriage, Alex has become a national voice for ownership first living, financial independence, and strategic legacy building. real estate mogul, investor, and author leading a national movement that challenges how we think about wealth, relationships, and generational legacy.
As the visionary behind Mortgage Before Marriage, Alex empowers individuals to build ownership and equity before rings and romance turning the traditional path to success on its head.
With deep roots in Boston and a relentless commitment to impact, he’s built a brand that bridges real estate, financial literacy, and community advancement. Alex began flipping properties and building wealth in his early 20s, long before marriage ever entered the conversation.
His philosophy is clear: love should never come before legacy. Through real estate education, strategic investment, and a fearless commitment to financial independence, Alex is helping families break cycles of poverty and build futures that outlive them.
MISSION
Our mission is to shift the trajectory of wealth in our communities by teaching people how to lead with ownership, not obligation. Mortgage Before Marriage is more than a phrase it’s a movement rooted in power, positioning, and purpose. I exist to show individuals especially those who have been historically excluded from conversations around generational wealth that you do not have to wait for a partner, permission, or perfect timing to start building legacy. Through real estate flipping, strategic education, and hands-on coaching, I help people acquire assets that outlive trends, relationships, and paychecks. The mission is simple: own before you owe. Build before you bind. And make sure your last name holds more weight than your lifestyle.
VISION
We envision a world where ownership is the standard not something to chase later in life, but something we step into early, with clarity and confidence. A world where wealth is built with intention, not inherited by chance. Where individuals, especially from communities historically excluded from financial opportunity, understand that power comes from positioning and real estate is the cornerstone of that positioning.
We are building a culture where homeownership is no longer delayed for marriage, approval, or perfection. We believe in walking into relationships with assets, not just ambition where alignment comes before attachment, and where building legacy begins long before the vows.
This is not just about flipping properties it’s about flipping generational narratives. It’s about changing what families pass down, what children grow up expecting, and what wealth looks like in households that once had none.
We are driven by a vision that’s bigger than real estate. It’s about reclaiming the future, redefining our value, and raising a new standard where owning something is no longer a dream, but a rite of passage.
Because when we change what we own, we change what we believe we’re worth and that changes everything.
CORE VALUES
Ownership First
We believe wealth starts with what you own, not just what you earn. Before partnership, before luxury own something that builds value while you sleep.
Legacy Over Lifestyle
Sustainable success is more important than short-term gratification. We don’t chase trends we build what lasts.
Education is Empowerment
Knowledge is the foundation of every powerful decision.
Access and Execution
It’s not just about knowing the game. It’s about playing it to win.Execution Over Excuses, Ideas are nothing without action. We move with strategy and urgency.
Family is the Foundation
We build with the next generation in mind. Every deal is about more than profit it’s about purpose.
Culture Matters
We honor where we come from while building where we’re going.
Faith, Focus, and Discipline
We build with intention, lead with integrity, and never lose sight of the long game.What you do daily determines what you pass down.
Flip With Intent
Every flip is a step toward financial freedom. It’s not about hustle it’s about strategy.
STRATEGIC GOALS
1. Create 100,000 First-Time Homeowners Before Marriage
Through national speaking tours, digital education, and strategic partnerships, we aim to help 100,000 individuals secure property ownership before entering marital commitments shifting the cultural narrative from waiting to wealth-building.
2. Fund and Flip Over 1,000 Properties in Underserved Markets
By identifying undervalued neighborhoods and overlooked opportunities, we will flip properties not just for profit, but for purpose revitalizing communities while teaching others how to do the same through hands-on mentorship and real-time modeling.
3. Build a National Pipeline of Real Estate Leaders
Develop a comprehensive program to train the next generation of Black and Brown real estate professionals, flippers, and investors equipping them with the technical skills, mindset, and financial tools to dominate in the industry.
4. Launch the Mortgage Before Marriage Academy
Establish an accessible, high-impact digital platform that provides education on credit, funding, flipping, ownership, and generational wealth strategies rooted in real-life application, not theory.
5. Close the Generational Wealth Gap One Family at a Time
Support thousands of families in transitioning from renters to owners, from consumers to investors, by providing financial literacy programs, legacy building blueprints, and real estate access in markets where ownership has historically been denied.
6. Influence Policy and Financial Institutions
Work with banks, lenders, and local governments to advocate for fairer lending practices, more accessible funding for first-time buyers, and policy change that reflects the modern path to ownership for marginalized communities.
7. Publish and Distribute Ownership Centered Curriculum in Schools
Introduce Mortgage Before Marriage principles into high schools and colleges through curriculum partnerships so that young people learn early that ownership is not optional, it’s essential.
8. Empower High-Income Earners to Build Ownership and Boundaries
Support individuals making over $200K annually to gain confidence, increase their income, strengthen relationships, and develop the mindset that protects their peace, power, and property so no one ever walks over them again.
Run like you never ran before and you will go where you never gone before .
- Alex
Meet
Lashon Carter
Lashon is a proud wife, devoted mother, passionate entrepreneur, and proud native of Chattanooga, TN. She is a graduate of Chattanooga State Technical Community College, where she earned her degree in Human Services. Her journey in early childhood education began in 2012, working closely with both children and families. She spent over six years as a childcare provider, with more than four of those years nurturing infants in the classroom.Without any formal preparation, LaShon was promoted to an assistant director role—a challenge she didn’t shy away from.
Determined to rise to the occasion, she pursued professional development on her own to better serve in her new leadership position. Fueled by faith and family, LaShon created a vision board with her husband, daughter, and son, which led to the opening of Tiny Tigers Family Daycare from their home.In 2017, the Carters expanded their dream by launching Tiny Tigers Learning Center, which has since been nominated five times for Best Daycare in Chattanooga.
LaShon now serves on multiple education boards, continuing her mission to uplift early childhood development across the community.During the pandemic, LaShon pivoted once again and launched The EDU-Station—a vibrant and engaging platform that brings joy to learning. The EDU-Station Store offers reusable, budget-friendly educational tools that fit seamlessly into any curriculum. Their signature Let’s Go Express Kits—packed in playful learning suitcases—provide enriching content for children ages 1-5 and are ideal for educators, parents, camps, and childcare centers.
Beyond the classroom, LaShon is a dynamic business coach, specializing in financial literacy, product development, credit repair, budgeting, and business growth. She equips aspiring entrepreneurs—especially childcare providers—with the tools, strategies, and confidence to launch and sustain successful businesses. Her clients walk away with practical skills in marketing, money management, and business planning.LaShon Carter is a woman of faith who lives by
Luke 1:37:
“With God, all things are possible.”
Her purpose is clear—and she’s walking boldly in it.
Mission
Our mission is to shift the trajectory of wealth in our communities by teaching people how to lead with ownership, not obligation. Mortgage Before Marriage is more than a phrase it’s a movement rooted in power, positioning, and purpose. We exist to show individuals especially those who have been historically excluded from conversations around generational wealth that you do not have to wait for a partner, permission, or perfect timing to start building legacy. Through real estate flipping, strategic education, and hands-on coaching, I help people acquire assets that outlive trends, relationships, and paychecks. The mission is simple: own before you owe. Build before you bind. And make sure your last name holds more weight than your lifestyle.
Vision
We envision a world where ownership is the standard not something to chase later in life, but something we step into early, with clarity and confidence. A world where wealth is built with intention, not inherited by chance. Where individuals, especially from communities historically excluded from financial opportunity, understand that power comes from positioning and real estate is the cornerstone of that positioning.
We are building a culture where homeownership is no longer delayed for marriage, approval, or perfection. We believe in walking into relationships with assets, not just ambition where alignment comes before attachment, and where building legacy begins long before the vows.
This is not just about flipping properties it’s about flipping generational narratives. It’s about changing what families pass down, what children grow up expecting, and what wealth looks like in households that once had none.
We are driven by a vision that’s bigger than real estate. It’s about reclaiming the future, redefining our value, and raising a new standard where owning something is no longer a dream, but a rite of passage.
Because when we change what we own, we change what we believe we’re worth and that changes everything.
RESOURCES
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