Meet Aaron Jelinek
Fighter Pilot.
Mortgage Advisor.
Trusted guidance, clear communication and a relationship built for the long haul.
Trusted guidance, clear communication and a relationship built for the long haul.
Aaron “Ice” Jelinek is the Team Lead of FastJet Financial, powered by Barrett Financial Group, L.L.C. Before helping families navigate home financing, Aaron spent 20 years serving in the United States Air Force—building a career defined by preparation, precision, communication and trust.
Aaron graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona, and was commissioned into the Air Force in 2001. During his military career, he flew the F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-35 Lightning II, accumulated more than 2,500 flight hours and served as an instructor and evaluator pilot. His service included combat operations, leadership positions and the responsibility of training American and allied fighter pilots.
From 2010 through 2011, Aaron served with the United States Air Force Thunderbirds. He flew as both the opposing solo and lead solo, performing some of the team’s most demanding maneuvers for audiences around the world. Flying only feet away from another aircraft taught him lessons that continue to shape the way he serves his clients today: prepare thoroughly, communicate clearly, anticipate problems and never lose sight of the people depending on you.
Aaron’s Air Force career also extended beyond the cockpit. He served as a Defense Legislative Fellow in the United States Senate and later commanded the 56th Operations Support Squadron at Luke Air Force Base. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2021 after two decades of service.
After years of helping lead complex missions, Aaron was drawn to another kind of responsibility: helping people make confident decisions about their homes and financial futures.
He founded FastJet Financial to provide borrowers with the kind of guidance he would want for his own family—honest, understandable and never pressured. As a mortgage broker, Aaron can compare multiple lenders, programs and strategies instead of forcing every borrower into the same solution.
His approach is straightforward: explain the options clearly, discuss the tradeoffs early and recommend what is genuinely best for the client. Sometimes that means finding a better loan. Other times, it means telling someone that the financing they already have is a good deal.
Aaron also helped establish FastJet Realty with his wife, Terri. Their real-estate experience gives him a perspective that extends beyond the loan itself. He understands contracts, negotiations, inspections, appraisals, timelines and the communication required between buyers, sellers, agents, lenders and escrow teams.
That broader perspective is especially valuable during competitive purchases and complicated transactions. Aaron understands what agents need from a lender, how financing can strengthen an offer and why proactive communication can be the difference between unnecessary stress and a successful closing.
While FastJet Financial is his primary focus, FastJet Realty remains an important part of Aaron’s ability to understand the entire homeownership journey.
Aaron and Terri are raising their children, Caroline and Carter, in Arizona. Family is central to Aaron’s life and to the way he approaches his work. He knows that a mortgage is never simply a rate or a monthly payment—it is connected to a family’s goals, stability and future.
His military career may have placed him in some extraordinary environments, but Aaron’s philosophy is refreshingly simple: tell people the truth, communicate consistently, take ownership of the details and treat every client as though they were family.
That is the standard behind FastJet Financial—and the kind of relationship Aaron hopes to build with every person he serves.
For Aaron, the relationship should not end at closing. Whether you are buying your first home, relocating with the military, investing or looking for a trusted second opinion, he is here for the long haul.
Paul Aaron Jelinek | NMLS #2221884 | Barrett Financial Group, L.L.C. | NMLS #181106 | 2701 East Insight Way, Suite 150, Chandler, AZ 85286 | AK AK181106 | AZ 0904774 | CA 60DBO-46052 & 41DBO-148702 Licensed by Dept. of Financial Protection & Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act. Loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Financing Law License | CO | CT ML-181106 | FL MLD1880 | GA 181106 | ID 2080181106 | IN 181106 | ME 181106 | MT 181106 | NM | NV 5091 | OR | PA 92105 | TN 204577 | TX view complaint policy at barrettfinancial.com/texas-complaint | UT 11368611 | VA MC-7357 & MC-7357 | WA MB-181106 | Equal Housing Opportunity | Equal Housing Lender | This is not a commitment to lend. All loans are subject to credit approval. | nmlsconsumeraccess.org/EntityDetails.aspx/COMPANY/181106