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Homeownership in Southern California and beyond

Type · 3
Comparison (2)How-to (5)Q&A (8)Options (2)Program guide (3)Story (2)Local guide (3)Market update (2)
Clear
Hand opening a wooden door to view neighboring residential buildings in bright daylight.
Loan optionsHow-to11 min read

FHA condo approval: what to check before you offer

A three-step FHA condo check (approved list, Single-Unit Approval, offer clause) and how to decide: FHA as usual, FHA with extra time, or another loan or building.

Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer
Two people laughing as they carry a sofa down porch steps in afternoon sun.
BuyingHow-to10 min read

Gift Money for a Down Payment: The Paper Trail Lenders Want

A four-step checklist for using family gift money on a down payment: gift letter rules, matching transfers, a clean deposit trail and the 2026 IRS gift figures.

Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer
Bank-statement loans: how self-employed buyers qualify when their tax returns show less than they make
Self-employedProgram guide4 min read

Bank-statement loans: how self-employed buyers qualify when their tax returns show less than they make

Your tax returns aren't the only way to prove what you earn. Here's how lenders use your deposits instead, what it costs, and what to do before you look at a house.

Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer
Two people sit at a table in a warmly lit room during an evening conversation.
Loan optionsHow-to11 min read

Removing PMI from a conventional loan: a step checklist

A five-step checklist for dropping PMI on a conventional loan: find your CFPB 80% and 78% marks, ask in writing, weigh an appraisal and confirm it stopped.

Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer
Multiple people tour an empty home interior with bright sunlight from glass doors and windows.
Loan optionsProgram guide8 min read

CalHFA MyHome San Diego: who qualifies, what it costs

How CalHFA MyHome works for San Diego first-time buyers: how much it covers, the $259,000 county income limit, repayment, and options if you're self-⁠employed.

Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer
Stacked cardboard moving boxes with a blanket on a driveway in bright sunlight.
Self-employedStory8 min read

Divorced and self-employed: what a lender reads before you buy

One San Diego file from decree to underwriting: what the lender read first, when support counted as income, and what self-employed buyers should ask.

Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer
A brick ranch home with a small porch and beds of hydrangea and lavender in warm evening light.
QualifyingHow-to11 min read

Tax season mortgage papers: which year the lender reads

A six-step tax-season checklist for self-employed buyers: which year the lender reads, returns or transcripts, Form 4506-C, bank statements and Loan Estimate.

Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer
Two people stand on the front lawn of a two-story beige house with a garage, surrounded by palm trees and neighboring homes.
QualifyingStory5 min read

Buying a house after a short sale: a San Diego comeback

How long you wait after a short sale for FHA, VA and Fannie Mae loans, and how one San Diego couple timed their purchase to buy again.

Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer
A cream two-storey colonial with dark shutters and a pedimented door among tall trees at golden hour.
BuyingHow-to10 min read

Two Loan Estimates, line by line: what to compare

Five steps for comparing two Loan Estimates across pages 1 and 2, written for self-employed buyers, with a side-by-side table and a check on which fees can still change.

Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer

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