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
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
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
Condo vs townhome: how HOA dues change what you can borrow
How HOA dues shrink your buying power, a condo vs townhome table, and how self-employed California buyers can compare total payments before making an offer.
Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer
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
FHA vs conventional at a 680–740 score: the five-year cost
With a small down payment and a 680–740 score, compare FHA's HUD premiums on a $400,000 example with a written conventional insurance quote over five years.
Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer
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