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
4 CalHFA loan options for self-employed first-time buyers in California
Four CalHFA options compared for self-employed first-time buyers in California: who qualifies for each, what each costs later, and which one fits your income.
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
4 loan options for seller credits: what each lets a seller pay
Seller credit caps for conventional, FHA, VA and USDA loans side by side, what counts toward each cap, and how to size your request before you write the offer.
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