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
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
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
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
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