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Rate Piggyby Sophia Warner
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Sophia Warner

Senior Loan Officer at Rate Rebel, San Diego, CA

For nearly two decades, I've watched the same financial situation get approved by one lender and rejected by another. Banks operate within strict rules, but I have access to a network of lenders with completely different criteria. That means I can find solutions for clients that traditional banks would turn away — because I know exactly where to look. The easiest way to start is to send me a text, or run your numbers through any of the free tools on this page. In a few minutes you'll see what you're eligible for and what the payment actually looks like — no pressure, no commitment.

License
NMLS #282856
Licensed in
CA
Reviews
· Read them
Experience
21 years
Writes about
Buying, Qualifying, Loan options, Self-employed, San Diego
Phone
(619) 886-6985

10 articles by Sophia

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

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 Warner · Sep 26, 2026 · 4 min read
A shingled craftsman house with a stone-pier porch and swing at evening before layered ridges.
Self-employed

Do lenders re-check self-employed income before closing?

Lenders re-check your job or business before closing. What self-employed buyers in escrow should hold steady, what can stop a loan, and who to ask first.

Sophia Warner · Feb 3, 2026 · 6 min read
Stacked cardboard moving boxes with a blanket on a driveway in bright sunlight.
Self-employed

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 Warner · Jan 29, 2026 · 8 min read
A shingled home with a garage and a small detached workshop on a lawn at golden hour.
Qualifying

Student loans in your DTI: each loan type has its own rule

FHA, VA, conventional and USDA loans can count an income-driven student loan payment differently. See what goes into DTI and what to ask each lender.

Sophia Warner · Jan 27, 2026 · 5 min read
Two people laughing as they carry a sofa down porch steps in afternoon sun.
Buying

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 Warner · Jan 21, 2026 · 9 min read
Someone sits on a porch railing with suburban houses in warm evening light.
Qualifying

Bonus, overtime and commission: how lenders average two years of pay

How lenders average bonus, overtime and commission over two years, a worked example of why a raise counts less, and what 1099 earners should compare.

Sophia Warner · Jan 20, 2026 · 5 min read
Two people sit at a table in a warmly lit room during an evening conversation.
Loan options

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 Warner · Jan 15, 2026 · 10 min read
A pale blue San Francisco Victorian with a bay window and carved trim in soft fog.
San Diego

$150K income in San Diego: what sets your payment

What sets the payment on a $150K income in Chula Vista, Escondido and Clairemont, plus 2026 San Diego County loan limits and self-employed income.

Sophia Warner · Jan 13, 2026 · 7 min read
A pale gray Cape Cod-style cottage with a blue front door, black shutters, window boxes and a small gabled porch on a green spring lawn.
Loan options

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 Warner · Jan 8, 2026 · 9 min read
Single-story beige house with tile roof and landscaped front yard in bright daylight.
San Diego

San Diego's 2026 conforming limit: size the loan, not the house

In California, San Diego County's 2026 one-unit conforming limit is $1,104,000. How that loan-size line sorts conforming, jumbo, government-backed and bank-statement options for self-employed buyers.

Sophia Warner · Jan 2, 2026 · 8 min read