Skip to the articles
Ask Sophia

Rate Piggy

Homeownership in Southern California and beyond

Type
Comparison (2)How-to (5)Q&A (8)Options (2)Program guide (3)Story (2)Local guide (3)Market update (2)
Clear
A shingled craftsman house with a stone-pier porch and swing at evening before layered ridges.
Self-employedQ&A7 min read

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 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 shingled home with a garage and a small detached workshop on a lawn at golden hour.
QualifyingQ&A6 min read

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 WarnerSenior Loan Officer
Single-story beige house with tile roof and landscaped front yard in bright daylight.
San DiegoMarket update9 min read

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 WarnerSenior Loan Officer
Worker organizing tools on a driveway in front of suburban homes during daytime.
Self-employedQ&A7 min read

Self-employed jumbo loans in Carlsbad, Encinitas, Del Mar

Where a jumbo loan starts in San Diego County in 2026, why lenders want a stronger file, how bank statements can stand in for thin tax returns, and extra costs.

Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer
Several key rings with a leather fob hanging from brass hooks on a wooden hook board.
Loan optionsOptions11 min read

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
A weathered gray-shingled Cape Cod cottage with white trim and a paneled front door, blue hydrangeas along the foundation and a maple in low morning sun.
Self-employedLocal guide10 min read

East County for self-employed buyers: limits, taxes, older homes

What self-employed buyers priced out of the coast should line up before an East County offer: 2026 loan limits, income proof, county property tax rules and older-home checks.

Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer
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 optionsComparison9 min read

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

Buying in San Diego County?

Get a personal rate quote from Sophia before you start touring homes.

Get My Rate Quote