Guides on mortgage programs, calculations and the home-buying process. Planning information only — never an approval.
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- Down payment, closing costs and cash to close: what you actually bring to the table
Down payment is the number everyone talks about, but it is only one line in the cash you need at closing. Here is how down payment, closing costs, prepaids, escrow and reserves fit together — and where credits can reduce the total.
- Fix and flip financing: how short-term renovation loans work for resale projects
Fix and flip financing is built around a project, not a paycheck. Here is what short-term renovation lenders review, how draw schedules release money, and what the cash and exit plan need to look like before you buy.
- Conventional vs. FHA vs. VA loans: how the three main financing paths compare
Three names get repeated in every home-buying conversation: Conventional, FHA and VA. Here is what each one actually is, how they differ structurally, and how to reason through which financing path may fit your situation.
- Credit score and mortgage options: how your credit profile shapes financing paths
Your credit profile does more than set a number — it shapes which financing paths are open and what they may cost. Here is what mortgage lenders actually look at, and what tends to help before you apply.
- Mortgage options for foreign nationals and newcomers to the US
Buying US property without a US credit history or with a visa, ITIN or no US residency at all follows different paths depending on your status. Here is how those paths typically differ.
- DSCR loans for rental and investment properties
DSCR loans let a rental property's own cash flow carry the qualification instead of your personal income and DTI. Here is how the math works, what lenders review, and where the trade-offs sit.
- Bank statement loans: how they work for self-employed borrowers
Bank statement loans let self-employed borrowers qualify using deposit activity instead of tax returns. Here is how the math works, what deposits count, and who this financing path fits.
- Mortgage qualification when you're self-employed or a 1099 worker
Self-employed and 1099 income is assessed differently than a salary, but it is a normal, well-served category. Here's how qualification actually works.
- Mortgage options for W-2 employees: salaried, hourly, and variable pay
W-2 income is the most common path through mortgage underwriting, but salary, hourly, bonus, and commission pay are not all viewed the same way. Here is how each works.
- Mortgage planning and the prequalification process
Before an application there is a planning stage most buyers skip. Here is how to use it: what prequalification means, what a lender actually reviews, and how to turn a rough idea into a mortgage roadmap.
Important disclosures
- Planning estimates only. Not an approval, pre-approval, guaranteed qualification, guaranteed rate or lending decision.
- This is not a commitment to lend.
- Final eligibility requires lender and licensed MLO review.
- Rates, pricing, guidelines and program availability change and vary by borrower and property.
- Program availability varies by state.
- Equal Housing Opportunity.