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MortgagePops Blog

Straight answers on buying, qualifying and choosing a loan in San Diego County.

Type
Comparison (2)How-to (3)Q&A (5)Options (2)Program guide (2)Story (2)Local guide (2)Market update (2)
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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
Laptop and papers on a desk by a sunlit window, with a family visible in the background of a bright home interior.
Self-employedMarket update8 min read

Self-employed in San Diego: what to line up for a spring purchase

A San Diego broker on what self-employed buyers can prepare before spring: 2026 loan limits, a March prep timeline, and when waiting is the better call.

Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer
Two people stand on the front lawn of a two-story beige house with a garage, surrounded by palm trees and neighboring homes.
QualifyingStory5 min read

Buying a house after a short sale: a San Diego comeback

How long you wait after a short sale for FHA, VA and Fannie Mae loans, and how one San Diego couple timed their purchase to buy again.

Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer
A cream two-storey colonial with dark shutters and a pedimented door among tall trees at golden hour.
BuyingHow-to10 min read

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
A red-brick ranch house with an American flag by the front door, a large shade tree and fallen leaves on the lawn in late-afternoon light.
Loan optionsQ&A6 min read

Using your VA benefit again: what your entitlement covers

How a second VA loan works with partial entitlement: a worked county-limit example, when lenders ask for money down, and how to restore entitlement.

Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer
A hand unlocks a wooden door with a brass knob at the entrance of a single-story house on a sunny day.
San DiegoProgram guide12 min read

VA loans near Pendleton and Miramar for self-employed buyers

How a VA loan works near Pendleton and Miramar: zero down, the funding fee, how entitlement sets your limit, and what self-employed income a VA lender counts.

Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer