Skip to the articles

MortgagePops Blog

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

Type · 3
Comparison (2)How-to (3)Q&A (5)Options (2)Program guide (2)Story (2)Local guide (2)Market update (2)
Clear
Two people sit at a table in a warmly lit room during an evening conversation.
Loan optionsHow-to11 min read

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
Two people stand on a driveway viewing residential homes in daylight.
San DiegoLocal guide10 min read

Closing costs in San Diego County: who usually pays what

A who-pays-what table for San Diego County closing costs, seller-credit limits by loan type, CalHFA help, and cash-to-close planning for self-employed buyers.

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 brick ranch home with a small porch and beds of hydrangea and lavender in warm evening light.
QualifyingHow-to11 min read

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
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
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