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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
People packing moving boxes in a bright living room with windows and a couch.
BuyingQ&A8 min read

Seller-paid 2-1 buydown: what it changes and what it doesn't

How a seller-paid 2-1 buydown steps up over three years, what each loan program lets a seller pay, and why it won't help self-employed income qualify.

Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer
A large modern home of glass, cedar and stone glowing at dusk behind a long reflecting pool and planted terraced garden.
Self-employedQ&A7 min read

Why your lender asks about large deposits

Fannie Mae's 50% large-deposit rule, when a purchase needs a paper trail, what a gift letter must say, and how self-employed buyers can plan ahead.

Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer
Two people view a multi-story condo building with landscaped grounds in bright daylight.
BuyingComparison10 min read

Condo vs townhome: how HOA dues change what you can borrow

How HOA dues shrink your buying power, a condo vs townhome table, and how self-employed California buyers can compare total payments before making an offer.

Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer
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
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
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
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