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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)
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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
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
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
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
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
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
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