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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
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
Multiple people tour an empty home interior with bright sunlight from glass doors and windows.
Loan optionsProgram guide8 min read

CalHFA MyHome San Diego: who qualifies, what it costs

How CalHFA MyHome works for San Diego first-time buyers: how much it covers, the $259,000 county income limit, repayment, and options if you're self-⁠employed.

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
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 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