Mortgage Qualifying: Your Income, Job, and Debts: Workshop Replay!

Mortgage Qualifying: Your Income, Job, and Debts Workshop

How lenders determine what you qualify for—and how to prepare

One of the most common questions I hear from home buyers is:
“How do lenders decide how much I qualify for?”

In this workshop replay from my Home Buying Workshop Series, we break down the basics of mortgage qualifying—specifically how lenders review your income, employment, and monthly debts to determine what payment, loan amount, and home price may be realistic for you.

Understanding these basics early can help you avoid surprises, make better decisions, and feel more confident when you’re ready to buy.


Watch the Workshop Replay

This workshop is especially helpful if you: [Read more…]

Turned down for a Mortgage Because of Credit Scores? New Guidelines May Help You!

No minimum credit score required for mortgage loanFannie Mae (conventional lending) recently changed their underwriting guidelines to no longer factor in credit scores for underwriting approval!

Before this guideline change, borrowers needed to have a mid-score of at least 620 to qualify for a conventional mortgage. Scores below 620 could mean that someone may have to opt for an FHA mortgage, which has both upfront and monthly mortgage insurance regardless of the amount of down payment or equity with the property. [Read more…]

Mortgage Rate Update for the Week of June 9, 2025

Mortgage rates have been in a tight range since the start of the trade war. Will the Fed’s meeting coming up in just over a week have any impact on mortgage rates? Plus, we talk about conditions to loan approvals and why it’s important to get pre-underwritten when you’re getting preapproved to buy a home.

Check out my latest video to learn more.

 

HUD Changes Citizenship Requirements for FHA Mortgages

FHA issued an update to their guidelines (ML 2025-09) revising residency requirements for FHA mortgages. The new guidelines only allows U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents and removes non-permanent residents from being eligible.

From Mortgage Letter 2025-09:

“Currently, non-permanent residents are subject to immigration laws that can affect their ability to remain legally in the country. This uncertainty poses a challenge for FHA as the ability to fulfill long-term financial obligations depends on stable residency and employment.”

This is an evolving situation. I expect other government backed loans to follow suit. Stay tuned.

 

Qualify for Investment Property based on Cash Flow

If you are looking at adding to your real estate investment portfolio, I may have some good news for you! We have a new program that allows investors to qualify for a mortgage based on the property’s cash flow. [Read more…]

Mortgage Home Loans for Non-Citizen Borrowers

Recently Fannie Mae added clarity to their guidelines regarding non-citizen borrowers being eligible to qualify for a conventional mortgage. According to Fannie Mae, this is not a change to existing policy, it is just (much needed) clarification for lenders.

In order to be eligible, a borrower must be “legally present” in the United States. This means the borrower must have: [Read more…]

The REAL Income Needed to Buy Median-Priced Home in Seattle

How Much Income Do You Need to Buy a Home in Seattle

KOMO News is reporting that it takes an income of $105K to buy a median-priced home in the Seattle area. This is based off a report from HSH.com.  When you dig deeper into the report, here’s how HSH.com came up with their numbers: [Read more…]

Buying a Home Using Your S.O.’s Income

qualifying for a home mortgage

Recently I helped a couple buy a home in King County. They’re engaged, had been living together for many years and were ready to purchase their first home. One of them, Billy Bellevue, had some credit issues and it made more sense for them to only have Susie Seattle’s on the transaction. [Read more…]