Home / Loan options
Everything I can place
Being a broker means the shelf is long, so here's the whole thing, labelled honestly, including which programs are everyday common and which ones almost nobody around here will touch.
The standard programs
If you fit one of these, then this is where you belong, because they're the cheapest money available and I'm going to tell you so.
First-time buyer
Low down payment options, down payment assistance, and an honest read on whether waiting actually helps you.
Conventional
The default for most buyers with decent credit. As little as 3% down, and mortgage insurance that eventually goes away.
FHA
3.5% down at 580+ credit. More forgiving on credit and debt-to-income; mortgage insurance usually sticks for the life of the loan.
VA
Zero down, no monthly mortgage insurance, for eligible veterans and service members. The best loan in America if you qualify.
Jumbo
Above the conforming limit. Tighter credit and reserve requirements, and pricing that varies a lot between lenders.
HELOC & home equity loans
Borrow against your equity without touching your first mortgage, which matters enormously if the one you've got is from 2021.
When the standard programs don't fit
This is the part of the shelf that gets most people through my door in the first place. Most of these come from lenders that a bank or a credit union simply doesn't have access to.
Bank statement
Qualify on 12 or 24 months of deposits rather than tax returns. For self-employed borrowers whose returns understate what they earn.
Few lenders offerITIN
Buy with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number instead of a Social Security number. Rules changed in 2025 and 2026, so read the page before you assume anything.
Few lenders offerManufactured & in-park
Including chattel loans for homes on leased land in a park, which most lenders decline without explaining why.
Bridge
Buy the next house before selling this one, so your offer isn't carrying a sale contingency.
Construction, one-time close
One closing instead of two, and no re-qualifying twelve months later when the house is done.
ADU financing
Portland-specific. Five ways to pay for one, and two of the commonly recommended options don't work for a detached build.
Reverse
For homeowners 62 and older. It's right for some situations and clearly wrong for others, and I'll tell you which one you're in.
DSCR & investor
Qualify the property on its rent instead of qualifying yourself on your income. It's for portfolios that have run past conventional limits.
Non-QM, asset depletion, and the rest
Asset-based qualifying, recent credit events, foreign nationals, commercial and land. If it's financeable at all, ask me.
Not sure which one you're looking at?
That's normal, and figuring it out is my job rather than yours. Describe the situation to me in plain language, including whatever part of it feels awkward, and I'll tell you which programs are actually in play.