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ITIN mortgages in Oregon and Washington
You can buy a house with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number instead of a Social Security number, and here is what that actually takes, including a couple of changes in 2025 and 2026 that most pages on this subject haven't caught up to yet.
Last reviewed 22 August 2026 · Mark Ruhl, NMLS #105591
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What an ITIN mortgage is
An ITIN mortgage is a home loan for a borrower who files taxes with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number rather than a Social Security number. The IRS issues ITINs so that people who aren't eligible for an SSN can still file and pay their taxes, and millions of people use them. So filing with an ITIN is ordinary, it's legal, and for the purposes of buying a house it's the starting point rather than the obstacle.
These are portfolio or non-QM loans, which means the lender either keeps the loan on its own books or sells it into a private market rather than selling it to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Why does that matter so much? Because that single fact explains almost everything else about how these loans work: the lender is the one setting the rules, so the down payment is larger, the rate is higher, and the terms vary considerably from one lender to the next.
They're also uncommon. The Urban Institute counted roughly 5,000 to 6,000 ITIN mortgages originated nationally in 2023, against about 4.2 million purchase loans overall, while estimating unmet demand of 73,000 to 88,000 a year. So if somebody has told you "that isn't a thing," the person telling you wasn't lying to you. It just isn't a thing they do.
What changed in 2025 and 2026
I'd rather you hear this from me than find out at application. Two things happened recently, and both of them matter.
FHA closed to non-permanent residents in May 2025
HUD issued Mortgagee Letter 2025-09 on March 26, 2025, and it removed the non-permanent resident sections from the handbook entirely. Effective for case numbers assigned on or after May 25, 2025, FHA financing is limited to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (plus citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau), and a companion letter applied the same change to FHA Title I manufactured home loans.
So in practical terms, the 3.5%-down FHA route is closed to a borrower who doesn't have lawful permanent residency. If you see a website advertising "3.5% down ITIN loans," that page is either out of date or it's confusing two different products, and I'd be careful with the rest of what it tells you as well.
ITIN lending came under federal review in 2026
In May 2026 an executive order directed Treasury and the CFPB to look at credit extended to borrowers without verified work authorization, specifically naming ITIN use as a factor warranting enhanced due diligence. Then in July 2026 the OCC, FDIC and NCUA followed with joint guidance telling banks and credit unions to treat lending to individuals not legally authorized to work as presenting elevated credit risk.
ITIN lending is still legal, and ITIN loans are still being made. As of mid-2026 no major lender had publicly announced shutting its program down. But the industry expectation is that some lenders will quietly narrow or exit, and that the programs still standing may get more conservative about who they'll approve.
So if you're thinking about buying and this is your path, the sensible move is to find out where you stand sooner rather than later, not because I want to rush you into anything, but because the menu of lenders is more likely to shrink over the next year than it is to grow.
What you'll need
Every lender is different (that's the defining feature of portfolio lending), so treat all of this as the typical case rather than the rule. When I quote you, I'll be quoting a specific lender's actual guidelines.
| Requirement | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Down payment | 15% – 20% | 20% is the most common. A few portfolio lenders will reach down to 10% for strong credit, and some price 25% as their standard, so plan on 20% until a specific lender tells you otherwise. |
| Credit score | 620 – 680 | 640 is the most common minimum, and cash-out refinances usually want more than that. |
| No credit score? | Alternative credit | Many ITIN lenders will build a credit profile out of rent, utilities, phone, and insurance, typically three or four accounts with 12 months of on-time payments. Having no FICO is not automatically a stop. |
| Tax returns | 2 years | Filed under the ITIN. This one is close to universal, and it's the requirement people most often can't meet. |
| Reserves | 2 – 6 months | Of the full payment including taxes and insurance. Three months is the most common single requirement. |
| Debt-to-income | 43% – 50% | Varies by lender, and by how strong the rest of the file is. |
Documents to start gathering
- Proof of your ITIN. That's the IRS assignment letter (Form CP565), your ITIN card, or a recent tax return showing the number.
- Two years of filed tax returns.
- Income documentation. If you're a W-2 employee, that's recent pay stubs plus a verification of employment or an employer letter. If you're self-employed, 1099, or paid in cash, it's 12 or 24 months of bank statements, often with a year-to-date profit and loss statement.
- Two to three months of bank statements showing the down payment and the reserves. Where that money came from will be asked about, so large recent deposits need an explanation.
- Valid unexpired photo identification. A current passport is the document that works everywhere. Some lenders accept a matrícula consular or another consular ID, but the federal rules covering consular identification are being actively reconsidered in 2026, so don't assume yours will work. Ask before you count on it.
I'm a mortgage broker. I am not an immigration attorney, and nothing on this page is immigration or legal advice. I can tell you what a lender's underwriting guidelines require. I cannot advise you about your immigration situation, and if you have questions in that area you should talk to an immigration attorney, because that conversation is worth having before a mortgage conversation, not after.
What it costs
ITIN mortgage rates typically run about half a point to two percentage points above conventional rates. The Urban Institute puts the range at 50 to 200 basis points (a basis point is one hundredth of a percent), and the lender data lines up with that. Most files land closer to the upper half of that range than the lower.
So why is there a premium at all? The lender is keeping the loan rather than selling it to Fannie Mae, which means the lender is carrying the risk and pricing for it. It isn't a penalty aimed at you personally, and it isn't permanent either, because if your situation changes and you later become eligible for conventional financing, refinancing out of it is normal and expected.
I don't publish rates on this site, because a rate quoted without knowing your credit, your down payment, the property and the occupancy is a number designed to get a phone call rather than a number designed to be true. Tell me the specifics and I'll give you a real one.
What you can buy
Most ITIN programs are built for a primary residence, meaning the house you'll actually live in. Typically that means a single-family home, a townhouse, a PUD, a warrantable condo, or a two- to four-unit building where you occupy one of the units.
A minority of lenders will do a second home or an investment property with an ITIN, usually at a lower loan-to-value and a higher rate. If that's what you're after, say so early, because it narrows the lender list considerably.
Oregon down payment assistance and ITIN borrowers
This is the question I get most often, and the answer is frustrating, but it's worth knowing before you spend time on applications.
Most Oregon down payment assistance is tied to federally backed loans, which require proof of legal residency. Oregon Housing and Community Services has stated that its lending programs, including Flex Lending and the Oregon Bond Residential Loan, are backed by the federal government and carry that requirement. The Portland Housing Bureau's Down Payment Assistance Loan explicitly requires the applicant to be a U.S. citizen or legal resident.
Some OHCS programs do not collect immigration status at all, among them the Homeowner Assistance Fund, the Home Ownership Assistance Program, LIFT Homeownership, and the manufactured housing programs. Whether any of them fits your situation depends on the specifics, and OHCS guidance in this area has been in flux since the 2025 federal changes. Verify current eligibility with OHCS directly rather than relying on any website, including this one.
Where else to look in Oregon
I'd rather point you somewhere useful than pretend I'm the only option here. Several Oregon institutions do ITIN lending, and some of them can do things I can't:
- Point West Credit Union (Portland), one of the longest-running ITIN lenders in the state, serving borrowers across roughly 14 Oregon counties.
- Consolidated Community Credit Union, which offers ITIN mortgage products and has a reported track record of essentially no delinquency.
- Proud Ground, a community land trust that closed its first ITIN home sale in 2023. Land trust homes cost less because you buy the house and lease the land, with resale limits attached.
- Arrive (formerly Portland Housing Center), with 35+ years of HUD-certified homebuyer counseling and education in Oregon, and a non-commissioned lender in its own right.
None of these publish their ITIN terms online, so call and ask. And if one of them beats what I can do for you, take it, because I'd rather you buy a house.
Common questions
Can I buy a house with an ITIN and no Social Security number?
Yes. ITIN mortgages exist specifically for this. You'll generally need 15–20% down, two years of filed tax returns, and either a credit score around 640 or a credit profile built out of rent and utility payments.
Do I need to be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident?
Not for an ITIN mortgage. Non-QM ITIN lenders generally don't require lawful permanent residency, which is the entire point of the product. But lawful status is required for FHA (since May 2025) and for conventional loans sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The ITIN itself isn't the barrier for conventional financing, residency status is.
Will I need to show two years of tax returns?
Almost certainly yes. This is the requirement that stops more ITIN buyers than any other. So if you haven't been filing, start now, because you're two years away from being able to buy and the clock doesn't start until the first return is filed.
How much higher is the interest rate?
Typically 0.5 to 2 percentage points above a conventional rate. The exact number depends on your credit, your down payment, and which lender's program fits your file.
Can I refinance later into a regular loan?
Yes, if you become eligible. An ITIN mortgage isn't a life sentence. If your status changes, or you obtain an SSN, refinancing into conventional financing is routine, and given the rate difference it's usually worth doing quickly.
Do you speak Spanish?
I don't, personally, and I'm not going to claim otherwise. I do work with people who do, and I'll arrange for the conversation to happen in the language you're comfortable in. A Spanish-language version of this page is in progress.
Not sure whether you'd qualify?
Tell me the basics (whether you've filed taxes, roughly what you've saved, whether you have credit) and I'll tell you where you stand. No application, no credit pull, no cost. And if the answer is "not yet," I'll tell you what would need to change and about how long it would take.
Sources for the figures on this page: HUD Mortgagee Letter 2025-09 and Title I Letter 490 (March 26, 2025); Executive Order 14406 (May 19, 2026); OCC Bulletin 2026-31 and companion FDIC and NCUA guidance (July 13, 2026); Urban Institute, ITIN Mortgages (February 2024); Fannie Mae Selling Guide B2-2-01 and B2-2-02; Oregon Housing and Community Services, Helping ITIN Holders Achieve Homeownership; Portland Housing Bureau Down Payment Assistance Loan program page. Down payment, credit, reserve and rate ranges are compiled from published non-QM lender program guidelines and are typical rather than guaranteed.