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Learn mortgages the plain-English way
Straight answers about mortgages, from a licensed loan officer who explains the why behind every number. Browse by topic below — home buying, loan types, refinancing, home equity, rates, and the fundamentals — or scroll for the latest guides and articles.
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Home Buying
Pre-approval, down payment help, offers, and closing — the full buyer journey.
Explore Home BuyingLoan Types
FHA, VA, USDA, conventional, jumbo, DSCR and more — compared plainly.
Explore Loan TypesRefinancing
When to refinance, closing-cost math, and traps to avoid.
Explore RefinancingHome Equity
Home equity loans and HELOCs — how to put your equity to work.
Explore Home EquityRates & Market
What really drives rates, plus timely market news.
Explore Rates & MarketMortgage Basics
APR, taxes, escrow, title, and the tools that tie it together.
Explore Mortgage BasicsLatest guides & articles
How Is Income Calculated on a Bank Statement Loan?
The lender totals your deposits over 12 or 24 months, removes transfers and one-time items, averages them, then counts a share as qualifying income.
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Can You Get a HELOC Without Proving Income the Usual Way?
Yes. Our HELOC reads the deposits flowing through your bank accounts to establish income, so self-employed, retired, and between-jobs borrowers can qualify.
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Asset Depletion Loans: How to Qualify Using Your Savings Instead of Income
An asset depletion loan lets you qualify for a mortgage using your liquid assets instead of income, ideal for retirees and asset-rich buyers whose actual income looks small.
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DTI: Why 28/36 Is a Guideline, Not Your Real Limit
The 28/36 rule is a budgeting guideline, not the limit that determines whether you qualify. Most conventional loans run through automated underwriting approve debt-to-income ratios up to 50%, and VA loans have no hard DTI cap at all.
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What Is PMI and How Do I Get Rid of It?
Private mortgage insurance (PMI) is a monthly charge added to conventional loans when you put down less than 20%. On most conventional loans it cancels automatically once you reach 22% equity, and you can request removal at 20%.
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What Credit Score Do I Need to Buy a House?
There is no single number. The minimum credit score depends on the loan type: FHA loans go as low as 580 (or 500 with 10% down), VA and USDA have no set federal minimum, and conventional loans generally start around 620.
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