How much do I need for a down payment to buy a home in California?

It depends on the loan program. Conventional loans can start at 3% down, FHA at 3.5%, and VA and certain programs allow 0% down for eligible buyers. Non-QM and jumbo loans typically ask for more. We'll match you to the lowest realistic down payment for your situation.

What credit score do I need to get a mortgage in California?

Many programs start around a 580–620 score, and some Non-QM and FHA options go lower with compensating factors. A higher score usually means a better rate. If your score needs work, we'll give you a clear plan to get approval-ready.

What is a Non-QM loan and who is it for?

A Non-QM (non-qualified mortgage) loan uses alternative income documentation instead of standard W-2s and tax returns. It's built for self-employed borrowers, business owners, real estate investors, and people with complex income. Common types include bank statement loans, DSCR loans (qualify on rental income), and asset-based loans.

Can self-employed borrowers get a home loan?

Yes. With a bank statement loan, we can qualify you using 12–24 months of deposits instead of tax returns, so write-offs don't work against you. It's one of the most common ways self-employed Californians get approved.

How long does it take to close a mortgage in California?

Most purchase loans close in roughly 3–4 weeks once you're in contract, and refinances often move faster. Getting fully pre-approved up front is the single biggest thing that keeps your closing on schedule.

Does Genesis Home Loans work everywhere in California?

Yes — Genesis Home Loans serves homebuyers and homeowners across the entire state of California, from the Bay Area to Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, and everywhere in between.

Eleven ways to prove income · California

A W-2 is not the only proof of income.

Non-QM does not mean sub-prime and it does not mean risky. It means the income is real but the paperwork is unusual — a business with legitimate write-offs, a portfolio instead of a salary, a foreign passport, a bankruptcy you have already recovered from. There are ten ways through, and every one of them costs more than conventional. So on every page below we show you the premium in dollars, and we tell you when you can avoid it.

Read this before you take any loan on this page. Every Non-QM product costs more than a conventional loan — typically 1 to 3 percentage points, which on a $1M loan is between $48,000 and $958,000 of extra lifetime interest. A great many people are placed in Non-QM loans they never needed, because nobody sat down and actually calculated their qualifying income from tax returns first. We do that free, it takes about twenty minutes, and it costs us the commission every time it works.

P&L OnlyDoc-type optimizer

Your CPA saved $40k in tax. It just cost you $394,957.

CPA statement qualifies

$394,957The premium on $1MOpen

Bank StatementDeposit analyzer

Deposits tell your income story when tax returns won't.

12–24 months of deposits

8.00%Typical rateOpen

1099 IncomeAffordability gap

This loan will approve you for more than you can afford.

Contractors & gig · no tax returns

$62,500Phantom incomeOpen

Asset DepletionDepletion model

No job, no tax returns — your portfolio qualifies you.

Assets become income

7.75%Typical rateOpen

DSCRCash-flow waterfall

The property qualifies itself. Your income never enters the file.

The rent qualifies, not you

8.10%Typical rateOpen

JumboThe conforming cliff

$30,250 more down. $99,976 saved. Borrow less from us.

Past the conforming cliff

$99,976Saved by stepping underOpen

Jumbo Non-QMPremium separator

You are paying two premiums. You can usually kill one.

Two premiums, stacked

2Premiums — kill oneOpen

Bridge LoanThe carry clock

Convenience, sold by the month. Selling first is often cheaper.

Buy before you sell

$7,990Extra, every monthOpen

Credit EventThe waiting calculator

We can lend to you tomorrow. You should probably wait.

A bankruptcy is not the end

$518,205What waiting is worthOpen

Foreign NationalThe passport premium

No US credit? That costs $561,688. Build a file first.

No US credit needed

$561,688The passport premiumOpen

ITIN LoansThe cheaper door

Before you take this loan, check that you need it.

No SSN · filed returns qualify

$283,913Cost of the wrong doorOpen

Not sure which one you are?

Most people aren't. Answer four questions and Adriana will price every documentation route you qualify for — including conventional, and including the one that earns us the least.

Find my cheapest route Book a call · (408) 569-9288