No US credit? That costs $561,688.
You can buy a California home with a foreign passport, no US credit file, and no social security number. The loan exists and we place it every month. It also costs about 2.25 points more than a US buyer pays — and if you can wait two years and build a US credit file, most of that disappears.
A foreign national loan lets a non-US citizen with no US credit file and no social security number buy property in California. Income is documented from your home country — employer letters, foreign tax filings, foreign bank statements — and credit is established with international references rather than a FICO score. The trade is steep: expect around 30–40% down and a rate near 9%, against roughly 6.75% for a US buyer with identical finances. On a $1,000,000 loan that gap is about $561,688 in lifetime interest — the price of not having a US credit file. The part nobody mentions: an ITIN, two US credit accounts and twenty-four months of history can move you onto far better pricing. If you are able to wait, waiting is worth roughly $255,089.
What the passport actually costs.
Same house, same deposit, same income. The only difference is which country issued your credit file.
Foreign national loans typically want 30–40%. A US buyer often puts 20%.
ITIN + two US accounts + clean history. This is the whole page.
Waiting isn’t free. We count the rent against the saving.
Extra lifetime interest, versus a US buyer with identical finances.
The passport premium is $547,646. Building a US credit file first would save $369,982. We are the lender who would fund you today.
Identical finances. A very different price.
Height is lifetime interest. Same house, same deposit, same income. The only variable is which country issued your credit history.
If you must buy now, we will fund you and we will not lecture you. But you should see the number first, and almost nobody shows it to you.
Illustrative only. Foreign national pricing, minimum down payment and reserve requirements vary sharply by lender, by country of origin, and by property type; some lenders will not lend to nationals of certain countries at all. Building a US credit file does not guarantee conventional eligibility — income documentation, visa status and residency all matter. An ITIN is issued by the IRS for tax purposes and is not work authorisation or immigration status. Speak to an immigration or tax adviser as well as to us. Not a commitment to lend. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Build US credit first? Here’s the number.
An ITIN, two US credit accounts, and twenty-four clean months can move you off foreign-national pricing entirely. Rent is real and prices may run. We count both and give you a straight answer.
Wait. It is worth $237,982 net.
Waiting 24 months while you build a US credit file takes you from 9.00% to roughly 7.50% — saving about $369,982 in lifetime interest. Rent will cost you about $132,000 over that period, so you come out roughly $237,982 ahead.
What to do, starting this week: apply for an ITIN on Form W-7. Open a secured credit card and a small instalment loan. Pay both, on time, every month, without exception. That is the entire recipe, and it is worth a great deal of money.
We are the lender who would fund you today. We are telling you to wait.
From here to the keys — five steps.
No mystery, no call centre, no "we'll get back to you." Every step is exactly what happens inside it.
Four questions. No credit pull, no sign-up, no obligation.
~60 secondsWhat happensOne application goes to dozens of wholesale lenders. They compete for you.
Same dayWhat happensUnderwritten against real documents — not a soft letter any lender prints.
~24 hoursWhat happensListing agents call Adriana. She picks up. That is worth more than a bid.
Your timelineWhat happensConditions cleared, docs signed, funded. And she starts your US credit file the same week — so you can refinance out of the premium.
To the dateWhat happensThree buyers. One built credit first.
Real numbers, real verdicts.
Twenty-four months later he qualified at 7.6% instead of 9.1%. It was worth $312,000.
We funded her at 9%, showed her the number honestly, and set a refinance date for month 26.
Building US credit was pointless for him. Foreign national was simply the right product.
ADReal Estate & Mortgage Broker · GRI
Milpitas, California · Serving all 58 counties
English & Español
Don't take our word for it — click through and verify her licence yourself. We'd encourage it. Anyone who discourages you from checking is telling you something.
A licensed broker who answers her own phone.
"A broker who will tell you no is the only kind whose yes means anything."
Everything people actually ask.
Can a foreign national get a mortgage in California?
Yes. Foreign national loans exist specifically for buyers with no US credit file, no social security number and no US residency. Income is documented from your home country — employer letters, foreign tax filings, foreign bank statements — and credit is established through international references rather than a FICO score.
How much down payment do I need?
Typically 30–40%, against roughly 20% for a US buyer. The higher deposit is the lender's substitute for a credit history they cannot verify. Some lenders will go to 25% for very strong files from certain countries; others want 40% or more.
What is the foreign national rate premium?
Roughly 2 to 2.5 percentage points above what a US buyer with identical finances would pay — around 9% against 6.75%. On a $1,000,000 loan that is about $1,521 more every month and roughly $561,688 more over the life of the loan. That is the number this page exists to show you.
Can I get a better rate by building US credit?
Very often, yes, and this is the most valuable thing on this page. An ITIN from the IRS, two US credit accounts (a secured card and a small instalment loan work well), and twenty-four months of clean history can move you onto Non-QM pricing near 8% — or better if you also have documentable US income. On a $1,000,000 loan that is worth roughly $255,089.
What is an ITIN and how do I get one?
An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, issued by the IRS to people who need to file US taxes but are not eligible for a social security number. You apply on Form W-7, usually alongside a tax return. It is not work authorisation and it is not immigration status — it is a tax identifier. But it is the doorway to a US credit file, and a US credit file is worth a great deal of money.
Do I need to be in the US to close?
Not necessarily. Many lenders permit closing through a power of attorney or at a US consulate abroad. Requirements vary and the documentation must be exact — an incorrectly executed power of attorney will stop a closing dead. Plan this early rather than in the final week.
Will my foreign income be accepted?
Generally yes, though it must be documented and usually translated and converted to US dollars. Employer letters, foreign tax returns, and audited financials are typical. Some lenders restrict which countries they will accept income from, and a few will not lend to nationals of certain countries at all — which is a reason to work with a broker who knows which doors are actually open.
Should I buy now or wait and build credit?
It depends on three things: whether you can wait, what rent costs you meanwhile, and whether prices are likely to run. If you intend to live in the US long term and can wait two years, building a credit file is very often worth more than buying immediately. If this is a pure investment, or you must move now for family or work, the foreign national loan is the right product and we will place it well.
Stop estimating. Get the real number.
Four questions, no credit pull. You'll get your payment, your options, and an honest read on the best fit.