Angela Whittaker, Mortgage Loan Officer  ·  NMLS #1927081  ·  Licensed Throughout California
LBA Buyers

Get Pre-Approved With
Down Payment Assistance

Down payment assistance, FHA and Conventional loans, and access to multiple lenders — so your loan is built around you, not a one-size-fits-all program.

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✅ How to Qualify What is looked at, what to have ready, and the four steps to getting pre-approved. See the checklist → →
What Stops Most Buyers

Three Things That Are Not True

These are the reasons people do not ask. All three are more flexible than you have been led to believe.

“I need 20% down.”
You do not.

FHA starts at 3.5%. Conventional starts at 3%. VA and USDA can be zero down. And down payment assistance may cover part of what is left — there are more of those programs than most buyers are ever told about.

“I know my score, and it is not enough.”
You know the number. You may not know what it qualifies for.

FHA can go down to 580. I have approved people who were certain they would be turned down. Let me be the judge of your credit — that is my job, not yours. And if you genuinely are not ready, I will tell you that straight, show you exactly what needs to change, and point you toward rent to own if it is the right way in while you work on it.

“I already got told no.”
By one lender.

Guidelines and overlays vary from lender to lender — and I am not tied to just one. I shop your file across multiple lenders to find the one that matches your profile: strengths, challenges and all. My rule is that it takes three no's before it is actually a no. A no somewhere else is often exactly where these conversations start.

How to Qualify

How to Qualify and Get Pre-Approved

Five things decide a mortgage approval, and you do not have to work any of them out on your own. Here is what is looked at, what to have ready, and how the four steps go.

📈CreditLenders look at your score and your history — how you have paid, not just the number. What programs accept varies widely. You do not need to know where you stand before we talk; working that out is my job.
💼Income & Work HistorySteady income you can document. Typically a two-year history, with room for school, military service, job changes in the same field, and gaps with an explanation. Self-employed? There are programs built for you.
⚖️Debt-to-IncomeHow your monthly debts compare with your monthly income, including the new housing payment. Each program allows a different ratio — FHA is among the more flexible.
💰Down Payment & ReservesWhat you bring to closing, and what is left after. Down payment can start at 3% or 3.5% — or $0 on VA and USDA — and assistance programs can cover part of it. Gift funds from family are often allowed.
🏠The PropertyThe home has to qualify too. The appraisal confirms the value and, on some programs, the condition. Condos, manufactured homes and fixer-uppers each have their own rules — and their own programs.
What to Have Ready Not sure what applies to you? We will tell you exactly what is needed — no guessing.
  • Last 30 days of pay stubs
  • W-2s for the last two years
  • Two months of bank statements — all pages
  • Government-issued photo ID
  • Tax returns if self-employed or paid on commission
  • Details of any other income — pension, child support, rental
Your Pre-Approval

Four Steps to Getting Pre-Approved

You will know where you stand before you ever walk into a house.

01
Tell me your situationTwo minutes, and it is just a conversation — your timeline, what you are trying to do, and the qualifying questions I need to ask: how long you have been at your job, roughly where your credit is. Let me be the judge of your credit; that is my job, not yours. If it does not make sense to move forward yet, I will tell you and show you what to work on.
02
I review what you sendBased on our conversation, I may ask for documents — pay stubs, W-2s, bank statements — so I can calculate your income properly. With your okay, I pull credit and run the file. Based on what I find, I shop it across multiple lenders to find the right match for your profile.
03
We walk through what I foundA short call. No pressure, no hard sell. I tell you plainly where you stand and what is available to you. If the answer is not yet, you will hear that too — along with exactly what to change and roughly how long it takes.
04
You get your pre-approval letterOnce the numbers are confirmed, you get a pre-approval letter you can shop with confidently.
Get Pre-Approved → Apply Now →
The Loan Process

From Offer to Keys

Getting pre-approved is where the loan process starts. Here is what happens once your offer is accepted — and where your file is at every stage.

01
Under ContractOffer accepted. The file is submitted and disclosures go out within the required window.
02
Appraisal & TitleThe property is appraised and title is examined. Both have to clear before anything closes.
03
UnderwritingAn underwriter reviews the whole file and issues conditions. We clear them.
04
Clear to CloseFinal approval. Closing figures are prepared and the Closing Disclosure is issued.
05
Sign & FundYou sign, the loan funds, the deed records. The keys are yours.
Programs for Buyers

More Paths Than You Think

Tap any program to see how it works and who it fits.

FHA Conventional VA USDA Down Payment Assistance First-Time Buyer Jumbo 203(k) Renovation Construction Rent to Own Manufactured Home Non-QM
What It Actually Costs

The Purchase Price Is Not the Number

What you need at the closing table is what matters — and assistance programs can reduce it considerably. Here is everything that goes into it.

Your Cash to CloseWhat goes into the number you actually bring
Purchase priceThe number on the listing
Down paymentFrom 3% conventional or 3.5% FHA — and $0 on VA and USDA
+ Closing costsTitle, escrow, lender fees, appraisal, recording
+ Prepaids and reservesTaxes, insurance and interest collected up front
− Down payment assistanceGrants and second loans — more programs exist than most buyers are told
− Seller concessionsClosing costs the seller agrees to cover, negotiated on your behalf
− Lender or agent creditsWhere the program and the file allow it
− Earnest money already paidYour deposit counts toward the total
= Cash you bring to closingOften far less than buyers expect

We build this for you with real numbers for the programs you actually qualify for, before you write an offer on anything.

Show Me My Numbers →
Before You Shop

Know Your Number First

Looking at homes before you are pre-approved is how people fall in love with something out of reach. Two minutes now saves that.

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Get Pre-Approved

Two minutes, and no credit pull to get started. I will review it personally and reach out within 24 hours.

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Calculators Two tools — tap either tab below
Estimated purchase price
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Rough estimate based on a 43% debt-to-income guideline with an allowance for taxes, insurance and mortgage insurance. Down payment defaults to 3.5%, the FHA minimum. The rate shown is a starting assumption you can change — it is not a quoted rate. Not a quote, an offer, a pre-approval, or a commitment to lend.

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Estimated principal & interest
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Principal and interest only. Excludes property taxes, insurance, HOA dues and mortgage insurance. The rate shown is a starting assumption you can change — it is not a quoted rate. Not a quote, an offer, or a commitment to lend.

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📈Calculators