Mortgages for People New to the United States
Newcomers play a growing role in California's housing market, and mortgage financing is available to borrowers with permanent and many non-permanent residency statuses. Our goal is to help you understand which programs you qualify for and what documents each one needs.
A good place to start is an FHA loan. FHA loans have no income limits, allow a down payment as low as 3.5%, and accept a wider range of credit profiles than many conventional programs. You will still need to meet the program's credit, income documentation and residency requirements, and FHA loan limits cap how much you can borrow in Los Angeles County. The HUD loan limits page lists the current limit by county.
- Permanent residents generally qualify on the same terms as U.S. citizens.
- Non-permanent residents with a valid work authorization and Social Security number can qualify for FHA and many conventional loans.
- ITIN borrowers can be served by specific non-QM programs that use an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number instead of a Social Security number.
- A U.S. credit history helps, but some programs can build a credit profile from rent, utility and insurance payments.