Loan programs
Start with what you are trying to do, not with a product name.
Most people arrive knowing the goal — buy this house, refinance that mortgage, finance a rental — rather than knowing which program fits. These pages explain the main categories in plain language so the conversation starts further along.
The main categories
Programs we may be able to help with
Depending on eligibility, property, lender and current program availability, these are the categories we work in. A well-qualified salaried buyer and a self-employed investor can both be well served here — the difference is how much structuring the file needs.
Conventional
Agency-backed financing used for primary homes, second homes and investment property. The most common path for buyers with documented income and established credit.
Conventional loans →FHA
Financing insured by the Federal Housing Administration, often used by first-time and credit-building buyers.
FHA loans →VA
Financing guaranteed in part by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for eligible veterans, service members and surviving spouses.
VA loans →Self-employed
Business owners and contractors, using either tax-return income analysis or alternative documentation, subject to program requirements.
Self-employed financing →Asset-based
Programs that may consider documented assets in place of traditional employment income. Often relevant for retirees and asset-rich borrowers.
Asset-based mortgages →Investor & DSCR
Investment-property financing, including programs where qualification may rely primarily on the property's rental cash flow.
Investor & DSCR →Home Equity & HELOC
Accessing the equity in a home you already own, without refinancing the first mortgage. Second-lien lines of credit, renovation and bridge structures, and fixed home equity loans.
Home Equity & HELOC →Availability, eligibility and terms vary by borrower, property, lender and program, change over time, and are confirmed against current lender and agency guidelines. Nothing here is a commitment to lend.
Also available
Other financing we work with
- Jumbo
- Financing above conventional loan limits, which is a common situation in parts of the Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch and coastal Florida markets. Guidelines differ meaningfully from agency financing.
- Second mortgages and home equity lines
- Accessing equity as a lump sum or a line of credit while leaving an existing first mortgage in place — often the question when the first mortgage carries terms worth keeping.
- Construction and renovation
- Building new, or financing improvements as part of a purchase or refinance. Timing, contractor approval and draw structure drive these files more than anything else.
- Refinancing
- Rate-and-term restructuring, consolidating debt, removing a borrower, or accessing equity. Whether it makes sense depends on your existing terms, your objective and how long you expect to hold the property.
Choosing between them
How the right category usually gets identified
-
The objective
Primary residence, second home or investment. This single answer removes most of the options immediately.
-
How income is documented
Salaried, self-employed, retired, or supported primarily by assets or rental cash flow. Documentation shapes the path more than income size does.
-
The property
Single family, condominium, multi-unit, manufactured or under construction. Property type carries its own guidelines and can rule programs in or out.
-
Lender guidelines
Programs that appear to fit are checked against current guidelines from PMF-approved lending sources before anything is presented as realistic.
Common questions
Before you pick a program
Do I need to know which loan I want before calling?
No. Working that out is part of the conversation. It usually takes a few questions about the property, the timeline and how your income is documented.
Can I be considered for more than one program?
Often, yes. Where more than one path appears to fit, the useful comparison is not only cost but which is most likely to reach closing given the property and the documentation involved.
Why are there no rates or requirements on these pages?
Because they change, and because they depend on the borrower, the property, the lender and the program. Published numbers would be out of date quickly and would not be accurate for your file. We confirm current requirements against lender and agency guidelines instead.
Not sure which of these applies to you?
That is the normal starting point. Fifteen minutes usually sorts it out.