The studio runs through dozens of loan programs. These are the ones that come up most often in realtor referral conversations. Each works differently. Each makes sense in different situations.
Your buyer might walk in with a strong W2 and credit, a self-employed file, low cash to close, or an investment property under contract. Each of those wants a different door: conventional, FHA, jumbo, DSCR, non-QM, DPA-stacked.
The studio's job is to pick the right one: run the file, identify the program, file the application correctly the first time, communicate at each milestone.
When you refer a buyer, you don't need to know which program applies. We figure that out and tell you both what we're running and why.
Most buyer files fit into one of four standard programs. Each has specific eligibility, specific structure, and specific situations where it's the right choice.
Loans above the FHFA conforming limit. Different investors, different guidelines, sometimes better rates than conforming. The studio works with multiple jumbo investors, which means options when the file is complex.
The 2026 conforming limit is approximately $806,500 for one-unit properties in most counties, higher in high-cost areas (up to roughly $1.21M). Any loan amount above the applicable limit is a jumbo loan.
In recent years, jumbo rates have sometimes been lower than conforming for the same borrower, because jumbo files are typically lower-risk on average. Worth running the math on both for buyers near the conforming threshold.
Debt-Service Coverage Ratio loans qualify on the property's cash flow, not the borrower's personal income. The default option for serious investors who can't or don't want to use traditional income documentation. The studio also runs three DSCR variants most lenders don't: no-ratio DSCR, first-time investor DSCR, and DSCR with gifted down payment.
The qualifying ratio is the property's projected rental income divided by the loan's monthly PITI. A DSCR of 1.0 means the property pays for itself. Most investors target 1.2 or higher, meaning the rent covers debt service plus 20%.
No tax returns. No employment verification. No personal DTI calculation. The file qualifies on the property's economics.
Self-employed investors whose tax returns understate income. Investors who already own enough properties that traditional DTI math doesn't work. Investors scaling a portfolio who want a streamlined repeatable process. Short-term rental investors where AirDNA / Mashvisor data supports the rental projection. First-time investor buyers without landlord history. Buyers using gifted funds for the down payment.
Most DSCR programs share a baseline set of rules. The variants below relax specific constraints that block otherwise-qualified investors. These are the products that close deals when the standard DSCR file gets stuck.
The most common self-employed file pattern: a profitable business that legitimately writes off enough that the tax return income is far below what the business actually generates. Traditional underwriting penalizes these borrowers. Alt-doc programs don't.
Down payment assistance expands the buyer pool. Most agents who actively use DPA programs close more first-time buyer files than agents who don't, because DPA buyers are otherwise stuck on the sidelines.
The studio handles multiple DPA programs depending on the buyer's state, income, and property location. Major programs we run regularly include:
The full DPA reference, including who qualifies for what and how programs stack, is on the DPA page.
Working with the studio means working with Geoffrey. Phone goes to a phone. Email goes to an inbox that gets read. The file is worked by the same loan officer from application to closing.
