Loan Options
Find the mortgage path that fits the borrower.
Mortgage options are not one-size-fits-all. MortGauge helps compare
common and specialty loan categories so borrowers can better
understand what may fit their income, goals, property type, and
overall scenario.
Core mortgage categories
These categories provide a practical starting point for sorting
through borrower scenarios, from standard agency financing to more
flexible investor and alt-doc solutions.
Conventional Loans
Standard agency
Conventional financing is often a strong fit for borrowers with
stable income, cleaner credit profiles, and standard occupancy or
property types.
- Primary residence borrowers with standard documentation
- Move-up buyers and repeat buyers
- Borrowers seeking cancellable MI options when applicable
- Stricter income documentation standards
- Tighter treatment of recent credit events
- More limitations when profiles get layered or complex
FHA Loans
Government-backed
FHA can be a practical path for borrowers who benefit from lower
down payment flexibility or more forgiving qualification
standards than conventional financing may allow.
- First-time buyers
- Borrowers with moderate credit challenges
- Borrowers needing more flexible qualification structure
- Mortgage insurance structure
- Property condition and appraisal requirements
- Loan limit considerations
Non-QM Loans
Flexible qualification
Non-QM options are designed for borrowers whose file may not fit
cleanly into standard agency guidelines due to income method,
credit profile, asset structure, or property strategy.
- Borrowers with complex income
- Higher-balance scenarios
- Borrowers with recent credit-event history outside agency comfort zones
- 1-year or 2-year alternative income documentation
- Asset depletion / asset utilization
- Expanded-prime or recent-event structures
Bank Statement Loans
Self-employed
A bank statement program can help self-employed borrowers qualify
using deposits rather than relying strictly on tax-return net
income.
- Business owners
- Self-employed professionals
- Borrowers with strong cash flow but heavy write-offs
- 12- or 24-month bank statements
- 1099 programs
- P&L-only or CPA-prepared P&L options in some programs
DSCR / Investor Loans
Investment property
DSCR financing is built for investors qualifying primarily on the
subject property’s cash flow instead of traditional personal
income documentation.
- Rental property purchases
- Rate/term or cash-out investor refinances
- Borrowers growing an investment portfolio
- Minimum DSCR by program
- Short-term-rental treatment
- Investor experience and reserve requirements
Jumbo / High-Balance Loans
Higher loan amounts
Jumbo and high-balance solutions can help borrowers whose loan
amount needs exceed conforming limits or whose property scenario
requires a non-standard high-balance structure.
- Higher-price primary residences
- Luxury or move-up home purchases
- Borrowers needing full-doc jumbo or jumbo Non-QM options
- Reserve requirements
- Appraisal review / second appraisal needs
- Tighter credit and asset expectations
HELOC / Second-Lien Options
Equity access
Second-lien and equity-access products can make sense when a
borrower wants liquidity but prefers not to disturb a favorable
first mortgage.
- Cash-out strategy without full first-lien refinance
- Debt consolidation or liquidity planning
- Borrowers preserving a low first-mortgage interest rate
- Combined LTV / CLTV limits
- Senior lien payment structure
- Property-type and occupancy restrictions
How to think about fit
Start with the borrower profile, not just the rate sheet.
- W-2, clean credit, standard purchase: conventional or FHA may be the first look
- Self-employed: bank statement, 1099, P&L, or asset-utilization options may matter
- Investor: DSCR often makes more sense than forcing full-income qualification
- Higher loan amount: jumbo or expanded-prime solutions may be needed
- Need equity without touching the first lien: second-lien strategy may be the smarter move
Need help narrowing it down?
Start with the scenario.
If the borrower profile is self-employed, investor-focused,
credit-sensitive, or simply not a perfect box-fit, MortGauge can
help sort through the realistic product paths.