Every loan type, one expert.

It comes down to your down payment, credit, income type, and the home itself. FHA loans suit lower down payments and flexible credit; VA loans fit eligible veterans with no down payment; conventional loans reward stronger credit; jumbo loans cover higher-value Orange County homes above the conforming limit; and Non-QM or bank-statement loans help the self-employed. Rather than guess, a broker compares your file against all of these and tells you which one actually fits.

A bank can only offer its own loan programs. A mortgage broker like Choice Home Mortgage represents you and shops your file across hundreds of lenders and programs, then brings back the ones that genuinely fit. That wider access is why a broker can often place a file a single bank turned away.

There's no single answer, but first-time buyers often start with FHA (as little as 3.5% down, flexible credit) or a 3%-down conventional loan, sometimes paired with California down-payment-assistance programs. The right choice depends on your credit, savings, and the home — which is exactly the conversation to have before you shop.

Yes. Choice Home Mortgage handles both home purchases and refinances — including rate-and-term refinances and cash-out — across the same wide network of lenders. If refinancing isn't actually worth it for your situation, we'll tell you straight.