VA loans
The VA funding fee in California: cost and who doesn't pay
The VA funding fee for California buyers: current rates by down payment and loan type, who is exempt, when it's refunded, and whether a seller can pay it.
Guides
Straight answers, before you need them.
Short guides to the questions people ask me most. Each one answers the question first, shows the official source, and takes a few minutes to read.
VA loans
For veterans, service members and surviving spouses: entitlement, appraisals and choosing VA or conventional.
VA loans
Using a VA loan again in Hawaiʻi: entitlement explained
How VA entitlement works in Hawaiʻi: restoring it, buying again while you still have a VA loan, and the 2026 county limits on Maui and across the islands.
VA loans
VA home loan eligibility in Nevada: how to get your COE
Who qualifies for a VA home loan in Nevada, what a Certificate of Eligibility is, the three ways to request one, and the documents you need.
Reverse mortgages
For homeowners 62 and older and the families helping them decide.
Reverse mortgages
A parent's reverse mortgage in California: a family guide
For adult children in California: when a parent's reverse mortgage comes due, what heirs can do with the home, the 95% rule, and the time limits.
Reverse mortgages
Reverse mortgage counseling in Nevada: what to expect
HECM counseling for Nevada homeowners: why it's required, how to find a HUD-approved counselor, what the session covers, the fee, and questions to ask.
Reverse mortgages
What a reverse mortgage costs in Hawaiʻi
The upfront fees on a reverse mortgage (HECM), how the balance grows over time, the 2026 limit for Hawaiʻi homes, and what you keep paying.
Buying a home
Pre-approval, closing costs and what you can comfortably afford.
Buying a home
Pre-qualified vs pre-approved: what's the difference?
What a pre-qualification and a pre-approval letter really mean, whether either is a promise to lend, how they affect your credit, and what to bring.
Business & investment
DSCR and business-purpose loans for rental and investment property.
Business & investment
Buying a California rental with a 1031 exchange
How a 1031 exchange into a California rental works: the 45- and 180-day deadlines, the FTB forms, and the rent cap that may apply to the property you buy.
Business & investment
Financing a Maui rental: check the short-term rules first
Before you finance a Maui rental: what Bill 9 means for apartment-district vacation rentals, which permits exist, and the state taxes an operator registers for.
Business & investment
How DSCR loans work: a guide for Nevada investors
How a DSCR loan qualifies a Nevada rental on its cash flow, which consumer-loan rules don't apply, and the Las Vegas, Clark County and Washoe rental rules.
Refinance
Break-even, cash-out options and mortgage insurance.
Refinance
Cash-out refinance in Hawaiʻi: what to check first
How a cash-out refinance works on Maui and across Hawaiʻi: how long you must own first, your 3-day right to cancel, ʻohana units, and HELOC options.
Refinance
How to remove PMI in Nevada, and when FHA MIP ends
Nevada homeowners can ask to cancel PMI at 80% of original value, and it ends at 78%. How a higher home value can help, and how FHA MIP differs.
Refinance
Refinancing with a PACE loan or lien in California
Have solar or a heat pump paid through your property tax bill? How a PACE lien affects a California refinance, and what to do before you apply.
Your loan officer
Georg Thoma
Senior Loan Officer · NMLS ID # 312260 · Licensed in Hawaiʻi, Nevada & California · English & Deutsch