Yes. Washington and Oregon are both dry funding states, which means the lender reviews your signed documents before releasing funds, and the deed records after funding. You can sign and fund the same day if everyone’s aligned and documents get in before the lender’s cutoff (typically before noon). I recommend signing a day ahead when possible. It takes the pressure off.
The seller. Washington’s Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) is a one-time tax on the sale, collected at closing from the seller’s proceeds. Oregon has no equivalent.
It’s the good faith deposit you make when your offer is accepted, held by the title company until closing. It’s your money and it credits toward your down payment and closing costs at closing. Whether it’s refundable if the deal falls apart depends on your contract, so that’s a question for your agent.
Because it’s supposed to. Early disclosures use gross figures, include the collection for taxes, insurance, and per diem interest as if they were closing costs, and estimate certain fees on the high side. If a lender under-discloses, the loan can’t proceed when something comes in over. If they over-disclose, we lower it before closing. Your Closing Disclosure, at least three business days before signing, will be exact.
No. Every purchase needs funds to close: closing costs plus the initial collection for taxes and insurance, and sometimes interest. Zero down removes the down payment, not the rest.
Pre-qualified is based on what you’ve told me. Pre-approved means I’ve verified it with pay stubs, W-2s or tax returns, and asset statements. Make offers with a pre-approval.
I start with a soft pull, which doesn’t affect your score. A hard pull happens once you have an accepted offer. If you’re talking to other lenders, insist they do the same.
Yes. On most loans a gift from a family member works with a signed gift letter confirming no repayment is expected. The lender will want to see the money trail from their account to closing, so don’t move funds around without talking to me first.
$832,750 for a single-family home in Clark County and the Portland metro for 2026. Above that is jumbo, with higher rates and tighter qualifying. Some lenders honor next year’s higher limit early; if you’re close, ask.
No. You qualify for a range of rates, each with a different cost or credit attached. Lower rate, more cost. Higher rate, less cost. The right pick depends on how long you’ll keep the loan, and I show you the break-even on each option.
Conventional PMI comes off at 20% equity when you ask the servicer. FHA mortgage insurance with less than 10% down stays for the life of the loan; you drop it by refinancing to conventional once you have the equity. USDA’s annual fee stays for the life of the loan as well.
Inspection, then disclosures to eSign, then appraisal, then underwriting, then rate lock, then clear to close, then signing, funding, recording, and keys. Two to three weeks once I have everything in hand. During that stretch: no new credit, no job changes, no large deposits, no big purchases without a call to me first.
Your bank can only offer your bank’s rates. I shop your loan across wholesale lenders and pick the best combination of rate, fees, and terms for your situation. It’s the difference between walking into one car dealership and having someone search every lot in the state for you. If a bank has a better deal on a specific loan, I’ll tell you that too.
Yes, and I’m self-employed too, so I know the drill. Most qualify with tax returns like anyone else. If your returns understate your income because of write-offs, a bank statement loan qualifies you on 12 or 24 months of deposits instead. The trade-off is a higher rate and a larger down payment than conventional, but it opens the door when the traditional route doesn’t work.