Finance & Mortgage Resource Center

Financing a Home

Clear, plain-English guides to mortgages and home financing in Greater Las Vegas, built around the questions buyers actually ask.

Last reviewed September 9, 2026

What financing options are available when buying a home?

Homebuyers may use conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, jumbo and other mortgage programs depending on borrower eligibility and property requirements. Buyers may also encounter specialized options including down-payment assistance, adjustable-rate mortgages, assumable mortgages, reverse-mortgage purchase programs and investment-property financing.

The right path depends on your income, credit, down payment, property and goals. Your lender determines qualification, loan amounts and program eligibility; Lisa helps you build the real estate plan around that financing. Federal programs change: verify current rules with the applicable agency (HUD/FHA, VA, USDA, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac) and your lender.

Can I Qualify?

Mortgage Qualification Guide

Self-employed? New job? Collections? Gift money? Bankruptcy? Real answers to the questions buyers actually ask, with a 30-article library on income, credit, source of funds, condos and manufactured homes. Lisa identifies what the lender decides and what she can do next on the real estate side.

Can I Qualify to Buy a House?

Deep-Dive Centers

Closing Costs, Rates, Appraisals, Renovation & More

Five focused hubs that route you straight to the guide that matches your problem, plus a situation finder that covers every path to making the purchase work.

Cash & Closing

Closing Costs for Home Buyers

Cash to close, prepaids, seller credits and price reductions.

Rates & Buydowns

Mortgage Rates, Buydowns & Points

2-1 buydowns, points, rate locks, float-downs, APR and loan estimates.

Appraisals

Home Appraisal Guide

Appraisal gaps, low appraisals and lender-required repairs.

Fixer & Build

Renovation, Construction & Land

Renovation loans, 203(k), new construction, land and building.

Find Your Path

How Do I Make This Purchase Work?

Routed by situation: cash, payment, self-employment, equity, appraisal, condition, building and credit.

Calculator

True Monthly Home Payment

See every component of the real monthly housing cost.

Start With Where You Are

Jump straight to the guides that match your situation.

I'm Just Starting

I Want the Lowest Monthly Payment

I Don't Have 20% Down

I'm a Veteran

I'm Considering an FHA Loan

I'm Self-Employed

I'm Buying an Investment Property

I'm 62+ and Want to Buy

I Want a Home With a Low Existing Rate

I'm Exploring Creative Financing

I'm Buying a Home Before Selling My Current One

USDA loans and down-payment-assistance programs exist under current program rules with property and income eligibility requirements. Likewise, self-employed financing, HECM-for-purchase and specialized products carry rules that change. Confirm what is available today with an appropriately licensed mortgage professional. Lisa is a REALTOR®, not a mortgage loan officer, so individualized loan advice comes from your lender.

New Resource

Real Estate Investor Financing

DSCR loans, hard money, asset-based lending, fix-and-flip and BRRRR financing for Las Vegas investors: full guides plus a free, educational DSCR calculator with a what-if mode. The right option depends on the property, investor, cash flow, timeline and exit strategy; lenders determine qualification and approval.

Browse Investor Financing Open the DSCR Calculator

New Resource

Mortgage Credit, Debt & Underwriting

Understand what lenders are looking at: debt-to-income ratio, credit scores, student loans, car payments, paying off debt, what not to do before closing, underwriting and clear to close, plus a free, educational DTI calculator.

Browse the Guides Calculate My DTI

The Full Series: Financing a Home

Every guide in this resource center, from mortgage basics to comparing the final offer.

How Does a Mortgage Work?

What a mortgage is, what the lender funds, and what happens from preapproval through closing.

Prequalification vs. Preapproval

Why a meaningful lender preapproval matters before you make serious offers.

How Much House Can I Afford in Las Vegas?

Qualification is one number. The payment you actually want is another.

Do You Really Need 20% Down?

Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA and other options that may require less cash down.

What Are Closing Costs?

Lender charges, title and escrow, prepaids, and how concessions can help.

What Is Mortgage Insurance?

PMI, FHA mortgage insurance, and why it is not homeowners insurance.

Fixed vs. Adjustable Rate

Payment predictability versus ARM adjustment risk, caps and the questions to ask.

Mortgage Interest Rate Buydowns

Temporary 2-1 style buydowns, permanent buydowns, and seller-funded concessions.

Mortgage Points Explained

What one point costs, how break-even works, and when paying points may make sense.

Lowest Rate vs. Best Loan

Compare APR, points, fees, cash to close, and closing reliability, not just the rate.

Conventional Home Loans Hub

Conventional mortgages: down payments, PMI, conforming and non-conforming loans, jumbo financing and the conventional vs. FHA and VA comparisons.

FHA Home Loans Hub

FHA mortgages: down payments, mortgage insurance, condos, manufactured homes, appraisals and seller concessions for Greater Las Vegas buyers.

VA Home Loans Hub

VA mortgages: eligibility, benefits, funding fees, COE, appraisals, condos, multifamily properties, myths and assumable VA loans for Greater Las Vegas buyers.

USDA Home Loans Hub

USDA mortgages: zero-down rural financing, property eligibility, household-income limits and USDA vs. FHA and conventional comparisons for eligible Greater Las Vegas buyers.

First-Time Homebuyer Financing Hub

First-time buyer financing options: conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, down-payment assistance, gift funds, affordability and mortgage calculators.

Down Payment & Home Buying Hub

How much cash you really need: the 20% myth, low-down-payment loans, down-payment assistance, gift funds and buying with limited cash.

Self-Employed Mortgage Financing Hub

Mortgage options for business owners and nontraditional income: tax-return qualification, bank statement loans, non-QM, asset-based and rental income.

What Is Seller Financing?

When the property owner finances part or all of the purchase instead of a bank, including the risks and legal requirements.

How Seller Financing Works

From negotiation through closing: down payment, note, security, balloon maturity, servicing and payoff.

Seller Financing vs. Traditional Mortgage

Qualification, interest rates, flexibility, down payments, legal risk and buyer protections compared.

What Is a Lease Option?

Rent with a right to buy: option fees, purchase price, rent credit misconceptions and the Nevada writing requirement.

Lease Option vs. Rent-to-Own

How the marketing label and the actual contract obligations can differ, and what happens if you cannot get a mortgage.

What Is Subject-To Real Estate?

How a buyer takes title while the original mortgage stays in place, why that differs from a formal assumption, and the due-on-sale risk.

Buying a House Subject-To

The step-by-step mechanics: existing loan, equity, title review, due-on-sale, insurance, servicing and exit strategy.

Subject-To Risks for Buyers and Sellers

Due-on-sale acceleration, seller credit exposure, insurance, title problems, default and foreclosure risk.

Assumable Mortgages Hub

FHA and VA assumptions: what an assumable mortgage is, how the process works, which loans qualify, entitlement questions and how to find homes with assumable financing in Greater Las Vegas.

Buy Before Selling: The Complete Guide

Buy your next home before selling your current one: bridge loans, home-sale contingencies, equity timing and the two-property plan.

What Is a Wraparound Mortgage?

Seller financing that wraps an existing mortgage, and the due-on-sale and default risks that come with it.

Creative Real Estate Financing Hub

Seller financing, assumptions, lease options, subject-to, wraparounds, HELOC strategies and more, routed by your goal.

Reverse Mortgages & HECM Hub

A plain-English guide for homeowners 62+: what a reverse mortgage is, how HECMs work, qualification, pros and cons, HECM for Purchase and what happens after death.

What Is a Reverse Mortgage?

How the reverse concept works, why no monthly mortgage payment is required, what happens to equity, and when the loan comes due.

How Does a Reverse Mortgage Work?

The step-by-step HECM process: counseling, lender application, appraisal, financial assessment, proceeds and obligations.

What Is a HECM?

The FHA-insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgage, FHA insurance and non-recourse protection, payment options and the maximum claim amount.

Who Qualifies for a Reverse Mortgage?

HECM eligibility: age 62+, principal residence, equity, existing liens, financial assessment, federal debt and counseling.

Reverse Mortgage Pros and Cons

No required monthly payment and retained title versus a growing balance, shrinking equity, costs and family confusion.

HECM for Purchase Hub

Buy a new principal residence at 62+ with reverse mortgage financing, plus the same-transaction buying, cash and traditional-mortgage comparisons.

How to Buy a House With a Reverse Mortgage

The ten-step HECM-for-Purchase path from lender qualification and counseling through required cash, appraisal, closing and occupancy.

HECM for Purchase vs. Paying Cash

Liquidity outside the house versus maximum home equity, with worked examples for older cash buyers.

HECM for Purchase vs. Traditional Mortgage

Down payment and monthly payments versus a larger required cash investment and a growing balance.

What Happens to a Reverse Mortgage When the Homeowner Dies?

The what-to-do guide for heirs: payoff, sale, timelines, non-borrowing spouses, non-recourse protections and keeping the home.

Mortgage Qualification Guide: Can I Buy a House?

Real answers to the questions buyers actually ask, routed by your situation.

What DSCR Do You Need for a Rental Property Loan?

There is no universal DSCR: how lenders evaluate rental-property cash flow.

Can You Use a DSCR Loan for Airbnb or Short-Term Rentals?

Why projected nightly income is not automatically qualifying rent.

Mortgage Qualification for Business Owners

K-1s, business tax returns, distributions, depreciation and cash flow.

1099 Income and Mortgages

How independent contractors and 1099 workers qualify.

Commission Income and Mortgage Qualification

History, consistency, declining income and how lenders average commissions.

Overtime & Bonus Income for a Mortgage

When variable pay counts and why likelihood of continuation matters.

Changed Jobs While Buying a House?

Tell the lender immediately and keep the loan on track.

Buying With a New Job or Offer Letter

When an accepted offer or future start date can support qualification.

Condo Financing Guide

Two levels of approval: the buyer and the condominium project.

Manufactured Home Financing

Land ownership, title status, foundation, HUD standards and classification.

Solar Panels, Mortgages & Home Sales

Owned solar vs. loans, leases and power purchase agreements.

Rental Income and Mortgage Qualification

How documented rent from existing or new properties may count.

Parent Gift Money for a Down Payment

How gifts are documented and why money should move only after lender guidance.

Co-Borrower vs. Co-Signer on a Mortgage

Who is legally responsible and who owns the home.

Buying a House With Your Parents

Co-borrowing, gift funds, ownership and exit planning.

Buying With an Unmarried Partner

Ownership, mortgage liability, breakup and death planning.

Buying a House After Divorce

Existing debt, support, sale proceeds and the lender's view.

Can You Buy a House After Bankruptcy?

Chapter 7, Chapter 13 and why waiting periods vary by program.

Can You Buy a House After Foreclosure?

Waiting periods, the legally relevant date and rebuilding the file.

Buying a House With Collections

Which accounts matter and why you should not automatically pay everything.

Medical Collections and Mortgages

Why medical debt can be treated differently in underwriting.

Large Bank Deposits Before a Mortgage

Why lenders ask questions about unusual deposits.

Can You Deposit Cash Before Buying a House?

The documentation problem with physical cash.

Moving Money Between Accounts Before Closing

Keeping a clean paper trail for the lender.

Can You Use Cryptocurrency to Buy a House?

Documentation, conversion, volatility and qualifying income.

Using Foreign Assets to Buy a Home in the U.S.

Overseas funds, currency conversion and international wires.

What Is Proof of Funds When Buying a House?

What documents work and how to protect private financial information.

Where Can Earnest Money Come From?

Documented sources, gift rules and the wire fraud warning.

Understand the financing. Then build the search around it.

Lisa helps you translate an approved financing plan into properties that actually fit, and coordinates the offer so the real estate side supports the loan.

Talk With Lisa Call or Text Lisa What's My Home Worth?