Sam BataynehMortgage · NMLS 332474
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Loan options

Every kind of home loan, in plain words.

Which home loan fits is decided by two things: the loan amount against the county’s limit, and how your income is documented. This page covers jumbo, conventional, FHA, VA, Bank Statement and Foreign National loans, and the rest of what OriginPoint offers: what each one is and who it’s for. Not sure which fits? That’s the first thing Sam helps with.

Sam specializes in jumbo loans and in income that takes more reading. Sam also does the straightforward loans, for every kind of home buyer.

JumboConventionalFHAVABank StatementForeign NationalOriginPoint PortfolioBuy Before You SellOneDownDown payment assistanceUSDARenovationConstructionNew constructionLock ’N’ RollInterest-onlyCondo financingPhysicianHELOCClean EnergyRateFiSame Day MortgageReverse mortgagesHigh-balanceFixed-rateAdjustable-rateBuyRefinance
The main programs

Six programs, each explained in full. The program names are OriginPoint’s own. The descriptions are general education: what a lender asks of you depends on the lender and on your file.

Sam’s specialty

Jumbo loans

What it is

A jumbo loan is larger than the conforming limit for its county. Because these loans can’t be sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, each lender sets its own rules, and lenders often ask for more on down payment, savings and credit. Knowing how different lenders look at a file matters most here.

Who it’s for

Buyers and owners of larger or luxury properties in high-end markets, where the loan needed is above the county limit. That describes a great many homes in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.

OriginPoint lists fixed-rate, adjustable-rate and interest-only jumbo options, for primary homes, second homes and investment properties, condos included, and for a purchase, a rate-and-term refinance or a cash-out refinance.

What lenders generally ask for

  • Income. Pay stubs and W-2s, or tax returns if you are self-employed.
  • Savings. Recent statements for bank and investment accounts. Lenders often look at what you will have left after closing.
  • Credit. Your credit history. Each lender sets its own standard.
  • The home. An appraisal. Some lenders ask for a second one on larger loans.

A loan is jumbo only when it is above the county limit. Check the limit where you’re buying.

Talk jumbo with Sam
Traditional mortgages

Conventional loans

What it is

A loan that isn’t insured by a government agency. Most home loans are conventional. A conventional loan at or under the county limit is called conforming: it follows the rules of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This is what most people mean by a traditional mortgage, and it comes with a fixed or an adjustable rate.

In high-cost counties, which include most of coastal California, the conforming limit is above the standard national limit. A conforming loan above the standard limit is called a high-balance conforming loan. OriginPoint also has an Expanded Loan Amount Conforming program, for loans just above the limit. See the limits by county on the Loan limits page.

Who it’s for

Buyers with steady income and solid credit. Whether a conventional loan or an FHA loan costs less depends on your own file. A conventional mortgage can be used for a primary home, a second home or an investment property.

What lenders generally ask for

  • Income. Recent pay stubs and W-2s, or tax returns if you are self-employed.
  • Savings. Recent statements for the accounts your down payment and closing costs will come from.
  • Credit. Your credit history.
  • The home. An appraisal in most cases, and the purchase contract if you are buying.

Fixed or adjustable? See how the two kinds of rate differ.

Ask Sam about conventional loans
Smaller down payment

FHA loans

What it is

An FHA loan is insured by the Federal Housing Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The insurance protects the lender, so lenders can accept a smaller down payment and more flexible credit than on many other loans. Mortgage insurance is required on all FHA loans.

Who it’s for

Buyers with a smaller down payment or a shorter credit history, including many first-time buyers. An FHA loan is for a home you will live in. Homeowners who already have an FHA loan can ask about the FHA Streamline refinance, which replaces it with a new FHA loan. How the FHA Streamline refinance works.

What lenders generally ask for

  • Income. Recent pay stubs and W-2s, or tax returns if you are self-employed.
  • Savings. Recent statements for the accounts your down payment will come from. Gift money is generally allowed when it is documented.
  • Credit. Your credit history and your monthly debts.
  • The home. An appraisal by an FHA-approved appraiser. The home has to meet FHA’s property standards.

FHA has its own loan limit for each county. See FHA limits. Sam Batayneh and OriginPoint are not affiliated with or endorsed by HUD, FHA, the Department of Veterans Affairs, USDA or any government agency.

Ask Sam about FHA loans
Veterans and service members

VA loans

What it is

A VA loan is a home loan made by a private lender and backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. That backing changes what a lender can offer, including on the down payment. Most borrowers pay a one-time VA funding fee, and some are exempt from it.

Who it’s for

Eligible veterans, service members and surviving spouses. Eligibility is decided by the VA’s rules. A VA loan is for a home you will live in. Homeowners who already have a VA loan can ask about the VA Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (VA IRRRL), which replaces it with a new VA loan. How the VA IRRRL works.

What lenders generally ask for

  • Certificate of Eligibility. The VA’s record that you are eligible. Sam can tell you how to request it.
  • Income. Recent pay stubs and W-2s, or your Leave and Earnings Statement if you are serving.
  • Savings and credit. Recent account statements, and your credit history.
  • The home. An appraisal ordered through the VA.

OriginPoint lists VA loans as “Veteran loans”. Sam Batayneh and OriginPoint are not affiliated with or endorsed by HUD, FHA, the Department of Veterans Affairs, USDA or any government agency.

Ask Sam about VA loans
Self-employed borrowers

Bank Statement loans

What it is

A Bank Statement loan documents your income from the deposits shown on your bank statements over time, in place of tax returns, W-2s or pay stubs. OriginPoint’s name for its program in this area is OriginPoint Portfolio | Self-Employed, which looks at business cash flow or 1099s instead of tax returns.

Who it’s for

OriginPoint describes its Bank Statement loans as for self-employed borrowers who want a home loan without tax returns, W-2s or pay stubs. Business owners, independent contractors and people paid by the project are common examples of self-employed borrowers.

What lenders generally ask for

  • Bank statements. Personal or business statements, covering a period the lender sets.
  • Your business. Something that shows you are self-employed, such as a business license or a letter from your CPA.
  • Savings and credit. Statements for your other accounts, and your credit history.
  • The home. An appraisal.

A Bank Statement loan has its own rules and terms, and it is not right for everyone. The lender still has to be satisfied that you can repay the loan. OriginPoint Portfolio | Self-Employed is one of the four OriginPoint Portfolio options.

Ask Sam about Bank Statement loans
Non-U.S. citizens

Foreign National loans

What it is

A home loan program for buyers who are not U.S. citizens. OriginPoint lists Foreign National loans among its loan options.

Who it’s for

Non-U.S. citizens buying a home in the United States. Which program fits can depend on your residency and visa status, so tell Sam about yours at the start.

What lenders generally ask for

  • Identity. A valid passport, and a visa where one applies.
  • Income and savings. Documents from the U.S. or from your home country, sometimes with a translation.
  • Credit. A U.S. credit history if you have one, or other records the lender accepts.
  • Funds to close. Statements that show where the money comes from.

Lenders differ on what they accept from outside the United States. Sam will tell you what OriginPoint needs for your situation.

Ask Sam about Foreign National loans

OriginPoint Portfolio

OriginPoint’s own name for a group of four options that look beyond traditional income papers. The first, OriginPoint Portfolio | Self-Employed, is covered above under Bank Statement loans. These are the other three.

OriginPoint Portfolio | Assets

What it is
Your assets can qualify you on their own, or add to your income. OriginPoint lists crypto, retirement, investment, checking, savings and money market accounts, and inheritance, as eligible.
Who it’s for
Borrowers who want documented assets counted, alone or with their income.
Good to know
The program’s guidelines decide which assets count and how they are counted.
Ask Sam about this

OriginPoint Portfolio | Investor

What it is
The loan is qualified on the property’s cash flow: the rent it brings in. OriginPoint lists short-term rentals and condotels as eligible, and closing in the name of an LLC.
Who it’s for
Real estate investors buying or refinancing a rental property.
Good to know
For investment property, not a home you will live in. How to hold title is a question for your own attorney.
Ask Sam about this

Buy Before You Sell

What it is
A way to make an offer on your next home before your current home has sold.
Who it’s for
Homeowners who are moving and do not want the purchase to wait on the sale.
Good to know
Ask Sam how the program treats the home you are leaving, and what it asks for.
Ask Sam about this

Program names are OriginPoint’s. Each option has its own guidelines and terms, and is not right for everyone. OriginPoint publishes its own conditions and disclosures for each program, and those apply in full: ask Sam for them. All loans are subject to credit and underwriting approval.

Buying with a smaller down payment

Besides FHA loans and VA loans, covered in full above. Sam’s OriginPoint page groups VA, FHA and USDA loans under “Low down payment loans”. The USDA description follows the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s plain-language guide.

OneDown

What it is
OriginPoint’s low-down-payment program for eligible buyers of a primary residence.
Who it’s for
Buyers of a home they will live in, who meet the program’s eligibility rules and income limits.
Good to know
Eligibility and income limits apply. Sam can explain them and tell you whether the program fits.
Ask Sam about this

Down payment assistance

What it is
Programs that help with a down payment or closing costs. Many are run by state or local housing agencies, and each has its own rules.
Who it’s for
Buyers who meet a program’s rules, which often look at income and where the home is.
Good to know
What is available depends on where you are buying. Ask Sam what OriginPoint offers.
Ask Sam about this

USDA loans

What it is
A loan backed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for homes in eligible rural areas.
Who it’s for
Low- to moderate-income borrowers buying in those areas.
Ask Sam about this

Sam Batayneh and OriginPoint are not affiliated with or endorsed by HUD, FHA, the Department of Veterans Affairs, USDA or any government agency.

More programs

Also named on OriginPoint’s site, and covered more briefly here. Ask Sam which of them are offered where you are buying.

Low down payment options: VA loans, FHA loans, USDA loans, OneDown and down payment assistance.

Renovation loans

What it is
One loan that pays for the home and for the work on it. OriginPoint names two: the FHA 203(k) loan, which is insured by the FHA, and the HomeStyle Renovation loan, which is a conventional loan.
Who it’s for
Buyers of a home that needs work, and owners who want to renovate the home they have.
Good to know
The work is planned and priced before closing, and the lender reviews the plans.
Ask Sam about this

Construction loans

What it is
OriginPoint’s one-time-close program: one loan that covers buying the land or lot and building the home, and then becomes the permanent mortgage once the home is built.
Who it’s for
Buyers who plan to build a home, not to buy one that is already built.
Good to know
A construction loan has its own guidelines for the builder, the plans and the budget. Ask Sam what the program asks for. This description comes from OriginPoint’s published materials. Ask Sam about current availability.
Ask Sam about this

New construction

What it is
OriginPoint’s builder options for homes that are still being built. They include extended rate locks, which OriginPoint also calls Lock ’n’ Build: a longer rate lock that covers the time until the home is finished.
Who it’s for
Buyers of a newly built home.
Good to know
A rate lock has its own terms and costs. Ask Sam how an extended lock works.
Ask Sam about this

Lock ’N’ Roll

What it is
OriginPoint’s program to lock an interest rate while you are still shopping for a home, before there is a signed purchase contract.
Who it’s for
Buyers who are looking at homes and have not yet found the one they will buy.
Good to know
Additional fees and restrictions may apply. A rate lock runs for a set time and has its own terms. Ask Sam how the program works.
Ask Sam about this

Interest-only loans

What it is
For an initial period you pay only the interest on the loan. After that period the payment covers principal as well as interest, so the monthly payment goes up.
Who it’s for
Borrowers who have planned for the higher payment that follows. OriginPoint lists interest-only options on some jumbo loans.
Good to know
The loan balance does not go down during the interest-only period. Ask Sam to go through both stages of the payment with you before you choose. This description comes from OriginPoint’s published materials. Ask Sam about current availability.
Ask Sam about this

Condo financing

What it is
A loan on a condominium. Besides your own file, the lender reviews the condo project itself, such as the association’s finances and insurance.
Who it’s for
Buyers and owners of a condo. OriginPoint finances condos, including on jumbo loans.
Good to know
Some condo projects do not meet a loan program’s rules, so tell Sam the building early.
Ask Sam about this

Physician loans

What it is
A home loan program for medical professionals. OriginPoint lists Physician loans among its loan options, for eligible practitioners, residents and students.
Who it’s for
Eligible medical practitioners, residents and students. Ask Sam which professions the program covers.
Ask Sam about this

HELOC

What it is
A home equity line of credit: a line you can borrow from as you need it, secured by the equity in your home.
Who it’s for
Homeowners who want to use some of their equity and keep their current mortgage.
Good to know
A HELOC is a second loan on your home, and many have a rate that can change.
Ask Sam about this

Clean Energy Mortgage Program

What it is
OriginPoint’s program for financing solar and energy-efficiency improvements to a home.
Who it’s for
Buyers and homeowners who plan solar or energy-efficiency improvements.
Good to know
Ask Sam what the program covers and whether it is offered where you are buying. This description comes from OriginPoint’s published materials. Ask Sam about current availability.
Ask Sam about this

RateFi

What it is
OriginPoint’s program that can count select cryptocurrencies and stablecoins toward qualifying for a home loan, without selling them, subject to program guidelines.
Who it’s for
Borrowers who hold part of their savings in digital assets and would rather not sell them to qualify.
Good to know
The program’s guidelines decide which assets count and how. Whether to hold or sell is a question for your own financial adviser.
Ask Sam about this

Same Day Mortgage

What it is
OriginPoint’s streamlined approval process: a faster review for eligible buyers.
Who it’s for
Eligible buyers. Ask Sam what the process requires.
Good to know
The name is OriginPoint’s own. It is not a promise of how long any loan takes: OriginPoint sets the conditions, so ask Sam for them and whether your file is eligible. All loans are subject to credit and underwriting approval.
Ask Sam about this

Reverse mortgages

What it is
A loan that lets eligible homeowners use the equity in their home. OriginPoint has a national reverse lending team. It also lists Reverse for Purchase: buying a home with a reverse mortgage, in one transaction.
Who it’s for
Homeowners who meet the program’s rules. Eligibility rules apply, including a minimum age set by the program.
Good to know
A reverse mortgage is a loan secured by your home, with its own costs and obligations. Ask Sam to put you in touch with OriginPoint’s reverse lending team.
Ask Sam about this

HomeStyle® is a registered trademark of Fannie Mae. Program names are OriginPoint’s. Naming a program here is not a promise that a loan will be approved, and not every program is offered to every borrower or in every state. OriginPoint publishes its own conditions and disclosures for each program, and those apply in full: ask Sam for them.

Fixed or adjustable?

Any of the loans above comes with one of these two kinds of rate.

Fixed-rate mortgages

What it is
The rate does not change for the life of the loan. Common terms are 15 and 30 years.
Who it’s for
Buyers who want a payment of principal and interest that does not change.
Good to know
A shorter term means higher monthly payments and less interest overall. A longer term means lower monthly payments and more interest overall.
Ask Sam about this

Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARM)

What it is
The rate is set for an introductory period, then can increase or decrease based on the market. Your rate is an index plus a margin, with caps on how far it can move.
Who it’s for
Buyers who are ready for a payment that can go up.
Ask Sam about this

Start with your goal

Buy a home

What it is
A purchase loan pays for the home; you repay it over time. The loan type you choose sets the rules for down payment, credit and paperwork.
Who it’s for
First-time buyers, people moving up, and buyers of second homes or investment property.
Good to know
Talk to Sam before you make an offer, so you know what you can comfortably do.
Ask Sam about this

Refinance

What it is
A new loan that replaces the one on your home. A rate-and-term refinance changes the rate, the term or both. A cash-out refinance is a larger loan that also pays you part of your equity in cash.
Who it’s for
Homeowners looking at a different rate, a shorter or longer term, taking cash out, or dropping mortgage insurance. Owners with an FHA or VA loan can ask about the FHA Streamline and the VA IRRRL.
Good to know
A refinance has closing costs. Sam can help you weigh them against what you’d gain. Refinancing a home loan in California: every kind of refinance, the steps, the costs and each region.
Ask Sam about this
Common questions

Plain answers.

Is a Bank Statement loan a non-QM loan?
Loans that document income in other ways than tax returns are commonly called non-QM loans in the mortgage industry. “Non-QM” is short for non-qualified mortgage, a general industry term for a loan outside the federal definition of a qualified mortgage. OriginPoint lists Bank Statement loans among its loan options, and its name for its program in this area is OriginPoint Portfolio | Self-Employed. Whatever a loan is called, the lender still reviews your ability to repay it.
What is the difference between a conventional loan and a jumbo loan?
The difference is the size of the loan. A conventional loan at or under the county limit is a conforming loan and follows Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac rules. A loan above the county limit is a jumbo loan, and each lender sets its own rules for it. See the 2026 limits by county.
What is the difference between an FHA loan and a conventional loan?
An FHA loan is insured by the Federal Housing Administration; a conventional loan is not insured by a government agency. FHA rules allow a smaller down payment and more flexible credit, and every FHA loan carries mortgage insurance. A conventional loan generally asks for stronger credit, and its mortgage insurance, when there is any, follows different rules. Which one costs less depends on your own file, so ask Sam to compare the two for you.
Who can use a VA loan?
VA loans are for eligible veterans, service members and surviving spouses. Eligibility is decided by the VA’s rules, based on service, and is shown by a Certificate of Eligibility. The lender still reviews income, credit and the home. Sam can tell you how to request the certificate.
What is OriginPoint Portfolio?
OriginPoint Portfolio is OriginPoint’s own name for a group of four options that look beyond traditional income papers: OriginPoint Portfolio | Self-Employed, OriginPoint Portfolio | Assets, OriginPoint Portfolio | Investor and Buy Before You Sell. Each has its own guidelines and is not right for everyone. See the other three options above; the first is covered under Bank Statement loans.
What is a high-balance conforming loan?
A high-balance conforming loan is a conforming loan above the standard national limit, in a county where the limit is higher. Most of coastal California is in high-cost counties. OriginPoint also has an Expanded Loan Amount Conforming program, for loans just above the limit. The Loan limits page has the figures for each county.
What is an interest-only loan?
On an interest-only loan you pay only the interest for an initial period. After that the payment covers principal as well as interest, so the monthly payment goes up, and the balance has not gone down in the meantime. OriginPoint’s published materials list interest-only options on some jumbo loans, so ask Sam about current availability, and to go through both stages of the payment with you.
Can I lock a rate before I have found a home?
OriginPoint has a program for that, called Lock ’N’ Roll: a rate lock while you are still shopping for a home, before there is a signed purchase contract. Additional fees and restrictions may apply. A rate lock runs for a set time and has its own terms, so ask Sam how the program works.
Can one loan pay for the land and for building the home?
OriginPoint has a one-time-close construction program: one loan covers buying the land or lot and building the home, and it becomes the permanent mortgage once the home is built. For a home that a builder is already building, OriginPoint has extended rate locks, which it also calls Lock ’n’ Build. Each has its own guidelines. The one-time-close program is described from OriginPoint’s published materials, so ask Sam about current availability.
Which loan fits self-employed income?
It depends on how your income is documented. When tax returns show the income, a conventional or jumbo loan is the usual starting point. OriginPoint describes its Bank Statement loans as for self-employed borrowers who want a home loan without tax returns, W-2s or pay stubs. Sam can go through both with you.
Can someone who is not a U.S. citizen get a home loan?
OriginPoint lists Foreign National loans, a program for non-U.S. citizens, among its loan options. What a lender asks for depends on the program and on your own situation. Tell Sam your citizenship and residency status at the start.

General education only. Each lender sets its own rules, and they change. Nothing here is a promise that a loan will be approved or of any terms. This is not tax, legal or investment advice: for those questions, ask your own CPA, attorney or business manager.

Who Sam works with

Paid in stock, by contract or by the project?

These pages explain, in general terms, how lenders look at each kind of income.

Mortgages for tech professionals: RSU and stock incomeMortgages for pro athletes: contract and bonus incomeMortgages for entertainment professionals: 1099 and royalty incomeFirst-time home buyers: getting ready, down payments and loan typesEvery kind of home buyer: the straightforward loans too2026 loan limits for California counties

Not sure which loan fits?

That’s normal. Tell Sam your situation and Sam will narrow it down with you.

Get started with Sam