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Sophia Warner's Blog
Straight answers on buying, qualifying and choosing a loan in San Diego County.
Condo vs townhome: how HOA dues change what you can borrow
How HOA dues shrink your buying power, a condo vs townhome table, and how self-employed California buyers can compare total payments before making an offer.
Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer
San Diego's 2026 conforming limit: size the loan, not the house
In California, San Diego County's 2026 one-unit conforming limit is $1,104,000. How that loan-size line sorts conforming, jumbo, government-backed and bank-statement options for self-employed buyers.
Sophia WarnerSenior Loan OfficerFHA vs conventional at a 680–740 score: the five-year cost
With a small down payment and a 680–740 score, compare FHA's HUD premiums on a $400,000 example with a written conventional insurance quote over five years.
Sophia WarnerSenior Loan OfficerSelf-employed in San Diego: what to line up for a spring purchase
A San Diego broker on what self-employed buyers can prepare before spring: 2026 loan limits, a March prep timeline, and when waiting is the better call.
Sophia WarnerSenior Loan Officer