Lenders look at your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio — your total monthly debts divided by your gross monthly income. Most conventional loans allow up to 45–50% DTI. FHA allows up to 57% in some cases. A $400,000 purchase at today's rates requires roughly $5,500–$7,000 in gross monthly income depending on your debts and down payment. The free affordability calculator gives you a personalized number.

Lenders look at your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio — your total monthly debts divided by your gross monthly income. Most conventional loans allow up to 45–50% DTI. FHA allows up to 57% in some cases. A $400,000 purchase at today's rates requires roughly $5,500–$7,000 in gross monthly income depending on your debts and down payment. The free affordability calculator gives you a personalized number.

Access Financial issues pre-approval letters within 24 hours of a completed application for qualified borrowers. The application itself takes about 10 minutes online. You'll need W2s or tax returns, recent pay stubs, bank statements (2–3 months), and a government ID. VA loans require your Certificate of Eligibility — we can pull that for you. No credit pull is required at the inquiry stage.

The standard conforming loan limit for 2026 is $806,500. In high-cost areas — including Northern Virginia, the DC metro, most of California, and parts of Florida — the limit goes up to $1,209,750. Anything above your county's applicable limit is a jumbo loan and requires a different program and lender. Access Financial handles both conventional and jumbo loans.

No. VA and USDA loans require $0 down for eligible borrowers. FHA loans start at 3.5% with a 580 credit score. Conventional loans go as low as 3% down (Conventional 97 program). The 20% figure comes from the point at which PMI is no longer required on conventional loans — it's a cost threshold, not an eligibility requirement. Down payment assistance grants can reduce or eliminate your out-of-pocket contribution

Pre-qualification is an estimate based on self-reported information — no documents, no credit check, not binding. Pre-approval is a verified credit decision based on income documentation, assets, and a credit pull. Sellers and Realtors treat pre-approval as real buying power. Pre-qualification is largely ignored in competitive markets. Access Financial skips pre-qualification and issues full pre-approval within 24 hours.

Virginia's VHDA (Virginia Housing Development Authority) offers below-market interest rate mortgages, down payment and closing cost assistance grants, and the Granting Freedom program for disabled veterans. Income and purchase price limits apply. Access Financial has active VHDA relationships and matches borrowers to every program they qualify for — not just the most common ones.

Yes. Permanent residents (green card holders) qualify for conventional, FHA, and VA loans with the same requirements as citizens. Non-permanent residents can qualify for FHA loans with a valid work authorization. Non-citizens without a Social Security number can buy using an ITIN loan — Access Financial has purpose-built ITIN mortgage programs requiring no SSN and accepting alternative credit documentation.

Closing costs on a purchase typically run 2–5% of the loan amount — covering origination fees, title insurance, appraisal, prepaid taxes and insurance, and other lender fees. Access Financial discloses all fees in a Loan Estimate within 3 business days of application. VA loans limit what veterans can be charged. Some DPA programs also cover closing costs. Sellers can contribute to closing costs in negotiation