Home Loans in Orange County
Start My Orange County Pre-Approval
Newport Beach is where my family story starts. My mother graduated from Newport Harbor High, I went to grammar school in Newport Beach, we lived on 15th Street, and my grandparents were over on St. Andrews. I have been gone a long time, but Newport still feels like home, and I understand what it takes to buy and hold a home in Orange County today.
What Financing Looks Like in Orange County
Orange County is a high-cost county with one of the highest conforming loan limits in the nation. That means many purchases in Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Anaheim Hills, Mission Viejo, and Irvine fit a high-balance conventional loan with as little as 5% down and better pricing than a jumbo. Above the limit, in Newport Beach, Laguna, Corona del Mar, and Coto de Caza, we shop the jumbo across our lender network, where guidelines on reserves, credit, and self-employed income vary widely.
- Move-up and coastal buyers. Jumbo and super-jumbo purchase loans, including interest-only and bank-statement options for business owners.
- Homeowners sitting on equity. Cash-out refinances and second mortgages for remodels, a down payment on a second home, or consolidating high-interest debt, with the break-even shown before you commit.
- First-time buyers in the county. FHA and conventional 3% down programs in Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Fullerton, and Buena Park, plus CalHFA assistance where income limits allow.
- Condo and townhome buyers. We review the HOA and project eligibility early, because that is where Orange County loans get delayed.
How We Work With You
One application, 25+ wholesale lenders, and a straight answer. I review every file personally, you get options side by side in plain English, and your agent gets a weekly update through closing. If a refinance or a loan program does not clearly help you, I will say so.
Orange County Questions We Hear Every Week
Is a jumbo loan harder to get than a conforming loan?
It is more lender-specific, not harder. Some lenders want 12 months of reserves; others accept six. Some price self-employed borrowers well; others do not. Shopping the file is the whole game.
Should I pay off my low-rate mortgage to pull cash out?
Usually not. A second mortgage or HELOC leaves your first loan untouched. We compare a cash-out refinance against a second so you keep the rate you have if it is worth keeping.
How fast can we close in a competitive market?
Most purchases close in under 30 days, and with a full underwriting pre-approval we can commit to shorter timelines when the listing calls for it.
Start Here: 15-Minute Application
Let’s Talk About Orange County
Tell me the town, the price range, and what you are trying to do, and I will tell you which program fits and what the payment really looks like. Call (209) 522-7100, send a note, or start the 15-minute application and I will call you after I review it. You can also compare every option on our California loan programs page, or see the other areas we serve.
Steve McNeal, President and Loan Officer, First Capital Mortgage Inc. · NMLS #256426 · CA DRE #01017974. Offices in Modesto and Indio, serving all of California.