Get mortgage-ready before you shop for a home or a first rental.
Worksheets and plain explainers for Southern California buyers: read a Loan Estimate, test a rental's DSCR, prep self-employed income and know which costs can change.
Get your buyer readiness score (6 questions) →Who this is for
- First-time buyers in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties
- Renters planning to buy in the next 3–12 months
- Self-employed buyers using bank statements
- Owners buying or financing a first rental property
How it works
1
Score your readiness
Six questions give you a readiness band and the guides that fit.
2
Work the worksheets
Each guide includes a checklist, worked example or comparison table you can fill in.
3
Bring the facts to Francisco
When you're ready, send the property, purpose and timing on Francisco's site.
Buying a home
Topic: Buying a homeLoan Estimates, Closing Disclosures and the 90 days before you apply: worksheets and explainers for buyers.
How to read a Loan Estimate, page by page
Where to look on the three-page Loan Estimate to compare two lenders fairly: loan terms, closing costs and the comparisons box.
Buyer readiness checklist: the 90 days before you apply
A three-month checklist for Southern California buyers: credit, savings, documents and the decisions to make before talking to a lender.
Closing Disclosure vs. Loan Estimate: what's allowed to change
The three tolerance buckets under federal rules, the three-day waiting periods, and how to compare your Closing Disclosure line by line.
Your first rental
Topic: Your first rentalRunning the numbers and the rules on a first investment property: DSCR, California rent law and landlord basics.
DSCR worksheet for a first rental: run the ratio before you offer
A fill-in worksheet to test a rental's debt-service coverage before you write an offer, with a worked example and the inputs that move it.
First rental in California: what AB 1482 means for a new landlord
The statewide rent cap and just-cause rules, the single-family exemption and its required notice, and what changed with SB 567.
Money, credit & equity
Topic: Money, credit & equityDebt-to-income, self-employed income and tapping equity: how lenders read your finances.
Self-employed? A 90-day prep plan for a bank-statement loan
What to clean up in the three months before applying with bank statements instead of tax returns: deposits, accounts, transfers and letters.
HELOC or cash-out refinance? A blended-rate worksheet
How to compare adding a second lien with replacing your first mortgage: blended cost, closing costs and term.
Debt-to-income ratio: a worked example
How lenders calculate front-end and back-end DTI, which debts count, and a worked example you can redo with your own numbers.
Who's behind this
- Published by Francisco Williams, CCIM, NMLS #1858674, CalDRE #01979442.
- Residential mortgages arranged through Elite Fundings, a DBA of Vismar Corporation, NMLS #2046870, CA DRE #02004333.
- Federal and state rules link to the CFPB, eCFR or California code.
- No rates, approval odds or closing-time promises. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Francisco Williams: NMLS #1858674 · Francisco Williams: CalDRE #01979442 · Elite Fundings (Vismar Corporation): NMLS #2046870 · Elite Fundings: CA DRE #02004333
Frequently asked questions
Is this a lender's website?
It's an education site published by a licensed loan originator. Loan applications only happen on Francisco's main site.
Does the readiness score affect my credit?
No. It's a self-check; it doesn't pull credit or store your answers with your name.
Do you publish rates?
No. Rates depend on the borrower, property and market on the day; ask for a written Loan Estimate.
Can you help with down payment assistance?
The guides explain how programs work. Francisco's site keeps a California down-payment assistance directory.