Conventional loans—without pretending Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are always the same.

How this library works

When the agencies are materially aligned, we explain the conventional rule once. When they differ, you'll see an Agency Difference section showing Fannie, Freddie and why the difference matters to the borrower.

Start here

Credit & AUS Deep Dive

Open the Conventional Credit & AUS Navigator →

Credit reports, disputes, collections, charge-offs, authorized users, bankruptcy/foreclosure, mortgage lates, thin credit and no-score borrowers—with Fannie/Freddie differences called out where they matter.

Income & Employment Deep Dive

Open the Conventional Income & Employment Navigator →

Salary, hourly, overtime, bonus, commission, second jobs, future employment, RSUs, seasonal income, temporary leave, military and other income—with agency differences called out.

Self-Employment Deep Dive

Open the Conventional Self-Employment Navigator →

Business history, one-year vs. two-year returns, Schedule C, K-1s, liquidity, business assets, declining income and side businesses.

Rental & Investment Income Deep Dive

Open the Conventional Rental Income Navigator →

Subject rentals, Schedule E, departing residences, new landlords, ADUs, short-term rentals, leases and boarder income.

Debts & DTI Deep Dive

Open the Conventional Debts & DTI Navigator →

Student loans, debts paid by others, installment debt, leases, revolving accounts, HELOCs, business debt and payoff strategy.

Assets & Reserves Deep Dive

Open the Conventional Assets & Reserves Navigator →

Reserves, bank accounts, retirement funds, business assets, earnest money, multiple properties, cryptocurrency and gift-funded reserves.

Gifts, DPA & Seller Contributions Deep Dive

Open the Transaction Funds Navigator →

Gift funds, gifts of equity, seller concessions, down payment assistance, Community Seconds, lender credits and minimum borrower contribution.

Property & Appraisal Deep Dive

Open the Conventional Property & Appraisal Navigator →

Property eligibility, Value Acceptance, appraisal age, condition/repairs, ADUs, mixed-use, solar and leasehold estates.

Condo & Project Review Deep Dive

Open the Conventional Condo Navigator →

Full review, limited review, HOA reserves, structural repairs, special assessments, insurance, litigation and ineligible projects.

Occupancy & Multiple Properties Deep Dive

Open the Occupancy Navigator →

Primary residences, second homes, investment properties, property count, non-occupant borrowers, pending sales and departing residences.

Refinance & Cash-Out Deep Dive

Open the Conventional Refinance Navigator →

Limited/no-cash-out, cash-out, seasoning, delayed financing, subordinate liens, borrower changes and title-change scenarios.

Affordable Conventional Programs

Open HomeReady, Home Possible & Special Options →

HomeReady, Home Possible, HomeOne, Refi Possible, boarder-income exceptions and affordable subordinate financing.

Can This Actually Be Done?

Open Unusual Transactions & Guideline Exceptions →

Family sales, land contracts, lease options, LLC/trust title, owner buyouts, inherited property, non-occupant borrowers, shared equity and “Could the other agency solve this?” scenarios.

Conventional Final Gap Audit

Open the Conventional Gap Audit →

See every major branch and where meaningful Fannie-vs.-Freddie differences can change the answer.

Why did my lender say no? →

Planned deep-dive branches

Credit & AUS → Income & Employment → Self-Employment → Rental/Investment Income → Assets & Reserves → Debts/DTI → Property/Appraisal → Condos → Gifts/Concessions/DPA → Occupancy → Refinances/Cash-Out → Unusual Transactions.