California is not one housing market — it’s dozens. A loan that makes sense in Fresno rarely makes sense in San Mateo, because the 2026 conforming limit runs from $832,750 in most counties up to $1,249,125 in high-cost counties like Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Clara, and San Francisco. Where your property falls on that map changes which loan is cheapest for you, and it’s the first thing I check.

That’s the core difference between a broker and a bank. A bank offers you the bank’s products. As an independent broker, I’m not tied to one lender’s overlays or one rate sheet — I compare pricing from 50+ wholesale lenders on the same file and bring you the two or three that actually win on cost and approval odds.