How we help
Built around your rotation and your paycheck.
We plan around your rotation
Our office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday by appointment. On shift days, a short call may be all it takes, and you can upload documents securely through your application. Tell us your schedule and we'll fit our steps into it.
Hours and overtime, read the way the underwriter will
Firefighter paychecks vary. Overtime, holiday pay, strike-team assignments and shift trades all change a stub. We go through your last two years with you and tell you what we expect the underwriter to count and what may need more explaining. The underwriter is the person at the lender who decides whether your income qualifies.
Seasonal and CalFire work, explained
Seasonal income has its own rule. We'll tell you how long a history lenders generally look for and what to gather.
Good Neighbor Next Door, honestly
HUD sells some homes at a discount to firefighters and EMTs. It's limited, and we'll tell you what that means for your search.
Your loan options
More than one way to buy.
There's no single right loan for firefighters and emts. We look at your income, savings and plans, compare these side by side, and tell you plainly which fits, including when it's not CalHFA.
FHA
Insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), with more flexible credit rules. HUD says FHA isn't only for first-time buyers, and the down payment can be a gift from family or an employer.
Read our guideConventional
Most follow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines. Options like HomeReady and Home Possible are for buyers with lower incomes, with limits set by area, and some options are for first-time buyers.
Read our guideVA
For eligible service members, veterans and surviving spouses, whatever job you do now. VA says its guaranty, in most cases, lets you buy with no down payment.
Read our guideEach loan has its own eligibility rules. Subject to credit approval and underwriting.
Down payment help
If you need down payment help: CalHFA.
CalHFA, California's housing finance agency, offers first-time buyer loans and down payment help through approved lenders like New American Funding. Colleen Olivas is a CalHFA Preferred Loan Officer, and we'll tell you plainly whether you qualify.
- $210,000 CalHFA's income limit for its first mortgages and MyHome (2026) in San Bernardino County. Source: CalHFA income limits, effective 06/30/2026. All counties
- 3 yearsIf no one on the loan has owned and lived in a home in the past 3 years, you may count as a first-time buyer
These programs are loans, not gifts. Funds are limited and rules can change, so we confirm what's open before you plan. Subject to eligibility and program availability.
Your team
You have a team of loan officers who work with firefighters and EMTs.
Call the office and we'll match you with the right person, or pick someone you'd like to talk to.
Free, and yours to keep
Read at your own pace, between shifts.
Free guide · PDF · California editionThe Homebuyer's Guide
Pre-approval, CalHFA, GSFA and the other down payment programs, in plain words. Read it at your own pace.
Download the free guide
Free checklist · PDF · one pageWhat to have ready
The documents to gather when you're ready to apply, so we can start your pre-approval without waiting on paperwork.
Download the checklist More programs worth asking about
Questions we hear
Does overtime or strike-team pay count?
It can. For conventional loans, Fannie Mae's guidelines recommend two years of overtime history. A shorter history, no less than 12 months, may be considered acceptable when positive factors offset it. If the pay has been declining, the lender must confirm it has leveled off. Lenders can be stricter than that. Strike-team and holiday pay vary by department, so we don't have one rule to quote. We'll look at your stubs and explain how the underwriter will see them.
I work 24-hour shifts. Does that change how my hours are counted?
Not by itself. What matters is how your pay is built: a salary, a fixed hourly rate, or an hourly rate that varies. Fannie Mae requires a minimum 12-month history when your hours or hourly rate vary. Your stubs tell us which case you're in.
I'm a seasonal CalFire firefighter. Can I qualify?
Possibly. Fannie Mae's seasonal income rule requires a minimum two-year history. Its one-month gap limit for borrowers with different employers doesn't apply to work that counts as seasonal income. Your lender may add its own rules. Bring your last two years of tax returns and pay records.
What is Good Neighbor Next Door?
It's a HUD program for firefighters, emergency medical technicians, law enforcement officers and pre-K through 12th grade teachers. HUD describes a discount of 50% from the list price of the home. You must work full time in the area the home serves and agree to live in it for 36 months as your principal residence. The number of homes is limited and the list changes weekly. Search the current homes at HUD Home Store, and call us if one catches your eye.
Is there a special loan for firefighters?
Not one national loan. FHA, conventional, VA, CalHFA and GSFA are all open to qualifying buyers whatever their job, and we'll compare them side by side for you.
We also thank
Disclosures
We are not affiliated with or endorsed by any law enforcement, fire, military, health care or school agency. VA home loans are guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; we are not affiliated with or endorsed by VA. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by HUD, FHA, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Programs have eligibility rules, funds are limited, and terms can change without notice. Not all applicants will qualify. This is not a commitment to lend.
