850 University
Loan types and down payments, the documents to save, underwriting exceptions, credit and DTI prep, down payment help and every step to closing.
The whole path from planning to keys: the seven steps of a home purchase, what prequalified and preapproved letters really mean, the five things lenders weigh, why no single number decides, how to shop lenders without stacking inquiries, budgeting for the whole payment, and which lesson in this course fits your situation.
Twenty percent down is a myth for many buyers. Compare conventional 3% options, FHA's score tiers, VA and USDA zero-down loans, how mortgage insurance works and ends, the 2026 loan limits and jumbo loans, and why the smallest down payment isn't always the cheapest loan.
The papers lenders usually ask for, so you can start saving them now: identity and residency proof, pay stubs and W-2s, self-employed tax returns and the IRS transcript form, full bank statements with every page, gift letters with a paper trail, housing and family papers, and letters of explanation.
Is Mortgage Planning: Buying Your Home free on 850 University?
Yes — 9 of 9 lessons in this course are free with an 850ai account. Watch on YouTube anytime; create a free account to take quizzes and track progress.
How many lessons are in Mortgage Planning: Buying Your Home?
This course includes 9 short video lessons, each followed by a quiz when you learn inside the 850ai app.
Can I dispute errors on my credit report after this course?
850 University teaches the concepts; 850ai can analyze your credit report and generate dispute letters when you are ready. Start free at my850.ai/landing.
Learn the strategy here, then let 850ai analyze your credit report and generate dispute letters tailored to your accounts.
The money and job questions underwriters ask most: why they read every statement line, what counts as a large deposit, how sourcing and seasoning work, who can give you a gift for each loan type, why cash at home and split deposits cause trouble, and how lenders look at work gaps and job changes.
Waiting periods after a Chapter 7, a Chapter 13, a foreclosure or a short sale differ by loan program. Learn when the clock starts, what counts as extenuating circumstances, why waiting isn't approval, how lenders treat collections, judgments and inquiries, what manual underwriting is, and why the dates on your reports matter.
Learn how mortgage lenders read your credit and debts: the middle of your three scores, score bands and pricing, debt-to-income limits by loan program, fixing report errors early, what a rapid rescore can and can't do, and keeping things quiet until closing.
Learn how real down payment help works: why a fee to unlock a "HUD grant" is a red flag, where to start (your state housing finance agency), grants vs forgivable, deferred, and repayable second loans, local and employer programs, HUD's Good Neighbor Next Door, who counts as a first-time buyer, homebuyer classes and free or low-cost HUD-approved counselors, and the strings that often come with help.
Learn the paths to a home beyond a standard mortgage and how to tell the ones that can fit from the traps: non-QM and bank statement loans, hard money, seller financing, contracts for deed, rent-to-own, assumable loans, the red flags of loan scams, and what to check before you sign.
Follow the path from an accepted offer to the keys: earnest money and contingency deadlines, the Loan Estimate and rate lock, inspection vs appraisal, title and escrow, the Closing Disclosure and its 3-day review, closing costs and cash to close, how to stop a wire-fraud email, and which papers to keep after closing.