Man, I feel this in my soul. You’d think with all the paperwork we have to do just to *get* an H1B, mortgage folks would be like, “Oh, you already survived the government maze? Here’s your loan.” Nope. It’s more like, “Can you send me your visa, your pay stubs, your sixth-grade report card, and a blood sample?” Then half the time they stare at your folder like it’s a Sudoku puzzle.
I tried the big banks first—total mistake. I swear, I spent more time explaining what an H1B is than actually talking about interest rates. One guy literally asked if I was “allowed to own property.” Like, dude, I’m not trying to buy a missile silo. Just a condo with working plumbing.
Credit unions have been a breath of fresh air, though. At least they don’t treat you like you’re trying to smuggle a house out of the country. The process is still slow, but at least you get a real person who’ll actually listen. I’ve noticed they’re more willing to look at your whole picture, not just what some box on a form says.
Online lenders were a mixed bag for me. Some were quick, but I never really knew if a human was looking at my stuff or if it just got sucked into the Matrix. I guess it’s a trade-off—speed vs. sanity.
One thing that helped me: having every document ready in a Google Drive folder. Visa, pay stubs, tax returns, employment letters...the whole nine yards. That way, when someone finally *does* know what they’re doing, you can just fire off everything before they change their mind.
It’s wild how much depends on the actual person you get. I had one loan officer who was super chill and even gave me tips on how to make my application look better. Another literally ghosted me after two weeks of back-and-forth.
Anyway, hang in there. It’s a weird ride, but eventually you’ll find someone who gets it—or at least pretends convincingly enough to get you a mortgage. At this point, I’m convinced buying a house on H1B should come with a free therapist session and a trophy.
Honestly, you’re not wrong about the paperwork circus. It’s wild how inconsistent things get, even within the same bank—one officer’s totally cool with your documents, the next acts like H1B is some secret code. Having everything organized upfront makes a huge difference, though. Lenders want to see continuity in employment and income—usually two years is the magic number. If your visa’s got more than a year left and you’ve got a solid work history, you’re typically good to go. Still, it shouldn’t be this complicated... but at least some credit unions and local lenders are catching up.
Yeah, the inconsistency is honestly wild. I’ve seen clients get totally different answers from the same bank just depending on who’s at the desk that day. The two-year job history thing is spot on, but I’d add—sometimes lenders want to see paystubs and tax returns, not just offer letters or contracts. If you’re switching jobs but staying in the same field, that usually helps too. Credit unions do seem a bit more flexible lately, but it’s still a bit of a gamble... Just gotta keep your docs airtight and be ready for random curveballs.
Man, you’re not kidding about the “random curveballs.” Last year, I thought I had everything lined up—W2s, paystubs, even a letter from my boss basically saying “he’s not going anywhere.” Still got hit with a request for proof of my visa renewal... which wasn’t even up for another 18 months. Go figure.
- Two-year job history? Check.
- Same field? Check.
- Paystubs, tax returns, blood sample (kidding... mostly)? Check.
But then the underwriter wanted to see my last three months of bank statements from my home country. Like, what? I hadn’t touched that account in ages.
Credit unions did seem a bit more chill for me too, but it’s still a roll of the dice. My advice: keep every doc you can think of in a folder and expect at least one “wait, you need *what* now?” moment. It’s like playing mortgage bingo—just hope you get a line before you lose your mind.
Honestly, I get where you’re coming from, but I don’t think it’s always as random as it feels. Underwriters have to check every box, especially with non-citizen borrowers. Sometimes those “weird” requests are just them covering compliance bases. I’ve seen folks get frustrated with the extra paperwork, but if you know what they’re likely to ask for (like foreign accounts or visa docs), you can actually get ahead of it and avoid some of the last-minute stress. Credit unions can be easier, sure, but even they have to answer to federal guidelines. It’s less bingo and more like a scavenger hunt—annoying, but not totally unpredictable if you know the rules.
