California is the land of dreams, boasting great weather, tons of hiking trails and a diverse array of cultures and people. It is also the most populous state in America and home to the iconic Hollywood film and television industry.   

California does, however, have a reputation for having an expensive housing market. Rents in major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles and San Francisco are sky high, and data from the California Association of Realtors shows that the average price of a single-family home in California is $898,980.

For many, California may seem too expensive to even think about purchasing a home. Doctors, however, along with dentists and certain other high-earning professionals can take advantage of the state’s physician mortgage loan programs. These programs allow any of the more than 100,000 medical doctors in California to purchase a home with minimal or no down payment. 

Advantages and disadvantages of physician mortgages in California

With the California housing market the way it is, you may well want to consider a doctor mortgage, but weighing the pros and cons first is advisable. Personal finance is a challenge for medical residents on limited incomes. When many doctors finish their residency, however, their earning power increases tremendously. With an employment offer in hand, signing up for a mortgage payment through a physician home loan makes these purchases accessible. In the future, repayment is not as much of an issue when the higher paycheck kicks in, allowing doctors to find their dream home on the NMLS now and make an offer with the help of a lender.

To start, you can enjoy a wide range of benefits if you go with a physician mortgage loan, including:

• Little to no money required for a down payment
• Enjoying higher limits that will allow you to afford a California home
• No PMI

Additionally, lenders who service doctor mortgages give special consideration to student debt. That means that even if you have significant debt left over from medical school or college, you can still qualify for physician mortgage loans. Much like veterinarians, doctors may enter their new career with a lot of student loan debt and other expenses after having lived on a limited income for years.

While those are significant assets, there are some cons you need to consider, including:

• With higher limits, you may purchase a home that you cannot afford in the long term
• Interest rates can be higher with these loans

Lenders who service these loans may also want to build a relationship with you and may require that you open an account with them. Of course, having a strong relationship with a bank can serve you and your career well in the years to come. As always, read through all details on disclosures and about details like interest rates to confirm that this is the right bank for you.

Is a California physician mortgage loan right for you?

If you are asking yourself whether a physician mortgage loan is right for you, first check in with yourself about where you are in your career. When purchasing a home, you want to make sure that you are in a job you believe you will stay committed to for years to come. If you are at the start of a job and have not put in enough years to know whether it will continue to work for you, maybe committing to a home should wait. 

If you’re confident that you’re staying in California, a physician mortgage loan may make a housing purchase more affordable. Unlike a refinance or traditional borrower scenario, these loans are specifically made for doctors and helps healthcare professionals like you who are looking for real estate property to buy on the NMLS.

Once you take out a loan with one of these lenders, future monthly payments will apply like a regular mortgage. Unlike traditional homeownership loan options or refinancing, these loans are specifically available to medical providers to purchase a new home. For medical residents, this is a viable option for someone who does not yet have the employment history or substantial down payment to cover a more traditional loan. Likewise, residents might have relied on a credit card to get through medical school or residency, but are now focused on improving their personal finance as they start their new job offer.

Another thing to keep in mind? Doctor mortgages do often come with a higher rate. If you prefer to wait and see if you can qualify for a conventional loan that might offer a lower rate, then do so. It can save you over the life of the loan and may be worth the temporary delay in buying a home. 

Examples of doctors who take out physician loans in California

Now let’s take a look at some examples of the physicians in California that are taking out doctor mortgages. You may find that their narratives line up directly with yours and may add some clarity to your decision making process. 

A resident with a high student loan debt balance

Myra is on top of her game. Not only did she graduate at the top of her class from the David Geffen School of Medicine UCLA and sail through her residency, she’s now starting a new position in plastics at Cedars Sinai. Her career is more than on track and she is set to become a high earner in due course. 

She knows she wants to stay in LA for the rest of her career and she is ready to purchase her first home. The problem is she still has a significant amount of student debt to pay off, and this has skewed her DTI ratio to the point where banks won’t approve her for a conventional loan. Given Myra’s contract with Cedars and her earning potential, a doctor mortgage is a perfect choice for her. 

A dentist who finds a doctor mortgage lender with the best rate

In some situations, a doctor mortgage can come with an interest rate that is as much as 0.25% higher than the one available on a conventional loan. That being said, there are some scenarios in which banks can extend offers to physicians and other high-earning professionals that actually offer a better rate than conventional options. 

That’s what has just happened to Randy,  a dentist with an established practice in Alameda. A regional bank looking to attract new and long-term business is offering a doctor mortgage that is actually a better deal than the conventional loan he was considering. With the student debt-friendly terms and the other benefits that come with a physician loan, Randy has decided to go with a physician loan and bypass the conventional mortgage. 

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