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Reviewed by David Ghazaryan, Mortgage Broker, NMLS 1486726 · iQRATE Mortgages · Last updated: October 13, 2026
Quick answer
A Pasadena mortgage broker compares many lenders for the jumbo, high-balance, conventional and FHA loans used in the San Gabriel Valley. iQRATE Mortgages (NMLS 1862492) is licensed in California and shops more than 100 lenders on complex files. Los Angeles County's 2026 high-balance limit is $1,249,125 for both conforming and FHA loans. Pasadena's historic districts, the January 2025 Eaton Fire in neighboring Altadena, and wildfire insurance all affect what a lender needs.
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5.0 stars from 87 reviews on Experience.com (October 2026) · Read David's reviews on Experience.com
Pasadena buyers include Caltech and JPL scientists, Huntington Hospital and Kaiser staff, entertainment professionals, and families drawn to craftsman bungalows and tree-lined streets. Prices often sit above or near the high-balance limit, so jumbo underwriting and insurance are part of most conversations.
Part of our California mortgage broker coverage. We're licensed in California under company NMLS 1862492 and work Pasadena files from our Las Vegas office, closing with local escrow and title.
Areas and ZIPs we lend in: Old Pasadena and the Playhouse District (91101, 91106), Bungalow Heaven and Pasadena north (91104), Madison Heights and South Pasadena border (91106, 91030), the Arroyo and Linda Vista (91103, 91105), East Pasadena (91107), San Marino (91108), Altadena (91001) and La Cañada Flintridge (91011).
The Eaton Fire of January 2025 destroyed thousands of homes in Altadena and parts of Pasadena. Buyers of rebuilt homes or vacant lots need permit and final inspection records. Construction and renovation loans, and lot loans, are available from some lenders but not all. Insurance is the biggest hurdle: many carriers have pulled back, so we get quotes early.
Scientists and engineers may have uneven pay, grants, contracts or restricted stock from private companies. Lenders count each income type differently, and asset-based loans can help buyers with large savings but modest W-2 income.
Condo buildings near Old Pasadena, the Playhouse District and the Metro A Line vary widely. Lenders check owner-occupancy, reserves, litigation and commercial space. Some buildings are non-warrantable, which means a portfolio or non-QM loan with more down.
California basics that apply here: Proposition 13 reassesses a home to its purchase price when it sells; the tax is 1% plus local voter-approved levies, usually about 1.1–1.3% of the price in total, and assessed value then rises at most 2% a year. Expect a supplemental tax bill after you buy. Every county charges a documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000, and some cities add their own. Down payment help statewide includes CalHFA MyHome (up to 3.5% for FHA or 3% for conventional, deferred) and California Dream For All (a shared-appreciation loan of up to 20%, capped at $150,000, when funded).
Closing costs are what it costs you to get the loan: origination, discount points, appraisal, and escrow and title. Cash to close also includes your prepaids (first-year homeowners insurance, daily interest to month-end, and an escrow deposit for your own future property taxes and insurance) plus your down payment. Prepaids aren't a cost of the loan; they're your own bills paid ahead. In Pasadena, the first year of homeowners insurance and property-tax escrow at your new Prop 13 value are the big prepaids; after the Eaton Fire, many Pasadena and Altadena buyers are placed on the FAIR Plan plus a wraparound policy. Your actual closing costs depend on county, price and loan type, so we don't quote a one-size range: every line is itemized on your Loan Estimate, and our Bare Bones guarantee means we add no fees of our own. Compare states on our closing costs by state page.
Los Angeles County: conforming high-balance and FHA $1,249,125 for a one-unit home (FHFA and HUD). Above that, you need a jumbo loan.
Conventional (as little as 3% down for eligible first-time buyers), FHA (3.5% down, 580+ score), VA (no down payment for eligible veterans with full entitlement), jumbo above the conforming limit, DSCR loans that qualify on rent, bank statement loans for self-employed borrowers, asset-based and 1099 loans, and rate-and-term or cash-out refinances. As a broker we compare wholesale lenders, more than 100 on complex files, instead of one bank's menu.
Terms for each are on its own page; see all iQRATE guarantees.
$1,249,125 for a one-unit home, for both conforming high-balance and FHA loans.
No. Measure ULA applies only inside the City of Los Angeles.
Yes, with final permits and inspections. Lot and construction loans are available from some lenders.
An agreement with the city that can lower property taxes on a designated historic home in exchange for preservation.
In fire-risk areas, often yes. Many buyers use the FAIR Plan plus a wraparound policy.
Yes, with documentation. We match your income type to the right lender.
Closing costs depend on the price, loan type and county, so yours are itemized on your Loan Estimate rather than quoted as a range. Closing costs are what it costs to get the loan (origination, points, appraisal, escrow and title). Cash to close also includes prepaids and your down payment; in Pasadena, the first year of homeowners insurance and property-tax escrow at your new Prop 13 value are the big prepaids; after the Eaton Fire, many Pasadena and Altadena buyers are placed on the FAIR Plan plus a wraparound policy.
Most of our loans close in under 30 days. For eligible full-documentation conventional, FHA and VA purchases, our goal is 17 calendar days from signing initial disclosures.
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iQRATE Mortgages · NMLS 1862492 · 6360 S Rainbow Blvd Ste 101, Las Vegas, NV 89118 · Licensed in Nevada, California, Texas and Florida. David Ghazaryan, Mortgage Broker, NMLS 1486726. Verify us on NMLS Consumer Access. Equal Housing Opportunity. Programs, rates and terms change and are subject to credit, property and underwriting approval; local facts on this page come from the public sources below and are not legal or tax advice.
More: California mortgage broker · DSCR loans · Bank statement loans · Our guarantees · Closing costs by state
