Buying a San Diego home on a job offer letter before you start
Quick answer: Yes, a conventional loan can use income from a job you have not started yet. Under Fannie Mae B3-3.3-03 (updated 10/07/2026), if you close before your first paystub, it must be a purchase of a one-unit primary residence, qualified on fixed base pay only (no bonus or commission), and your start date must fall between 30 days before and 90 days after the note date. The employer cannot be a family member or a party to the deal. You need a fully executed, non-contingent offer showing employer, position, pay, and start date. On top of normal reserves, you show either 6 months of PITIA for the new home, or enough money to cover your monthly debts plus PITIA from closing until your start date, plus one month. If the lender gets your first paystub before the loan is delivered, the purchase, one-unit, and base-pay-only limits fall away. Source: Fannie Mae B3-3.3-03.
San Diego gets a steady stream of relocating buyers: biotech and defense hires, hospital staff, and military spouses picking up new jobs. Waiting for 30 days of paystubs can cost you the house. An offer letter can get you to closing if the dates and the reserves line up.
What the offer letter must show
- Signed by the employer and accepted and signed by you.
- Employer and borrower clearly named.
- Position, type and rate of pay, and start date.
- Non-contingent. If conditions exist (background check, license), the lender confirms they are cleared before closing.
The reserve math, with a simple example
Say your new PITIA is $5,000 and your other monthly debts are $800. You close November 30 and start January 15. That is 2 months (a partial month counts as a full month) plus one, so 3 months of $5,800, or $17,400. The other path is 6 months of PITIA, or $30,000. You document whichever you can, on top of the normal reserves. Income you still earn from your current job before the start date can count toward that number.
Get your file in order with pre-approval documents and cash to close breakdown. Military buyers on orders start at PCS home loan San Diego and VA loan San Diego. Self-employed income works differently: see self-employed mortgage docs.
When loan amount matters, the 2026 San Diego County 1-unit high-cost conforming limit is $1,104,000. Jumbo is generally above that. VA full entitlement is not capped the same way. See loan limits. Start at get pre-approved San Diego. Company NMLS 2394495. Amir Nurani NMLS 197458. Call (619) 366-9494.
Frequently asked questions
On a conventional loan, yes, if the start date is no later than 90 days after the note date, it is a one-unit primary purchase, you qualify on base pay only, and you document the extra reserves.
Not when closing before the first paystub. That option uses fixed base income only. Once a paystub is in the file before delivery, other income types are reviewed under the normal rules.
Either 6 months of PITIA for the new home, or enough to cover your DTI debts plus PITIA for each month from closing to your start date, plus one. That is on top of normal reserves.
Not before your first paystub. That path is limited to a one-unit principal residence purchase.
Source: Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-3.3-03, Employment Offers or Contracts (updated 10/07/2026), selling-guide.fanniemae.com/sel/b3-3.3-03. FHA and VA offer letter rules are reviewed on your file. Example numbers are illustrative only.
Starting a new job in San Diego?
Send me the start date, base pay, and price range. I will tell you if you can close before day one and how much reserve you need.
Get Pre-Approved(619) 366-9494 · Amir Nurani · NMLS #197458