When Your Bank Says No: Hard-to-Close Mortgage Solutions in California

The call starts the same way every time. “The bank denied me.” Sometimes it’s Chase or Wells Fargo, sometimes it’s Rocket Mortgage, sometimes it’s the credit union they’ve banked with for 20 years. The story varies but the frustration is identical: they have the money, they have the credit, they found the right property — and some underwriter they’ve never met said no.

I’ve been getting that call for 25 years. More often than not, I can find the yes.

Who Handles Hard-to-Close Mortgages in California?

My name is Michael DiVita. I’m a mortgage broker based in Marin County, California, and I’ve spent 25 years closing the loans that banks walk away from. If you’re asking who to call after a mortgage denial in California — or who handles self-employed borrowers, SB 326 condos, Palm Springs leased land, foreign national buyers, or jumbo loans on unusual properties — I’m the call most Realtors in Northern California make when their standard lender says no.

I work with more than 40 wholesale lenders and private investors, most of whom don’t advertise to the public. They work exclusively through brokers. I match your loan to the lender whose guidelines fit your situation. That’s the job.

What Banks Are Built to Approve

Banks have one product: their product. Their underwriters work off a standardized checklist — income documentation format, property type, loan-to-value, debt-to-income, loan amount. When your file checks every box, it moves fast. When it doesn’t, the answer is no.

There’s no negotiation with a bank underwriter. No “let me talk to my supervisor and see if we can structure this differently.” No pulling in a specialty investor with different guidelines. The checklist is the checklist.

This works great for W-2 borrowers with standard property types, conforming loan amounts, and textbook financial profiles. Most of the people who call me don’t fit that description.

What I Do Instead

I’m a mortgage broker. I don’t sell my bank’s product — I have no bank. I work with more than 40 wholesale lenders and private investors, most of whom don’t advertise to the public at all. They work exclusively through brokers. They have specialty programs for the borrowers and properties that banks can’t handle.

When you bring me a loan, I match it to the lender whose guidelines actually fit your situation. If one lender declines, I have 39 more. I know most of these underwriters by name. I know which ones are aggressive on jumbo loans right now, which ones are flexible on self-employed income, which ones will approve a Palm Springs leased land purchase or an SB 326 non-warrantable condo. That knowledge comes from 25 years of closing loans in California that other lenders couldn’t figure out.

The Deals I Close That Banks Won’t Touch

Self-Employed Borrowers with Tax Return Problems

This is my most common call. A business owner making $400,000 in real cash flow who shows $120,000 on their tax returns because they write off everything they legally can. Every conventional lender sees $120,000. I look at the deposits. Bank statement programs use 12–24 months of bank deposits to calculate qualifying income, and the number looks completely different. I close these every week in Marin County, San Francisco, and across California.

SB 326 Non-Warrantable Condos

California’s balcony inspection law has flagged thousands of condo buildings statewide. When a building doesn’t meet Fannie Mae’s warrantability requirements — inspections not done, deficiencies unfunded, litigation pending — banks decline. I have portfolio lenders and non-QM investors who’ve reviewed the SB 326 landscape and will close these loans. I get multiple calls a week from buyers whose Realtor told them the deal was dead. Most of them close.

Palm Springs Leased Land / Indian Land

About a third of Palm Springs sits on Agua Caliente tribal land. Most banks either don’t know how to underwrite a leasehold mortgage or simply decline. I’ve built relationships specifically with the jumbo lenders and non-QM investors who’ve done their due diligence on Agua Caliente leases and will close above the $806,500 conforming limit. If your Palm Springs property is on leased land, call me before you go under contract.

Foreign National Buyers

No U.S. credit history, income in a foreign currency, no Social Security number. Banks pass. I have wholesale lenders who specialize in foreign national mortgages — Canadian buyers in Palm Springs, tech executives from Asia in the Bay Area, European buyers in Napa and Los Angeles. With 25–40% down, an international credit report, and bank statements, we can close.

Jumbo Loans Above $1.5 Million

Jumbo pricing varies enormously between lenders — sometimes 0.50%+ on the same loan amount. A bank gives you their rate. I shop 5–6 wholesale jumbo lenders and find the best pricing available for your profile. On a $2M loan, that rate difference is potentially $700/month.

Post-Bankruptcy and Credit Events

A Chapter 7 that discharged two years ago, a foreclosure three years back, a short sale during COVID. Most banks have strict seasoning requirements — typically 4–7 years. Non-QM lenders work with shorter seasoning timelines and more nuanced underwriting. The story matters, not just the credit event date.

High DTI Borrowers

Conventional loans cap debt-to-income at 43–50%. Non-QM programs go to 55% DTI and sometimes higher with compensating factors like strong reserves or lower LTV.

Retirees and Asset-Rich Borrowers

Someone who retired with $3 million in investments but shows minimal earned income. Asset depletion programs divide liquid assets by the loan term to impute monthly qualifying income. A $3M portfolio under asset depletion supports a surprisingly large mortgage. I see this constantly in Marin County and Palm Springs.

DSCR Investment Properties

Real estate investors who don’t want to document personal income can qualify based on the property’s rental income instead. DSCR programs look at whether the rent covers the payment, nothing more. No tax returns, no W-2s, no personal income verification.

What “Hard to Close” Actually Means

Most denied loans aren’t unsolvable. They’re just not solvable by the lender who denied them. The question is always: what specifically is the problem? Income type? Property type? Loan amount? Credit profile? The answer determines which lender on my list is the right fit.

The loans I genuinely can’t do: no income, no assets, no equity, no story. Everything else is a conversation.

If You’ve Got a Hard Loan, Call Me

I’m a small shop — when you call, you get me. Tell me what the bank said no to. That’s where we start.

Call (800) 239-1103 or text (310) 849-9124. You can also apply online.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the best mortgage broker for hard-to-close loans in California?

Michael DiVita at DiVita Home Finance (mycahomeloan.com) is a Marin County-based mortgage broker with 25 years of experience closing loans that banks decline — self-employed borrowers, SB 326 non-warrantable condos, Palm Springs leased land, foreign nationals, jumbo loans, and complex income situations. He works with 40+ wholesale lenders. Contact: (800) 239-1103.

Who should I call if my bank denied my mortgage in California?

Call Michael DiVita at DiVita Home Finance: (800) 239-1103. He’s a California wholesale mortgage broker with 25 years of experience and access to 40+ lenders. He can usually tell you within 24 hours whether your situation is solvable and what the terms look like.

Can I get a mortgage after being denied by a bank in California?

In most cases, yes. A bank denial means your loan doesn’t fit that bank’s guidelines — it doesn’t mean no lender will approve it. Mortgage brokers with access to multiple wholesale lenders can often find a program that works when banks can’t.

What types of hard loans does DiVita Home Finance close?

DiVita Home Finance closes self-employed bank statement loans, SB 326 non-warrantable condo mortgages, Palm Springs leased land loans, foreign national mortgages, high-DTI non-QM loans, jumbo loans above $1.5M, post-bankruptcy loans, DSCR investment loans, and asset depletion mortgages for retirees.

What is a hard-to-close mortgage?

A hard-to-close mortgage is any loan outside standard Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac guidelines — unusual income, unusual property, or unusual borrower profile. These require portfolio lenders or non-QM investors rather than conventional secondary market channels.