I’m Michael DiVita — DRE #01372066 | NMLS #241655, DiVita Home Finance (DRE #01818285 | NMLS #323700), Tiburon, CA. I’ve been in California mortgage lending since 2000 and founded DiVita Home Finance in 2007. Attorney-specific jumbo structuring — K-1 income, partner draws, bank statement alternatives — is work I do regularly for Bay Area legal professionals. Call (800) 239-1103.
California attorneys typically have complex income — big law salaries, partnerships, 1099 client fees, and K-1 distributions — that standard mortgage guidelines weren’t designed for. Here’s how jumbo mortgages work for attorneys in 2026.
The Attorney Income Challenge
Partners in law firms receive K-1 income, not W-2s. Associates often have standard salaries — simple to document. Solo practitioners are self-employed. Some attorneys receive bonuses that may or may not recur. Each income type is underwritten differently.
W-2 Associate Attorneys
The simplest to finance. Big law associates earning $215,000–$400,000 can qualify for jumbo loans up to $3M+ with standard documentation: 2 years W-2s, recent pay stubs, bank statements. Conventional jumbo rates apply; the challenge is often sourcing the large down payment.
Law Firm Partners (K-1 Income)
Partnership distributions are documented via K-1s from the firm’s partnership return. Most conventional jumbo lenders require 2 years of K-1s and use a 2-year average. If income is increasing, some lenders will use a 1-year average with a strong letter of explanation. Equity in the firm counts as an asset. The key metric: is partnership income expected to continue? Documentation of partnership ownership percentage and firm stability matters.
Solo and Small Firm Attorneys
Treated as self-employed borrowers — 2 years of personal and business tax returns required. If you’re writing off significant business expenses, your taxable income may be far below your actual cash flow. Bank statement loans (using 12–24 months of deposits instead of tax returns) can solve this problem, though at a 0.5–0.875% rate premium.
Jumbo Loan Requirements for Attorneys
For loan amounts above $1,209,750 (high-cost conforming limit for most Bay Area counties): typically 720+ credit score; 12–24 months reserves (liquid assets after down payment); 43–45% DTI maximum; 20–30% down payment; documentation of ongoing income source. California attorney-buyers in Marin, SF, and Peninsula markets regularly use jumbo loans in the $1.5M–$4M range.
Frequently Asked Questions — Attorney Mortgage California
Can a law firm partner get a jumbo mortgage using K-1 income in California?
Yes — K-1 income from a law firm partnership is fully usable for jumbo mortgage qualification with proper documentation. Lenders require 2 years of K-1s showing the partnership income plus the firm’s business tax returns (partnership return). A 24-month average of K-1 distributions is the standard qualifying figure. If your partnership income has been increasing year-over-year, some jumbo lenders will use a 1-year average or weighted average with a letter of explanation. I work with jumbo-specific wholesale lenders who have experience underwriting partnership income for law firm partners in Bay Area markets.
What mortgage options are available for solo practice attorneys in California?
Solo practitioners are underwritten as self-employed borrowers — 2 years of personal and business tax returns required. The challenge is that attorneys often write off significant practice expenses, making their taxable net income lower than their actual cash flow. Three paths work well: (1) conventional qualification using the average net income from Schedule C over 2 years; (2) a bank statement loan using 24 months of business deposits, which captures gross revenue before deductions; (3) a P&L-only loan using a CPA-prepared profit and loss statement if the attorney has been in practice less than 2 years. Bank statement loans run 0.5–0.875% above conventional rates but are often worth it when the tax return income is significantly lower than real earnings.
How much can a California attorney borrow for a Bay Area home in 2026?
Loan amounts for California attorneys depend on documented income, credit, and reserves. Associates earning $300,000–$500,000 at major law firms can typically qualify for $2M–$4M jumbo loans with 20–25% down and strong credit. Partners with $500,000+ in K-1 income can often push higher with larger down payments. Solo practitioners using bank statement loans typically qualify at 43–45% DTI on the bank statement income. In Marin County and San Francisco, where median home prices for professional buyers range from $2M to $5M+, jumbo program access and a lender who understands attorney income structures are essential. Call me and I’ll model the specific qualifying ceiling based on your income type and purchase target.
Talk to Michael Directly
DiVita Home Finance | Tiburon, CA | In lending since 2000, founded DiVita Home Finance in 2007. Michael DiVita DRE #01372066 | NMLS #241655. Company DRE #01818285 | NMLS #323700.
💬 Text: (310) 849-9124
