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. Greenbrae is central Marin — I know this market and move fast enough to compete. Call (800) 239-1103.
In Greenbrae, the difference between getting the house and losing it often comes down to one thing: how fast your mortgage broker moves. This is not a market where you take a week to shop rates and circle back. Homes in Greenbrae move quickly, and sellers have options. The buyers who win are the ones who show up prepared — fully approved, with documentation in hand, and a lender who has already called the listing agent.
Greenbrae is one of central Marin’s most desirable communities — with Bon Air Road proximity, excellent schools feeding into the Kentfield School District, and quick access to both Highway 101 and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. The neighborhood attracts families upgrading from San Rafael and buyers arriving from the East Bay and San Francisco who want central Marin at a slightly more accessible entry than Kentfield or Ross. Inventory turns over quickly.
Pre-Underwriting Before You Offer
A standard pre-approval is a lender’s quick read of your financials — credit score, rough income, a number on a letter. Pre-underwriting is different. It means a full underwriter has reviewed your income documents, asset statements, and credit file and given a conditional approval before you ever write an offer. I complete full pre-underwriting in 24–48 hours.
Greenbrae buyers are often dual-income households in professional fields — medicine, law, finance, tech — with income that is clear but benefits from proper pre-underwriting to document correctly. RSU income from Bay Area employers, bonus income with irregular timing, and rental income from a previous home are all common scenarios. I handle all of these cleanly in the pre-underwriting process so the financing story is airtight before the offer is submitted.
- Income: W-2, self-employed, RSUs, rental income, bank statement — all documented and signed off
- Assets: Down payment and reserves confirmed with actual account statements
- Credit: Any conditions identified and cleared upfront
- Loan structure: Modeled to the specific purchase price — not a generic approval ceiling
The Call to the Listing Agent
Before every offer my clients submit, I call the listing agent directly. I introduce myself, confirm the buyer’s financing is fully pre-underwritten, answer any questions about the loan structure, and establish that we can close on any timeline the seller needs — typically 14 to 21 days. Sellers in Greenbrae are often under contract on their next home and have real timing pressure. A listing agent who can tell their seller “I spoke with the lender, they know this file cold, and they said 21 days is no problem” fundamentally changes how a financed offer competes against cash.
Proof of Funds That Sellers Respect
In Greenbrae, where the Bon Air area and hillside streets draw families who have been specifically looking in this pocket for months, getting to a quick and clean close is paramount. Sellers here want certainty. Every client gets: a pre-approval letter written for the exact address and purchase price (not a ceiling), redacted bank and investment statements confirming down payment funds are liquid, and my direct number on the letter so the listing agent can call and speak to someone who knows the file — not a call center.
Frequently Asked Questions — Greenbrae Mortgage Broker
What loan amounts do Greenbrae home purchases typically require?
Most Greenbrae purchases require jumbo financing. The 2026 conforming loan limit for Marin County is $1,249,125, and many Greenbrae homes — particularly larger single-family homes near Bon Air and the hillside areas — are priced above that threshold. Buyers typically need loan amounts in the $1M–$2M range. I work with both conforming jumbo lenders (for loans just above the conforming limit) and true jumbo portfolio lenders (for $1.5M+ loans), and I structure the loan to the most favorable available program for each borrower’s profile.
How competitive is the Greenbrae real estate market for financed buyers?
Greenbrae is competitive but not as extreme as Ross or Belvedere. Financed buyers with strong pre-underwriting regularly win in Greenbrae — the key is preparation. Having a fully pre-underwritten approval, a lender who will call the listing agent before the offer, and a 21-day close commitment on the pre-approval letter puts financed buyers on equal footing with many cash offers. The listing agent call is particularly effective in Greenbrae because sellers in this neighborhood tend to be experienced homeowners who appreciate knowing exactly who they’re dealing with on the financing side.
Do you work with buyers relocating from San Francisco or the East Bay to Greenbrae?
Yes — relocation buyers are a regular part of my Greenbrae practice. SF and East Bay buyers moving to Marin often have equity from a prior sale to apply as down payment, sometimes with a sale contingency or bridge loan needed to access it before the old home closes. I coordinate the bridge financing, the new purchase loan, and the timing so the transition is smooth. Remote income documentation for buyers whose employers are outside Marin is also straightforward — I’ve handled these scenarios many times and know which lenders are most accepting of various remote and hybrid work arrangements.
See all Marin County mortgage services at DiVita Home Finance
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
