Conventional
Fixed and adjustable options for purchases and refinances, including high-balance loans sized for Santa Clara County. Often the benchmark we measure everything else against.
Independent Mortgage Broker · San Jose, California
A San Jose mortgage broker for first homes and complex files.
No one should sign a mortgage they don't fully understand. First home or complex jumbo file, I walk you through every option — as many times as it takes — until the right choice is obvious to you, not just to me.
or write to mehdi@mehdikousha.com
NMLS #633059 · CA DRE #01470042 · Reliance Bay Funding NMLS #348792
20+ yearsin mortgage lending
Former Sr. LeaderPenFed · Citigroup · Bank of America
English & Farsiservice in both languages
Loan Programs
Two practices, one standard of care.
Half my clients are buying their first home. The other half bring files that banks struggle with. Both get the same thing: every option on the table, explained until it's clear.
Jumbo & Super-Jumbo
Financing above conforming limits for Silicon Valley price points — including qualification with RSU and stock-based compensation on select programs for qualified borrowers.
Self-Employed & Bank Statement
Business owners and 1099 earners qualified on bank statements, P&L, or assets when tax returns undersell the real picture. Select programs, qualified borrowers.
Investment Property & DSCR
Purchase and cash-out financing for rental properties, including DSCR programs that qualify on the property's income rather than your personal tax returns.
First-Time Buyers
Low down payment options where they fit, and a step-by-step walkthrough of the entire process. No question is too basic — that is rather the point.
Home Equity & HELOC
Access your equity without touching the rate on your first mortgage. Lines up to 90% combined loan-to-value on select programs for qualified borrowers.
Explore home equity →Calculators
Run the numbers yourself.
Set any interest rate you like and watch the figures move. These are modeling tools — your actual rate and terms depend on your profile, property, and program.
Set by you, for modeling — not an advertised rate or offer.
- Loan amount$1,200,000
- Down payment$300,000
- Rate · term6.250% · 30 yr
- Est. monthly payment
principal & interest$7,389 - Excludes property taxes, insurance, HOA dues, and mortgage insurance.
Car loans, student loans, minimum card payments — not rent.
Set by you, for modeling — not an advertised rate or offer.
- Monthly housing budget$7,958
- Supportable loan amount$1,292,531
- Plus down payment$323,133
- Est. purchase price$1,615,663
- Assumes roughly 43% debt-to-income for housing and debts combined. Programs vary — some allow more, some less.
For illustration and education only. Figures are estimates and do not constitute a quote, rate lock, offer, or commitment to lend. The interest rate is set by you for modeling purposes and is not an advertised rate; actual rates, payments, and qualifying amounts depend on your credit profile, property, and program, and not all applicants will qualify. NMLS #633059.
Home Equity
Put your equity to work — without touching your first mortgage.
Many Bay Area homeowners are sitting on a low first-mortgage rate and a large amount of equity. A HELOC or home equity loan sits behind your existing loan, so that rate stays exactly where it is.
Home equity, structured properly
Lines of credit and fixed home equity loans for renovations, consolidation, education, or investment — with combined loan-to-value up to 90% on select programs for qualified borrowers. I'm approved with both traditional and fintech home equity lenders, so we can compare speed, cost, and structure side by side. Some approvals move in days rather than weeks on select programs.
Discuss your equity →Equity Estimator
- Total equity$900,000
- Available at 80% CLTV
most programs$600,000 - At 90% CLTV — select programs, qualified borrowers:$750,000
What's the difference between a HELOC and a home equity loan?
A HELOC is a revolving line of credit secured by your home — you draw what you need, when you need it, typically at a variable rate. A home equity loan delivers one lump sum, usually at a fixed rate with fixed payments. Both sit behind your existing first mortgage, so the rate on your first loan stays untouched.
How much equity can I actually access?
Most programs lend up to 80% of your home's value combined across all loans (CLTV); select programs go to 90% for qualified borrowers. For example, on a $1.5M home with a $600K balance, 80% CLTV would make up to $600K available. Program, credit profile, and property all affect the final number.
What do I need to qualify for a HELOC?
Broadly: meaningful equity in the home, a solid credit profile, and documented ability to repay. Requirements vary by program — and self-employed borrowers have options here too, including alternative documentation on select programs.
Is HELOC interest tax-deductible?
Sometimes. Under current federal rules, interest may be deductible when the funds are used to buy, build, or substantially improve the home securing the line, subject to limits. I'm not a tax advisor — please confirm how the rules apply to you with a tax professional.
Home equity lines of credit and home equity loans are secured by your home; failure to repay may result in the loss of your home. Estimates above are illustrative only — maximum line amounts depend on program, credit profile, and property.
Client Reviews
In their words, not mine.
He is an expert in home loans and got us a very good loan.Client review · Read on Yelp
Excellent follow-up and follow-through.Client recommendation · Read on LinkedIn
Rated 5.0 by clients on Zillow — you can also read reviews on Yelp and LinkedIn.
About
Twenty years of knowing where banks say no.
I spent the first chapters of my career inside major banks — senior lending leadership roles at PenFed, Citigroup, and Bank of America — approving loans, and watching good borrowers get declined for reasons that had nothing to do with their ability to repay. Going independent as a broker under Reliance Bay Funding meant I could finally match each client to the lender and program actually built for their situation, instead of forcing every file through one bank's box.
Today my practice splits down the middle. Half is first-time buyers in San Jose, Morgan Hill, and Gilroy who want the process explained properly — and I will explain it as many times as it takes. The other half is complex files: self-employed borrowers, tech professionals with RSU and stock compensation, jumbo loans at Silicon Valley price points, investors, and foreign nationals. Most brokers pick one lane. I've never seen a reason to.
Two things I take unusually seriously: financial literacy — you should leave every conversation understanding your loan better than when you arrived — and wire-fraud protection, because a mortgage is the largest transfer of money most people ever make and it deserves that vigilance. I serve clients in English and Farsi.
How We Work
Four steps, in order, no surprises.
01
The conversation
Twenty to thirty minutes on your goals, numbers, and timeline. No credit pull until it actually helps you.
02
Strategy & pre-approval
Documentation mapped to your profile — W-2, self-employed, or RSU — and a pre-approval that holds up with listing agents.
03
The right structure
Programs and lenders compared side by side, trade-offs included, until the choice is obvious to you.
04
Clear to close
I manage underwriting conditions and deadlines. You sign understanding every page you're signing.
Questions
Asked often, answered plainly.
Do you work with homebuyers in San Jose, Morgan Hill, and Gilroy?
Yes. My office is in Willow Glen, and most of my clients are buying or refinancing in San Jose, Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and the surrounding Bay Area. I'm licensed to originate home loans anywhere in California (NMLS #633059).
Do you help first-time homebuyers?
Yes — first-time buyers are half of my practice. I walk you through the entire process step by step, explain every document before you sign it, and cover low down payment options where they fit. No question is too basic.
Do you offer mortgage services in Farsi?
Yes. I work with clients in both English and Farsi, from the first conversation through closing.
Why use a mortgage broker instead of going directly to a bank?
A bank can only offer its own menu. As a broker I take one application and shop it across many wholesale lenders — including programs banks rarely carry, like bank statement loans, DSCR, and a wider jumbo shelf. After twenty years inside major banks, I also know exactly where they say no, and what to do about it.
Contact
Let's talk through your scenario.
Whether it's your first mortgage or your tenth property, the first conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing — and you'll leave it understanding your options better.
- Phone(408) 800-6591
- Emailmehdi@mehdikousha.com
- Office1213 Lincoln Ave, Ste 205
San Jose, CA 95125 — Willow Glen - Apply onlinerbf.loanzify.io
- ServingSan Jose · Morgan Hill · Gilroy
& the greater Bay Area
Conversations available in English and Farsi.