Conventional
Competitive rates and flexible down payments for solid credit profiles. The workhorse of home financing, structured properly.
Mortgage Broker · San Francisco Bay Area
Home financing, handled with precision.
Most brokers specialize in either first-time buyers or complex files. I do both — patient, plain-English guidance when everything's new, and creative structuring when the bank has already said no.
Licensed in California · Powered by Reliance Bay Funding, NMLS #348792
If your home price is
$1,200,000
Estimated monthly payment
$5,911
Loan amount at 20% down
$960,000
Principal & interest only, at a 6.25% sample rate on a 30-year fixed with 20% down. APR will be higher than the rate shown and depends on your fees and credit. Not a quote or an offer — adjust every assumption in the calculators below.
20 years
In mortgage lending
Banking leadership
Led lending teams at national institutions
Broker, not a bank
Multiple lenders compete for your loan
Bay Area based
San Jose · Morgan Hill · Gilroy · all of CA
Loan Programs
The right structure for your situation
As a broker, I'm not limited to one bank's menu. I shop your scenario across multiple lenders and bring back the structure that actually fits — then I explain why.
Jumbo
Bay Area prices routinely exceed conforming limits. I work with jumbo lenders daily and know which ones want your profile.
Rate, Term & Cash-Out
Lower the payment, shorten the term, or put your equity to work. We run the break-even math together before you commit.
Investment & Non-QM
DSCR, bank-statement, and rehab programs for investors and self-employed borrowers who don't fit the standard W-2 box.
Equity
Estimate your available equity ↓
HELOC & Home Equity Loans
Put your equity to work without touching your first mortgage. Traditional bank lines and modern fintech programs — approval in as little as one day and funding in as few as 3–5 business days on select programs, for qualified borrowers.
Calculators
Run the numbers yourself
Honest math, no email required. When you're ready to turn an estimate into a real plan, call me and we'll price your actual scenario.
Sample rate for illustration — your rate depends on credit, loan type, and the market. Call for today's pricing.
Applies automatically when down payment is under 20%.
Estimated monthly payment
$0/mo
Loan amount: $0
Principal & interest$0
Property tax$0
Insurance$0
Mortgage insurance$0
HOA$0
Estimates for illustration only — hypothetical, not a quote, preapproval, or commitment to lend. Taxes and insurance vary by property; mortgage insurance varies by credit and program.
Sample rate — call for today's actual pricing on your scenario.
Rolled in or paid out of pocket — we compare both ways when we talk.
Estimated monthly savings
$0/mo
Break-even on costs: —
Current payment (P&I)$0
New payment (P&I)$0
Savings over 5 years, net of costs$0
Principal-and-interest comparison for illustration only. Extending your term can lower the payment while increasing total interest paid over time — that trade-off is exactly what we'd walk through together. Not a commitment to lend.
Car loans, student loans, minimum card payments — not rent or utilities.
Lenders qualify most borrowers around 43% — some programs stretch higher, comfort usually lives lower.
Estimated price range
$0
Estimated total monthly payment: $0
Loan amount$0
Down payment$0
Monthly budget used for housing$0
Assumes 1.2% annual property tax and $150/mo insurance, included in the payment. A rough ceiling, not a quote or preapproval — real qualifying depends on credit, reserves, and program. A 15-minute call gets you a real number.
Home Equity · HELOC & Home Equity Loans
Tap your equity. Keep your first mortgage.
Bay Area home values have climbed for a decade, and many of my clients hold first mortgages at rates they'll never see again. A home equity line of credit — a HELOC — is a second lien: it sits behind your existing mortgage, so you access your equity without refinancing away a rate you worked hard to get.
I broker both traditional bank HELOCs and modern fintech home-equity programs, and the fintech side has changed the game on speed. For qualified borrowers, approval can come in as little as one day, with funding in as few as 3–5 business days on select programs — largely online, often with an automated valuation instead of a full appraisal. A traditional bank line, by comparison, typically takes two to six weeks. If you'd rather have a lump sum with a predictable payment, I also offer fixed-rate home equity loans.
- Renovations, additions, and ADU construction
- Consolidating higher-interest debt into one lower-cost payment
- Bridging the down payment on your next property
- Tuition, a business, or a reserve you only draw when needed
The honest caveat: a HELOC is secured by your home, and most lines carry a variable rate. If your current first-mortgage rate is already high, a cash-out refinance can beat a HELOC — so we run both side by side before you commit. Whether the interest is tax-deductible depends on how you use the funds; confirm with your tax advisor.
If your home is worth
$1,500,000
And your mortgage balance is
$600,000
Your equity
$900,000
Typically available · 80% CLTV
$600,000
Select programs · up to 90% CLTV
$750,000
Estimates for illustration only — not an offer, a quote, or an approval. CLTV (combined loan-to-value) is your mortgage balance plus the new line, divided by home value; actual credit lines depend on credit profile, income, property type, and program limits. Home equity lines and loans are secured by your home. All loans subject to underwriting and credit approval.
How it works
A close with no surprises
I've watched enough deals go sideways to know exactly where it happens. The process below catches those problems early — before they cost you a rate lock or a house.
Talk it through
A 15-minute call: your goals, your timeline, your numbers. You leave knowing what's realistic and what it costs — even if we never work together.
Get pre-approved
I verify income, assets, and credit up front, the way an underwriter would. Your pre-approval letter means something because the file behind it is real.
Shop with certainty
You and your agent make offers backed by vetted numbers. I stay reachable for listing agents — a responsive lender wins deals in this market.
Close on schedule
Rate locked, conditions cleared early, wiring verified by voice. You sign on the day we said you would.
MK
About
Banker's discipline, broker's freedom
I spent the first half of my career inside the institutions — leading retail lending teams, managing area lending operations, and serving as a California market leader for major national banks and credit unions. I learned how underwriting actually thinks, how files actually get approved, and where borrowers actually get hurt.
Now, as a mortgage broker with Reliance Bay Funding, I put that knowledge to work on your side of the table. Multiple lenders compete for your loan; I structure the file so the right one says yes at the right price.
I'm committed to ethics, transparency, and telling you the truth even when it's not what you hoped to hear. Outside of work I'm focused on health, fitness, and teaching financial literacy — helping the next generation understand credit and banking before they need it.
Background
Twenty years in lending — retail sales leadership, area lending management, and statewide market leadership at major financial institutions. Now a mortgage broker with Reliance Bay Funding.
One more thing: I take wire fraud personally
Real estate wire fraud costs buyers hundreds of millions every year, and it almost always starts with a fake email. I educate every client on staying safe online during their transaction — and wiring instructions are always verified by a phone call to a known number, never email alone. It's a small discipline that protects your life savings.
Clients
What working together feels like
"He is an expert in home loans and got us a very good loan."
"Excellent follow-up and follow-through."
Rated 5.0 across 6 client reviews on Zillow — read more on Zillow, Yelp, and LinkedIn.
Questions
Straight answers, before you even call
Do you work with homebuyers in San Jose, Morgan Hill, and Gilroy?
Yes. I'm based in South Santa Clara County, 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).
What does a mortgage broker do that a bank can't?
A bank can only offer its own products. As a broker, I take one application and shop it across multiple wholesale lenders, then bring back the best combination of rate, cost, and approval odds for your specific profile — and I explain the trade-offs in plain English.
Which loan programs do you offer?
Conventional and jumbo purchase loans, refinancing (rate-and-term and cash-out), HELOCs and fixed-rate home equity loans, and investor programs including DSCR and bank-statement loans — all through Reliance Bay Funding (NMLS #348792).
Do you help first-time homebuyers?
All the time. We start with a 15-minute call about your income, savings, and timeline, then build a realistic plan — including low-down-payment options and what your true monthly cost would look like.
Do you offer services in Farsi?
Yes — I work with clients in both English and Farsi (Persian).
How do I get pre-approved?
Call (408) 800-6591 or email mehdi@mehdikousha.com. I verify income, assets, and credit up front the way an underwriter would, so your pre-approval letter actually holds up when you make an offer.
Do you offer HELOCs and home equity loans in San Jose and the Bay Area?
Yes. I broker home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) and fixed-rate home equity loans throughout San Jose, Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and all of California — through both traditional bank programs and modern fintech lenders with fast, mostly-online approvals. These are second-lien products, so your existing first mortgage and its rate stay exactly as they are.
How fast can I get a HELOC?
A traditional bank HELOC typically takes two to six weeks. Select fintech programs I have access to can approve qualified borrowers in as little as one day and fund in as few as 3–5 business days, using automated valuations and online closings. Your actual timeline depends on the program, your credit and income documentation, and the property.
Should I get a HELOC or a cash-out refinance?
It usually comes down to your current first-mortgage rate. If you're holding a low rate, a HELOC generally wins — it's a second lien, so your first mortgage stays untouched and you only pay today's rates on the amount you draw. If your existing rate is already high, a cash-out refinance of the whole balance may cost less. I run both scenarios side by side so you can see the actual numbers before deciding.
How much can I borrow with a HELOC?
Most programs lend up to 80% of your home's value minus what you owe, and select programs go up to 90% combined loan-to-value (CLTV). For example, on a $1.5M San Jose home with a $600K mortgage balance, that's roughly $600,000 — up to $750,000 on higher-CLTV programs — subject to credit, income, and property qualification. The equity estimator on this page runs your numbers instantly.
Contact
Fifteen minutes gets you a real answer
Whether you're buying this spring or planning two years out, a short call tells you exactly where you stand — what you qualify for, what it costs, and what to do next.
Phone(408) 800-6591
Emailmehdi@mehdikousha.com
Service areaSan Jose · Morgan Hill · Gilroy · all of California
LanguagesEnglish · Farsi
LicensingNMLS #633059 · Reliance Bay Funding NMLS #348792