FHA · VA · USDA
California
Credit union doesn’t offer FHA or VA?
You don’t have to leave it to get one.
Most California credit unions don’t make FHA, VA or USDA loans at all. That doesn’t mean you don’t qualify — it means you asked the wrong lender. Keep your accounts where they are and get the mortgage through a broker who shops more than 100 lenders.
Or talk to Aaron directly — 916-365-2661The numbers
Do credit unions offer FHA and VA loans?
Usually not. Federal mortgage data shows that in 2025 the large majority of credit unions lending in California made only conventional loans — not a single FHA or VA loan all year.
105 of 119
credit unions making California home loans made zero FHA or VA loans in 2025
36 of 42
in the Sacramento region (Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, Yolo, Butte)
46 of 48
in Orange County
Source: 2025 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data, CFPB/FFIEC. Credit unions that originated at least 10 conventional loans on California properties; regional counts use at least 10 in that area. Originated loans only.
Why
Why don’t credit unions do FHA or VA?
They lend their own money
Most credit unions keep mortgages on their own books or sell conventional loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. FHA, VA and USDA loans need separate government approvals and servicing systems that many never set up.
Their guidelines are their own
A credit union can add its own rules on top of the program — a higher credit score, a lower debt ratio, more reserves. A file that fits the program can still fail the credit union's box.
Small volume, big setup
Government lending is a specialty. For a credit union writing a few hundred loans a year, it is often simpler to decline and send the member elsewhere — sometimes without saying where.
Your options
Which loan fits when your credit union says no?
Each of these is built for a different buyer. The right one depends on your service history, where the home is, and how your income and credit look on paper.
FHA
Built for buyers with thinner credit, higher debt ratios, or help from family with the down payment. Often the first stop when a conventional loan says no.
Learn more →VA
For veterans, active-duty service members and eligible surviving spouses. No monthly mortgage insurance, and among the most flexible programs on credit.
Learn more →USDA
For eligible addresses outside the big metro cores — much of the foothills and the valley qualify — for households within the program income limits.
Self-employed & non-QM
When the tax returns undersell the income: bank-statement, asset-based and DSCR programs a credit union rarely offers.
Learn more →Keep what works
Can I keep banking with my credit union?
Yes. Your mortgage and your everyday banking don’t have to live in the same place. Keep your checking, savings, credit card and auto loan exactly where they are — you can even pay the mortgage automatically from your credit union account. The only thing that changes is who makes the home loan.
Questions
What borrowers ask most.
Why doesn't my credit union offer FHA or VA loans?
Offering them takes separate approval from HUD (for FHA) and the VA, plus servicing built for government loans. Most credit unions focus on conventional loans they can keep or sell to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In 2025, 105 of the 119 credit unions that made meaningful numbers of California home loans made no FHA or VA loans at all.
How do I find out if my credit union offers FHA or VA?
Ask the loan officer directly — or look at the credit union's home-loan page for the words FHA, VA or USDA. If they are not listed, they almost certainly are not offered. Public HMDA data also shows exactly which loan types each lender made.
Do I have to leave my credit union to get one?
No. Your mortgage can be with one lender and everything else with another. Keep your checking, savings, credit card and auto loan where they are, and pay the mortgage from your credit union account if you like.
My credit union turned me down. Does that mean I won't qualify anywhere?
Not necessarily. A credit union declines against its own guidelines, which are often stricter than the program itself. A broker can look at the same file across many lenders — and if something does need to change first, you will hear exactly what.
Is a mortgage broker more expensive than my credit union?
Not by default. A broker is paid through the loan like any lender, and wholesale pricing is often competitive. The fair test is to compare Loan Estimates side by side — and if your credit union's offer is better for you, take it.
What areas do you cover?
All of California. Most loans are done remotely: you apply online, upload documents securely, and sign with a notary near you.
Cali Mortgage · Serving all of California
A credit union “no” isn’t the last word.
One conversation is usually enough to know which program fits and what it takes to get there.
Work at a credit union or bank? See how loan officers send me the files they can’t close.