For credit union & bank loan officers
Your “no” is my
“let’s go.”
I’m Aaron Knutson with Cali Mortgage, and I’m here to help you close anything you can’t. When a member needs FHA, VA, USDA, non-QM, or anything outside your guidelines, send them my way. I’ll find a loan program that fits your client.
If I look good, you look good.
Call or text Aaron directly — 916-365-2661105 of 119
California credit unions that make home loans made zero FHA or VA loans in 2025
100+
wholesale lenders I can shop one file across
1,000+
mortgages closed since 2005
Credit union figure: 2025 HMDA data (CFPB/FFIEC), credit unions that originated at least 10 conventional loans on California properties. Originations only.
What I can close
What files can a broker close that a credit union can’t?
A credit union lends its own money on its own rules. A broker places one file across many lenders. Here is what that opens up for the member you would otherwise have to turn away.
FHA
Lower credit scores, higher debt ratios, gift funds and non-occupant co-borrowers — the file your portfolio box turns away.
How it works →VA
Veterans, active duty and eligible surviving spouses. No monthly mortgage insurance, and a program most credit unions do not originate.
How it works →USDA
Eligible rural and edge-of-town addresses across the foothills and the valley, for buyers within the program income limits.
Self-employed & non-QM
Bank-statement, asset-depletion and DSCR files that do not fit an agency or portfolio checklist.
How it works →Jumbo past your limit
Loan amounts above what your credit union will hold, including larger loans with a smaller down payment than most portfolio lenders allow.
How it works →Condos that will not warrant
Projects in litigation, high investor concentration, or thin reserves — the condo your underwriter has to decline.
How it works →The hand-off
How does a referral work?
You make the intro
With your member's okay, send me their name and number — or give them mine. A two-line email is plenty.
I call them the same business day
I find the program that fits, explain it plainly, and run the whole file from application to funding.
They stay your member
Their checking, savings, card and auto loan stay right where they are. I only do the mortgage — I do not open deposit accounts or sell other products.
No referral fees. No strings.
What’s in it for you?
Nothing you could put on an expense report — and that’s on purpose. Paying for mortgage referrals is illegal under RESPA, so I don’t, and you shouldn’t take anything from anyone who does.
What you get is a member who came to you for help and didn’t leave empty-handed. They remember who pointed them in the right direction. If I look good, you look good.
Who you’re sending them to
Who is Aaron Knutson?
A California mortgage broker since 2005 (NMLS #262862), working through Xpert Home Lending, Inc.. More than a thousand closed loans, most of them done remotely for buyers across the state, and 165+ client reviews across Google, Yelp, Zillow and Mortgage Matchup.
I’m also the founder of HiddenHomeCost.com, which shows a buyer the real cost of owning a specific California address — taxes, Mello-Roos, insurance and utilities — before they make an offer. Your member gets that too.
Questions
What loan officers ask first.
Do you pay referral fees?
No, and you should not accept one from anyone. Paying for mortgage referrals violates the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA). There is nothing in this for you except a member who did not leave empty-handed — which is the point.
Is this allowed under my credit union's policy?
Many credit unions and banks already have a partner lender for loans they do not offer; some leave it to the loan officer. Check with your manager. If your institution already has a partner, I am happy to be the backup for the files they turn down too.
Will you try to move my member's accounts?
No. I am a mortgage broker. I do not offer checking, savings, credit cards or auto loans, so the rest of the relationship stays with you.
Do bank loan officers use this too?
Yes. Retail banks are often in the same spot — conventional and jumbo on their own paper, no government lending. The process is identical.
What areas do you cover?
All of California. Most of my business is done remotely, so it does not matter where the branch or the property is.
How do I know the member was taken care of?
If your member gives me permission, I will let you know when we are under contract and when we close. If they would rather keep it private, I respect that.
Cali Mortgage · Serving all of California
Next time you have to say no, say “call Aaron.”
Members whose credit union doesn’t offer FHA or VA can also start on their own at calimortgage.com/credit-union-fha-va-loans.