Physician Relocation to Sacramento & Roseville
Finishing residency? Starting a new position? Let's help you feel at home here.
You have spent years preparing for this next step. Now you may be finishing residency or fellowship, accepting your first attending position, and figuring out a move to a community you do not know yet. Alongside the excitement comes a lot to coordinate: a start date, a home search, student loans, and perhaps a family making the move with you.
A new position and a new home?
Bring your start date and your questions about student loans or keeping cash available for your practice. I can help you sort out the mortgage preparation before the move.
Amy DeBusk | Branch Manager & Mortgage Advisor
Amy DeBusk Home Loans, powered by loanDepot
I help you connect those pieces. We can explore doctor home loan options, review your employment contract, and build a homebuying spending plan before you start making offers. Whether you are coming to Roseville, Sacramento, or a nearby community, the goal is a home that supports your life beyond work.
A new role at a Sacramento-area hospital
If you are considering a position with one of these local hospitals or health systems, let's talk about your exact work location, schedule, and move date:
- Sutter Health: Sutter Roseville Medical Center and Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, with Sutter Davis Hospital and Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital serving nearby communities.
- Kaiser Permanente: Roseville, Sacramento, and South Sacramento medical centers.
- UC Davis Health: UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.
- Dignity Health: Mercy General Hospital, Mercy San Juan Medical Center, Mercy Hospital of Folsom, and Methodist Hospital of Sacramento.
Start with your actual campus and any locations you will rotate between. Compare travel at the times you expect to commute, then think about the home, outdoor space, and community that would make your days feel good. I can help you align the financing with that picture.
Explore official locations through Sutter Health, Kaiser Permanente, UC Davis Health, and Dignity Health's Sacramento hospital list. These are local employer references, not hospital-sponsored mortgage programs.
Can you buy before your new job starts?
For eligible borrowers, a signed employment contract may support qualification before the first paycheck. Start-date timing, fixed base compensation, contract conditions, and reserves all matter. I will review those details early so you can plan your move around an informed financing timeline.
Working with a recruiter or relocation company?
With your permission, I can coordinate the home financing timeline with your real estate agent and relocation contact. Bring your offer letter, start date, and any relocation-benefit details so we can plan around the dates that matter to you. Start with my Sacramento relocation resources and doctor loan eligibility article.
Home loans for dentists: room for your family and your practice to grow
Whether you are joining a dental practice, building your own, or moving closer to family, your home purchase should fit the life you are creating. For eligible DDS and DMD borrowers, doctor financing can help preserve cash you want available for your practice and the move.
I will look at your income documentation, the money you want to keep available, and the timing of any home sale. Here is how that approach is helping one of my clients and her daughters.
A home closer to family, with room for their next chapter
I am helping a dentist and her two teenage daughters make a move closer to family. She is selling her home in Lincoln and buying in a different area. With two teenage daughters and a business to care for, she wants this next chapter to bring her family closer to the people they love while keeping her practice on solid financial footing.
There is not much equity in the home she is selling, and she wants to keep working capital available for her business. We needed a way to support their move without drawing that money away from her practice.
We put together 100% financing and secured a $15,000 seller contribution toward her closing costs, creating a plan for her purchase with no money out of pocket while preserving her business capital.
For this family, it means being able to look ahead to a new home and more time with the people they love. That is where I start: understanding what you want your next home to make possible, then finding a financing approach that supports it.
Home loans for veterinarians: a place to recharge after caring for others
You spend your days caring for animals and the people who love them. Your own home may mean a quieter evening, a backyard for your dog, or more time with family between busy days at the clinic.
If you hold a DVM or VMD, this doctor mortgage option may fit your plans. Whether you are joining a clinic or own your practice, I will help you compare financing and document your income while keeping your personal and business goals in view.
Who is this doctor loan for?
You can be buying your first home or your next home. At least one borrower whose income is used to qualify must hold an eligible degree and meet the medical practice or training requirements.
- Physicians: MD or DO, including ophthalmologists and psychiatrists with these degrees.
- Dentists: Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD).
- Pharmacists: Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD).
- Veterinarians: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM or VMD).
- Podiatrists: Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM).
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists: CRNAs with a Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).
- Medical residents, fellows, and interns with one of the eligible degrees above.
If your profession is not listed, let's look at another path. Being a nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or chiropractor does not by itself meet this particular loan's eligibility list. I can help you explore other home loan options.
How a doctor mortgage can support your move
Keep more cash available
Eligible borrowers can finance up to 100% of the home's qualifying value, with loan amounts up to $2 million and no mortgage insurance under this option. Keeping cash available can help with practice needs or a move. Borrowing more also means a larger balance and may mean a higher payment and more interest over time. I will put the alternatives side by side with you.
Financing options at a glance
- Up to $1.5 million with 100% financing: minimum qualifying credit score of 680.
- Over $1.5 million and up to $2 million with 100% financing: minimum qualifying credit score of 720.
- Up to $2 million with financing up to 95%: minimum qualifying credit score of 680.
These are the tiers in the doctor mortgage guidelines reviewed for this hub, not a rule for every medical-professional loan. Income, credit history, property eligibility, and reserves also matter. This option is designed for financing above 90% of qualifying value; if you want to put more down, I will compare other options.
A home you will live in
This loan is for a one-unit primary residence, including eligible single-family homes, qualifying condominiums, planned unit developments, and modular homes. A home with one accessory dwelling unit may qualify, but ADU rent cannot be used to qualify under this option. Second homes and investment properties need a different loan.
Choose your payment structure thoughtfully
Fixed-rate terms include 15, 20, 25, and 30 years. Adjustable-rate options include 5/6, 7/6, and 10/6 loans: the initial rate is fixed for five, seven, or ten years, then can adjust every six months within the loan's caps. I will explain potential payment changes before you decide.
This overview explains the ARM structure. I will review the specific rate caps, terms, and requirements for your doctor mortgage with you.
Purchases and eligible rate-and-term refinances are available. Cash-out refinancing is not included; explore refinancing and home equity options for that goal.
No down payment and no closing costs are different things
100% financing addresses the down payment. Closing costs, prepaid taxes and insurance, and any required reserves still need a plan. An accepted seller credit can help pay eligible closing costs and prepaid expenses, as it is doing for my dentist client.
With financing above 95%, this option requires three months of reserves for loans up to $1.5 million, or six months above $1.5 million. Reserves are eligible funds you retain after closing, measured against your housing payment. They are not a fee, and borrowed funds cannot satisfy this requirement.
I will explain expenses due before closing and how deposits and credits affect your final figures. The CFPB Loan Estimate guide also explains cash to close.
Student loans, a new position, or your own practice?
Review your student loans individually
Residents and clinical fellows qualifying on their current training income may be able to exclude student loan payments when the loans are deferred, in forbearance, or reporting a zero payment under an income-based repayment plan. Outside those specific conditions, a qualifying payment must be included. I will review your repayment documents rather than assume student debt can be ignored.
Explore buying before your first paycheck
An eligible signed employment contract or offer letter may support qualification using fixed base income when your start date is within 150 days after the mortgage note date. Compensation and contract conditions must meet the requirements. Additional reserves must cover housing payments between the note date and your employment start, on top of standard reserves.
Plan around your practice
If you own your practice or receive 1099 income, we will review your income history and supporting documents. Your professional title alone does not replace that review. I can compare self-employed loan options when another documentation approach fits better.
Let's plan your move around your priorities
- Tell me what you want to change. Location, family time, space, and cash you want to preserve belong in the conversation.
- Bring your financial picture. Professional credentials, income documents or your employment contract, student loan statements, and asset statements help me identify options.
- Map the sale and purchase together. We will look at expected proceeds, timing, and any overlapping housing payments.
- Compare the complete plan. Review the payment, closing costs, reserves, and alternatives before you commit.
Explore ways to buy before you sell. A doctor mortgage does not automatically remove your existing mortgage payment from qualification.
Your employment start date, practice needs, and family's move belong in the same conversation. My team can work with your real estate professional on the mortgage timeline. If you are new to the area and need an agent, we can help you find someone to guide the home search around the commute and community you want.
Getting to know your new community
As you explore your work location and commute, use my Roseville living guide, Sacramento relocation planning page, and utilities and community contacts. They can help with the everyday details beyond the mortgage.
Your next chapter starts with a place that feels like home
Whether your move brings you into California or closer to family in another community, take time to explore the place and the life you want. My complimentary guide gives you a starting point for planning your move.
The Ultimate Guide to Moving to California
Keep this complimentary guide handy as you explore your next home and prepare for your move.
Open your complimentary guide (PDF)More answers for your homebuying journey
Explore my articles, then bring your questions. We can apply what you learn to your own plans.
Helpful next steps
- Planning a move to Sacramento
- Compare conventional home loans
- Explore VA benefits if you have eligible military service
Doctor and dentist home loan questions
Are doctor loans only for first-time buyers?
No. Eligible first-time and repeat buyers can use this option when buying their primary home, including a move closer to family or a new job.
Can dentists qualify for 100% financing?
Yes. An eligible DDS or DMD degree can open this option. Your loan amount, qualifying credit, documented income, property, and reserves determine which financing tier fits.
Is mortgage insurance required?
This doctor mortgage option does not require mortgage insurance. Property taxes, homeowners insurance, and applicable association dues still belong in your housing spending plan.
Can the seller help with closing costs?
Yes. An agreed seller contribution can cover eligible closing costs and prepaid expenses within applicable limits. It must be documented and cannot fund reserves or become unrestricted cash back.
Do I need savings with 100% financing?
Yes. Above 95% financing, plan for three months of housing payment reserves on loans up to $1.5 million or six months on larger eligible loans. Closing costs and expenses due before closing also need to be accounted for.
Do all healthcare professionals qualify?
This option has a specific degree list. It includes CRNAs with a DNAP or DNP, but not every nursing or healthcare role. If your designation is not listed above, I can help you compare other home loans.
Can I qualify during residency or fellowship?
Eligible residents and fellows can apply. I will review your degree, income, employment details, and student loan status. Special student loan treatment depends on meeting the training and repayment conditions.
Can I buy a rental property with this loan?
This option is for your primary home, not a rental or vacation property. If investing is your goal, I can help you explore investment-property financing.
Let's make a plan for the home and life you want
Bring your questions, your plans, and the things you want to protect along the way. Your complimentary 30-minute discovery call is a chance for us to explore what could work for you.
Need to reach me sooner? Call or text (916) 705-2557.