Home / Areas we serve / Fairfield mortgage broker
Solano County home loans, Travis AFB to Cordelia
Fairfield Mortgage Broker
If you are comparing a Fairfield mortgage broker with the lender on base or at your bank, start with this: Travis Air Force Base sits inside city limits, and most of the people stationed there live off base and pay with a housing allowance. Redfin’s August 2026 median sale price was about $600,000, so a zero-down VA loan, an FHA loan and a conventional loan can all buy the typical house. Alameda Mortgage is a direct lender with the option to broker, and from Simi Valley Mike Fisher prices all three side by side with us and, when it helps, against other wholesale lenders.
Price my Fairfield loan VA loan basics
A Fairfield Mortgage Broker for Travis Families and Bay Area Commuters
Travis, home of the 60th Air Mobility Wing, counted 19,917 people as of September 30, 2024: 7,520 active duty, 2,384 Air Force Reserve, 3,432 civilians and 6,581 dependents. Only 821 military members lived on base, against 9,083 off base, and the base has 1,274 privatized family housing units. The rest of the demand lands in Fairfield, Suisun City and Vacaville, which is why so many local purchase files arrive with orders, a Certificate of Eligibility and a leave and earnings statement.
The other half of the market commutes on Interstate 80 or the Capitol Corridor from the Fairfield-Vacaville station, toward the Bay Area or Sacramento. Both groups tend to want the same thing: an honest comparison of VA, FHA and conventional pricing on the same day, not a single product pushed because it is the only one a lender sells.
Solano County Mortgage Rates, VA First
Priced for Solano County, October 27, 2026
$506 lender credit See every option 30-year fixed 7.125% 7.192% APR P&I $4,312/mo on $640,000
0.125 points See every option 15-year fixed 6.375% 6.436% APR P&I $5,531/mo on $640,000
$800 lender credit See every option 30-year FHA 7.250% 7.324% APR P&I $4,366/mo on $640,000
0.187 points See every option 30-year jumbo 8.125% 8.209% APR P&I $8,910/mo on $1,200,000
0.322 points See every option
Par pricing for a single-family primary residence in Solano County: 20% down, 30-year term unless noted, 780+ credit, 30-day lock, escrows included. Payments are principal and interest only; taxes and insurance add to them. Rates change through the day and are not a commitment to lend. Price your own Fairfield scenario, no credit pull.
Why Use a Mortgage Broker in Fairfield Instead of a Bank
A bank or base credit union quotes its own sheet. Mike prices one Solano County file on our own programs and other wholesale lenders’, so a VA buyer sees more than one VA price, an FHA buyer sees which lender is sharpest at 3.5% down, and a borrower with an unusual income mix finds the lender that reads it correctly.
| A retail bank | Alameda Mortgage, direct lender that can also broker | |
|---|---|---|
| Who prices the loan | One institution | Alameda directly, plus other wholesale lenders, on the same day |
| VA buyers with BAH | One set of VA overlays | Lenders compared on score floors, residual income and BAH handling |
| Buying before you arrive on orders | Depends on the bank’s policy | Lenders that qualify on orders and the new duty station |
| FHA versus conventional at low down | Whatever the bank offers | Both priced, with mortgage insurance, so the real payment is clear |
| Rancho Solano above $832,750 | Only if the bank keeps jumbos | Jumbo lenders with different reserve rules |
| When the first lender declines | Start over | File moves to the next lender that fits |
General comparison. Individual banks and lenders differ, and every loan is subject to credit approval.
Fairfield Real Estate Market Insights
Sources: Redfin Fairfield housing market (August 2026); Zillow Home Value Index (September 30, 2026); U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024.
For a Fairfield mortgage broker, the market is busier than its price trend suggests. Sales rose 23% year over year in August while the median dipped about 3%, and homes went under contract almost two weeks faster. Four in ten still sold above asking, so a VA or FHA offer needs a clean, underwritten pre-approval to compete with conventional buyers.
The limit math is simple at the median. The $832,750 conforming limit is the national baseline here, so there is no high-balance band. The FHA limit is lower, $685,400, which caps an FHA purchase at about $710,000 with 3.5% down. VA with full entitlement has no county cap at all.
VA, FHA or Conventional on a Typical Fairfield Home
Here is a $600,000 purchase priced three ways at a 700 score. The VA column shows the 2.15% first-use funding fee financed into the loan; veterans receiving VA disability compensation pay none. Your housing allowance can count as qualifying income when it appears on your LES.
| $600,000 purchase, 700 credit | Conventional, 5% down | FHA, 3.5% down | VA, 0% down |
|---|---|---|---|
| Down payment | $30,000 | $21,000 | $0 |
| Loan amount | $570,000 | $589,133 with 1.75% upfront MIP | $612,900 with 2.15% funding fee |
| Today’s rate (APR) | 7.999% (8.077%) | 7.250% (7.327%) | 6.875% (6.944%) |
| Principal and interest | $4,182/mo | $4,019/mo | $4,026/mo |
| Mortgage insurance | $371/mo PMI | $265/mo MIP | None |
| Before taxes and insurance | $4,553/mo | $4,284/mo | $4,026/mo |
| Mortgage insurance ends | At 20% equity (can be removed) | Life of the loan with under 10% down | Never charged |
Illustration at the Fairfield median (Redfin, Aug 2026). Live pricing; the table is hidden when the rate engine is unavailable.
VA usually wins on payment because it carries no monthly mortgage insurance. FHA can still make sense for a non-veteran with a lower score, and conventional at 5% down lets mortgage insurance come off later. When PCS orders arrive you can keep a VA-financed home and rent it out; VA requires you to occupy at purchase, and entitlement stays tied up until that loan is paid off.
Fairfield Neighborhoods and the Loans That Fit Them
Figures are Redfin neighborhood medians or sale ranges for the period noted.
Rancho Solano
The gated golf course community in the northwest hills is the city’s main jumbo pocket, with a median of about $995,000 in August 2026, up 16%, and most sales between $800,000 and $1.1 million. With 20% down many still fit under $832,750; with less down they cross into jumbo. Hillside insurance quotes belong in the first week.
Paradise Valley
Larger homes by the north Fairfield golf course, about $815,000 on only four sales; conventional or VA rather than FHA.
Cordelia
Newer subdivisions in southwest Fairfield near the I-80 and I-680 split, closest to the Bay Area, with recent sales of about $598,000 to $760,000 in August and September 2026. Popular with commuters; check the tax bill for school or city special taxes.
Suisun Valley
The wine and farm valley on the northwest edge had a median near $675,000 (three months to September 2026, up 8.9%). Much of it is unincorporated, so confirm whether an address is in the city before counting on any city rule.
East Fairfield
The side of town toward the base, at about $512,000 (three months to September 2026, down 4.2%). Short commutes to the gate make it a frequent zero-down VA purchase.
North Texas and Downtown
Older, more affordable homes along North Texas Street, at about $454,000 (down 7.2%), and near the Solano County government center downtown. These are the city’s entry-level FHA streets, where older systems can draw appraisal repair items.
Suisun City Next Door
Heritage Park and Lawler Ranch are 1980s to 2000s tracts in Suisun City, a separate city Travis families often shop too. Fairfield programs do not apply there; the loan options do.
Home Loan Programs Our Fairfield Mortgage Broker Arranges
- VA home loans: no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance, plus VA streamline refinances later.
- FHA loans: 3.5% down up to the $685,400 Solano County limit.
- Conventional loans: from 3% down up to $832,750, with removable PMI.
- Jumbo loans for the top of Rancho Solano and Paradise Valley.
- Non-QM and bank statement loans for contractors and business owners.
- DSCR loans for rentals near the base, qualified on rent.
- HELOCs and fixed seconds for owners who want to keep a VA or low-rate first loan.
- Refinance loans, rate-and-term or cash-out.
First-Time Buyer Programs: City Help Is on Hold
As of our research, the City of Fairfield listed its Silent Loan Down Payment Assistance Program and its CalHOME program as on hold until further notice, and said it was out of Mortgage Credit Certificate allocations. That leaves CalHFA. MyHome Assistance, up to 3.5% of the price with a CalHFA FHA first or 3% with a CalHFA conventional first, is listed as current; Dream For All closed its 2026 portal on March 16 and drew vouchers in May. Mike checks status when you apply, since city programs can reopen.
Property Taxes, Insurance and Transfer Tax in Fairfield
Solano County bills start at 1% of the purchase price, plus voter-approved bonds. Newer subdivisions can add school or city Community Facilities District taxes; Fairfield-Suisun Unified keeps a Mello-Roos page, and the parcel’s bill is the figure lenders use.
Fairfield does not appear to levy its own transfer tax, so a sale pays the county’s $1.10 per $1,000, about $660 at $600,000. Vallejo, elsewhere in Solano County, does charge a city tax, so do not assume the same costs apply county-wide.
Wildfire exposure is mostly on the western and northern hills around Rancho Solano, Paradise Valley and Cordelia; the valley floor toward Travis carries less. USAA, one of the insurers that committed to grow in California, plans to expand for military families from January 2027.
California property tax starts at 1% of the purchase price under Proposition 13, plus voter-approved bonds and any special assessments on the parcel, so the real bill varies by street. Insurance depends on the home, its fire and flood exposure and the carrier. These are estimates for budgeting, not quotes. Run your own numbers.
Refinancing and Home Equity in Fairfield
VA owners whose rate is above today’s market can look at a VA streamline refinance, which carries a 0.5% funding fee. Owners whose first mortgage rate is already low usually keep it and add a Fairfield HELOC for a roof, HVAC or getting a house rent-ready before a move, with rates from 7.49% APR, variable. A conventional refinance can drop FHA mortgage insurance at 20% equity, and your Fairfield mortgage broker will price each path; the mortgage calculator tests payments first.
Investment Property Financing in Fairfield
About 39% of Fairfield homes are rented. Zillow’s average rent was $2,425 in September 2026, up 2.2%, and the Census median gross rent was $2,266. Off-base military households give landlords a steady tenant pool.
The city has no local rent control or local just cause ordinance; AB 1482 applies to covered units. Short-term rentals are a different story: according to a summary of the municipal code, stays under 30 days are not a listed use in residential zones, ADUs and SB 9 units must rent for 30 days or more, and lodging pays a 12% transient occupancy tax plus a 3% tourism assessment. Underwrite on monthly rent. A DSCR loan qualifies on that rent and can close in an LLC.
Fairfield Housing Market Outlook
We do not forecast. Through August 2026 volume rose sharply while prices eased, Zillow’s index slipped under 1% through September, and rent kept rising. Buyers can negotiate on price but should not expect long contingency periods to go unchallenged.
Why Choose Alameda Mortgage as Your Fairfield Mortgage Broker
Mike works the file personally and schedules around duty hours, deployments and shift work. When a spouse needs to sign under a power of attorney, he confirms the lender will take it before closing day. As your Fairfield mortgage broker he works from Simi Valley by phone, email and e-signature, with a Solano County appraiser and local escrow.
From orders to keys in five steps
- Tell Mike the planOrders or report date, price range, down payment and whether VA is on the table. No credit pull to price.
- Certificate and pre-approvalMike pulls your VA Certificate of Eligibility if needed and underwrites income, including BAH, before you shop.
- Compare and lockVA, FHA and conventional quotes side by side with APR, points or credit and cash to close.
- AppraisalA Solano County appraiser handles the VA or FHA inspection items; Mike clears conditions with the lender.
- CloseE-signature or a mobile notary, including a notary near your current station if you have not arrived yet.
Mortgage Broker in Fairfield: Questions We Hear
Why use a Fairfield mortgage broker if I qualify for VA?
VA sets the program rules, but each lender sets its own rate, fees and overlays. Because Alameda Mortgage is a direct lender that can also broker, Mike can price the same VA file with us and other lenders, compare it with FHA and conventional, and move the file if one lender’s score floor or residual income rule does not fit.
Can I buy in Fairfield before I report to Travis?
Often, yes. With orders, many lenders will qualify you on the income at your new duty station, provided you intend to occupy the home within a reasonable time after closing. Mike confirms each lender’s rule before you write an offer.
What is the FHA limit in Fairfield for 2026?
Solano County’s one-unit FHA limit is $685,400, lower than the $832,750 conforming limit. At 3.5% down that supports a price of about $710,000, enough for most of the city but not most of Rancho Solano.
Is the City of Fairfield down payment program open?
Not as of our research. The city listed its Silent Loan DPA and CalHOME programs as on hold until further notice and said it had no Mortgage Credit Certificate allocations left. CalHFA’s MyHome Assistance is listed as current statewide.
Can I rent my Fairfield home on Airbnb after I PCS?
Generally not. Fairfield’s residential zones do not list stays under 30 days as a permitted use, according to a code summary, and ADUs must rent for 30 days or more. Renting by the month is allowed and is how most Travis families keep their homes.
Does Fairfield have rent control?
No local rent control or just cause ordinance was found. The statewide AB 1482 rules apply to covered units, and many single-family homes are exempt when the owner gives the required notice.
How does a Simi Valley lender close a Fairfield loan?
Our California license covers every county, Solano included. Your Fairfield mortgage broker handles everything by phone, email and e-signature with a Solano County appraiser and escrow, and Mike stays your contact through funding.
What Clients Say About Working With Mike
★★★★★
The process went smoothly and very quickly
★★★★★
Everthing was explained in detail and answered all my questions.
★★★★★
Mike had great communication and knows how to get things done.
More Fairfield Home Loan Guides
Nearby Bay Area and Northern California Cities
Contact Your Fairfield Mortgage Broker
Send your timeline, your orders if you have them, your price range and whether you want VA priced. Mike will compare VA, FHA and conventional with us and against other wholesale lenders, usually the same business day. No credit pull to start.
Prefer to talk? Call 800-801-5626.