Listing a condo? Find out which lenders will finance the building.
Stuck on a deal? Got denied? Send me the scenario.
Fannie and Freddie only tell you whether a building fits their box. Upload the condo docs and I will tell you which lenders can actually close it. My goal is to reply within 24 hours on business days. No cost. No credit pull. No obligation.
- Oahu, Maui, Big Island, Kauai
- Non-warrantable specialist
- NMLS #1603145
The shortcut is gone. Every Honolulu high-rise gets a full review.
For years a big down payment meant a Limited Review and a quick close. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac retired that path in 2026. Now a building's budget, reserves, insurance, litigation and commercial space all matter, no matter how much your buyer puts down.
Limited Review retired
Applications dated on or after this date need a Full Review for established projects unless the project qualifies for a waiver or exemption.
Reserves go to 15%
Fannie raises the standard replacement reserve allocation for Full Review projects from 10% to 15% of budgeted assessment income.
Agency isn't the only door
The Fannie and Freddie project databases only cover conventional loans. A building they decline may still close with a portfolio, non-QM or private lender.
Sources: Fannie Mae Lender Letter LL-2026-03 (Mar 18, 2026); Freddie Mac Single-Family Seller/Servicer Guide Bulletin 2026-C.
Upload the docs. Get a lender map. My goal is to reply within one business day.
Upload the condo docs
Questionnaire, budget, reserve study, master insurance, recent board minutes, and bylaws. Whatever you have is a start.
I pull the numbers
I read the docs for what lenders care about: units, owner occupancy, commercial space, reserves, litigation and insurance deductibles.
You get a lender map
I shop the building with my lending partners and aim to reply within 24 business hours with which loan programs can close it and what it will take.
Send the building.
Listing agent with no buyer yet? Send the docs and I'll tell you who can finance the building so you can market it with a real answer. Have a buyer? Add a few details and you'll get a path for that buyer.
- Condo questionnaire
Fannie 1076 / Freddie 476 - Current annual budget
reserve line - Master insurance declarations
deductible - Board minutes, last 12 months
litigation, repairs - Reserve study if available
- Bylaws and declaration if available
A lender map, not just a pass or fail.
Every review pulls the key numbers out of the docs, then shows which loan programs are likely open, which are blocked, and what it would take.
- Units
- 284
- Commercial
- 38%
- Reserves
- 11.2%
- Owner occ.
- 54%
- Litigation
- Pending
- Deductible
- 2% wind
| Loan program | Likely status | Why |
|---|---|---|
| ConventionalFannie / Freddie | Blocked | Commercial space over the agency limit and pending litigation tied to building defects. |
| FHAHUD condo approval | Blocked | Not on the FHA approved list, and the commercial percentage rules out single-unit approval. |
| VAVA condo approval | Needs work | Not currently VA approved. A submission is possible but the litigation must be reviewed first. |
| Portfolio / non-warrantableHeld by the lender | Likely open | Several lenders accept higher commercial space and non-structural litigation with 20 to 25% down. |
| DSCR investorRental income based | Likely open | Works for investment buyers with 25% down if the rent covers the payment. |
| Private / bridgeShort term | Open | Available as a bridge while the litigation resolves, at higher cost. |
A searchable record of where Hawaii condos can be financed.
Every building I review becomes a short public summary of its financing status, so the next agent with a listing in that tower starts with an answer. Raw documents, owner names and minutes are never posted.
Where buildings get stuck, and where they can go.
These are the kinds of issues that send Honolulu condos out of the agency box. Each one has lenders that may still say yes.
Condotel or rental desk
The stopFront desk, rental pool, or hotel-style services make the project ineligible for Fannie and Freddie.
Where it can goCondotel programs from non-QM and portfolio lenders, usually with a larger down payment.
Pending litigation
The stopLawsuits over spalling, plumbing or other construction defects often make a building ineligible until resolved.
Where it can goPortfolio lenders that review the case details, or a private bridge loan until it settles.
High commercial space
The stopMixed-use towers with large retail or office space go over agency limits.
Where it can goNon-warrantable portfolio programs that allow higher commercial percentages.
Thin reserves
The stopA budget that doesn't fund reserves at the required level, which gets tougher in January 2027.
Where it can goA current reserve study can help, or lenders that weigh reserve health differently.
I built this because condo deals in Honolulu die for the wrong reason. A lender runs the building through Fannie, gets a no, and everyone assumes the condo can't be financed. Usually it can. It just needs a different lender.
Financing the buildings other people won't touch is most of what I do. Send me the docs, and I'll tell you where the building can go, what it will take, and whether it's worth chasing.
Richie Taylor
Mortgage Broker, NMLS #1603145 · Kama'aina Mortgage Group Inc., NMLS #1276471
Before you upload
Does this cost anything?
No. The review is free, with no credit pull and no obligation to use me for financing.
Who sees the condo documents?
Only me and the lenders I shop the building with. The public library shows a short summary of the building's financing status, never the raw documents, owner names, or minutes.
What if I don't have all the documents?
Send what you have. The questionnaire and budget are the most useful. I'll tell you what's missing.
Is the preview a loan approval?
No. It's an early read on which programs are likely to work. Every lender makes its own final decision on the project and the borrower.
Does this replace the Fannie or Freddie project review?
No. Conventional lenders still run their own review. This tells you whether conventional is likely to work, and where to go if it isn't.