Seven questions, no SSN, no credit pull. We'll match you with the loan program that actually fits — FHA, Conventional 97, VA, USDA, or HomeReady — and tell you why, not just what. The reasoning matters as much as the recommendation.
What brings you here today?
This includes active duty, veterans (any branch), National Guard, Reserves with 6+ years of service, and qualifying surviving spouses. VA loans are the strongest mortgage benefit available — if you're eligible, this question alone usually settles the recommendation.
Recommendations are based on your answers and 2026 program guidelines. This is not a pre-approval. Final program fit depends on full underwriting (credit, income, employment, property).
Most online "what loan should I get" tools give you an answer with no reasoning. Ours shows the logic. Here's exactly what we weigh — in this order.
Did you serve in the military? VA almost always wins for eligible borrowers. Is your area USDA-eligible? Is your household income within the cap? Eligibility filters out programs before we score anything.
Down payment, credit profile, and income are hard filters. Below 580 FICO eliminates most options except FHA (with overlays). 0% down means VA or USDA only. Each answer tightens the field.
Among the programs that fit, which one minimizes what you said matters? Lowest payment, fastest close, lowest 30-year cost, build credit toward refi — your priority is the tie-breaker.
Made-up names, real reasoning. Here's how the diagnostic plays out for three common borrower profiles — each with a different recommended program, each with different reasoning.
35, single mom, $58K salary, 645 FICO (rebuilding from divorce-era debt), $8,500 saved. Buying a $245K home in a small town outside Charlotte.
FHA is the natural fit at 645 FICO — it's the only major program that goes below 660 cleanly. Stacking state DPA on top covers most of the down payment. Conv 97 was second-place — it would price PMI 60% higher at her credit tier.
26, honorably discharged after 5 years Army, $52K civilian salary, 30% disability rating, $6,200 saved. Buying $215K home outside Tampa.
Eligibility resolves it — Marcus has a VA Certificate of Eligibility. 30% disability rating waives the funding fee entirely. $0 down, no monthly mortgage insurance, ever. Nothing else comes close on cost.
Couple, mid-30s, $165K combined income, 750 FICO, $50K saved. Targeting a $625K home in a Denver suburb (not USDA-eligible).
No military service rules out VA. Income above USDA cap. 750 FICO + Conv pricing beats FHA's mandatory MIP-for-life. PMI cancels at 80% LTV — they'll be MI-free in ~6 years.
No marketing copy. The diagnostic is a starting point — not a substitute for talking to a real loan officer. Here's what it does and doesn't do.
Pretty good for the headline answer. Not a substitute for actual underwriting.
The diagnostic uses the same eligibility filters, DTI rules, and program-pricing logic that an LO would use on a first call. For ~80% of borrowers, the recommendation matches what a human LO would say.
Where it can miss: borrowers with unusual situations (self-employed income, recent bankruptcy, manual underwriting requirements, unusual property types). For those, the diagnostic gives you a starting point but the LO call is where the file actually gets resolved.
Because for eligible veterans and active-duty service members, VA almost always wins — regardless of credit, income, or area. $0 down, no monthly mortgage insurance, lower rates, lender 1% origination cap. Few other programs can compete.
If you served, the diagnostic stops second-guessing and points to VA. The remaining questions calibrate the details (first use vs subsequent, exemption status, etc.) — but the core recommendation is settled by question one.
If you didn't serve, the diagnostic moves on to the other programs and weighs them based on credit, down payment, and income.
That's fine, and worth a conversation. Two situations come up:
(1) You think we're wrong about your eligibility. Sometimes borrowers don't realize they're VA-eligible (e.g., short Reserve service that still qualifies). Sometimes they don't realize their target area is USDA-eligible. An LO call clarifies these in 5 minutes.
(2) You prefer a different program for personal reasons. Maybe you don't want a government loan. Maybe you want to put 20% down on Conventional and skip PMI altogether. The recommendation is informed advice, not a mandate.
You always have the final say. We just want you to make that call with full information.
Because most borrower files have a backup. The primary recommendation is the program we'd lead with — but the alternatives matter when something doesn't pencil out.
For example: VA might be primary, but if the property fails MPRs, FHA could be the fallback. Conv 97 might be primary, but if PMI prices too high at your credit tier, FHA + DPA could be cheaper monthly.
Showing both keeps you informed when surprises come up later in underwriting.
The diagnostic runs entirely in your browser. Your answers don't get sent to LHFS unless you click through to the short application or call afterward. No tracking pixel for individual answers. No data broker handoff.
If you complete the diagnostic and then fill out the short application, that information goes into LHFS's CRM and an LO calls within an hour — that's the normal lead-capture flow, with the disclosures you'd expect.
If you walk away after the diagnostic, nothing is retained.
Either order works. Most people use both.
Some borrowers want to know the price range first ("can I afford anything?") — start with the Affordability Calculator.
Others want to know the program first ("which loan even fits me?") — start here.
Once you have both answers, the LO call is much shorter and more productive. We're not figuring out the basics on a phone call — we're moving directly to the specifics of your file.
A real loan officer can do this conversation in 10 minutes — and answer the questions the diagnostic can't, like "I'm self-employed, will my income count?" or "the property has a small lot — does USDA still work?" Talking to a human is always the right answer if you have one.