Arizona Physician Mortgage Guide — Residents to Attendings
If you're a physician, dentist, or medical resident relocating to Arizona — or upgrading from a starter home as your career advances — Medical Professionals jumbo programs are built specifically for you. Here's what they do that conventional financing doesn't.
The two big things doctor loans solve
1. Student debt that would otherwise break qualification
Medical and dental graduates routinely carry $200K–$500K in student loans. On a conventional mortgage, that debt counts at the standard amortized payment — often $2,500/month or more. That payment alone, layered with a jumbo housing payment, breaks DTI for almost anyone short of a senior attending.
Medical Professionals programs handle this differently:
- Deferred student loans: typically excluded from DTI entirely while the deferment lasts.
- Income-Based Repayment (IBR) loans: count at the IBR payment, not the standard amortized payment. For most residents this is $0 or a small fraction of the standard payment.
- Student loans in repayment: count at actual payment if documented, not at a hypothetical 1% of balance.
2. Up to 95% LTV with no PMI
Conventional mortgages above 80% LTV require PMI — typically $200–$500/month on jumbo loan amounts. Medical Professionals programs allow up to 95% LTV with no PMI for qualifying borrowers. Substantial monthly savings for the same LTV.
Eligible borrower types
- MD — Medical Doctor
- DO — Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
- DDS / DMD — Dentist
- DPM — Doctor of Podiatric Medicine
- OD — Doctor of Optometry (some programs)
- PharmD — Doctor of Pharmacy (some programs)
- Residents and Fellows — typically eligible with a future-dated attending or partnership contract
- Veterinarians (DVM) — certain programs
Future-employment-contract qualifying
This is the unusual feature that makes physician mortgages possible for residents and fellows: you can qualify based on a future signed employment contract rather than current resident pay.
Common scenario: 4th-year resident, has signed contract to start as attending in 4 months at $385K base. Most Medical Professionals programs let that resident qualify on the $385K — closing on a Scottsdale home before the first attending paycheck arrives.
Required documentation: signed employment contract with start date, base salary, signing bonus (if any). Start date typically must be within 60–90 days of closing.
How much loan you can qualify for
| Loan amount | Max LTV | Min FICO |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ $1,000,000 | 95% | 700 |
| $1,000,001 – $1,500,000 | 95% (with 720+ FICO) | 700 |
| $1,500,001 – $2,000,000 | 90% | 720 |
| > $2,000,000 | Crosses to standard Full Doc Jumbo | — |
Where Medical Professionals programs don't work
- Investor properties. Most Medical Professionals programs are owner-occupied primary residence only. Some allow second homes at adjusted LTV.
- Self-employed practice owners. If you've moved from W-2 employment to owning your practice as a 1099/PLLC, you may need to use Bank Statement or P&L Only jumbo instead — Medical Professionals programs typically expect a third-party employer.
- Loan amounts above $2M. Most programs cap at $2M; above that you cross to standard Full Doc Jumbo with regular guidelines.
Next step
If you're a resident with a signed contract or an attending shopping a Scottsdale or Paradise Valley home, the Medical Professionals path is almost always the right starting point. Apply Now Book a consult
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