can i buy a house with ITIN

Much more info needed, but in general, Yes and no.. guidelines do allow you to use a ITIN number, but you also must meet other guidelines which would make it difficult to qualify.. First, if you are a US citizen, you will have a SS number.. and you can use that for qualifying.. Or, if you are here legally, either by visa or permanent resident alien card, then you can apply, however if you are on a visa, you would need at least 3 years remaining on the visa in order to qualify.. Also, you would need to be paying US taxes and report your income on US filed federal tax returns.. These rules deal with the conforming guidelines for the varying lending programs.. but there's also Portfolio type loans, where they can make their own rules.. Lenders doing foreign nationals typically lend on equity rather than immigration status.. So, they might require 30% to 50% down, and charge you higher rates and fees than conforming loans, but the guidelines are much more relaxed.. I'm a Broker here in Scottsdale AZ and I only lend in Arizona. If you or someone you know is looking for financing options, feel free to contact me or pass along my information. William J. Acres, Lender411's number ONE lender in Arizona. 480-287-5714 WilliamAcres.com NMLS# 226347

William Acres answered your question pretty well. Primarily you may want to check with mortgage brokers in CA who do a lot of loans for foreign nationals.