Five questions to your answer

Six project types: ground-up build, major renovation, ADU, addition, pre-sale update, or soft goods. Then your rough budget, California county, equity position, and whether you're using a licensed GC or owner-building. Optional flags for special circumstances like low credit, self-employment, or investment properties.

Your answers hit a decision matrix built from 43 research files covering every loan product, every active California lender, and every qualification path. The matrix narrows 88 possible combinations to the one that fits your situation.

Not a list of 8 options with pros and cons. A verdict: here's what you need, here's why, here's who to call. Named lenders with honest notes on their fees, specialties, and limitations. What no one will tell you. Why the alternatives don't fit. Concrete next steps.

Follow-up questions specific to your situation appear below the recommendation. Tap one to learn more. Ask your own questions in plain English. The tool remembers your situation and draws on the full knowledge base to give you California-specific, named-lender, real-number answers.