Non-Citizen Law Grad: Can I Buy?

[Anonymous]

I am a non-US citizen who will be graduating from law school this summer, and have a job lined up at a top NYC law firm with a starting salary of $160k annually.  I have no student loan debt or any other debt obligations.  My credit history is relatively short: 2 years with multiple tradelines (just credit cards), with no negatives at all (all credit card balances are kept low and paid on time).  However, I do have a number of inquiries from credit card applications in the past year.  According to creditsesame's experian report, my score is around 740-750.

I will be on a H1B visa when I start work this fall.  I was wondering if I will be able to qualify for a home mortgage loan.  I am looking at property around $700k-$800k, putting down a downpayment of about $100k (from parents).  I have no assets/properties in the country.  Given the various tax advantages to owning instead of renting, I am seriously considering taking advantage of the relatively low mortgage rates on the market right now and taking the plunge towards home ownership.  However, I am concerned that my non-citizen status/lack of employment history may prove an impediment towards securing a favorable loan in NYC.  

Any advice/thoughts would be welcome.  Thanks in advance.

[tunseeker1]

The lenders may look at the visa status more then the credit history and employment.
The visa is only good for 3 years extendable to 6 and if for any reason you become unemployed you have to leave the country immediately. This might be a bigger issue then the ones you are concerned about.

[Anonymous]

The few that I've filled out so far state you must be a us citizen or permanent resident and I would think anyone on a visa would be denied for the reasons stated above- especially vacating the country in the event that you are unemployed.

[StartingOver10]

Get in contact with a mortgage banker that originates loans to foreign nationals.

They are abundant in our area (S Fl) and should be widely available throughout the US.

Stay away from lendingtree or anything like that since you have a specialized situation.

[MBOhio2]

People on H1B visas buy houses all of the time, so yes, you should be able to purchase. I cannot give you any specific advice on who you should apply with, etc, but it sounds like others can. Good luck!