You do the work. You carry the call. You have graduate debt and an income that would qualify for a good house, and the last three lenders have treated "nurse" as the end of the conversation rather than the start of it.
You are on the list, with a condition attached. Under CMG Financial's MedPro Premier guidelines (NMLS #1820, revised 09/11/2026), the eligible designations include:
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA with DNAP or DNP)
- Nurse Practitioner (NP with MSN or DNP)
Read the parentheses. They are not decoration. They are the eligibility test, and they are not the same for the two roles.
The asymmetry nobody explains
A Nurse Practitioner qualifies with an MSN or a DNP. The Master of Science in Nursing is enough.
A CRNA is listed as qualifying with a DNAP or a DNP. Both of those are doctoral credentials.
That difference matters because of how the profession changed. For years, nurse anesthesia programs awarded a master's degree. The doctoral requirement for new graduates came later. So there are practicing, board-certified, highly experienced CRNAs whose degree is a master's, working alongside newer colleagues holding a DNAP.
Same job. Same certification. Same scope. Different line on the eligibility list.
If you are a CRNA, the question to answer before anything else is what your degree says, not what your badge says. Pull the diploma. The program is written to the credential.
Why arguing about it will not work
The guidelines say two things that close the door on negotiation.
First, at least one qualifying borrower must hold one of the eligible designations and possess one of the specified degrees as a medical professional in active practice, with no exceptions nor alternatives considered.
Second, in the program notes on exceptions generally: the investor will not consider profession exceptions.
Exceptions exist on this program for other things, granted case by case before delivery. Profession is carved out. That is deliberate and it is not going to move because your file is strong.
So do not spend three weeks on an appeal. Spend ten minutes confirming the credential, and if it does not fit, move to a structure that does.
If the designation does not fit
A no here is not a no on financing, and the alternatives are frequently competitive.
Graduate degree programs. A separate program finances graduate and post-graduate degree holders with no mortgage insurance at any loan-to-value, up to $1,500,000, to 90% loan-to-value, at a 720 minimum score, with debt-to-income to 50%. The eligible fields are medical, legal, engineering, architecture and accounting. Bachelor degrees are ineligible. For a nursing credential the medical category is the question to put to an underwriter in writing.
Conventional financing. If you have ten percent or more and clean W-2 income, conventional is frequently the cheaper loan anyway, and the mortgage insurance is cancellable under federal law once the balance reaches 78% of original value, or on request at 80% subject to the servicer's conditions.
Non-QM. If part of your income is 1099 locum or per diem work, documentation options exist that agency underwriting handles badly.
The right answer depends on your file. The wrong answer is being told no and assuming that was the whole market.
What the program gives you if you do fit
- 100% financing to $1,500,000 at 680, or to $2,000,000 at 720, one unit, primary residence
- 95% to $2,000,000 at 680
- No mortgage insurance regardless of loan-to-value
- Qualifying income may use future income from a fully executed employment contract
- Debt-to-income to 50% at 95% loan-to-value or below, 45% above 95% and on ARMs and 15-year fixed loans
- Minimum loan-to-value of 90.01%, so this is not a program for a large down payment
Student loan payments may be excluded from the ratio where they are deferred, in forbearance or reporting $0 under an income-based repayment plan and the borrower is currently in residency or in training in a medical clinical fellowship program. Most practicing CRNAs and NPs are not, so plan on the payment counting.
The five minute version
- Find your diploma. CRNA needs DNAP or DNP. NP needs MSN or DNP.
- If it fits, price the ratio at 95% and 100% leverage before you shop.
- If it does not fit, ask about the graduate degree program and price conventional in the same conversation.
- Do not pursue a profession exception. There is not one.
Common questions
Do CRNAs qualify for physician loan programs? On this program, a CRNA qualifies with a DNAP or a DNP. The eligibility is written to the degree rather than the certification, so a CRNA holding a master's degree does not meet the condition as written.
Do Nurse Practitioners qualify? Yes, with an MSN or a DNP. The NP threshold is a master's degree, which is lower than the CRNA threshold on the same list.
Can I get an exception if my degree does not match? No. The guidelines state the investor will not consider profession exceptions, and that the designation and degree requirements allow no exceptions nor alternatives.
What are my options if I do not qualify? Graduate degree programs, conventional financing with cancellable mortgage insurance, or a non-QM structure if part of your income is 1099. Which is best depends on your down payment, score and income mix.
Does my license matter, or my degree? Your degree. The list names credentials, and underwriting documents the degree itself.
Related reading
- Physician and medical professional home loans, the full index for this topic
- Physician Home Loans in Scottsdale: How Doctors Buy With No Down Payment and No Mortgage Insurance
- Pharmacist Home Loans: What PharmD Borrowers Get and Where the Programs Stop
- Physician Loan Credit Scores: What 680, 700 and 720 Each Unlock
Why bring this file to us
- We check the degree, not the job title. The eligibility condition below is attached to your credential, and it is the first thing we verify.
- We do not waste your time on exceptions. The investor will not consider profession exceptions, so we find the right program rather than pleading for the wrong one.
- We have a real answer when the designation does not fit, because a no on this program is not a no on financing.
- Broker model. Multiple investors rather than one bank's shelf, which is what a file like this needs when the first answer is no.
- You talk to the principal. Ricky Khamis is President of EPiQ Lending and a Certified Mortgage Planner, NMLS #173141, originating mortgages since 1999. Direct line: (480) 999-9842.
EPiQ Lending is NMLS #1936984, at 7975 N. Hayden Road, Suite A-101 in Scottsdale. Verify all of it before you trust any of it: Ricky's EPiQ Lending profile, the Scottsdale branch, and the license itself at NMLS Consumer Access. Hold every lender to that standard, including us.
Send me a copy of your degree, not your license, and I will tell you in one look whether the program is open to you.
Program figures in this post come from the CMG Financial (NMLS #1820) guideline set named above, as published on the revision date given. CMG Financial is the parent company of EPiQ Lending. These figures describe one investor's program at one point in time. Other investors price and underwrite the same borrower differently, guidelines change without notice, and nothing here is an offer of any specific program or terms. Confirm current eligibility on your own file before you plan around any of it.
Equal Housing Opportunity. This is general information, not a commitment to lend or an offer to extend credit. Rates, terms, and program guidelines change and depend on credit approval, property appraisal, income and asset verification, and other qualifying factors. Not all applicants will qualify. Non-QM, asset-based and business purpose financing carry different pricing, terms and consumer protections than agency financing. Consult your tax advisor regarding the tax treatment of any income or distribution strategy.
Find out what you qualify for before you start looking
Tell me where you are in training or practice and I will tell you which structure fits your file, what it needs, and what it does not. No credit pull to have the conversation.
