Physician loans · Timing
Buying a Home Around Match Day, Residency and the First Attending Job in Seattle
A doctor moving to Seattle for training has about three months between Match Day and the first day of work. That is enough time to buy, but only if the loan steps line up with the contract, the start date and the lender's closing window.
This page covers the calendar from Match to day one, how early a doctor can close, and what changes for fellows and attendings. For the basics, start with the main guide.
At a glance
- Match DayMarch 20, 2026 and Friday, March 19, 2027, at noon Eastern. A match is a binding commitment.
- Start dateNRMP lists training as beginning about July 1. UW GME's first major appointment start date is June 25.
- Closing windowSeveral large lenders allow a start date up to 90 days after closing. For a June 25 start, that opens about March 27.
- Resident payUW's 2026-27 scale starts at $90,984 a year ($7,582 a month) for a first-year resident.
- AttendingsSome programs cap or reduce financing for doctors 10 or 15 years past training.
By Brian Huie, Principal Broker and Realtor, Compass · Figures as of November 2026
The dates that set the clock
The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) runs the Main Residency Match. Results for the 2026 Match were released at noon Eastern on March 20, 2026. For the 2027 Match, the rank order list deadline is March 3 and Match Day is Friday, March 19, 2027, at noon Eastern.
NRMP's 2027 applicant guide shows training beginning about July 1, and applicants must be eligible to enter training on July 1, 2027. Programs set their own dates. At UW Medicine, the first major appointment start date is June 25, with virtual orientation three business days earlier (June 22 in 2027). UW GME asks every incoming trainee to confirm the start date with the program.
NRMP describes a match as a binding commitment, so the start date it sets is a firm one.
Month by month, from Match to day one
The usual shape for a late June or July start. Treat it as an outline; lenders differ.
| When | What happens | Loan step |
|---|---|---|
| Fall to February | Interviews and ranking | Check credit, gather tax returns and student loan statements, and ask two or three lenders whether they lend to residents in Washington |
| March 3 | Rank order list deadline | A pre-qualification is only a rough guide until there is a match |
| March 19 | Match Day | Tell each lender the program and expected start date; decide whether to buy now or rent first |
| Late March to April | UW GME sends MedHub onboarding emails, including a contract signature page with appointment dates | Send the signed contract to the lender for pre-approval; price a physician loan against a conventional one |
| April to May | Home search, in person or by video | Offer, appraisal and underwriting; document reserves |
| May to mid-June | Licensing, onboarding and the move | Close inside the lender's window, after any conditions in the contract are met |
| June 22 to 25 | UW orientation and first major start date | Keep reserves in place until pay begins |
Dates from NRMP's 2027 Main Residency Match calendar and UW GME's incoming residents page. Other programs use other start dates.
How early a doctor can close
The main guide covers closing before the first day in brief. These details set the earliest real closing date.
Physician programs
As published in November 2026, Bank of America, BMO and Huntington each allow the job to start up to 90 days after closing. Bank of America also asks for reserves to cover debt payments until the start date, and publishes a reserve requirement of 4 to 12 months of house payments depending on the loan amount. Some other lenders allow longer windows; the main guide lists the range. Confirm the current window with each lender.
Counting back 90 days from a June 25 start lands on about March 27. From a July 1 start, about April 2. Either way, the window opens a week or two after Match Day.
Conventional loans
Fannie Mae allows a conventional purchase to close on a job offer before the first paycheck, with limits:
- The home must be a one-unit principal residence.
- The start date must be no later than 90 days after closing, and no earlier than 30 days before it.
- The offer must be signed and non-contingent, and state the employer, position, pay and start date.
- Any conditions of employment, such as licensing or background checks, must be met before closing.
- Only fixed base pay counts toward qualifying.
- Reserves must cover six months of the new house payment, or all monthly debts from closing until the start date plus one month.
The conditions rule matters because a training contract can depend on licensing steps that finish close to the start date.
Buying from out of town, or renting the first year
Between Match and the start date, many residents have little time in Seattle before they must commit.
Buying before arrival. Video tours, a local inspector and a broker who walks the home in person can stand in for a visit. Condos add a step, since the building has to meet the lender's condo rules; see other terms.
Renting first. A year of renting lets a resident learn the hospitals, the commute and the call schedule before buying.
The deciding question is how long the doctor expects to stay. White Coat Investor notes that buying generally doesn't pay off with a stay of less than about five years. A comparison of rents and prices near each Seattle hospital is on rent or buy near Seattle hospitals.
Resident vs. attending buying power
UW's 2026-27 resident and fellow pay runs from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. The figures include an $11,000 allowance for all residents and a $1,000 first-year allowance.
| Level | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| R1 | $90,984 | $7,582 |
| R5 | $98,880 | $8,240 |
| R9 | $116,664 | $9,722 |
A physician loan can qualify a resident, but it can't stretch resident pay very far. At a 45% debt-to-income limit, a first-year resident's $7,582 a month supports about $3,412 in total monthly debts, including the house payment, taxes, insurance and any counted student loan payment. White Coat Investor's guideline of a mortgage under two times gross income points to about $182,000 at R1 pay.
Lenders may also cap trainee loans; Truist publishes a $1 million maximum for residents, interns and fellows. How student loans count toward the debt limit is covered in the main guide, and Seattle prices are in what it looks like in Seattle.
Fellowship, moving again and the first attending job
Fellowship
Many fellowship matches run through NRMP's Specialties Matching Service, and appointments can begin anywhere from 6 to 14 months after their Match Days. A resident who buys and then matches to a fellowship elsewhere has to sell or keep the home from a distance. Physician loans are for a primary home, so ask the lender what its occupancy rule requires before planning to rent the home out later.
The first attending job
The same contract-based closing applies to attendings, with the same 90-day windows at the lenders above. Two things change:
- Time since training. As published in November 2026, TD requires doctors to be less than 10 years out of residency. BMO limits doctors 5 to 10 years into practice to 95% financing and excludes those past 10 years. Truist requires training completed within the last 15 years and caps financing at 89.99% between 10 and 15 years.
- Self-employment. A doctor joining a practice as an owner or contractor usually needs about two years of self-employment history at programs such as TD.
These caps matter most for a doctor who rents through the first job and buys later. Brian's own approach to timing an offer around a start date is in the client section of Brian's buyer's guide.
Questions about timing
Can a resident buy a home before residency starts?
Often, once the signed contract is in hand. Several large lenders allow the start date to fall up to 90 days after closing, and they usually ask for reserves to cover the gap.
When is Match Day in 2027?
Friday, March 19, 2027, at noon Eastern. The rank order list deadline is March 3, 2027.
How early can a doctor close before a June 25 start?
With a 90-day window, about March 27. Some lenders allow longer windows, and any conditions in the contract must be met before closing.
Do signing bonuses or relocation money count as income?
Not under Fannie Mae's rule for closing before the job starts, which counts only fixed base pay. Physician programs set their own rules, so ask each lender.
Should a resident buy or rent the first year?
It depends mostly on how long the doctor expects to stay. Buying generally takes about five years to pay off, and many doctors move for fellowship or a first attending job.
Can an attending far out of training still use a physician loan?
Sometimes. TD requires less than 10 years out of residency, BMO excludes doctors past 10 years in practice, and Truist allows up to 15 years with less financing after year 10.
Next steps
The full picture lives in the main guide: who qualifies, how the terms work and how physician loans compare. When it is time to talk through a specific purchase, Brian is a quick call away.
- The physician loan guide
- Brian's buyer's guide, including the physician loan section for clients
- How Brian helps buyers
This page is general information, not a loan offer or financial advice. Brian Huie is a real estate broker, not a lender, and Brian is not paid by any lender. Confirm loan terms with a licensed loan officer. Figures as of November 2026.
Sources
- Match dates: NRMP 2026 Match results, NRMP 2027 applicant calendar, NRMP 2027 applicant guide, NRMP Specialties Matching Service
- UW Medicine: UW GME incoming residents and fellows, UW GME pay schedule
- Job contracts: Fannie Mae employment offers or contracts
- Lender programs: Bank of America, BMO, Huntington, TD Bank, Truist
- Context: White Coat Investor