There used to be a time you could be in F1, J1 or some legal status and the bank would give you loan to buy a house. But now that the economy is hurt, it depends on the bank. About 6 months ago, one of my friends wanted to buy a house with a H1B visa (his greencard was already in process) but the bank did not agree. They told him that green card was required. Different banks might have different rule. Things might have changed in the past 6 months. The best way is to go talk to a few banks first instead of just relying on our suggestions. I believe Credit Unions might be more flexible than the big name banks..Let us know how it goes. Good luck.