Moving back to the US - Getting a Mortgage with a UK spouse with no credit score

After 15 years, we're making the move back to the States!

I have great a credit score in the US but my salary is not high and it's harder to prove as it's self-employment income and varies year to year.
My UK husband is our primary earner, but he doesn't have a US credit score. We'll be moving over once his L1 visa comes through, and I read that we'll be able to apply for his SSN ten days after his arrival and that it will take a few weeks to arrive.

We've reached out to two lenders in the area we're moving to, but they don't seem to really know what to do with us. Can anyone recommend a lending company that is more familiar with these types of situations? Or would it be better to get a mortgage through HSBC's overseas property arm or something?

I guess the other choice is to move over and rent for a year and work on building his credit, then we'll have a much more straightforward application. But we have a mortgage on our home here and we'd rather not go back to renting if we can help it.

Thanks so much in advance for any help or advice!

Well, if you move back and rent for a year you'll have much longer to scout out a place to purchase. Sometimes it's good to watch an area - the weather there, crime, politics - before splashing out a large amount of money that will tie you to it.

You could also join a credit union and contribute to it for that year. CUs, in my experience, have been much more willing to lend to people in unusual situations.