Answers
Self-Employed & Non-Traditional Income
The questions business owners, freelancers and gig workers ask about qualifying.
If your income does not arrive as a steady W-2, you have probably been made to feel like a problem to solve. You are not — you are a large and well-served part of the market. Here are the questions we hear most.
Common questions
Can I get a mortgage if I am self-employed?
Absolutely. Between full-documentation loans, bank-statement programs that qualify you on deposits, profit-and-loss options and asset-based lending, there is almost always a path. The key is matching the program to how your income really looks.
My tax returns show low income because of write-offs. What now?
This is the most common self-employed situation, and it has a clean answer: a bank-statement loan qualifies you on 12 to 24 months of deposits rather than your returns, so your write-offs do not work against you. We compare approaches to find your strongest number.
How many years self-employed do I need?
Two years is the common benchmark, but shorter histories can work — especially if you were in the same line of work before going independent. Tell us your timeline and we will find the fit rather than turning you away.
Do bank-statement loans cost more?
They can carry somewhat higher rates because they are held outside the agencies. For many self-employed borrowers, a loan they can actually get today — and refinance into conventional terms later — beats a lower rate they cannot qualify for.
Can I use my business account or do I need personal statements?
Either can work, and the right choice depends on which account reflects your true income. We will tell you which approach gives you the strongest qualifying figure before you apply.
I am a gig or 1099 worker. Does that count?
Yes. Steady 1099 or gig income with a documented history counts, and bank-statement programs are well suited to it. Your work is real income; it just needs the right documentation method.