Blog
Clear, plain-English guidance for self-employed borrowers navigating the home loan process.
The Self-Employed Mortgage Denial Report: Why Mortgages Get Denied — and Where the Data Goes Blind
We analyzed more than 5 million HMDA mortgage decisions: 16.9% were denied, and debt-to-income drove 36% of denials — the exact ratio the self-employed are built to fail. But the nation's fair-lending database has no field for self-employment, so the people most affected are the ones it can't see.
CPA Letter for a Mortgage: P&L, Expense-Ratio, and How Self-Employed Borrowers Use Them
A "CPA letter" means four different documents in self-employed lending. What each does, when a CPA-prepared P&L replaces tax returns, and how the expense-ratio letter raises bank-statement income.
Asset Depletion Loan: How the Divisor Math Actually Works
An asset depletion loan turns your liquid assets into qualifying income. Here is the divisor math, a full worked example, who it fits, and the requirements.
1099 Income Mortgage: Qualifying as an Independent Contractor
A 1099 income mortgage qualifies independent contractors on 1099 gross minus an expense factor — not Schedule C net. How it works, who qualifies, and how it beats a bank-statement loan.
No Tax Return Mortgage: How to Qualify Without Filing Returns
A no tax return mortgage qualifies you on bank deposits, assets, a P&L, or 1099s instead of your tax-return net. Here are the four programs, what they accept, and the trade-offs.
The Phantom Income Report: What 31 Million Tax Returns Reveal About Self-Employed Mortgage Income
Self-employed Americans reported $2.06 trillion in gross receipts in 2023 — but only 18¢ on the dollar as income a lender counts. Our analysis of IRS data shows how deductions erase mortgage-qualifying income, and how add-backs win back about 25%.
How Self-Employed Mortgage Income Is Actually Calculated
A borrower-side guide to how underwriters calculate self-employed mortgage income: the two-year average, which tax lines count, add-backs, declining income, and bank-statement programs.
Mortgage Add-Backs Explained: How Depreciation and Non-Cash Expenses Boost Your Qualifying Income
Add-backs let underwriters undo the non-cash deductions on your tax return. Here are the five expenses lenders add back to net profit — with a worked example showing the qualifying-income lift.
The Self-Employed Tax Trap: How Write-Offs That Save You Taxes Can Sink Your Mortgage
The deductions that minimize your tax bill also shrink the income a lender counts. Here is the self-employed tax trap, why the two years before you apply matter most, and how to plan around it.