I'm Self Employed, Should I Apply for a Stated Income Mortgage?

Many Americans believe that quitting their job and going to work for themselves is a major part of the American Dream, just as much as owning their own home. The good thing is that today, it is possible to be self-employed and own your own home.

Buying your house as a self-employed worker is very much like doing it as an employee for a company. You need to document your income and the amount of money you have in the bank. You will need to have a credit score, but you do not have to have perfect credit either.

For most self-employed, it is the income area of the application where they can have problems. But if you learn a few things before you apply for a mortgage, you should not have a lot of trouble getting approved on a stated income or regular type of mortgage.

Overview of Mortgage Application Process for Self-Employed

Before the housing downturn of 10 years ago, many self-employed borrowers had many loan options. The most common was essentially a stated income mortgage. This is where you did not have to show any pay stubs or tax returns. Most borrowers showed a year of bank statements and their credit score. Some borrowers did not even have to show any proof of their income. This was a true stated income mortgage.

Stated income home loans were not always a bad thing. No income verification loans were really created for the self-employed that had several businesses and complex tax returns. No-documentation home loans made the home loan process more streamlined for high earners. This cut the cost of issuing loans and boosted efficiency.

But the state income and no doc home loans were soon given out to regular consumers. So, it is not surprising that the system became abused. No doc and low doc loans were eventually given out to artificially inflate the incomes of people with regular salaries. But this was not what the purpose of these loans was.

Today, there are few lenders that will give you a stated income or no income verification loan. You do not need to have a regular job or pay stubs, but you must be able to prove your income with tax returns and bank statements.

The Problem with Tax Returns

Some self-employed borrowers do not have the easiest time getting a loan with tax returns. Some of them may not show enough income on their tax returns because they write off many expenses. They could have an income of $150,000 per year, but after they write off their expenses, they are left with a taxable income of half that much.

The underwriter will only give you credit for $75,000 on paper even though it felt like you made a lot more than that. If you were to apply for a mortgage with a $2000 per month payment, you may not be approved. The mortgage payment by itself would require 50% or so of your on-paper income.

Self-employed borrowers also can have inconsistent income, because of fluctuations in their business or how much they take in write offs each year. Lenders often look for major fluctuations in your taxable income over the years and will usually use the lower of the most recent years.

If you have income that is lower last year, you may need to explain it to the lender. The underwriter has to verify if this was just a one time slow down and is not a sign of a reduced income trend in your business.

Plan Ahead for Your Mortgage

If you are a self-employed borrower, you should talk to a mortgage professional and an accountant about two years before you plan to apply. You should know how much income will be needed each month to get the kind of home you want. Unlike most salaried workers, you can change how much you make on paper each year by writing off more or less of your business expenses.

With proper planning, being self-employed will not hinder you to be approved for a home lone if you can show enough income to afford the mortgage and your other debts. You also need to have proof of being self employed for at least the last two years. Also, you should have two years of tax returns, year to date profit and loss document and a business license if applicable.

While you cannot really get a stated income mortgage any more, getting approved for a home loan with a self-employed work history is really not that difficult.