Non-QM/Alternative Loans

  • Denied for a Jumbo, Closed in Two Weeks: A Detroit Business Owner Story

    A Detroit business owner found us through ChatGPT after his major bank denied his jumbo loan two weeks before closing — even though they had already issued his pre-approval. The reason the bank gave him: he had not yet filed his second-year (2025) business tax return. Not because his income was weak. Not because his

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  • Mortgage for Freelancers: How to Qualify on Variable Income

    Freelancers qualify for mortgages using bank statement loans, 1099 income loans, or both. Project-based income from clients, retainer deposits, agency disbursements, and gig platform payouts (Upwork, Fiverr, Toptal, Contra) all count when documented properly. The difference between freelancers and traditional W-2 borrowers isn’t the amount earned — it’s the variability and the tax-return distortion. Strong

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  • Mortgage for Consultants: How Independent Consultants Qualify

    Independent consultants qualify for mortgages using bank statement loans, 1099 income loans, or P&L statement loans. Project-based fees, monthly retainers, and engagement deposits all count as income when documented properly. Management consultants, IT consultants, healthcare consultants, strategy consultants, marketing consultants, and freelance specialists across every industry share the same core challenge: tax-return net income doesn’t

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  • Mortgage for Etsy Sellers: How Creative Entrepreneurs Qualify

    Etsy sellers qualify for mortgages using bank statement loans. Etsy Payments deposits — the regular disbursements Etsy sends to your bank account after netting out fees and refunds — count as business income. Whether you sell handmade goods, vintage items, craft supplies, digital downloads, or print-on-demand products, the documentation path is the same. The challenge

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  • Mortgage for Amazon Sellers: Qualify on FBA Income

    Amazon FBA sellers qualify for mortgages using bank statement loans — not conventional. Seller Central disbursements count as business deposits, the expense factor accounts for inventory cost of goods sold and Amazon fees, and tax-return net income gets ignored entirely. The reason is simple: an Amazon seller doing $1.5M in gross revenue with a strong

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  • Mortgage for Affiliate Marketers: How to Qualify on Commission Income

    Affiliate marketers qualify for mortgages using bank statement loans, 1099 income loans, or a combination of both. Commission deposits from Amazon Associates, Impact, ShareASale, CJ Affiliate, ClickBank, RewardStyle/LTK, and direct brand programs all count as income when documented properly. The challenges affiliate marketers face are different from W-2 borrowers — commission timing is variable, networks

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  • Can Influencers Get Mortgages? Yes — Here’s Exactly How

    Yes — but almost never through a conventional lender. The path is a bank statement loan that qualifies you on deposits, not tax returns. Yes, influencers can get mortgages — but almost never through a conventional lender. The path is a bank statement loan, which uses 12 or 24 months of deposits as the income

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  • What Income Counts for a Self-Employed Mortgage? The Complete Documentation Guide

    What income counts for a self-employed mortgage depends entirely on which program you’re applying under. Conventional lenders use net income from tax returns. Bank statement loans use 12 or 24 months of business or personal deposits. 1099 loans use the gross totals on your 1099 forms. P&L statement loans use the net profit on a

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  • Self-Employed Mortgage With Less Than One Year of Self-Employment

    A self-employed mortgage with less than one year of self-employment history is possible — but only in specific scenarios. Most mortgage programs require a 2-year minimum self-employment history. The exceptions exist when the borrower transitioned from a W-2 role in the same industry, has substantial verifiable assets, or qualifies under conventional’s 1-year self-employment provision through

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  • Self-Employed Mortgage Requirements: The Complete Checklist by Program

    Every self-employed loan program asks for different paperwork — and the same borrower can qualify for very different loan amounts depending on which one you pick. Self-employed mortgage requirements vary by program — and that’s the whole point. Conventional mortgages want two years of tax returns. Bank statement loans want 12 or 24 months of

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