Your accountant did their job. The bank punished you.
They wrote off the truck, the tools, the office and the travel. Your taxable income came out low, which is what you paid them for.
Then a bank read that same return and said no.
Send 12 months of statements. No credit check to start.
- Your return shows almost no profit
- You are paid on 1099 or by commission
- Your money comes from several places
- Your business is under two years old
- A bank already turned you down
A home+loan+for+self+employed borrower is not judged the same way a W2 employee is. Mortgage financing for self-employed buyers looks at the money that reaches your account, not the figure left after write-offs.
Licensed mortgage broker · NMLS 179997
Office in Vienna, Virginia
We speak 8 languages
The problem is the paperwork, not your money.
Underwriting looks at the profit left after write-offs, not your total business income.
The tax strategy that saves you money can also reduce your self-employed mortgage qualifying income. About 43% of denied purchase applications in 2025 cited too much debt relative to income.
A lower reported income can make qualifying harder, even when you can comfortably afford the payment.
The issue is often that traditional underwriting is designed around W2 income. A self-employed mortgage lender’s panel built around an anon-QMM loan can offer more flexible underwriting because the lender keeps the loan instead of selling it.
Which one of these is you?
Almost every self-employed mortgage starts in one of these six spots. Find the one closest to your business.
Your return shows almost nothing
Sales are healthy. Profit after write-offs for gear, vehicles, and the office is not. A bank statement loan counts deposits instead, and a 10% down payment is often enough.
You are paid on 1099s
Your 1099 income is high,g and your net is much lower. A self-employed mortgage built on 1099 income uses the gross with a set allowance, which lifts your qualifying income.
Your money comes from several places
Rideshare, delivery, contracts, agency work. A profit and loss sheet from your accountant can carry the file with no tax returns.
Your business is under two years old
Banks want two years. Some non-QM loan lenders will write a self-employed mortgage over twelve months, and which ones are not published anywhere
Your money is invested, not paid to you
Asset depletion turns savings into qualifying income by spreading it over a set term, with no tax returns involved. Not every lender offers asset depletion.
A bank already said no
That was about paperwork, not whether you can pay. Anon-QMM loan lender sets its own rules, so one no says nothing about the next.
A bank checks income one way. We check it five.
If your money does not arrive the way a bank expects, they stop. A self-employed home loan file just uses a different way.
Full doc
Tax returns and W2s are included here. This option is the absolute cheapest when your paperwork fits properly. Because of this benefit, we thoroughly test everything before processing any official bank statement loan to save you money.
Bank statements
Twelve or 24 months of deposits on a bank statement loan, no tax returns at all. Most bank statement loan files land here. Ask us how many months of bank statements for mortgage approval your specific lender will need, since it varies by program.
Profit and loss
A sheet directly from your accountant means no tax returns and zero redoing of your books. It carries the exact same qualifying income weight, making your mortgage application smooth, fast, and entirely easy throughout the comprehensive underwriting process.
Your 1099s
Gross 1099 income comes with a set allowance and is often considered the highest qualifying income of the three available options. We help you properly calculate and present these specific earnings to maximize your borrowing power effectively and securely.
Your assets
Asset depletion allows a system where your true wealth remains actively invested rather than paid out as a traditional salary. This alternative strategy successfully turns your large investment portfolio into qualifying income for your home mortgage approval process.
Here is how a bank statement mortgage counts your money. The lender adds your deposits, removes transfers, then takes off an expense factor of roughly 10% to 50%, set by your trade.
What is left, divided by the months, becomes the qualifying income on your bank statement loan. That expense factor is where files are won. A service business should not be assumed to spend half its income, and arguing the expense factor is worth tens of thousands a year.
A bank has one answer. We have several.
Expect a down payment of 10% to 20%, a credit score of 620, and a rate a little above a normal loan. A bigger down payment buys a better rate here than elsewhere, and a strong credit score does the same. Try our self-employed mortgage calculator or a general mortgage calculator for self-employed buyers to see where your numbers land before you apply.
We test full doc first
If your returns already work, you should not pay non-QMM loan pricing or a bigger down payment. We check that first, and if a jumbo balance is involved, our jumbo loans page covers self-employed jumbo qualification specifically.
We argue the expense factor
A low-cost business should never carry a heavy restaurant expense factor. Most regular borrowers unfortunately never realize that this calculation is entirely negotiable with their chosen lender.
We know who takes twelve months
Business age rules differ by lender, and none are publicly published. Having a stronger credit score significantly widens your list of available financing options further.
We plan your exit at the start
Many people hold a self-employed mortgage for two or three years, then move to a normal loan once the returns catch up, sometimes into a standard conventional loan or an FHA loan once full documentation qualifies on its own.
SAI Mortgage, Inc.
Is committed to helping you find the right mortgage product for your needs, whether you’re exploring a home mortgage loan, considering a home mortgage loan in Virginia, or comparing other financing options. We understand that every borrower is different, and as self-employed home lenders, we offer a variety of products to meet your individual requirements, ensuring you receive guidance that fits your unique financial goals.
Three steps. That is it.
Most people are pre-approved within two days.
Tell us how you get paid
A short call, in your language if you like. No credit check yet.
We shop it for you
We check many lenders and send you what you qualify for, in writing.
You get the keys
We handle the rest and close on the date you need.
Licensed in Virginia, DC and Maryland.
From our office in Vienna, we serve buyers across the Commonwealth, and your file follows you if you move across state lines. Veterans who are also self-employed should see our VA loans page for how VA financing pairs with bank statements or 1099 income documentation.
Northern Virginia
I-95 Corridor
Hampton Roads
Central & Western Virginia
What people ask us first.
The questions that come up on almost every call.
Do I really give no tax returns?
On a bank statement loan, 1099, or profit and loss program, yes. No tax returns means no returns, not no paperwork.
How many months of statements?
Most programs ask for bank statements for home loan approval covering 12 or 24 consecutive months, though a small number of lenders offer a 3-month bank statement loan for very strong, recently self-employed files. We confirm exact bank statements for mortgage requirements once we know which lender fits your income pattern.
Personal or business accounts?
Either can work. Personal accounts are simpler to document, while business accounts sometimes qualify for a higher expense factor allowance depending on the lender and your industry.
What credit score do I need?
Most bank statement loans start at a 620 credit score, though bank statement loan interest rates improve noticeably at 680 and again at 720. A stronger score also widens the list of bank statement loan lenders willing to work with a newer business.
Can I buy a rental this way?
Yes. Bank statements, 1099s, and profit and loss statements can all be used for investment property purchases, though expect a slightly larger down payment and a modest rate increase compared with a primary residence file.
Send twelve months. We tell you what fits.
No credit pull to start. We tell you which paperwork fits your business before anything is run.
Most of our self-employed mortgage files come from owners, contractors, and consultants across Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun,n and Montgomery counties. Start on our homepage to see every program at once.
No credit pull to start. We tell you which paperwork fits your business before anything is run.
Most of our self employed mortgage files come from owners, contractors and consultants across Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun and Montgomery counties.