Self-employed, 1099, or running your own business? Your income is real — it just doesn't fit a bank's conventional box. There are loans built for exactly that.
Smart business owners write off every expense they legally can — which is great at tax time, and frustrating at mortgage time, because it shrinks the income a conventional lender will count. Here's the way around it.
Conventional loans want two years of tax returns and count your net income after write-offs. For the self-employed, that number rarely reflects what you actually earn.
These loans look at your bank deposits, your 1099s, or a profit-and-loss statement instead of your tax returns — a truer picture of what you bring in.
We match you to the program that fits how you get paid, so a strong business finally counts the way it should. Eligibility depends on the full file.
There's no single "self-employed loan" — there are several, each reading your income a different way. We find the one that fits your situation. Because they qualify you without tax returns, these programs often carry a higher rate, a larger down payment, or added reserves than a conventional loan — we'll weigh that with you.
Qualify on the money that actually flows through your business or personal accounts — lenders count a portion of those deposits as income, no tax returns needed. A go-to for established self-employed borrowers.
Independent contractor or gig income? Qualify using your 1099 forms rather than full tax returns — lenders count a portion of that income, built for how 1099 earners really get paid.
For business owners with a clear P&L, some programs qualify you on that statement — often prepared with your CPA — instead of returns.
Asset-rich but light on documentable income — say someone with substantial savings or a seller of a business? Certain programs can qualify you from your assets.
Southwest Florida runs on small businesses and independent earners. If you're any of these, there's likely a path — even if a bank already turned you down.
Tell me a little about you and what you're hoping to buy, and I'll follow up with the path that fits — no full application yet, no hard credit pull, no obligation.
Ready to dive in? Start your full application →
Background reading on how self-employed borrowers actually get approved. The full guides add the document checklists and the underwriting detail behind each path.
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