Learn To Be A Fix & Flip Investor: How to Clean up Your Finances to Get a Self Employment Home Loan

Thursday, August 27, 2015

How to Clean up Your Finances to Get a Self Employment Home Loan

Being self-employed can be both a benefit and liability when it comes to your financial life. Various tax deductions and business credits can be very lucrative but they can also bite you when it comes time to get a home loan. There are several ways that you can get your finances in order so that you can be sure to qualify for a self employment home loan.

Getting a home loan when you are self-employed can be difficult. Many business owners take advantage of several tax deductions to lower their tax liability and write off legitimate business expenses. Unfortunately, when the bank looks at your tax returns this can make it appear that you lost money on your business, even if you in fact had a good year. Also, various business loans or losses can affect your personal credit and lower your score. This can also be a deal breaker for many traditional lenders who may laugh you out of the bank when you come in for a loan.

While this may be embarrassing, it is also avoidable. If you are thinking of purchasing a property, whether for an investment, vacation home, or primary residence, there are certain steps you can take to clean up your finances to give you the best shot of qualifying for a self employment home loan.

· Clean up your tax returns for two years prior to attempting to get a loan. Take less deductions to make your taxable income higher. While you may pay more taxes, it will also make it easier to qualify for a home loan.

· Stash away extra cash. While factors like credit score and debt to income ratio are important, money talks and often it speaks the loudest. Having a large down payment and a year of living expenses in the bank can often make you look like a more attractive loan candidate, even if your finances are less than ideal on paper.

· Separate your personal and business finances. Think about incorporating your business into an LLC or other entity to keep it separate from your personal accounts. Pay yourself a salary and charge any and all business expenses to a business credit card. If you get a business loan, keep it in your business name, not your personal name. Keep your business accounts and personal bank accounts separate. This will lower your debt to income ratio and keep all of your business taxes separate so you can still take advantage of all the deductions you are entitled to without affecting your chances of qualifying for a home loan.

· Keep meticulous records. One thing that can be a serious problem for many business owners is that it can be tricky to prove exactly how much money you make, especially if it is coming from different sources. Having good records will make it easier to prove your income when it comes time to get a self employment homeloan.

When all Else Fails….

Even with the above steps, you may still find it difficult to get a home loan. Don’t give up hope. A traditional loan may not work for you, but there are many other types of loans that can help you. Find a private mortgage broker or lender to find the self employment home loan that you need. A few types of loans that can help you are:

1. A traditional loan from a non-traditional lender. A private lender can often give out 30 year fixed mortgages to borrowers that would otherwise be turned away by banks. Be aware that you will most likely pay a higher interest rate but this is often worth it in the long run.

2. Hard money loans and private collateral loans. Private lenders have access to different types of loans and funding that banks do. You can take advantage of their private collateral self employment home loans that can work to your benefit.

3. Stated income mortgage. These fell out of vogue with banks during the housing crash but may still be available with a private lender. There is less paperwork and your income does not require as stringent of verification, making it ideal if your record keeping is less than perfect.

Find a private broker or lender today to learn more about all of the benefits of a self employment home loan.

Call us a Level 4 Funding today to discuss your home loan options. We can help you get the loan you need with the terms you deserve. Don’t let being self-employed hold you back. We can help!