Getting a jumbo loan while being self-employed isn’t very much different than getting any other type of loan. In fact, most homebuyers that utilize jumbo financing today are self-employed.
Jumbo loans are mortgages above the $766,550 conforming loan limit (except for a few high-cost locations) and do have some extra qualification guidelines compared to other loan types. Let’s take a look at some of the basic jumbo loan guidelines applied to the self-employed.
Someone who is considered self-employed obtains income from sources other than an employer and from a business. For those who do work for an employer, jumbo lenders ask for the most recent paycheck stubs, W2 forms and a completed employment verification form.
Most such borrowers get paid regularly, such as the 1st and 15th of each month yet the self-employed don’t have such an arrangement. Instead, the self-employed borrower gets paid when the services or products they provide are paid for by their clients. A self-employed borrower can get income from various sources.
Jumbo mortgage guidelines for the self-employed provide third-party documentation to the lender that shows consistent income that is likely to continue well into the future. This is done primarily by providing the two most recent federal income tax returns. The net income reported on these two returns is averaged over the two-year period and should be consistent from one year to the next.
For example, a self-employed borrower shows $185,000 in income one year and $200,000 the next. The lender then adds those together to get $385,000 and then divides by 24 (months) to arrive at qualifying income. In this example, the income used is $16,041 per month.
It should also be noted here that lenders today will also contact the IRS directly for copies of those very same transcripts and compared with the ones provided by the borrower. In addition, the IRS must confirm the transcripts have been received and accepted by the IRS. This can sometimes present delays when borrowers have submitted their federal income tax returns for the previous year but because the returns were delivered during “tax season” the IRS is backlogged with requests.
It’s not uncommon for a borrower to file their returns while at the same time applying for a mortgage. Because jumbo lending guidelines require the two most recent returns, it’s possible the most recent may have been filed but not yet accepted by the IRS. In this instance, the borrowers may have to wait for the loan application to proceed until the IRS issues the acceptance designation.
Business owners will also need to provide a year to date profit and loss statement in addition to their most recent bank statements. Sometimes lenders can ask for up to 12 months of statements in order to not necessarily verify sufficient cash to close but to verify consistent income from month-to-month. If the qualifying income is $16,041 per month the lender will then look for an average amount of at least that amount every month.
Jumbo lenders do have some flexibility and if there doesn’t necessarily have to be exactly that amount each month but have demonstrated the funds deposited are consistent as well as making the determination the income will continue well into the future.
Other Jumbo Requirements:
Other lending guidelines apply such as qualifying credit scores, typically at least 700 credit score depending on the down payment. In addition, acceptable debt ratios and sufficient funds to close the transaction. Funds to close include cash necessary for a down payment and closing costs, as well as cash reserves needed after the loan has closed and funded.
These requirements apply to both purchase and refinance transactions. Buyers can learn more about the Jumbo program down payment requirements on the Jumbo Loan page.
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