Straightforward loans priced sharply. Complicated ones actually placed.
An independent broker shopping 140+ wholesale lenders — not a bank selling one menu. Self-employed, DSCR, bank statement and non-standard files are the everyday work here, not the exception. No fee, no obligation, and pre-approval typically under an hour.
competing for your file
across all situations
no fee, no obligation
to look at pricing
The files a standard lender hands back.
Most lenders are built around one borrower profile: two years of W-2 income, clean credit, a conventional property. Anything outside that gets a decline and a shrug, because the lender has nowhere else to put it.
Shopping 140+ wholesale lenders means there is somewhere else to put it. These are not edge cases here — they are a large share of the work.
- Self-employed with heavy write-offs — bank statement, P&L and 1099 programs that read deposits rather than net income
- Investors past their DTI limit — DSCR loans where the rent qualifies the property, not you
- Substantial assets, modest reported income — asset depletion converts a portfolio into qualifying income
- Recent bankruptcy, foreclosure or short sale — programs starting as little as one day out of a credit event
- Non-warrantable condos — litigation, investor concentration or reserve shortfalls that conventional will not touch
- Foreign nationals and ITIN borrowers — no US credit history or Social Security number required
- Unusual property — mixed use, large acreage, manufactured, or construction a standard appraisal struggles with
- Complex income — multiple entities, restricted stock, foreign income, or anything no standard form anticipates
One application. 140+ lenders bidding on it.
A bank quotes you a bank. Your file is measured against one set of guidelines, and if it does not fit cleanly, that is your problem to solve.
A broker puts your exact scenario in front of the wholesale market and brings back the two or three structures that genuinely win — with the reasoning written out so you can see why.
- On simple files the benefit is pricing. Lenders price the same borrower differently, and the spread is real money over thirty years.
- On complex files the benefit is approval. Guidelines vary enormously, and one lender's decline says nothing about the next.
- Broker compensation is disclosed on every Loan Estimate. A bank's margin sits inside the rate and is never disclosed at all.
Start here — most people fit one of these five.
Each says who it is for and what the trade-off is. The right answer depends far more on your situation than on the headline rate.
Most common
Who it fits: Solid credit, documentable income, down payment from 3% for qualified first-time buyers or 5% otherwise.
The trade-off: Mortgage insurance applies under 20% down, but unlike FHA it cancels once you reach sufficient equity — which usually makes it cheaper over the life of the loan.
Flexible credit
Who it fits: Lower credit scores, thinner credit history, or a higher debt-to-income ratio. 3.5% down.
The trade-off: Mortgage insurance generally stays for the life of the loan at low down payments. Often the right way in, and frequently worth refinancing out of later.
Zero down
Who it fits: Eligible service members, veterans and certain surviving spouses. No down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance.
The trade-off: A one-time funding fee for most borrowers, waived for those with a service-connected disability rating. Usually the strongest option available if you qualify.
Zero down
Who it fits: Buyers in eligible rural and many suburban areas, within income limits. No down payment.
The trade-off: Geographic and income restrictions apply. The eligible map is far broader than the word "rural" suggests — worth checking before ruling it out.
Above conforming
Who it fits: Loan amounts above the conforming limit for your county — which in higher-cost markets arrives sooner than people expect.
The trade-off: Tighter reserve and credit requirements, and pricing varies widely between lenders. This is exactly where shopping the wholesale market pays most.
Your tax return is not your income.
The write-offs that legitimately save you money in April are the same ones that make your qualifying income look small in June. A bank reads line 31 and declines. That is not a judgement about your business — it is one lender applying one formula.
- Bank statement loans. Qualify on 12 or 24 months of deposits instead of tax returns.
- Profit-and-loss programs. A CPA-prepared P&L carries the income documentation.
- 1099 programs. Underwritten from your 1099 income with an expense factor applied.
- Asset depletion. Substantial assets convert into qualifying income even with modest reported earnings.
- Recent self-employment. Some lenders work with less than the traditional two-year history where the background supports it.
A common pattern
A borrower with a healthy business shows modest net income after deductions. The bank's formula produces a qualifying figure that will not support the house. Nothing about their actual ability to pay has changed — only the document being read.
A bank statement program reads the deposits instead. Same borrower, same business, entirely different outcome.
Worth knowing: these programs price above conventional — that is the cost of the flexibility. Often the right move is to use one now and refinance into conventional once the returns support it, and that plan should be made deliberately at the start.
Let the property qualify, not you.
Conventional financing counts every mortgage you hold against your debt-to-income ratio, which is why investors hit a wall around the fourth or fifth property regardless of how well those properties perform.
- DSCR loans. Qualification based on the rent versus the payment, not your income.
- No debt-to-income test in the conventional sense, and no cap on financed properties at most lenders.
- LLC vesting is generally acceptable, which matters for how you hold title.
- Cash-out refinance on a performing property to fund the next acquisition.
- Portfolio loans covering several doors under a single facility.
- 2–4 unit properties, including owner-occupied house hacking at low down payments.
How DSCR is calculated
Divide the property's gross monthly rent by the total monthly payment including principal, interest, taxes, insurance and HOA. A ratio of 1.0 means the property exactly covers itself; above 1.0 it produces surplus.
Most lenders want at least 1.0, and pricing improves as the ratio rises.
Note the gap: DSCR measures debt coverage, not profit. Vacancy, maintenance, capital expenditure and management are not in the ratio. A property can qualify comfortably and still lose money — which is why we run the real numbers separately before you bid.
Put the equity you already have to work.
Equity sitting in a property earns nothing directly. Released properly it becomes the down payment on an investment property, the funding for a renovation, tuition, business capital, or a way to clear far more expensive debt.
The important part is how you release it. There are three routes and they are not interchangeable — particularly if your existing mortgage rate is well below current market.
- Cash-out refinance — replaces the whole mortgage. Best when your current rate is at or above market, because you improve everything in one transaction.
- Home equity loan or second lien — a fixed sum at a fixed rate, leaving your first mortgage untouched. Usually far cheaper if you hold a low rate.
- HELOC — a revolving line you draw on as needed, paying interest only on what you use. Best when the need is staged or uncertain.
The comparison most people never run. On a $400,000 balance at 3.25% with a $60,000 need: a cash-out refinance at current rates reprices the entire $460,000. A second lien prices only the $60,000 and leaves the 3.25% alone. The second option is dramatically cheaper despite the higher headline rate on the increment — so all three get priced before you decide.
Every route, priced side by side.
A refinance only makes sense if you keep the loan past the break-even month. That figure should be in writing before you spend anything.
Rate-and-term refinance
Lower the rate or shorten the term. Closing costs divided by monthly savings gives your break-even in months. If you will move before then, it does not pay.
Find my break-evenCash-out for investment
Release equity to fund the down payment on a rental, a renovation, or business capital. We check the new payment against what the money will actually earn before you commit.
Second lien or HELOC
If your existing rate is well below current market, borrowing only the increment is usually far cheaper than refinancing the whole balance. We price both.
Removing mortgage insurance
Refinancing out of FHA into conventional can remove mortgage insurance entirely — occasionally worth it even at a similar rate.
Streamline options
FHA and VA both offer streamlined refinance paths with reduced documentation and no appraisal for existing borrowers.
Already have a quote?
Send the Loan Estimate and you get it read line by line. If your current offer wins, you will be told to take it.
Get a second opinionOne lender's no is not the market's no.
A decline is one underwriter reading one lender's overlays. Different lenders draw those lines in genuinely different places — and with 140+ on the board, I get to ask all of them.
Non-warrantable condos
High investor concentration, litigation, or reserve shortfalls that conventional financing will not touch. Specific lenders will.
Recent credit events
Bankruptcy, foreclosure or short sale with shorter seasoning than standard waiting periods require — some programs go as little as one day out.
Foreign national buyers
No US credit history or Social Security number. Programs exist and are well established, including ITIN lending.
Unusual property types
Mixed-use, large acreage, manufactured homes, or unique construction that a standard appraisal struggles with.
High debt-to-income
Where the ratio is technically high but the file is strong elsewhere — reserves, assets, or a long payment history.
Complex income
Multiple entities, foreign income, restricted stock, or income arriving in a shape no standard form anticipates.
The full mortgage toolkit lives on my lending site.
Six calculators, a 21-program finder, live pricing across 140+ wholesale lenders, a complete document checklist and 40+ written answers — all open, no account, no credit pull, nothing stored.
Instant rate quote
Eight questions, then live wholesale pricing with the full cost breakdown.
Six calculators
Affordability, full payment, points and refi break-even, cash to close, rent vs buy.
Program finder
Five questions narrows 21 programs to the two or three worth pricing.
Document checklist
Exactly what to gather, split by situation, plus what quietly kills loans.
Asked most often.
How many lenders do you actually compare?
Over 140 wholesale lenders. Your scenario is priced across the board and the two or three structures that genuinely win come back with the trade-offs written out. There is no fee and no obligation, and pre-approval is typically back within the hour.
I am self-employed and my tax returns look thin. What now?
Bank statement programs qualify you on 12 or 24 months of deposits instead of tax returns. There are also profit-and-loss programs, 1099 programs and asset depletion. This is exactly the situation a broker is useful for.
Can you finance investment property beyond the usual limits?
Yes. DSCR loans underwrite the property's rent rather than your debt-to-income, most lenders place no cap on financed properties, and LLC vesting is generally acceptable.
Is the lowest rate always the cheapest loan?
No. A lower rate is usually bought with points paid at closing. If the break-even lands at eleven years and you move in five, the better-looking number cost you money. Rate, points, credits, mortgage insurance and holding period all move the answer.
Describe your situation and get a real answer.
Include the state, rough price, credit range and income type, and the answer comes back specific. Most files people were told were impossible simply needed a different lender. Call or text 24/7 — no fee, no obligation.
Available 24/7 · No fee, no obligation · NMLS 2705737 · Lending in 5 states · Real estate in 7 states · Equal Housing Opportunity