Totally agree about having a backup—been there, done that, and it's a mess. Another tip: if you're self-employed, sometimes a letter from your accountant explaining your income can smooth things out. Worked wonders for me...though it cost me a coffee gift card.
Good point about the accountant letter, though honestly I've seen mixed results with that. Some lenders are picky and want everything neatly packaged in their own forms—no exceptions. Had a client once whose accountant wrote a glowing letter, but the underwriter barely glanced at it. Still, doesn't hurt to have it handy as an extra layer of credibility. Bottom line, always have multiple options lined up because you never know when one lender's "flexible" is another's "no way."
I've gotta say, accountant letters have rarely moved the needle in my experience. Had a buddy whose accountant practically wrote poetry about his finances—underwriter didn't even blink. Sometimes it feels like lenders just tick boxes and ignore the nuance...
I've actually seen accountant letters make a difference, but it really depends on how they're framed. Had a similar situation myself—initially, the lender barely glanced at it. Then my accountant revised the letter to specifically address the lender's concerns point-by-point (like clarifying income stability and explaining fluctuations clearly). After that, things moved forward pretty smoothly. Maybe it's less about poetic praise and more about directly addressing the underwriter's checklist? Just a thought...
Had a client run into something similar a while back. Their accountant initially wrote a pretty generic letter, and the lender barely blinked at it. But when they revised it to directly tackle the underwriter's specific concerns—like clearly explaining income dips during certain months and emphasizing long-term stability—it made a noticeable difference. Seems lenders just want reassurance on their checklist points rather than general praise. Maybe it's about speaking their language more than anything else...?
