I've run into something similar myself. Once spent hours breaking down every tiny detail—vacancy, maintenance, even factoring in local job market trends—and the lender just skimmed it and asked about comps instead. Honestly, I think it comes down to their comfort zone. Maybe they trust market data more than projections because it's less subjective? Curious if anyone's had luck presenting projections in a simpler format—like a one-page summary rather than a full spreadsheet—and gotten better traction with lenders that way...
- Honestly, lenders barely glance at projections because they're just educated guesses—too easy to manipulate.
- Comps are concrete, verifiable data points. Maybe simplifying helps, but I'd bet they're still gonna lean heavily on market history over forecasts...
I see your point about comps being more reliable—definitely makes sense since they're based on actual market data. But from what I've gathered during my own loan process, lenders do still glance at projections, especially if they're realistic and backed by solid assumptions. I think the key is to keep projections conservative and clearly justified. At least that's what my broker advised me, and it seemed to help smooth things out a bit...
"I think the key is to keep projections conservative and clearly justified."
Exactly this. When I refinanced last year, my lender definitely gave my projections a look—but only because they were conservative and tied directly to local trends. Lenders appreciate realism over optimism every time...
Had a similar experience when I went for a DSCR loan a couple years back. I initially thought being optimistic would help my case, but the lender practically laughed me out of the room. Came back with more grounded numbers, backed by local comps and rental histories, and suddenly they were all ears. Curious though, has anyone found lenders who are more flexible with projections if you've got a solid track record already established?
