Man, this is hitting way too close to home. I remember thinking, “Hey, I make decent money, what’s the problem?” Then the lender basically looked at my tax returns and acted like I was trying to buy a mansion with Monopoly money. The whole “net income” thing is wild—like, sorry for being responsible and writing off business expenses? I did finally find a lender who looked at my bank statements instead, but it took a LOT of digging. The hoops are real, but at least there are a few workarounds if you’re stubborn enough.
Man, I totally get where you’re coming from. It’s wild how lenders act like you’re trying to pull a fast one just because you’re self-employed and actually use the tax breaks you’re allowed. Did you feel like every lender had a different “rule” too? I remember thinking, how is anyone supposed to know which docs matter most? Glad you stuck it out and found someone who’d work with you. Makes me wonder if there are other creative ways people have gotten around the whole net income mess...