- Totally get the circus analogy—never-ending juggling act.
- In my experience, credit unions were a bit more chill about documentation, but still wanted two years’ tax returns and all the extras.
- Overprepping is smart. I once brought a literal binder to an appointment... felt ridiculous, but it saved me a headache later.
- Hang in there—it’s a slog, but you’ll get through it.
Totally relate to the binder move—felt a bit over the top myself, but it paid off when they started asking for stuff I’d never even thought of. I’ve heard some people have luck with online lenders being less strict, but that kinda freaks me out. Did anyone here try going that route, or is it mostly just local banks and credit unions?
Tried an online lender once because I figured it’d be faster, but honestly, it was way more paperwork than my local credit union ever asked for. Maybe I just got unlucky, but I wouldn’t say they’re always less strict. The tech was nice, though...
Tried an online lender once because I figured it’d be faster, but honestly, it was way more paperwork than my local credit union ever asked for. Maybe I just got unlucky, but I wouldn’t say they’re always less strict. The tech was nice, though...
That’s pretty much what I ran into, too. I kept hearing that online lenders were supposed to be “streamlined” and “easy,” but when I actually started the process, it felt like they wanted every document I’d ever signed in my life. I get that being a freelancer means more hoops, but it was honestly more intense than I expected. My local bank just wanted two years of tax returns and some bank statements. The online lender? They wanted profit and loss statements, letters from clients, explanations for every deposit over $500... it got a little ridiculous.
The tech side was definitely smoother—uploading docs, tracking progress, all that. But the actual requirements didn’t feel any lighter. If anything, it felt like the algorithms flagged every little thing for extra scrutiny. Maybe that’s just the tradeoff for not having a person you can sit down with and explain stuff to.
I do wonder if it’s partly because online lenders don’t know you at all, so they have to be extra careful. My credit union already had my accounts and history, so maybe they were more comfortable taking a risk. Either way, I wouldn’t say online is always easier, especially if your income isn’t super straightforward.
Honestly, I thought I was being clever by going digital, but it ended up being more work than just walking into the branch down the street. Maybe it’s just the freelancer thing, but I’m not convinced online is the shortcut everyone says it is.
