Yeah, the “common-sense” lenders aren’t exactly handing out shortcuts. I refinanced last year and it felt like I was prepping for an audit—tax returns, profit/loss, letters from my accountant... the works. Guess they just don’t trust us freelancers to keep the lights on.
Yeah, I totally get that “audit” feeling. When I went through it, they wanted two years of tax returns and then grilled me about every dip in income—even though my overall trend was up. It’s like they expect freelancers to be one missed invoice away from disaster. Did you find any lenders who were actually willing to look at your whole financial picture, or was it just box-checking the whole way?
I’ve seen that happen a lot—lenders really zero in on every little fluctuation, even if the big picture is solid. Honestly, I’ve worked with a few who’ll actually take time to understand the story behind the numbers, but it’s rare. Most just want to tick boxes and move on. There was one case where a lender actually asked for client contracts and future invoices, which helped, but that’s definitely not the norm. It’s frustrating because self-employed folks usually have to work twice as hard to prove stability, even when their income is trending up.
Totally get what you mean—sometimes I feel like lenders expect me to have a crystal ball and a time machine. Like, sorry, my income isn’t a straight line on a graph, but does anyone’s life actually work that way? I once had to explain a dip in my earnings because I took a two-week vacation. They acted like I’d committed financial sabotage. Ever wonder if they’d survive a year freelancing themselves?
It’s wild how much scrutiny they put on every tiny fluctuation. I had a lender question a single quarter where my rental income dipped because I did some renovations—like, apparently investing in your own property is a red flag now? I get that they need to assess risk, but sometimes it feels like they’re looking for reasons to say no rather than actually understanding how self-employed income works. The straight-line expectation just doesn’t match reality, especially in real estate or any freelance field.
