Man, this hits home. I swear, my tax guy and my mortgage broker must think I’m running two different businesses. I try to write off everything I can—because, you know, taxes—but then the bank looks at my “income” and acts like I’m living on ramen noodles. Has anyone actually found a lender who’ll look at cash flow or bank statements instead of just that net income line? Or is that just a unicorn situation?
Yeah, it’s wild how the system works against you when you’re self-employed. There are lenders out there who’ll do “bank statement loans” or look at cash flow instead of just your tax returns, but they’re not the big-name banks—usually smaller lenders or credit unions. Rates can be a bit higher and the paperwork’s still a pain, but it’s not a total unicorn. Just gotta shop around and be ready to explain your numbers.
