Being self-employed can be a beautiful thing because it allows for you to work when you want, the way you want, without anyone looking over your shoulder asking you when something will be done. While there is a lot of freedom and benefits of being self-employed, it can make some other things more difficult, such as securing home loans. If you are self employed and you would like to buy a home you should be aware that it may take you some time to find the right offer, or in some cases, any offer at all.

Home Loans When You're Self-Employed

Home Loans

When you're self-employed, many lenders are hesitant to lend to you because you cannot promise that you will have the same income every month. When a lender lends to someone with a "regular" job, they have some safety in knowing that the borrower makes the same amount of money each year or each hour. This allows them to see that the payment can be made, but the lender has to question this a bit more when there is not a salary or base hourly pay.

If you have been self-employed for more than two years, you will find that it may be a bit easier to get the financing that you need. If you have been self-employed for less than two years, it may be difficult, if not impossible, to get a conventional lender to help you out. If you have been self-employed for longer and you can show some stability through tax forms, you may be able to appease the lender.

The thing to keep in mind is that even if you can provide the lender with tax forms that show that you have a stable income you will likely be paying an interest rate that is two to three percentage points higher than someone else with the same credit standing and yearly income. This increase in interest on home loans for the self-employed is simply due to the fact that the lender feels that they have more risk with the self-employed.

There are some ways to get around this sort of problem. A lot of people choose to go with stated income home loans or they decide that they will simply assume a mortgage from someone else. These are viable options, assuming that you can do this, as they will help you get into a home without all of the problems that many self-employed people face.

While it can be more difficult for the self-employed to secure home loans it is not impossible. You should look for lenders that specialize in hard to finance loans or even in self-employment loans. When you deal with someone who does a lot of these loans they may have certain things that they do or require of you that will help you get the financing that you need without seeing a huge increase in interest rates. Don't give up before you get started; just be aware that you may have to work a bit harder at getting home loans than the average person. Home ownership can be a reality for the self-employed; you just might have to be more creative about getting the loan that you need!