A
stated income mortgage can be a valuable mortgage type for individuals who are
self-employed or make their living on seasonal employment. Without traditional
income verification a stated income mortgage does not require the same documentation of income as a traditional
home loan.
When
you apply for a home loan, they will look at your financial life under a
microscope. You will be asked to provide bank statements, tax records, support
documents like W-2s, pay stubs, employer verification, and a host of other
financial and personal documents. This is done in an effort by the bank to
determine the risks of default of a particular borrower. Since the bank is
lending such a large sum of money in a home mortgage transaction, it takes
special care to lend to qualified buyers who can repay the loan.
For
most people, providing documentation of their income is as easy as sending an
electronic copy of their paystub. However, there are certain situations where
providing a pay stub is nearly impossible. For these borrowers, it is beneficial
to apply for a stated income mortgage.
In this type of loan the buyer does not have to provide documentation of his
income and is taken at his word as far as how much money he makes.
One
situation where a stated income mortgage
is beneficial is in the case of being self-employed. A person who owns his
own business might not receive the same income each month as his income is
based on when business is doing well. Instead of having to provide two paystubs
that give only a partial picture of his income, a stated income mortgage allow him to include his income for the
year, not just a single month.
A similar situation in which a borrower would benefit from a
stated income mortgage is in the
case of seasonal employment. Take for example a fisherman who makes the
majority of his money in the winter. If he goes to buy a home in the summer, he
will not have paystubs to show his earnings. So, even if he makes over $100,000
each fishing season he could be denied a home loan. A stated income mortgage would allow him to use his entire income to
qualify for a loan. In addition to
seasonal employment, there are careers with other non-standard income
schedules. A Realtor would be a good example of such a career. A Realtor may
make $8,000.00 in commission one month, nothing the next, $16,000.00 the third
and then nothing for 3 months. Although the agent is making enough money to
purchase a home, the instability of her income might disqualify her from
obtaining a traditional loan. By using a stated
income mortgage she could account for all of her income, even if she isn’t
earning any during the current month.
Individuals who earn money from investments can also benefit
from a stated income mortgage. Many
investors, particularly real estate investors, have a high debt to income
ratio. However, because they often own multiple properties their disposable
income can be quite high. A traditional mortgage would look at the numbers and
the debt ratio and not consider how much income the properties were generating.
A stated income mortgage would allow
the investor to qualify, even with a high amount of debt due to properties
owned.
Arguments against Stated Income Mortgages
One of the main criticisms of stated income mortgages is
that they are an easy target for fraud. Since income is not verified using
traditional documentation, it is easy for an applicant to overstate his income.
For this reason stated income mortgages have been given the rather unflattering
nickname of “liar’s loans.” An investigation into stated income loans by the
IRS and various lending companies showed that there has in fact been a
significant amount of loans where the income claimed for the loan was higher
than what was reported to the IRS. Approximately 60% of stated income loans
were over-inflated.
Although it is a bit shocking that 60% of stated income mortgage applicants
overstated their income, there are a variety of reasons and factors that could
have influenced this. The most obvious is that the borrowers lied about their
income to qualify for a higher loan amount. This would be especially
problematic because it could lead to an increase in loan default and
foreclosure rates. Another reason that there could be discrepancy in the two
declared incomes could be that what is reported to the IRS is less than what
the individual actually made. For example, many servers do not declare tips
(although they should be as not doing so is illegal) so their tax income and
actual take home pay may be different.
If you are in a situation where you are having difficulty
qualifying for a traditional home loan because of the instability in your
income source or difficulty providing proof of income, a stated income mortgage could be a good option for you. Contact a
mortgage broker to learn more about all of your home loan options.
Level 4 Funding LLC
Dennis Dahlberg, Broker/RI/CEO
NMLS 1058389 AZMB 0923961
23335 N 18th Drive
Suite 120
Phoenix AZ 85027
623-582-4444