Self-employed borrowers come up against the challenge when they want to buy a home one of them not being able to simply present payslips and tax returns to back up their loan applications. But this need not stop you buying your dream home.
Many lenders offer loans for self-employed borrowers who can’t hand over payslips and employment records. This means that, rather than the usual documentation, you prove your ability to service a loan using bank statements, declarations from your accountant and financial records.
Of course, as with any mortgage application, you must still prove that your income outstrips your spending and you can service the loan. Getting this right is more than presenting a lender with a few quick sums on the back of a napkin; it can take a solid six to 12 months of preparation, this also will depend on the lender that is approached.
Here are some quick tips:
• Reduce debt: pay down credit cards and personal loans, and be sure to lower the credit limits as they are paid down, as lenders assess the total credit available to you as a potential debt level, not just the amount you owe.
• Cancel credit cards that you don’t need (this will affect credit scoring).
• speak to a Finance Broker about how the structure of your business and your taxable income will impact your ability to borrow.
• Do your taxes when you should, and always pay your tax assessments on time.
• Save: saving a deposit is obviously important, and showing your ability to live within your means while saving is too. This is key to serviceability you want to show at least a six-month history of high income and low expenses.
• Speak to a Finance Broker, rather than a bank. Finance Brokers have access to specialist lenders that assess applications on a case-by-case basis and tailor their products to self-employed borrowers and contractors, while bank lenders don’t.
Loans to self-employed do differ from standard loans in a few ways, apart from the application process. Lenders offset the extra risk they are taking when lending to a self-employed borrower or contractor by charging slightly higher interest rates and placing some extra rules on loan-to-value ratios (LVR) and mortgage insurance requirements.
Generally, you might expect an interest rate for such a loan to be one to two percentage points higher than for a full-documentation loan.
Most lenders will generally also insist on an LVR of no more than 80% meaning that under no circumstances will they lend more than 80% of the property value, as assessed by the lender.
In cases where the loan amount is for more than 60% of the property’s value, some lenders also require self-employed borrowers to pay for lenders’ mortgage insurance.