Mortgage options for the self-employed

If you’re self-employed, you may have a more difficult time obtaining financing for your real estate purchases than you encountered just 18 months ago thanks to the recent recession. And as of April 9th, 2010, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) raised the required down payment amount, as well as decreased the percentage at which you can refinance an existing mortgage if you’re self-employed.

To add to the confusion, there are also new rules for those who have been self-employed for more than three years.

Still, if you can prove your income, show you’re up-to-date on your taxes and you have solid credit, your chances of being approved for a mortgage are greatly improved.

There are essentially two types of self-employed or business-for-self (BFS) borrowers – those who can prove their income and those who cannot, and must instead use a stated-income mortgage product. But, if you have been self-employed for more than three years, you can no longer use a stated-income product.

By providing the required documentation, you’re much more likely to be approved for a mortgage if you qualify based on your income. The trouble is that if you cannot prove your income, you pose a higher risk in the eyes of lenders.

CMHC currently offers default mortgage insurance for people who have been self-employed less than three years through a stated-income mortgage product up to 90% loan to value (LTV) – meaning the down payment can be as low as 10% of the purchase price. But prior to April 9th, 2010, the maximum LTV for self-employed individuals was 95% for purchases – meaning the down payment would have only been 5% instead of the current 10%.

And if a BFS individual wishes to refinance an existing mortgage, the maximum loan amount was reduced to 85% from the previous 90% of the home’s value.

Regardless of the maximum LTV, however, the income amount you are stating has to make sense based on your occupation. This is important, because the chances of finding lenders to fund this type of deal are significantly boosted if the mortgage is insured.

Lenders and insurers are well aware of the tax write-offs that BFS borrowers can leverage, but these deals are accepted or declined based on average incomes for specific fields, as well as your credit rating. It pretty much goes without saying that those with credit blemishes will have a tough time obtaining mortgage financing if they’re self-employed.

Getting pre-approved
While BFS mortgage financing is viewed on a case-by-case basis, if you work with a licensed mortgage professional to obtain a pre-approval, you can be confident you have access to mortgage financing and you will know how much you can spend before you head out shopping for a property.