Can I get a mortgage if I just started my business?
The full answer
A business under a year old is the toughest self-employed scenario, because there's not yet enough income history for any standard method — two years of returns for conventional, or even 12 months of deposits for many bank statement loans.
The most reliable move, if a purchase is near, is to buy while you still have W-2 income, which qualifies immediately. If you've already gone independent, the practical choices are to wait until you reach a 12–24 month history, or find a non-QM lender that accepts a one-year history when you have prior W-2 experience in the same field and strong compensating factors (credit, reserves, larger down payment).
In the meantime, set up clean books and a dedicated business account from day one — it makes you financeable far sooner once you reach the history threshold.
Related questions
- Can I get a mortgage with only 1 year of self-employment?
- How many years do you need to be self-employed to get a mortgage?
- Can I get a mortgage as a gig worker (Uber, DoorDash, freelance)?
Sources
Educational information only — not financial advice, and not a quote, pre-approval, or offer of credit. Program rules and ranges are illustrative and vary by lender. Mortgage Merlin is a publisher, not a lender or broker.