Mortgage loan comparisons
Two loans, side by side — qualifying method, down payment, credit, rates, and exactly who should choose which. Built for self-employed, investor, and newcomer borrowers weighing their options.
Self-employed & non-QM
- Compare6 min read
Bank statement loan vs. Conventional loan
The core self-employed decision: qualify on deposits (and skip the write-off problem) or on tax-return net income at the best rate.
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Asset depletion loan vs. Bank statement loan
Two non-QM paths: convert a large liquid portfolio into income, or qualify on business deposits. Asset-rich vs. cash-flow-rich.
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Bank statement loan vs. FHA loan
Self-employed with heavy write-offs vs. a small down payment: deposits-based qualifying vs. FHA's low 3.5% entry but tax-return income.
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P&L-only loan vs. Bank statement loan
Two no-tax-return paths: a CPA-prepared profit-and-loss statement vs. 12–24 months of deposits. Margins-on-paper vs. money-in-the-bank.
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Bank statement loan vs. 1099 loan
Two tax-return-free paths for independent earners: qualify on what lands in your account, or on what your 1099s say clients paid you.
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Asset depletion loan vs. Conventional loan
For retirees and the asset-rich/income-light, a formula turns the portfolio itself into qualifying income — at a price.
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1099 loan vs. Conventional loan
Independent-contractor income: qualify on the gross on your 1099s (minus an expense factor) or on tax-return net income at the lowest rate.
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P&L-only loan vs. Conventional loan
Qualify on a CPA-prepared profit-and-loss statement — sometimes with no bank statements at all — or on two years of tax-return net income at the lowest rate.
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1099 income loan vs. P&L-only loan
Two self-employed documentation methods: qualify off your 1099 totals with a fixed expense factor, or off a CPA-prepared profit-and-loss statement with no tax returns.
Investment property (DSCR)
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DSCR loan vs. Conventional loan
Investment-property financing: qualify on the property's rent (no personal income docs) or on your own income at a lower rate.
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DSCR loan vs. Bank statement loan
Both non-QM, but for different goals: DSCR qualifies an investment property on its rent; bank statement qualifies you on your business deposits.
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Asset depletion loan vs. DSCR loan
Two no-income-doc paths: convert your liquid assets into qualifying income, or let a rental property's cash flow carry the loan.
- Compare6 min read
DSCR loan vs. FHA loan
Two loans that answer different questions: FHA finances a low-down owner-occupied home on your income; DSCR finances a rental on the property's cash flow.
Government loans (FHA · VA · USDA)
- Compare6 min read
FHA loan vs. Conventional loan
The entry-level decision: FHA's low credit bar and 3.5% down vs. conventional's lower long-run cost and cancelable PMI.
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VA loan vs. Conventional loan
For eligible veterans: VA's 0% down and no PMI vs. conventional's broader use cases. Usually VA wins when you qualify.
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USDA loan vs. FHA loan
Zero down with geographic and income limits, or 3.5% down almost anywhere — how the two accessible government programs actually differ.
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FHA loan vs. VA loan
For VA-eligible borrowers the VA loan usually wins on math — zero down and no monthly mortgage insurance — but FHA still has real uses.
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VA loan vs. USDA loan
The two 0%-down loans: VA is earned through military service with no income cap; USDA is open to anyone but limited by rural location and household income.
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USDA loan vs. Conventional loan
Zero-down USDA (income + rural-area limits) vs. flexible conventional at market rates — the choice for buyers in eligible areas.
Newcomer & ITIN
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ITIN loan vs. FHA loan
The newcomer fork: no Social Security number routes you to ITIN portfolio loans; a valid SSN + work authorization opens low-down-payment FHA.
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ITIN loan vs. Foreign national loan
Both serve borrowers without a Social Security number — the dividing line is whether you live and pay taxes in the U.S.
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Foreign national loan vs. DSCR loan
For non-resident buyers of US real estate: a foreign-national program built for no US credit or SSN, versus a DSCR loan that qualifies on the property's rent.
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ITIN loan vs. Conventional loan
No Social Security number routes you to portfolio ITIN loans; a valid SSN with two years of documentable income opens conventional at the lowest rate.
Jumbo & conventional
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Jumbo loan vs. Conventional (conforming) loan
Above or below the conforming loan limit: jumbo's stricter credit-and-reserve bar vs. conforming's lower requirements.
- Compare6 min read
Jumbo loan vs. Non-QM loan
The high-balance fork: a full-doc jumbo at the best big-loan rate, or a non-QM loan that trades rate for flexible income documentation.
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How we source this
Every comparison above is built from these agency and regulator rules.