Four programs that read income and property differently.

It depends on how you earn and how the property will be used. Self-employed owners whose returns understate cash flow usually start with a bank statement loan; investors buying a rental look at DSCR; homeowners keeping a good first mortgage look at a home equity line; 1099, P&L and asset-based earners, alternative documentation. The scenario review form asks for ranges so a licensed professional can name the programs worth pricing.

There is no single number, and we do not publish one, because each lender sets its own minimum for each program and prices across the whole range above it. Non-QM and DSCR programs tend to lean harder on credit than a conventional loan does, since the income side is documented differently, and the same score can fit one lender's program and not another's. The history behind the score matters as much as the score: recent late payments, a bankruptcy or foreclosure and how long ago it was resolved, and open collections. Tell us the range you fall in on the scenario review form and a licensed professional will identify the programs that fit it; nothing is decided from the form, and no report is pulled until you authorize one as part of an application.

Yes. Salaried and hourly borrowers often have a reason to look past a conventional loan: a side business or rental portfolio that complicates the file, a property outside agency rules, or a rental purchase that fits a DSCR loan better. W-2 homeowners also use home equity lines. If your income and property are conventional, a conventional mortgage is usually the less expensive route, and we say so.

A lender funds the loan with its own money or credit lines and underwrites it to its own guidelines; a broker does not fund loans but arranges them, taking your file to one or more lenders and matching your scenario to their programs. Both are regulated, and both must follow the same federal consumer-protection rules, but the trade-offs differ: a lender controls its own process and pricing, while a broker offers a wider menu of programs, which matters most in non-QM lending, where guidelines vary widely from one lender to the next. Broker compensation and the identity of the funding lender are disclosed in your loan documents. RateLogiq's own licensing status is listed on the Licensing & Disclosures page.

A clear picture of the goal and the property is enough to start: what you want to do, where the property is, how it will be used, and rough figures for value, loan amount and timing. If you are self-employed, it helps to know which accounts your business income flows through and whether your most recent tax returns reflect your real cash flow. Investors should know the property's current or expected rent and whether title will be held personally or in an entity; homeowners should know the balance and terms of their current first mortgage. You do not need to send documents at this stage, and you should never send account numbers or your Social Security number by email or through the contact form.

Fees vary by lender, program, property and state, so the reliable answer is the itemized list on your Loan Estimate or written cost breakdown rather than any figure on a website. The usual categories are lender or origination charges; third-party services such as the appraisal, credit report, title and settlement; government recording and transfer charges; and prepaid items such as interest, property taxes and insurance. Non-QM and investor loans can add items such as a prepayment penalty, which is a cost at exit rather than at closing and deserves the same scrutiny. Compare offers on total cost over the time you expect to hold the loan, not on any single line, and ask about anything you do not recognize before you sign.