Self-employed mortgage prequalification is available 24 hours a day at 504-399-4141, the Max Mortgage prequalification hotline. The line is answered by Dana, an automated AI assistant, not a person. Dana asks a short set of questions about how you earn your income and gives you an idea of which loan programs may fit your situation. A licensed Max Mortgage team member follows up after the call.
If you are a 1099 contractor, a freelancer, a gig worker, a tradesman with your own crew, or a small business owner who pays yourself out of what the business makes, you have probably been told your file is complicated. That reputation is only half earned. Self-employed borrowers buy homes every day. What slows people down is usually not the income itself. It is not knowing which parts of the paperwork actually matter, and not having anyone available to ask at the hour when the question finally surfaces.
What self-employed mortgage prequalification covers
Prequalification is the first, lightest step. You describe your situation, and an experienced source tells you which direction to walk in. Nothing is pulled, signed, or submitted. On this hotline, that first conversation happens with Dana, and it happens whenever you are free to have it.
Dana is built to handle the self-employed version of that conversation specifically. She is not thrown by the words K-1, owner draw, Schedule C, or distribution. She knows that the number you quote off the top of your head is usually your gross revenue, and she knows to ask the follow-up question about what was left after expenses. If you want a fuller walkthrough of the call itself, we covered what happens on a prequalification call with Dana in an earlier post.
Why 1099 and business owner callers dial at odd hours
Self-employment does not come with a lunch break. The invoices get sent after the last job of the day. The books get reconciled on a Sunday night. The question about whether you could actually buy that house tends to arrive at the exact moment that every mortgage office in your area is dark.
That is the gap this line exists to close. Roughly one in four calls to this hotline come in between 11pm and 6am. That is our own call data, not an industry estimate, and it is the single clearest sign that regular business hours were never going to work for a lot of the people who need this most. Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays are normal hours on this line.
What Dana asks a self-employed caller
The questions are short and they are not a test. Dana is sorting your situation into the right starting lane, not building a file.
- How long you have been self-employed, and whether it is the same line of work you did before
- How you are paid, whether that is 1099 income, owner draws, K-1 distributions, a salary from your own corporation, or a mix of several
- Roughly what the business brought in last year, and roughly what was left on the tax return after expenses
- How the business files, whether as a sole proprietor, a partnership, an S corporation, or a C corporation
- Whether your most recent tax return has been filed yet
- Roughly what you have available for a down payment and closing costs, and where that money is sitting
- A general sense of your credit, with no exact score required
- The price range and the area you are shopping in
- Whether the property would be a primary home, a second home, or a rental
Approximate answers are fine on every one of those. Nobody is held to a number they gave from memory at midnight.
What actually helps before you dial
You can call with nothing in front of you. If you want the conversation to go further in one sitting, these are the things worth having within arm’s reach.
- Your last two years of personal tax returns
- Business returns, if the business files separately from you
- A rough figure for net income after expenses, not just gross revenue
- The month and year you started the business
- A note of any large one-time write-offs that made last year look unusual
- Twelve months of business bank statements, or at least a sense of the monthly deposits
The gross versus net gap is the single most common surprise in these calls. Lenders generally look at income after deductible business expenses, which means the write-offs that lower your tax bill also lower the income a lender can count. A borrower who billed well and deducted aggressively can look thinner on paper than they feel in real life. This is a general principle rather than a fixed formula, and the specific calculation depends on the program and the lender. The IRS self-employed resource center is a reasonable place to understand how your own return is structured before you call.
Some lenders offer programs designed around bank statements or other alternative documentation for self-employed borrowers. Availability, terms, and requirements vary by lender and change over time, so ask about them on the call rather than assuming one is or is not available to you.
What Dana does not do
Being clear about the limits is part of making the call useful.
- Dana does not approve or deny loans
- Dana does not lock a rate
- Dana does not make underwriting decisions
- Dana does not pull your credit during the call
- Dana is an automated AI assistant and never represents herself as a person
Prequalification is an early estimate based on what you describe. It is not a commitment to lend, and it is not a promise of approval, a rate, a payment, or any other outcome. Every loan is subject to credit approval and to full underwriting review by a human being. After your call, a licensed Max Mortgage team member reaches out to take the next step with you.
Programs a self-employed caller can ask about
Max Mortgage, LLC is a private, independent mortgage broker. We are not a government agency and we are not affiliated with HUD, the VA, or the USDA. We can discuss government-backed programs, and we do so as a broker, not as the agency behind them.
- FHA loans, often a starting point for buyers with a shorter credit history or a smaller amount saved
- VA loans, for eligible service members, veterans, and certain surviving spouses
- USDA loans, for eligible buyers in qualifying rural and suburban areas
- Conventional financing, including options for self-employed borrowers with strong documented income
- DSCR loans, for self-employed buyers purchasing a rental property
Credit score expectations, down payment ranges, and loan limits for these programs change and vary by lender, so we do not publish figures that may be out of date by the time you read them. Dana gives you the current picture on the call.
On the DSCR side, qualification commonly leans on the property expected rental performance along with credit, down payment, and reserves rather than traditional personal income documentation. General guideposts, not guarantees, include credit in roughly the 700 and above range, typically 20 percent or more down plus closing costs and reserves, and expected rent that is generally at least 25 percent greater than the estimated qualifying payment, commonly expressed as a 1.25x DSCR. None of that means no underwriting, no documentation, or guaranteed approval. A DSCR file is still underwritten and still documented.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get prequalified for a mortgage if I am self-employed?
Yes. Self-employed borrowers can get prequalified. The Max Mortgage prequalification hotline at 504-399-4141 is answered 24 hours a day by Dana, an automated AI assistant, who asks about how your business income works and tells you which loan programs may be worth exploring. Prequalification is an early estimate and not a commitment to lend.
How long do I need to be self-employed before I can get a mortgage?
Most mortgage programs look for a documented history of self-employment, and the length of history expected varies by program and by lender. Some shorter histories can still work, particularly when a borrower moved into the same line of work they were previously employed in. Call 504-399-4141 to talk through your specific timeline.
Do lenders use my gross revenue or my net income?
Lenders generally look at income after deductible business expenses rather than gross revenue, so the figure that remains on your tax return after write-offs usually matters more than what your business billed. The exact calculation depends on the loan program and the lender.
Is Dana a real person?
No. Dana is an automated AI assistant used by Max Mortgage to answer prequalification questions 24 hours a day at 504-399-4141. Dana does not approve loans, lock rates, or make underwriting decisions. A licensed Max Mortgage team member follows up after your call.
Do I need my tax returns in front of me when I call?
No. Approximate answers are enough for a prequalification call. Having your last two years of tax returns nearby helps, but Dana can work from estimates and tell you what to gather next.
Can a self-employed caller ask about a rental property?
Yes. The hotline covers investment property questions, including DSCR loans, where qualification commonly focuses on the property expected rental performance along with credit, down payment, and reserves rather than traditional personal income documentation. That never means no underwriting and no documentation.
What hours is the self-employed mortgage prequalification hotline open?
The hotline at 504-399-4141 is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including weekends and holidays. Roughly one in four calls to this line come in between 11pm and 6am.
Does calling the hotline affect my credit?
No. Dana does not pull your credit during a prequalification call. You can describe your credit in general terms, and any credit check happens later, with your permission, as part of a formal application.
Call when the question comes up
You do not need to wait until Monday, and you do not need to have your paperwork organized first. If you are self-employed and wondering where you stand, the self-employed mortgage prequalification hotline is at 504-399-4141, and it is answered every hour of every day. Ask your question while it is still in front of you.
About the author: Charles, Mortgage Loan Advisor with Max Mortgage, LLC. 20+ years in mortgage and real estate. NAMB Certified FHA Mortgage Professional.
Max Mortgage, LLC | NMLS #1446745
Charles Parharm | NMLS #1413036
Licensed to conduct residential mortgage business in applicable states. Loan programs, terms, and conditions are subject to change without notice. All loans are subject to approval. Equal Housing Opportunity.
