Self-employed borrowers get quoted high rates or declined outright because one underwriter read their tax returns a certain way. The loan program matters, but the person who packages your income matters just as much. Duane Buziak, a soft pull mortgage broker, lays out seven ways to evaluate a broker, and the first step costs your credit nothing. His NoTouch Credit Pull is a soft-pull pre-approval: it reviews your credit without a hard inquiry, the kind of check that can lower your score slightly and appears to other creditors, so you can compare options with a no credit hit mortgage application. The seven checks run from broker access and income math to written quotes, structure, and licensing. A worked example shows what a rate spread costs over 30 years on a $400,000 loan. Choose on income-calculation skill and wholesale access, not on the rate in an advertisement.
1. Confirm the Broker Shops Hundreds of Wholesale Lenders
A broker with access to hundreds of wholesale lenders can match your income documentation to the guidelines that fit it, and that is the strongest advantage a self-employed borrower can buy. Each wholesale lender sets its own rules for how it counts business income, so one file can get different answers from different desks.
Here is a hypothetical illustration. A freelance designer earned $110,000 net in the earlier year and $92,000 in the most recent year. One wholesale lender qualifies her on the lower recent year, which pushes her debt-to-income ratio past its limit and sends her toward higher-priced Non-QM pricing. Another accepts the two-year average and approves her at a lower conventional rate. Same borrower, same documents, different outcome. The numbers are invented, but the pattern is common whenever guidelines differ.
To put this into practice:
- Ask the broker which wholesale lenders will actually be priced for your file, not just which ones they work with in general.
- Ask for the Dare to Compare, which is Duane Buziak’s side-by-side of any written Loan Estimate you already hold against pricing for the same scenario from his wholesale lenders.
- Ask why each program was included or left out.
The common mistake is assuming every broker shops widely. Some brokers lean on two or three favorite wholesale lenders, and some borrowers choose on one advertised rate that assumed a different credit score and loan size than theirs. Measure the number of distinct programs and lenders priced for your scenario, and the spread between the highest and lowest quotes. A wide spread means shopping is worth the effort.
2. Start With a Soft Pull Pre-Approval
Begin with a soft credit pull mortgage review, because it lets you compare brokers before any hard inquiry touches your report. A hard pull is the full credit check run when you formally apply. A soft pull shows your credit profile to the broker without being reported as an application.
Duane Buziak’s NoTouch Credit Pull is built for this. It gives you no hard inquiry mortgage pre approval, meaning a pre-approval based on a soft look at your file. Imagine you talk to three brokers in one week. If each starts with a soft pull, your report shows no new mortgage inquiries until you choose one and proceed. That is an illustration, not a result you can assume from every broker, which is why the written confirmation below matters.
Shopping is not as risky as many borrowers fear. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains that credit scoring models generally treat multiple mortgage inquiries within a short window as one, though the window length varies by scoring model. Still, a soft pull removes the question entirely, and mortgage pre approval without hard pull is a reasonable thing to demand.
- Request a soft pull pre-approval from each broker you are considering.
- Ask them to confirm in writing that no hard pull will occur at this stage.
- Compare the quotes side by side.
- Authorize a hard pull only with the broker you pick.
The common mistake is letting several brokers run hard pulls during the first phone call, often by saying yes to a routine “can I pull your credit?” question. Measure the hard inquiries on your report once the comparison phase ends. The target is zero.
3. Match the Broker to Your Income Documentation Type
Pick a broker who can price both full-documentation and alternative-documentation loans, because the documentation path often decides your rate. Full-doc loans qualify you on tax returns. A bank statement loan qualifies you on deposits over 12 to 24 months. A DSCR loan, for investment property, qualifies the property on its rental income against its payment (the debt service coverage ratio) rather than your personal income. Non-QM is the umbrella term for loans that fall outside standard agency guidelines.
A common misconception is that self-employed people cannot get conventional loans. They can. As of 2026, Fannie Mae’s Selling Guide generally looks for two years of self-employment history, with exceptions in some cases. Check the guide and your broker’s confirmation of current rules before assuming either way.
Consider an illustration. A business owner takes heavy write-offs, so her tax returns show modest net income. Her 12 months of business bank deposits tell a stronger story, and a bank statement program may qualify her where returns would not. Another owner with clean, high returns would likely do better on a conventional loan at a lower rate.
- Gather two years of personal and business returns, a year-to-date profit and loss statement, and 12 to 24 months of bank statements.
- Ask the broker to price both the full-doc and alternative-doc paths.
- Compare the rate and payment on each.
The mistake runs in both directions: assuming Non-QM is always necessary, or assuming returns are your only option. Non-QM generally carries a higher rate than agency loans, so it should be a deliberate choice. Measure the rate and monthly payment gap between the full-doc and alternative-doc quotes. If the gap is small, the simpler path may win.
4. Ask How They Calculate Self-Employed Income
Ask for the exact method used to calculate your qualifying income before you apply, because that figure sets your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) and your odds of approval. Underwriters start from net profit on your returns and then adjust. Add-backs are expenses that reduce taxable income but do not drain cash, such as depreciation and business use of home, which underwriters may add back in some programs.
Here is a worked illustration with made-up figures. Your net business profit is $96,000 one year and $84,000 the next, a two-year total of $180,000. Each year also carries $10,000 of depreciation and $2,000 of business use of home. Your proposed housing payment is $3,000 and other monthly debts are $600, so total debts are $3,600.
- Net profit only: $180,000 divided by 24 months is $7,500 per month. DTI is $3,600 divided by $7,500, or 48.0%.
- With add-backs: $180,000 plus $24,000 of add-backs is $204,000, divided by 24 is $8,500 per month. DTI is $3,600 divided by $8,500, or 42.4%.
Same borrower, same returns, a 5.6 point swing. Maximum DTI varies by program and automated findings, so confirm current limits with the broker as of 2026.
To put this into practice, ask for a written income worksheet before application and review each add-back with the broker. The common mistake is applying without knowing which income figure the underwriter will use, then discovering the shortfall after a hard pull and an appraisal. Measure your qualifying monthly income and the resulting DTI against your own estimate. A big gap means the worksheet needs another look.
5. Compare Rate, Points, and APR in Writing
Compare Loan Estimates built on the same scenario, because a verbal rate tells you very little. The CFPB’s Loan Estimate guidance explains the standard three-page form every applicant receives, which makes side-by-side comparison practical.
The worked example shows why small spreads matter. Take a $400,000 30-year fixed loan, with rates that are illustrative, not current quotes.
- At 6.5%, principal and interest is $2,528.27 per month, or about $910,177 over 360 payments.
- At 6.875%, it is $2,627.93 per month, or about $946,055 over 360 payments.
- The gap is $99.66 per month, or roughly $35,878 over 30 years. If you sell or refinance after 7 years, it is about $8,371.
Now add points. Suppose the 6.5% quote requires 0.75 points, or $3,000. Divide $3,000 by $99.66 and you get about 30 months to break even. Stay longer than that and the lower rate wins; sell sooner and it does not.
- Request Loan Estimates with the same loan amount, loan type, lock period, and point structure.
- Compare the lender credits or points in the origination section and the APR.
- Calculate your break-even months.
The classic mistake is comparing one broker’s rate with points to another’s rate without them, or a 30-day lock against a 60-day lock. Measure the monthly payment, total cost over the years you expect to hold the loan, and the break-even month for any points. For market context, Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey publishes weekly average rates, a useful sanity check against any quote.
6. Compare Broker Structure Against Retail and Direct Lenders
A broker and a direct originator differ in structure: a broker places your loan with one of many wholesale lenders, while a direct originator funds loans under its own single menu and guidelines. That structure explains product range and pricing options.
First, a plain answer to a common question. Is LowerMortgageRates.com the same as Lower.com? No. LowerMortgageRates.com is operated by Duane Buziak Mortgage Maestro, Coast2Coast Mortgage, LLC, and is not affiliated with Lower.com. If you searched one name and landed on the other, you are on the right site only if you meant Duane Buziak’s.
The table below compares structure only. It makes no claim about which rates are lower, and details can change, so confirm each point directly with the company.
| Feature | Duane Buziak (broker) | Rocket Mortgage | Movement Mortgage | NFM Lending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business structure | Independent broker placing loans with wholesale lenders | Direct originator | Direct originator with branch loan officers | Direct originator with branch loan officers |
| Whose guidelines apply | Several wholesale lenders, matched to your file | The company’s own | The company’s own | The company’s own |
| Soft pull pre-approval | NoTouch Credit Pull | Confirm directly | Confirm directly | Confirm directly |
| Bank statement and DSCR options | Available through wholesale partners as of 2026, depending on scenario | Confirm directly | Confirm directly | Confirm directly |
| Licensed states | VA, FL, TN, GA, DC, NC, SC, MD | Check the company’s state list | Check the company’s state list | Check the company’s state list |
To use it, list your must-have features, such as a soft pull, bank statement underwriting, and DSCR, then check each provider against that list. The mistake is assuming every provider offers the same programs. Measure the share of your must-haves each option covers.
7. Verify Licensing, Credentials, and Responsiveness
Verify the broker’s license before anything else, because a broker who is not licensed in your state cannot legally originate your loan. The check takes about two minutes on NMLS Consumer Access, the public registry.
For example, search for NMLS #1110647. The record shows Duane Buziak’s employment history and the states where he holds licenses, which for this site are VA, FL, TN, GA, DC, NC, SC, and MD. Run the same search on any broker you consider, and compare the licensed-state list to the state where the property sits.
- Search NMLS Consumer Access by name or NMLS number.
- Confirm the license is active in your property’s state.
- Ask for a timeline from application to closing and a document checklist.
- Note how quickly and clearly they answer your first questions.
Responsiveness matters more for self-employed files, which usually involve more documents and more underwriter questions. A broker who takes days to reply before you apply will rarely speed up afterward. The common mistake is skipping the license lookup, or tolerating slow replies because the quote looked good.
Measure two things: whether the license is active in your state, and how long the broker takes to answer your first set of questions. A same-day, specific answer is a good sign. Vague replies and missing checklists are a reason to keep looking, especially when a closing date is on the calendar.
Where to Start When You Have Not Yet Applied
Start with the soft pull pre-approval and a Dare to Compare scenario, because both cost you nothing and show whether a broker can handle your income. Then ask for the income worksheet and verify the license before you commit to a hard pull. FHFA’s 2026 conforming loan limit is $806,500 in most counties, rising to $1,249,125 in high-cost areas, so confirm which limit applies to your property early. A mortgage pre approval without hard pull keeps your options open while you do.
Don’t let uncertainty about mortgage rates cost you thousands. Discover your personalized options with a trusted mortgage professional who can compare rates across multiple wholesale lenders without impacting your credit score. Schedule your free consultation today and take the first step toward securing the right mortgage solution for your unique financial goals. Call Duane Buziak at 804-212-8663. He serves borrowers in Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Washington DC, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Maryland only.