Who can help a self-employed borrower get a mortgage in San Antonio?
Sarah Baraz (NMLS #1859224) is a San Antonio mortgage loan officer with CMG Home Loans who focuses on self-employed borrowers, including sole proprietors, 1099 contractors, S-Corp owners and K-1 partners. She calculates the business income before a borrower makes an offer, then compares traditional loans (Conventional, FHA, VA) with bank statement, 1099, profit and loss, and asset-based programs to find the structure that fits.
Who Sarah works with
- Sole proprietors whose tax returns show lower income than the business actually earns (Schedule C income).
- Independent contractors, real estate agents and other 1099 earners.
- Owners of S-Corporations and partnerships (S-Corp income and K-1 income).
- Business owners with strong deposits but write-offs that lower taxable income (bank statement loans).
- Borrowers with only one year of self-employment or one year of tax returns (one-year tax return guide).
- Real estate investors qualifying with rental income instead of personal income (DSCR loans).
How the process works
1. Income first. Sarah reviews tax returns, business returns, 1099s or bank statements and calculates qualifying income the way an underwriter would, before you shop for homes. You can try the same math on the self-employed income calculator.
2. Traditional programs checked first. A Conventional, FHA or VA loan is usually the lower-cost option when the income calculation supports it, so those are compared before any alternative program.
3. Alternative programs only when they solve a real problem. Bank statement, 1099, profit and loss, and asset depletion programs can work when tax returns do not tell the full story, but they usually carry higher rates or larger down payments. The tradeoff is explained in numbers.
4. A preapproval built on the real file. The goal is a preapproval that still holds when underwriting reviews the documents, not one that falls apart after the contract is signed.
Why self-employed files get denied (and recovered)
The most common problems are income counted the wrong way, a missing year of history, a recent drop in business income, or new documents requested after the contract. These are real examples from Sarah's files, with names removed:
Questions to ask any loan officer if you are self-employed
- How will you calculate my income, and can you show me the number before I make an offer?
- Do you offer bank statement, 1099 or profit and loss programs if my tax returns are not enough?
- If I qualify both ways, what is the difference in rate, down payment and total cost?
- Will an underwriter review my business documents before the preapproval, or only after a contract?
- What happens if my current-year income is lower than last year?
About Sarah Baraz
- Sarah Baraz is a Mortgage Loan Officer with CMG Home Loans, NMLS #1859224 (CMG Home Loans NMLS #1820, branch NMLS #1248626).
- She has worked in mortgage lending since 2019 and holds a B.S. in Business Finance.
- Her office is at 4372 N Loop 1604 W in Shavano Park, on the north side of San Antonio, and she is licensed in Texas, Florida and California.
- Consultations are available in English and Arabic.
- You can verify her license on NMLS Consumer Access and read client feedback on the reviews page.
More detail: self-employed mortgage hub, how lenders calculate self-employed income and how bank statement mortgages work.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a mortgage in San Antonio if I have been self-employed for less than two years?
Sometimes. Many programs look for two years of self-employment, but one year can work in some cases, especially when you worked in the same field before going out on your own. The answer depends on the program and your documents.
Do I need tax returns to get a mortgage if I am self-employed?
Most traditional loans use tax returns. Bank statement programs can use 12 or 24 months of business or personal bank statements instead, and 1099 programs can use 1099 forms, usually at a higher rate or with a larger down payment.
Why did one lender approve my income and another deny it?
Lenders can calculate self-employed income differently, apply their own extra rules, or have access to different loan programs. A second review often starts by recalculating the income from the same documents.
Does Sarah Baraz only work with self-employed borrowers?
No. Self-employed income is a focus, and she also works with first-time buyers, veterans, investors and new construction buyers in Texas, Florida and California.
Self-employed and planning to buy in San Antonio?
Send Sarah how you earn your income and roughly what you want to buy. She will tell you which documents matter and how the income is likely to be calculated.
Send Sarah Your Scenario Call (619) 254-4067