You built your income.
We'll build the mortgage around it.
Qualify with bank statements, 1099s, a P&L, or assets — no tax returns required. We take one application and shop it across 25+ non-QM investors, matching your file to the guideline that fits how you actually earn — with underwriting and funding handled in-house.
No overpaying on one lender's price. No getting turned away by one lender's rulebook.
4.92★ from 37 verified client reviews4.92 out of 5 — 37 verified client reviews
Experience.com“Tanner did a great job helping me with my HELOC. I am self employed and the conventional banking system is difficult if not impossible to deal with. Tanner was able to help me get my HELOC. He always returned my calls and had all the time to answer any questions or concerns that I had through the process. I wouldn't hesitate at all to recommend Tanner.”
“Working with Tanner and his team was like working with best and most trusted friends. Tanner was responsive to all questions asked, very honest and straight forward, and found me a menu of options to choose from for my loan. This was my first ever mortgage and I would not have wanted anyone else to guide me through the process.”
“Top notch service, excellent product offering, and overall, extremely informative. Tanner took the time to walk me through every detail of the loan process and was always available for any questions I had! 10/10!”
Find the program that fits how you earn
Answer a few quick questions to see a likely path — no tax returns needed to start.
How do you earn?
A different way to get a mortgage
Retail lender in-house, broker access to 25+ non-QM investors — so your income structure fits a program instead of the other way around.
When your tax returns don't tell the whole story
Smart business owners write off everything they legally can — which is great for your tax bill and brutal for a conventional mortgage. Traditional underwriting reads the lower taxable income on your returns and decides you earn less than you do. Alternative-documentation lending qualifies you on how the money actually moves through your business instead.
Failure mode #1: the rulebook
A single lender has one set of guidelines. If your income doesn't fit that one rulebook, you're declined — even when a different investor would have said yes.
Failure mode #2: the price
Even if you fit, one lender only offers you their pricing. Without options to compare, you have no way of knowing whether the terms are competitive for your profile.
Four ways to document your income
Most self-employed borrowers qualify through one of these paths — no tax returns required.
Bank Statements
An average of 12 or 24 months of deposits — no tax returns or 4506.
Best for: Owners whose write-offs shrink the income on their returns.
1099 Income
One to two years of 1099s stand in for tax returns.
Best for: Contractors, freelancers, and gig earners paid on 1099.
Profit & Loss
A 12-month P&L prepared by your CPA or tax preparer.
Best for: Established businesses with clean, professionally kept books.
Assets
Qualifying income calculated from your liquid assets.
Best for: Retirees and asset-rich borrowers without traditional income.
Non-QM loan programs. Alternative income documentation required. All loans subject to underwriting approval, income/asset verification, and ability-to-repay determination. Not all applicants will qualify. Program availability and guidelines subject to change without notice.
Find the program that fits how you earn
Eight ways to qualify without tax returns. Not sure which fits? Take the quiz and we'll match you.
Bank Statement Loans
Qualify on an average of 12 or 24 months of deposits — no tax returns.
Learn more1099 Income Loans
Use one to two years of 1099s in place of tax returns.
Learn moreP&L-Only Loans
A CPA-prepared 12-month profit & loss statement documents your income.
Learn moreEmployment Verification (WVOE)
Qualify with an employer questionnaire — no W2s, paystubs, or tax returns.
Learn moreAsset-Based Qualification
Turn liquid assets into qualifying income — no employment required.
Learn moreFlexible Qualifying
A reduced-documentation path when other options don’t fit; ability-to-repay still assessed.
Learn moreITIN Loans
Homeownership for ITIN filers without a Social Security number.
Learn moreForeign National Loans
Financing for non-US buyers with no US credit history, green card, or SSN.
Learn moreNon-QM loan programs. Alternative income documentation required. Not all products are available in all states or for all loan amounts. Guidelines subject to change without notice.
Four documentation paths, side by side
The most common ways self-employed borrowers qualify — no tax returns on any of them.
| Program | Documentation used | Min FICO | Max LTV | Max loan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank Statement | 12 or 24 months of bank deposits | 640+ | Up to 90% | Up to $5M | Owners whose write-offs lower taxable income |
| 1099 Income | 1–2 years of 1099s | 660+ | Up to 90% | Up to $3M | Contractors, freelancers & gig earners |
| P&L-Only | 12-month CPA-prepared P&L | 660+ | Up to 90% | Up to $3M | Established businesses with clean books |
| Asset-Based | Liquid assets ÷ 60 months | 660+ | Up to 80% | Up to $3M | Asset-rich borrowers & retirees |
Maximum LTV and maximum loan amount apply at different tiers and are not available in combination. Non-QM loan programs; alternative income documentation required; not all applicants will qualify. Guidelines subject to change without notice.
How we shop your loan
The self-employed borrower loses two ways with a single lender: overpaying on one price, or getting turned away by one rulebook. Here's how having 25+ investors behind one application changes that.
One lender quotes one price — take it or leave it.
We compare pricing across 25+ investors for competitive terms.
One rulebook. If your income doesn’t fit, you’re declined.
We match your file to the guideline that allows how you earn.
Tax returns drive the decision — write-offs work against you.
Bank statements, 1099s, a P&L, or assets — no tax returns.
Handed off and out of your loan officer’s control.
In-house underwriting and funding — retail-lender speed.
Guideline ranges across our 25+ investors
The broadest parameters available — the fit for your file is confirmed at application.
| Minimum credit score | 640+ |
| Maximum loan-to-value | Up to 90% |
| Bank-statement history | 12 or 24 months |
| Loan amounts | Up to $5M |
Ranges shown reflect the broadest parameters available across our 25+ non-QM investors and do not apply to every program or borrower. Guidelines subject to change without notice.
“We shop your loan two ways — for competitive terms across many investors, and for whose guidelines actually fit how you earn.”
— Tanner Cook, NMLS #2090424
Broker options, retail control, family accountability
Four reasons self-employed borrowers bring us the files other lenders send back.
25+ non-QM investors, one application
We match your situation to the guideline that fits — instead of forcing your income into one lender’s rulebook.
In-house underwriting & funding
Cornerstone is a retail lender: underwriting, processing, and funding under one roof — with broker-level options behind it.
Two brothers, direct access
Tanner and Zac Cook personally structure every file. You work with the people making the decisions — no call center.
Built for how you earn
Bank statements, 1099s, a P&L, or assets. Your tax strategy shouldn’t cost you the house.
Four steps, built around your income
No stacks of tax returns. Just a clear path from how you earn to the keys.
Tell us how you earn
A 60-second quiz on how you make your money and how you would prefer to document it.
We match for guideline fit
One application, matched across 25+ non-QM investors to find the guidelines that fit your situation.
We price the fit
We compare pricing across investors for competitive terms — underwriting and funding in-house.
Clear to close
We coordinate verification, appraisal, and underwriting through to a clear-to-close.
Licensed in 49 states — wherever your business calls home
Cornerstone First Mortgage, LLC is licensed to originate residential mortgage loans in all U.S. states except New York. One application, shopped across 25+ non-QM investors, with underwriting and funding handled in-house — the process works the same whether your business runs out of Phoenix, Nashville, or Anchorage.
We do not offer, solicit, or provide mortgage services to New York residents or for properties located in New York. If you are a New York resident, we may, at your request, refer you to a licensed mortgage provider; we receive no fee or compensation for such a referral.
Two brothers. One file. 25+ investors.
Tanner and Zac Cook personally structure every loan — matching how you earn to the investor whose guidelines say yes. As part of Cornerstone First Mortgage, LLC (NMLS #173855), they pair retail-lender control with broker-level options, and you always work directly with them.
Tanner Cook
Mortgage Loan Originator
Tanner specializes in self-employed and alternative-documentation lending. When tax returns understate what a business owner really earns, he structures the file around bank statements, a CPA-prepared P&L, or assets — and matches it to the investor whose guidelines actually fit.
Zac Cook
Mortgage Loan Originator
Zac works with entrepreneurs, investors, and international buyers. He shops every file across Cornerstone’s 25+ non-QM investors to find the guideline that says yes — from asset-based qualification to ITIN and foreign national programs.
Real clients. Real closings.
Verified reviews from clients and partners who worked with the Cook Brothers.
★★★★★4.92 from 37 verified reviews on Experience.comSelf-employed mortgage FAQs
Honest answers to what business owners, contractors, and investors ask us most.
Yes. Non-QM programs let self-employed borrowers qualify with alternative documentation instead of tax returns — an average of 12 or 24 months of bank statements, one to two years of 1099s, a CPA-prepared profit & loss statement, or liquid assets. Every loan is still subject to underwriting and an ability-to-repay determination.
Underwriters average your deposits over 12 or 24 months. On business bank statements an expense factor (commonly 50%) is applied to reflect business costs; personal statements are typically treated differently. Your loan officer reviews your statements to estimate qualifying income before you formally apply, so there are no surprises.
Minimums vary by program. Bank statement loans start at a 640 credit score; most other alternative-documentation programs start at 660, and flexible qualifying starts at 680. Higher scores generally open access to higher loan amounts and loan-to-value ratios.
Loan amounts run up to $5M on bank statement loans and up to $3M on 1099, P&L, and asset-based programs, depending on your credit, equity, and the property. Maximum loan-to-value reaches up to 90% at lower loan tiers. Guidelines are subject to change without notice.
Not always. Several programs reach up to 90% loan-to-value at lower loan amounts, so a large down payment is not always required. Requirements increase with loan size and vary by program and credit profile — we confirm the specifics for your file at application.
Many programs look for a two-year self-employment history, but some allow as little as one year. Tell us your timeline in the quiz and we will match you to the investors whose guidelines fit your situation.
Yes. Asset-based qualification converts eligible liquid assets — checking, savings, stocks, bonds, and retirement accounts — into qualifying income by dividing them over 60 months. No employment is required. This program is available for primary residences.
Yes. 1099 income loans let contractors, freelancers, and gig workers qualify using one to two years of 1099s, with no tax returns or 4506 required.
Yes. ITIN loans serve borrowers who file taxes with an ITIN instead of a Social Security number, and foreign national loans finance non-US buyers with no US credit history or green card. Both qualify through alternative documentation.
Yes. Every program requires documentation — bank statements, 1099s, a P&L, or asset records — and every loan includes a full ability-to-repay determination under federal rules. We simply use documentation other than tax returns; we never rely on an unverified income figure.
Cornerstone First Mortgage, LLC is licensed to originate residential mortgage loans in all US states except New York — 49 states in total. We do not offer, solicit, or provide mortgage services to New York residents or for properties located in New York. If you are a New York resident, we may, at your request, refer you to a licensed mortgage provider; we do not receive any fee or compensation for such a referral.
We take one application and shop it across 25+ non-QM investors, matching your income structure to the guidelines that allow it and comparing pricing for competitive terms — with underwriting and funding handled in-house.
Still have questions?
Talk it through with Tanner or Zac — no application required.
Or see what you qualify forLet's build the mortgage around your income.
Take the 60-second quiz and we'll match how you earn to the investor whose guidelines fit — no tax returns required.
Prefer a scheduled call? Book with Tanner · Book with Zac