Looking for some helpful direction. My husband and I are looking to build, on land already purchased. The problem I’m running into is, with my husband being a builder and me being an agent, our checking account is more than our tax return shows. So my question- does any one lend, or know who lends using bank statements? Or anyone know of a way to avoid this hurdle?

@Ashley

@Ashley Storke Are you saying that you have un-declared income and want a lender to rely on it to qualify you for a mortgage?  That was doable before the last recession but I think it will be tough today.

Right. Which is why I was reaching out on here. My local bank needs tax return. Can I use the land as some sort of collateral?

@Ashley Storke   There are many bank statement programs available today, but I don't believe I've seen any options to qualify for a construction loan based on bank statements, only finished homes.

How does one handle the tax-free income situation?

Banks, for example, have a "know thy customer" mandate to make sure they offer products and services that are appropriate for their customers. They always ask me for my taxable income and nontaxable (Roth withdrawal) income amounts to get an idea of what they should be promoting to me. Some banks offer an affiliated brokerage or wealth management service. Banks have told me it doesn't matter if I'm retired or not. Getting a loan depends only on debt and income ratios regardless of where that income comes from. As incomes go, I prefer tax-free income to taxable income.