All Forum Posts by: Jordan Warner

I am challenged with the same situation right now. I have been self-employed since 2021 and have a 1099 contract role which I have had for 18 months in the same industry as my previous W2 experience. I am contracted on an annual basis and my income is consistent month to month. Ultimately, my goal is to get into a property at 3.5% to 5% down, preferably a value add rehab. 

Bank statement loans at 10% down were an option for me, but down payment prices me out of the majority of the markets I want to be in if I am using that loan product. Because I am going to live there, I am location sensitive but high tolerance for "investing neighborhoods". This week I have been looking into starting a full-fledged, full-time W2 again, just so I can buy a house with a 3.5% down.

You are not alone!

In all of my experience, I have just used Craiglist and Facebook. But it really depends on the market to determine how good the marketplace is really going to be. 

There are a couple of other platforms that I haven't used, Roomster and Roomies.com to help find roommates/tenants by creating a profile and matching preferences. Those generally have the best reviews from people. For screening, if you were looking to get serious and do background checks, Transunion and Experian offer a landlord package. It would work if you were executing a lease. For roommates, I never did the full background, maybe I should have!  You could also just do some old-fashioned google exploring, and social media searching too. Last but not least, ALWAYS interview and ask for references.