.svg "Truss Financial Group"){kind=small}
Cleared for Takeoff — No Income Docs Required
A self-employed aviation professional was grounded by conventional lenders. Using a No-Income HELOC, loan officer Ryan DeRose got him funded and back on course for his next certification.
No-Income
HELOC program used0
Tax returns or pay stubs required0
Bank statements required81%
Our Approval RateThe Challenge
Why Traditional Lenders Said No
The borrower is a self-employed aviation professional navigating a career transition — operating as a business owner while working toward a new pilot certification. The timing created a compounding qualification problem: he had been self-employed for under two years, making him ineligible for conventional financing, and his bank statements lacked the seasoning depth required for a standard bank statement HELOC.
On paper, he looked like a risk. In reality, he had home equity, a clear plan, and a compelling career trajectory. Traditional underwriting simply had no framework to see past the income gap — so the deal needed a different path entirely.
The Solution
Rather than trying to force the borrower into an income documentation box that didn't fit, Ryan DeRose pivoted to a No-Income HELOC — a program that qualifies borrowers based on equity and creditworthiness, not employment history or cash flow documentation. This completely bypassed the two-year self-employment requirement and the seasoning issue with bank statements.
One additional hurdle arose during processing: an existing solar lien on the property required subordination before the HELOC could close. Ryan worked through the subordination process without causing delays, keeping the deal on track and the borrower's timeline intact.