How get refinanced when not employed?

[Manco Snead]

Greetings,

I'm looking for a way around a major refinance snag. I'm in the process of refinancing my duplex; everything is satisfactory to the underwriter (salary, savings,equity, credit score, appraisal, the property cash flows) except my current state of unemployment. I work contract to contract, job to job. I normally go through periods with a few months off at a time, then a job comes up. Though something always comes up I currently am not working and have no promise from an employer of future work. This is the deal breaker in the eyes of the underwriter. My question: has anyone dealt with this scenario or does anyone have creative ideas of what I could present to the underwriter to get around this issue?

Thanks

[Hugh Ayles]

You are not going to like my answer.

I started a business 6 years ago. 

Conventional lenders want to see two consistent years of W2 income to refinance and current, gainful employment.

We are just finishing refinancing our house.  It was a 3 month, very painful process.

Because my company is set up as an S corp, I had the two years of verifiable income, but they realized I am self employed and that convoluted the process.

I find it ironic that my employees have a much easier time getting conventional mortgages than I do.  One of the joys of self employment.