Refinance and then HELOC for first investment

[Patrick McCandless]

Hi all. I've been repairing my wife and I's credit for the last 6 months or so in preparation to refinance and then open a HELOC to invest. I have been self-employed (realtor) for 11 years now and had a W2 job (sales manager for real estate brokerage) up until this last Thursday. I got my credit up to the 760's and my wife is just not able to get hers up despite the monthly credit repair company subscription we've had her on for 6 months now. Now that I lost my W2 I am not showing enough income on my own with all my write-offs but I have the great credit and my wife has a solid W2 income, but crappy credit. I decided to bring in a family member to cosign who has 800 credit and just enough income to satisfy the DTI requirement for me. Well that was before I found out I lost my W2. Lender is saying he needs my W2 to make it work. Am I just dead in the water until I can get my wife's credit back up? The lender I am going through is a mortgage broker who I have used for my buyer clients for quite some time now, but I'm not married to him by any means. Would a credit union or direct lender of some sort be able to pull some strings on this more? Would I look more appealing to a credit union or bank who does both mortgages as well as HELOCs if I tell them I am looking to do both a refinance with them and a subsequent HELOC? Any input is much appreciated!