Loan Options with High Debt-to-Income Ratio

[Lesley Ray]

Hello BP world,

I'm in the early stages of my investment process but have come across a potential hurdle after speaking with a banker today. Here's the situation:

I currently rent in San Francisco (a very expensive market) but am looking to invest in the midwest. My current living situation is such that I have 2 roommates subleasing from me, meaning I am the only one on the lease.  According to the banker I spoke with today, even though the rent is split 3 ways, being the only person on the lease throws my debt-to-income ratio way out of whack and will likely make it impossible for me to secure a loan.

We've previously tried adding or swapping roommates on our lease but our Property Manager has not allowed this. 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!