I'm looking for funding, and to build a relationship, with a local lender.It'll be for my first rental property, but I'm self-employed and just sold my business so no W2.  

@Kevin GeraceAs long as your intent is to flip the property, the sale profit will be ordinary self-employment income.  

This discussion reminds me of the story of Paul Feldman, a cubicle-imprisoned bureaucrat in Washington DC who escaped by starting a Bagel & cream cheese /doughnut delivery service in various office buildings around and including his former employer.  

Many self employed people have to do this.

I am an employee holding 401k plan from my employer.

Self employed Maniging Broker in Chicago, Illinois

I'm doing conventional and my employer has already completed the written verification of my employment.

It might be something to do with larger-scale economic factors (city heavily relies on a large employer/industry sector), or might be due to some sort of new local issue, or, again on the employer bit, maybe there's a large number of military families living there that are being transferred (I'm not military, that might not be realistic).Whatever the underlying issue is just do your due diligence finding out what it is.

@Meena Balaji Those three cities are good for investment properties since you have two major employers in the area, Intel and Nike.

That should be covered under their employers insurance right?