Asset-Based Mortgages for California Buyers
Qualify on what you've saved, not what you earn. Liquid savings, brokerage accounts, retirement, and (in some cases) crypto all count toward your qualifying number. Zero income documentation required.
- Asset depletion underwriting
- No income documentation
- Use savings, brokerage, 401(k)
- Crypto on case-by-case
- Loans to $3M
- Up to 80% LTV
- 620+ FICO (600 with strong reserves)
- Ideal for retirees, between jobs, variable earners
See What You Qualify For
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An asset-based mortgage (also called asset depletion) qualifies you on your liquid savings, brokerage accounts, IRA, and — case-by-case — crypto. Total qualifying assets are divided by 84 months to derive a monthly qualifying income. No income documentation required. Loans to $3M, up to 80% LTV, ideal for retirees, between-projects creators, and high-net-worth borrowers with messy K-1 income.
What Is an Asset-Based Mortgage?
An asset-based mortgage (also called asset depletion or asset utilization) qualifies you based on your liquid assets rather than your income. The lender treats your savings, brokerage, and retirement accounts as if they could be drawn down over time to fund the mortgage payment — and uses that drawdown to calculate a monthly qualifying income.
An LA buyer has $1.2M sitting in a Schwab brokerage account, $200K in savings, and $400K in a rollover IRA. She's between projects and has irregular freelance income — no W-2 and her tax return is unhelpful.
Qualifying assets: $1.4M brokerage + savings (100%) + $280K from the IRA (70% haircut) = $1,680,000.
Depletion period: 84 months (program standard).
Monthly qualifying income: $20,000 — derived entirely from assets, no income documentation needed. That qualifies her for a ~$700K loan, which is enough to buy a $900K home with 20% down.
What assets count and at what percentage
- Checking / savings — 100%
- Brokerage accounts (stocks, ETFs, mutual funds) — typically 80–90%
- Retirement accounts (401(k), IRA, Roth) — 60–70% if under retirement age (the haircut accounts for early-withdrawal penalties + taxes)
- CDs and money market — 100%
- Cryptocurrency — case-by-case, typically 60–70% with proof of liquidity
- Annuities and life insurance cash value — sometimes, varies by lender
Assets that don't count: real estate equity (already collateralized), personal property (cars, jewelry), business equity that can't be liquidated, restricted stock units (RSUs) that haven't vested.
Who this program is built for
- Recently retired buyers living off savings/investments
- Variable-income earners (consultants, project-based creatives, performers) between projects
- High-net-worth borrowers with significant assets but low W-2 / Schedule C income
- Content creators who've slowed posting and don't want to document recent income
- Inheritance recipients with newly-funded brokerage accounts
- Anyone who would rather not disclose income at all
What you'll need
- 2–3 months of statements for each qualifying account
- Standard borrower items: ID, credit pull, appraisal
- Source-of-funds documentation if you've had large recent deposits into the qualifying accounts
What you don't need: tax returns, W-2s, pay stubs, P&L, bank statements showing income deposits, or any employment documentation.
How Each Asset Type Counts
Asset-based programs apply different "credit percentages" to different account types. Liquid cash counts 100%; retirement accounts get haircut for early-withdrawal penalties; crypto gets the heaviest discount. Here's the standard table California wholesale lenders use.
| Asset Type | Typical Credit % | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Checking / savings | 100% | Most reliable — included at face value. |
| CDs & money market | 100% | Treated identical to liquid savings. |
| Brokerage (stocks/ETF/mutual funds) | 80–90% | Haircut covers market-value volatility. |
| IRA / Roth IRA — under 59½ | 60–70% | Haircut covers 10% early-withdrawal penalty + income tax. |
| IRA / Roth IRA — over 59½ | 70–80% | Smaller haircut once early-withdrawal penalty no longer applies. |
| 401(k) — current employer, vested | 60–70% | Vested portion only; underwriter verifies vesting schedule. |
| Cryptocurrency (major coins) | 50–70% | BTC, ETH, USDC most likely accepted. Need exchange statements + proof of liquidity. |
| Cryptocurrency (altcoins) | Case-by-case | Mid/small-cap tokens generally not accepted. Stablecoins on major exchanges treated like cash. |
| Annuity / cash value of life insurance | Varies (60–80%) | Underwriter reviews surrender value and any surrender charges. |
| Real estate equity | 0% | Already collateralized — doesn't count. Cash-out refi the existing property to convert equity to liquid assets first. |
Who Actually Uses Asset-Based Loans
Asset depletion isn't just for retirees — though they're a big slice. Here are the four most common California profiles that find this program the right fit.
Scenario 1: The retiree with substantial savings, modest current income
A 62-year-old San Diego retiree wants to buy a $900K condo. Social Security + small pension = $5,200/mo (not enough to qualify the loan conventionally). Brokerage account: $1.4M. IRA (rollover): $800K.
Qualifying: $1.4M brokerage × 85% = $1.19M + $800K IRA × 70% (over 59½) = $560K. Total qualifying assets: $1.75M / 84 months = $20,800/mo qualifying income. Approved.
Scenario 2: The between-projects creator
A 31-year-old LA-based creative who had a peak earning year two years ago, took a year off to travel, now wants to buy. Brokerage from peak year: $850K. Savings: $180K. Crypto (BTC/ETH on Coinbase): $90K.
Qualifying: $850K × 85% = $722K + $180K × 100% = $180K + $90K × 60% = $54K. Total: $956K / 84 months = $11,400/mo qualifying income. Supports a ~$435K loan — enough to buy a desert condo for cash flow + lifestyle.
Scenario 3: The high-net-worth borrower with deductible-heavy tax return
A 45-year-old Bay Area tech founder. W-2 from her own startup: $180K. Schedule K-1 distributions: vary by year. Real income is much higher than tax-visible income. Brokerage: $4.2M. IRA: $620K.
She uses the asset-based program to qualify the $3M jumbo on a Marin County home without surfacing the messy K-1 income story. Qualifying assets alone get her to the loan amount she wants.
Scenario 4: The inheritor
A 38-year-old San Francisco-based borrower inherited $1.8M from a parent's estate 8 months ago. Currently W-2 employed at a moderate salary ($95K). Wants to buy a $1.6M home — way more than the W-2 alone would qualify.
The asset-based program lets the inheritance carry the qualifying. $1.8M brokerage × 85% = $1.53M / 84 months = $18,200/mo qualifying income from assets alone. Combined with the W-2, easy approval at the $1.6M purchase price.
You can combine asset depletion with W-2 or 1099 income for a stronger qualifying file. Common pattern: a borrower with both a steady job and significant savings uses W-2 income as the base + asset depletion as a top-up to reach the loan amount they want. Your loan officer will model the combination on the first call.