Q: I’m a stay-at-home-mom and I’m interested in starting my own home daycare business.

Would someone in my situation qualify for a home loan, or do I have to have a sufficient amount of work experience in that job field to get a home loan?

My credit is good (I have no loans or bankruptcies) and my husband is just beginning to build his credit (less than a year ago).

A: Lenders want to see you self-employed for at least two years, with tax returns to back up the income that you are claiming.

Remember, there are opposite forces at work here — when you have your own business, you may want to boost your expenses as high as possible, so you pay as little in taxes as possible. But to qualify for a home loan, you’ll want to show as much income as possible.