The Quick Read: The amount depends on the borrower’s qualifying deposit income, not on the jet. A private jet owner can borrow on 12 or 24 months of bank deposits, and the loan size comes from expense-adjusted deposit income, debt-to-income, leverage and reserves, not from the aircraft. Through select wholesale programs, subject to full underwriting, files run from $300,000 to $30,000,000.
- The aircraft is an asset, not income. Any aircraft note counts as debt.
- Qualifying income is eligible deposits divided by the statement months, after an expense ratio.
- Debt-to-income can reach 50% through select wholesale programs.
- Leverage on a primary residence steps down as the loan grows.
- Above $4,000,000, every file is reviewed case by case before submission.
How Do Deposits Turn Into Borrowing Power?
Borrowing power starts with deposits, not traditional personal-income documentation. Across the wholesale network, most programs take 12 or 24 consecutive months of personal or business statements. They total the eligible deposits, apply an expense ratio, and divide by the number of months. The result is monthly qualifying income.
For business statements, the borrower needs at least 25% ownership. The expense ratio is usually fixed:
- A lower fixed ratio for a service business with no employees
- A higher fixed ratio for a business with a small staff
- The highest fixed ratio for a business with a larger staff, or any product business
- An accountant-provided ratio, where the file supports one
A profit-and-loss method, capped at 80%, is another path. Transfers from the borrower’s own business into a personal account count at 100%. Statements must be consecutive, and a transaction history never substitutes for them.
This matters for high earners whose returns show less than the business actually produces. Trade press describes the same approach: Scotsman Guide notes that lenders can derive income from 12 to 24 months of statements using a standard expense factor. The exact method varies by program, so the figures here are the network’s, not a market-wide rule.
Does Owning a Jet Increase What You Can Borrow?
No. An aircraft is not income, and an illiquid asset generally does not count toward reserves. Owning a jet can help only indirectly, through the cash flow it supports or the liquid assets sitting beside it.
Here is how aircraft ownership usually touches a file:
- A financed aircraft note is a debt. It enters the debt-to-income calculation and can shrink capacity.
- Charter or management revenue deposited into a business account is income. It takes the expense ratio like any other deposit. Aviation operations can carry heavy costs, so the accountant-provided ratio often matters here.
- Operating costs that run through the same account are already reflected through the expense ratio. They are not deducted twice.
- The sale of an aircraft is a one-time windfall. Underwriters generally exclude it from recurring income.
No program sets a loan ceiling by aircraft ownership. Qualification rests on verified deposits, and the lender relies on third-party records. Under 12 CFR 1026.43, a lender must make a reasonable, good-faith determination that the borrower can repay. Bank records are how that is documented on these files.
What Size Loan Can a Jet Owner Realistically Reach?
Through select wholesale programs, loans run from $300,000 to $30,000,000. That range comes from two programs, so never read it as one figure. A portfolio non-QM bank-statement program carries files to $6,000,000.
That bank ladder begins above $4,000,000 and overlaps the first program to $6,000,000. Above $6,000,000 it stands alone. On the bank program, leverage tops out at 65% to $5,000,000, 60% to $10,000,000 and 55% to $30,000,000, with interest-only at 60% or the band’s ceiling, whichever is lower.
Size is only the ceiling. Your income sets the real limit. Debt-to-income can reach 50%, so a higher qualifying income and lighter debts, including any aircraft note, support a larger loan. The jet matters mostly as a liability.
How Does Leverage Step Down as Loans Get Larger?
Leverage falls as the loan grows. On a primary residence, through select wholesale programs and subject to underwriting, the ceilings run like this:
| Loan size (primary residence) | Typical ceiling |
|---|---|
| $300,000 to $1,000,000 | 90% on a purchase |
| Up to $2,000,000 | 85% on a purchase |
| Up to $3,000,000 | 80% on a purchase |
| Up to $4,000,000 | 75% at the top credit tier |
| $4,000,000 to $6,000,000 | 65% to 60% on review |
| Above $6,000,000 | 60% to 55% on a purchase, on review |
Second homes and investment property run about five points lower at every size. Nothing above $1,000,000 reaches 90%. Anything above $4,000,000 is reviewed case by case before submission, so treat those figures as starting points, not promises.
Credit tightens too. The portfolio program sets a 660 floor, the bank program 680, and 700 applies above the super-jumbo line. Cash-out has its own ladder. Primary-residence cash-out is best at 80% on smaller loans and falls with size. On the portfolio program, cash-in-hand is capped at $1,500,000 above 60% LTV. Terms depend on the lender’s guidelines, the property type, the leverage, and a full review of the credit profile.
Worked Example: Reading the Ratio
Suppose a founder buys a primary residence at $2,500,000 with 80% leverage on a purchase, through a program that fits. The question is whether income supports it. The file’s debt-to-income, with the aircraft note included, must stay at or below 50%. If a financed jet pushes the ratio past that line, the options are a lower loan amount, a paid-down aircraft note, or an asset-based path. The exact numbers vary by lender and program and follow a full review of property, leverage, and credit.
Run in the other direction, the same founder with no aircraft debt may clear the ratio with room to spare. The jet did not change the income. It changed the debt side of the equation. That is the whole mechanic.
Lendmire’s bank statement loans for private jet owners guide goes deeper on aircraft-specific file structure.
Personal or Business Statements for Jet Owners?
Use whichever account actually holds the income. The choice changes the answer, so the table below maps the common situations.
| Situation | Usual statement choice | Key point |
|---|---|---|
| Income paid to you personally | Personal | Expense ratio may apply |
| Operating company pays you | Either | Transfers into personal count at 100% |
| Jet in an LLC with charter revenue | Business | Needs 25%+ ownership |
| Mixed personal and business flows | Combined, reviewed | Remove internal transfers |
Transfers between your own accounts are not income. Loan proceeds and one-off windfalls are excluded too. The CFPB’s compliance guide states that a lender generally cannot rely on stated income and must verify it with reliable third-party records. Bank statements are that verification.
What If Statements Understate Your Cash Flow?
Two other paths exist when deposits alone fall short. Both work from assets rather than income.
Asset allowance divides liquid assets by 36, 60 or 84 months to add qualifying income. Use 36 months when the debt-to-income is at or below 60%, 60 months above that, and 84 months for a standalone file or any loan above $3,500,000. It applies to primary and second homes only, at 80% maximum.
Assets-only needs no debt-to-income. Instead, U.S. liquid assets must equal the loan amount plus closing costs. An aircraft does not count as liquid. Retirement accounts count at 70%, or 80% at age 59.5 and up. Business funds, gifts, unvested stock and cryptocurrency never count.
If you are buying a rental, there is a third route. A property can qualify primarily on rental income covering the payment, subject to lender guidelines, which can keep personal income and aircraft debt out of the equation. Lendmire’s complete DSCR loans guide explains how that coverage ratio works. Programs below 1.00 coverage are available through select lenders in the network, though leverage and terms adjust.
Which Option Fits Which Jet Owner?
The right tool follows how your income is documented, not how much you own.
| Option | Lender relies on | Best fit | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank statement loan | Deposit income | Self-employed owners | Expense ratio trims income |
| Asset allowance | Liquid assets | Large portfolios | Primary and second homes only |
| Assets-only | Liquid assets | Cash-rich, low income | Liquidity must match the loan |
| Rental coverage loan | Property rent | Investment purchases | Property-level income only |
| Full documentation | Traditional personal-income documentation | Steady W-2 earners | Write-offs reduce income |
For a W-2 executive with strong returns, full documentation may carry a simpler path. The bank statement route earns its place when deductions make returns understate real cash flow.
What Do Lenders Still Verify?
Everything that matters. This is not a no-paperwork loan. Credit, reserves, collateral and business ownership all get reviewed. Reserves run 3 months to $500,000, 6 months to $1,500,000 and 9 months above. Each additional financed property adds 2 months, to a 12-month maximum, and first-time investors need 12 months.
Business funds, in particular, are treated differently across programs. On cash-out files, proceeds cannot satisfy reserves above the super-jumbo line. Above $3,500,000 on a primary residence, and $3,000,000 on a second home or investment property, overlays add a 700 credit floor, a 0x30x24 housing history and 48-month seasoning on any credit event. Borrowers must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Key Terms Defined
Qualifying income: The monthly figure left after eligible deposits are totaled, reduced by an expense ratio, and divided by the statement months.
Expense ratio: The share of business deposits treated as costs, so only the remainder counts as income.
Debt-to-income (DTI): Your monthly debts divided by your monthly qualifying income, which reaches 50% on these programs.
Reserves: Liquid funds kept after closing, counted in months of the housing payment.
Asset allowance: A method that adds income by dividing liquid assets over 36, 60 or 84 months.
Mistakes Jet Owners Make
Mixing personal and business transfers is a common error. Moving money between your own accounts inflates the deposit total until underwriting strips it out. Another is assuming the aircraft is a reserve. It usually is not.
A third is ignoring the aircraft note until late in the file. Tell your broker upfront. Finally, large aircraft-related movements, such as a down payment or sale, need a written explanation. Unexplained deposits slow a review and may be excluded.
Tax treatment can depend on how the funds are used and how the property is held; investors should keep clear records and speak with a qualified tax professional before relying on any deduction.
For comparison, Lendmire’s piece How Much a Sole Proprietor Can Borrow on a Jumbo Bank Statement Loan covers a similar file without the aircraft.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a bank statement loan finance a jet itself?
Not through the programs described here. These loans are for real estate, not aircraft. Aircraft are typically financed through aviation-specific lenders using the plane as collateral. The bank statement route applies to a home, second home or investment property purchase or refinance.
Does my jet count toward reserves?
Generally no. An aircraft is illiquid, so it does not satisfy reserve requirements. Reserves come from liquid funds. Retirement accounts count at 70%, or 80% at 59.5 and over, while business funds, gifts and cryptocurrency never count.
Do jet payments reduce how much I can borrow?
Yes. A financed aircraft note is debt and enters the debt-to-income calculation, which can reach 50% through select wholesale programs. Paying the note down, or documenting it accurately, can improve the file.
Can I use business statements if the jet is in an LLC?
Often yes, if you own at least 25% of the business. Business deposits take an expense ratio, and charter revenue counts as business income. Whether an LLC-held asset fits depends on program terms, so confirm eligibility before applying.
Do I need traditional personal-income documentation?
Not for the core bank statement path, which is reviewed on documented deposit income under the applicable program, subject to lender guidelines. Other items, including credit, reserves and the appraisal, are still reviewed.
If you are financing a high-balance property on business or personal bank statements and want to see how the numbers work, Lendmire can help you compare super jumbo bank statement loan options based on your deposits, the property, credit profile, leverage, and your goals. Lendmire is a broker arranging financing through select lenders in its wholesale network, and consumer mortgage lending is licensed in 16 states. Nothing here is a commitment to lend, and every file is underwritten individually.
For jet owners, the most useful habit is simple: size the loan from deposits, then treat the aircraft as debt to be explained, not wealth to be counted.
Lendmire’s self-employed mortgages page presents both super jumbo programs, bank statement and DSCR, side by side.
About Lendmire
Lendmire, NMLS# 2371349, is a non-QM mortgage broker serving real estate investors in 41 markets, including Washington, D.C., through DSCR investor loan programs. Qualification is generally reviewed around the subject property’s rental income, not the borrower’s W-2 history — a practical fit for LLC-titled portfolios and self-employed investors. All scenarios remain subject to lender review and program guidelines. Two consecutive Scotsman Guide Top Mortgage Workplace recognitions (2025, 2026).
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References
1. Scotsman Guide, Rev Up the Engine for Non-QM Lending
3. CFPB ATR/QM Small Entity Compliance Guide
This article is part of Lendmire’s super jumbo bank statement loan program — full qualification details, guidelines, and scenarios live on the program page.
Related reading: How to Switch From a Private Bank to a Super Jumbo Bank Statement Loan · Bank Statement Loan vs Asset Depletion Loan for Physicians · How to Use 40-Year Amortization on a Super Jumbo Bank Statement Loan
Brandon Miller
Founder & CEO, Mortgage Loan Originator, Lendmire LLC
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Important disclosures. Lendmire (NMLS# 2371349) is a licensed mortgage brokerage. Lendmire is not a direct lender, depository institution, or financial advisor. All loan inquiries are subject to lender underwriting; this article does not constitute a commitment to lend. Rates, terms, and program guidelines are subject to change without notice and vary by borrower profile, property type, and state. Information in this article is general in nature and is not financial, legal, or tax advice. Equal Housing Opportunity. NMLS Consumer Access: nmlsconsumeraccess.org.