Travel Nurses CAN Buy A House
You absolutely qualify for a mortgage
💰 Higher income than many traditional nurses
🏠 Same loan programs as everyone else
✅ Lenders know how to work with your income
Bust the myth immediately. Travel nurses often make great money and think they're disqualified just because of their contract structure. They're not.
The Big Misconception
❌ "I change jobs every 3-6 months, so I can't qualify"
💭 Most travel nurses think job hopping disqualifies them
📊 Reality: Lenders don't care about job changes - they care about income stability This is the key insight. It's not about staying at one employer, it's about staying in the same line of work with continuous income
What Lenders Actually Need
Employment History Requirements
✅ 2 years total nursing experience This can include staff nursing time before you started traveling
✅ 12+ months as a travel nurse Must be documented with back-to-back contracts
✅ Back-to-back contract pattern - Shows you can consistently find work Even small gaps are usually okay if you show a pattern of booking the next assignment
Emphasize that the 2 years doesn't have to be all travel nursing. If they were a staff nurse for 5 years then switched to travel nursing 1 year ago, they're golden.
Your Income: What Counts vs What Doesn't
Income Type | Taxable? | Counts For Mortgage? |
Hourly base pay | ✅ Yes | ✅ Counts |
Overtime | ✅ Yes | ✅ Counts |
Completion bonuses | ✅ Yes | ✅ Counts |
Housing stipends | ❌ No | ❌ Usually doesn't count |
Per diems | ❌ No | ❌ Usually doesn't count |
Travel reimbursements | ❌ No | ❌ Doesn't count |
💡 How it's calculated: Lenders average your taxable income over 2 years This is huge. Many travel nurses see a big paycheck but forget that a chunk of it is non-taxable stipends that won't help them qualify
🏡 Ready To Get Pre-Approved?
My team helps travel nurses in 49 states (everywhere except New York)
Here's what makes working with us different:
💳 Soft credit pull - Get pre-approved without impacting your credit score
🩺 We understand your income - We work with travel nurses regularly and know how to document your contracts
⚡ Fast turnaround - Get your pre-approval and start house hunting
👉 Get pre-approved today: winthehouseyoulove.com
Position this in the middle to capture interest while they're engaged. Emphasize the soft pull and that we actually understand their situation.
The Mistakes To Avoid
🚫 Taking time off between contracts - Even a 30-day gap can hurt you If you're planning to buy, keep contracts back-to-back for at least 12 months leading up to your application
🚫 Not saving pay stubs and contracts - You'll need proof of every assignment Lenders want to see the full paper trail. Start organizing now.
🚫 Maxing out your budget - Your income can fluctuate Travel nurse assignments can dry up in certain markets. Don't stretch to the max of what a lender approves.
🚫 Forgetting about your "tax home" - You need a permanent address This is an IRS requirement for travel nurses to get tax-free stipends, and it actually helps with mortgage qualification too
Documents You Need Ready
📋 Assignment contracts - All contracts from the past 2 years
💸 Paystubs - Past 30 days (showing taxable income breakdown)
📄 W2s - Past 2 years
📊 Tax returns - Past 2 years with all schedules
✉️ Verification of Employment - From your staffing agency showing likelihood of continued assignments
Getting these docs organized early is the biggest thing travel nurses can do to speed up their approval. Most staffing agencies are used to providing VOEs for mortgages.
⏰ But What About Your Timeline?
Most travel nurses want to know: "How do I actually plan out the next few months to make this happen?"
The good news? You can go from where you are now to holding keys in about 90 days with the right strategy.
👉 Watch this video next: [Link to 3 Month Plan Video]
Natural bridge to the planning video. They now know they CAN qualify, next question is HOW to execute the plan.