Griffin Funding Review for Self-Employed Buyers Using Bank Statement Loans

The research in brief

Griffin Funding is a good fit for a self-employed buyer whose tax deductions understate income, provided the borrower can document 12–24 months of deposits and meet non-QM credit, down-payment, and reserve rules. Four of seven platforms named Griffin Funding during the ranking stage (57% of included platform responses), with an average listed rank of 1.75 and a best rank of 1. The strongest reason to consider it is the Plan A/Plan B/Plan C structure, especially Plan B's CPA- or tax-preparer-verified expense treatment that can push the expense factor as low as 10% ^[18]. The main limitation is pricing opacity: public rate examples are time-sensitive, no complete fee schedule was verified, and the actual rate, down payment, and plan eligibility require a borrower-specific quote ^[18].

Research Snapshot

Why Griffin Funding Qualified for This Study

Questions explored

• Is Griffin Funding a good choice for a self-employed bank statement loan in 2026?
• How many AI platforms named Griffin Funding for self-employed bank statement loans?

Griffin Funding qualified because it was named by four of the seven included platforms during ranking discovery, and every platform that evaluated it rated the fit as good or strong. The platform-level fit ratings were: Claude strong, Gemini strong, Grok strong, Kimi strong, ChatGPT good, Perplexity good, and DeepSeek good. Griffin Funding's final rank in the study was 2.

The qualification rests on a product that directly matches the target buyer: an in-house non-QM bank statement loan for self-employed borrowers whose tax write-offs reduce documented income ^[3]. Griffin Funding states that qualification can use 12 to 24 months of personal or business bank statements instead of tax returns or pay stubs ^[18].

The company also publishes program detail that most non-QM lenders do not, including loan limits, credit floors, reserve expectations, and three named qualification plans ^[18]. That published detail is what made it comparable across platforms rather than a black-box recommendation.

The mortgage offering in focus

Questions explored

• Which Griffin Funding bank statement plan should a self-employed buyer choose if their business has low actual expenses?
• Does Griffin Funding's Plan B CPA-verified expense option reduce the expense factor for a self-employed bank statement loan?
• How much can a self-employed buyer borrow from Griffin Funding using bank statements instead of tax returns?

The relevant offering is the Griffin Funding Bank Statement Loan, marketed as an in-house non-QM product with three qualification paths. Plan A applies a standard 50% expense factor to business deposits. Plan B accepts CPA- or tax-preparer-verified actual expenses, with ratios potentially as low as 10%. Plan C uses only the first page of bank statements for the fastest qualification path ^[18].

Griffin Funding states that personal bank-statement deposits may be counted at 100%, while business bank statements typically use the 50% expense factor ^[18]. That distinction matters for a buyer whose business has genuinely low overhead, because Plan B can materially raise qualifying income relative to Plan A.

Published parameters include loan amounts from $100,000 to $4.5 million in-house, with exceptions described up to $20 million ^[18]. Griffin Funding also states that its bank statement product can be used to purchase a primary residence, vacation home, or investment property, subject to program and property eligibility ^[18]. A separate company page describes six bank statement products including purchase, rate-and-term refinance, cash-out refinance, HELOAN, HELOC, and a 6-Month SOFR ARM ^[18].

What the AI Platforms Agreed About

Questions explored

• What do AI platforms agree on about Griffin Funding's bank statement loan for self-employed buyers?
• Is Griffin Funding's bank statement program available nationwide for self-employed borrowers?

Agreement was strong, though not unanimous, on five points.

First, the product exists and is aimed at this buyer. Every platform that evaluated Griffin Funding described an in-house non-QM bank statement loan for self-employed borrowers ^[3].

Second, the Plan A/Plan B/Plan C structure is real and central. Five platforms independently described the three-plan framework, including the CPA-verified expense option ^[18].

Third, a rate premium applies. Griffin Funding itself states that bank statement non-QM loans typically price about 0.5 to 1.5 percentage points above conventional tax-return-based loans ^[9].

Fourth, credit and history floors exist. Griffin Funding publishes a 620 minimum credit score and generally requires at least 2 years of self-employment ^[8].

Fifth, down payments start at 10% for qualified borrowers, with credit and loan-size conditions attached ^[11].

Where the AI Platforms Disagreed or Were Uncertain

Questions explored

• Is Griffin Funding's bank statement loan pricing transparent enough to compare before applying?
• What is unclear about Griffin Funding's CPA letter requirements for Plan B?

Pricing transparency was the sharpest split. Anthropic reported a fixed $1,990 origination fee including underwriting and processing with no broker markup ^[19]. OpenAI reported published rate examples of 2.625 to 3.50 points and a low pricing confidence rating ^[18]. Deepseek and Perplexity both reported that no rate sheet, fee schedule, or down-payment minimum was published on the pages they reviewed ^[3]. Grok reported origination fees or points typically 0 to 3-plus, with examples showing +2.125 to +3.25 points ^[18]. These are not reconcilable from the supplied evidence.

Rate ranges also conflict. Anthropic and Grok reported 6.625%–7.125% (6.91%–7.238% APR) as of September 2026 ^[18]. Google reported 6.25%–7.5% as of mid-2026 ^[14]. Kimi reported both a 6.625%–7.125% body range and a 6.25%–7.5% comparison-table range, flagging the discrepancy itself ^[18]. OpenAI reported example 30-year fixed rates of 6.50%, 6.75%, and 6.875% as of September 11, 2026 ^[18].

Geographic coverage is unresolved. Anthropic reported 47 states plus DC in one citation and 44 states plus DC in another ^[9]. Google reported 47 states plus DC and named North Dakota, South Dakota, and New York as excluded ^[14]. Kimi reported 47 states plus DC but stated the three excluded states are unspecified ^[18].

Reserve requirements conflict. OpenAI reported at least 3 months of PITI reserves, with larger loans potentially requiring more ^[18]. Google reported at least 3 months ^[16]. Anthropic reported 4 months for loans under $1 million and 6 months for loans over $1 million ^[20]. Grok reported 3–12+ months depending on loan size ^[18].

DTI caps are also inconsistent. OpenAI reported up to 50% DTI, 55% by exception ^[18]. Anthropic reported 50% for cash-out refinances and separately noted a 55% figure for first-time buyers ^[20]. Kimi reported 50% with 55% by exception ^[18].

Prepayment penalties are unresolved for this product. Anthropic reported that DSCR loans carry a 3-year step-down penalty but that sources do not clarify whether bank statement loans carry similar terms ^[28]. No platform supplied a definitive bank statement prepayment disclosure.

Plan B documentation mechanics remain underspecified. OpenAI, Claude, DeepSeek, and Perplexity all noted that acceptable CPA credentials, letter format, required supporting records, and whether a CPA letter alone suffices are not fully published ^[18].

Mortgage features for this borrowing need

Questions explored

• Does Griffin Funding accept CPA letters to lower the expense factor on a self-employed bank statement loan?
• What down payment and credit score does Griffin Funding require for a bank statement purchase loan?

Griffin Funding's fit for this use case rests on five capabilities.

Bank statement program availability. Griffin Funding publicly offers bank statement loans for self-employed borrowers and states that qualification can use 12 to 24 months of personal or business bank statements instead of tax returns or pay stubs ^[18]. One independent directory states borrowers can qualify with as little as 2 months of statements under Plan C, though the 12-month program is described as most popular ^[27].

Non-QM underwriting flexibility. Griffin Funding states that its bank statement program may allow up to 50% DTI, 55% by exception, fixed or adjustable rates, interest-only options, loan amounts up to $4.5 million in-house, and at least 3 months of PITI reserves, with larger loans potentially requiring more ^[18]. Kimi reported DTI up to 50% with 55% by exception ^[18].

Rate premium for alternative documentation. Griffin Funding states that bank statement non-QM loans typically price about 0.5 to 1.5 percentage points above conventional loans, depending on credit, down payment, DTI, assets, and other factors ^[9]. This is a general company statement, not a borrower-specific comparison.

CPA letter acceptance. Griffin Funding expressly advertises CPA or tax-preparer verification of actual business expenses under Plan B, potentially reducing the expense factor to as low as 10% ^[18]. The public materials do not fully specify acceptable credentials, letter format, required supporting records, or whether a CPA letter alone is sufficient ^[18].

Minimum down payment for non-QM. Griffin Funding advertises down payments as low as 10%. Its published comparison specifies 10% for borrowers with 680 or higher FICO on loans up to $1 million, while a separate state program page states that borrowers with 620 to 679 credit may require at least 20% down ^[23]. The exact down payment depends on credit, loan size, property, state, and underwriting.

Additional context: Griffin Funding states it is a state-licensed non-bank mortgage lender supervised by state mortgage regulators and the CFPB, and describes itself as a VA-Approved Lender and HUD FHA Non-Supervised Lender ^[9]. It also claims its LIA AI underwriting platform and bank-connection technology can accelerate statement collection and underwriting; this is a company claim without independent verification in the reviewed sources ^[18].

Rates, fees, and ongoing costs

Questions explored

• How much does a Griffin Funding bank statement loan cost per month, and what origination fees apply?
• Does Griffin Funding's bank statement loan carry a prepayment penalty or rate-lock extension fee?

Pricing confidence across platforms was low to moderate, and the supplied evidence does not establish a single authoritative cost figure.

Published rate examples cluster in the mid-to-high 6% range. Anthropic and Grok reported 6.625%–7.125% with APRs of 6.91%–7.238% as of September 2026 ^[18]. Google reported 6.25%–7.5% as of mid-2026 ^[14]. OpenAI reported example 30-year fixed rates of 6.50%, 6.75%, and 6.875% with APRs of approximately 6.846%–7.139% and points from 2.625 to 3.50 as of September 11, 2026 ^[18]. Kimi reported both ranges and flagged the discrepancy ^[18]. These are displayed examples, not guaranteed quotes.

On the rate premium, Griffin Funding states that bank statement non-QM loans typically price about 0.5 to 1.5 percentage points above conventional loans ^[9].

On origination fees, one platform reported a fixed $1,990 fee including underwriting and processing with no broker markup ^[19]. Another reported origination fees or points typically 0 to 3-plus, with examples showing +2.125 to +3.25 points ^[18]. Two platforms reported that no fee schedule was published on the pages they reviewed ^[3]. This conflict is unresolved in the supplied evidence.

On additional costs, platforms reported that appraisal and other third-party closing costs are likely but were not quantified, and that normal purchase-loan costs such as title, escrow, recording, prepaid taxes, and insurance may apply ^[18].

On contract terms, the reviewed public materials do not establish rate-lock duration, extension charges, cancellation terms, or a standard commitment fee ^[18]. One platform reported that DSCR loans carry a 3-year step-down prepayment penalty but that sources do not clarify whether bank statement loans carry similar terms ^[28]. No platform supplied a definitive bank statement prepayment disclosure.

Best Suited For

Questions explored

• Who is Griffin Funding's bank statement loan best suited for among self-employed buyers?
• Is Griffin Funding a good fit for a self-employed buyer with strong deposits but low taxable income?

Griffin Funding is best suited for business owners, freelancers, and other self-employed borrowers with consistent personal or business deposits but low taxable income ^[18].

It also fits borrowers who may benefit from a CPA or tax-preparer verification of actual business expenses, because Plan B can reduce the expense factor to as low as 10% ^[18].

It fits borrowers seeking a direct-to-consumer non-QM lender with published program guidelines and loan amounts above typical conforming limits ^[18].

It fits borrowers with at least 10% down, approximately 620 or higher credit, and required cash reserves ^[18].

It also fits jumbo buyers, since Griffin Funding states in-house capacity to $4.5 million with exceptions described up to $20 million ^[18].

Probably Not Best Suited For

Questions explored

• Who should not choose Griffin Funding for a self-employed bank statement loan?
• Is Griffin Funding a bad fit for a self-employed buyer with less than two years of business history?

Griffin Funding is probably not best for borrowers who qualify for conventional financing using tax returns and can obtain materially lower rates and fees ^[18].

It is probably not best for borrowers with irregular, declining, poorly documented, or heavily cash-based deposits ^[18].

It is probably not best for borrowers unable to provide required reserves, business-history evidence, appraisal support, or the lender's required income documentation ^[18].

It is probably not best for borrowers seeking a guaranteed lowest rate, no-point pricing, or a fully documented fee schedule before submitting a complete application ^[18].

It is probably not best for borrowers with less than 2 years of self-employment history, since Griffin Funding generally requires at least 2 years, with a possible 1-year exception when the borrower has at least 2 prior years in the same line of work ^[8].

It is probably not best for borrowers who need closing in under 21 days, since typical closings are described as 21–30 days ^[9].

When Another Option May Be Better

Questions explored

• What is a better alternative to Griffin Funding for a self-employed buyer who can qualify using tax returns?
• When should a self-employed buyer choose a different lender instead of Griffin Funding's bank statement loan?

Another option may be better in several defined situations.

If a conventional lender can approve the borrower using tax returns, add-backs, one-year self-employment history, or other standard documentation at a materially lower rate and cost, conventional financing is likely better ^[18].

If another non-QM lender offers a lower rate, lower points, more favorable expense-factor treatment, lower reserve requirements, or a smaller down payment for the same file, that lender should be compared directly ^[18].

If the borrower has strong assets but weak or irregular deposits, an asset-depletion or asset-based mortgage may fit better ^[18].

If the borrower receives primarily 1099 income, a lender's dedicated 1099 program may produce better documentation or pricing ^[18].

If the borrower needs a state, property type, loan size, or credit profile that Griffin Funding does not approve under current guidelines, another lender is required ^[18].

If the borrower is executing a fix-and-flip or acquisition-rehab strategy, Griffin Funding does not offer fix-and-flip, bridge, or acquisition financing, so a specialized lender is needed ^[28].

If the borrower needs a down payment below 10%, an asset-based loan, home equity refinance, or additional savings may be required instead ^[28].

If the borrower has foreign national status, Griffin Funding does not explicitly state a foreign national policy for bank statement loans, so a specialized foreign national lender may be needed ^[28].

Questions to ask before choosing a lender

Questions explored

• What should a self-employed buyer confirm with Griffin Funding before signing a bank statement loan contract?
• Which Griffin Funding bank statement terms are not publicly disclosed and must be requested in writing?

The supplied research identifies specific items that public materials do not resolve. Buyers should confirm each in writing before committing.

Confirm whether the Bank Statement Purchase Loan is currently available and funded in-house for your state, property type, loan amount, and occupancy ^[18].

Confirm whether 12 or 24 months of statements will be used, and whether personal statements, business statements, or both are acceptable ^[18].

Confirm which deposits are excluded and how transfers, cash deposits, refunds, large deposits, seasonality, and business-to-personal transfers will be treated ^[18].

Confirm Plan B eligibility, the exact CPA or tax-preparer credentials and letter format required, and the expense factor that will be applied ^[18].

Confirm the down payment, reserve requirement, maximum DTI, credit score, and loan limit that apply specifically to your file ^[18].

Request the complete Loan Estimate, including rate, APR, points, origination charges, underwriting fees, processing fees, appraisal, lender credits, and required escrows ^[18].

Confirm whether a prepayment penalty applies, and if so, its duration and amount ^[28].

Confirm rate-lock duration, extension costs, and what happens if underwriting or appraisal is delayed ^[18].

Confirm whether tax returns, profit-and-loss statements, CPA letters, business licenses, or verification of business ownership are still required even though income is based on bank statements ^[18].

Confirm how the lender treats declining deposits, multiple businesses, recent business changes, business debts, or income from cryptocurrency, payment processors, or cash ^[18].

Confirm which property types, states, investor overlays, appraisal standards, and reserve rules could cause the loan to be declined after prequalification ^[18].

The consensus assessment

Griffin Funding is a good fit for this use case, with meaningful pricing and underwriting caveats. Four of seven platforms named it during ranking discovery, and all seven that evaluated it rated the fit as good or strong. The strongest reason to consider it is the Plan A/Plan B/Plan C structure, particularly Plan B's CPA- or tax-preparer-verified expense treatment that can reduce the expense factor to as low as 10% ^[18].

The main limitation is that public information does not establish the buyer's final rate, fees, down payment, plan eligibility, or contractual terms. Rate examples conflict across platforms, origination fee reporting conflicts, reserve and DTI figures conflict, and prepayment terms for the bank statement product are not definitively disclosed ^[18].

Griffin Funding should be compared against at least two other non-QM lenders using written Loan Estimates. Platform agreement on fit does not establish product quality, and most supporting citations are company-owned rather than independent.

How This Review Was Produced

This review was produced from a structured multi-platform research run dated 2026-09-29. Seven platforms evaluated Griffin Funding for the self-employed bank statement loan use case: Claude, DeepSeek, Gemini, Grok, Kimi, ChatGPT, and Perplexity. Four of those seven named Griffin Funding during the ranking stage.

Each platform returned a fit rating, a direct answer, strengths, limitations, pricing and terms, use-case findings, and questions to verify before buying. Those outputs were consolidated into this review. Platform-level fit ratings were: Claude strong, Gemini strong, Grok strong, Kimi strong, ChatGPT good, Perplexity good, and DeepSeek good.

The consensus index for this category is the self-employed bank statement loan comparison, which ranks all finalists for this use case.

This article sits within the broader home purchase mortgage lenders directory.

Research limitations

Several limitations apply to this review.

Platform-reported research dates differ from the authoritative run date. Deepseek reported a research date of 2026-01-15, while the run research date is 2026-09-29. Platform-reported dates are provenance metadata and do not independently prove freshness.

Platform mentions count only platforms that named the entity during ranking discovery. All included platforms evaluated fit, but not all named Griffin Funding in the ranking stage.

Company-owned citations materially outnumber independent citations. Of the deduplicated sources, 26 are company-owned and 3 are independent. Company claims are not independently verified.

The supplied URLs were collected from platform responses and were not independently validated by the writer stage.

Citations are platform-reported evidence, not independently verified facts. Claims from platforms without search capability require explicit verification before being described as current facts.

Conflicting product names, pricing, and capabilities were not resolved by guessing. Where platforms disagreed, the conflict is described and buyers are directed to verify.

No independent source reviewed verified Griffin Funding's claimed approval speed, AI performance, customer outcomes, or absence of broker markup ^[18].

State licensing and availability were not independently verified for any specific buyer's state from the reviewed sources ^[18].

See the broader Self-Employed Buyers Using Bank Statement Loans consensus index for comparisons across qualified options.

Sources

Company-Owned Sources

1. Griffin Funding: Mortgage & Home Loan Lender | Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/
2. About Griffin Funding: A Direct-to-Consumer Mortgage Lender | Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/about-us/
3. Griffin Funding – Bank Statement Loan / Self-Employed Mortgage: https://griffinfunding.com/bank-statement-loan/
4. Bank Statement Loans | Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/bank-statement-loans
5. Bank Statement Loan Examples & Use Cases - Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/blog/bank-statement-loan-examples/
6. Bank Statement Loan Calculator | Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/blog/bank-statement-loans/bank-statement-loan-calculator/
7. Bank Statement Loan Document Checklist | Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/blog/bank-statement-loans/bank-statement-loan-document-checklist/
8. Bank Statement Loans: Get a Mortgage as a Self-Employed First-Time Home Buyer | Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/blog/bank-statement-loans/bank-statement-loans-for-first-time-home-buyers/
9. Best Bank Statement Loan Lenders 2026: https://griffinfunding.com/blog/mortgage/best-bank-statement-loan-lenders/
10. Bank Statement Loans in California (2026) - Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/california-mortgage-lender/bank-statement-loans-california/
11. Bank Statement Loans in Colorado | Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/colorado-mortgage-lender/bank-statement-loans-colorado/
12. Bank Statement Loans in Georgia: https://griffinfunding.com/georgia-mortgage-lender/bank-statement-loans-georgia/
13. Bank Statement Loans in Nevada - Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/nevada-mortgage-lender/bank-statement-loans-nevada/
14. Bank Statement Loans: Rates for Self-Employed - Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/non-qm-loans/bank-statement-loans/
15. Bank Statement Loans: Rates for Self-Employed - Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/non-qm-loans/bank-statement-loans/#plans
16. Bank Statement Loans: Rates for Self-Employed - Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/non-qm-loans/bank-statement-loans/#requirements
17. Non-QM Loans - Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/non-qm-mortgages/
18. Bank Statement Loans: Rates for Self-Employed | Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/non-qm-mortgages/bank-statement-loans/
19. Self-Employed Mortgage Loans: 2026 Requirements & Rates | Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/non-qm-mortgages/self-employed-mortgage/
20. Self-Employed Refinancing: Bank Statement Cash-Out Refinance Loans | Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/non-qm-mortgages/self-employed-refinance/
21. Bank Statement Loans in North Carolina | Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/north-carolina-mortgage-lender/bank-statement-loans-north-carolina/
22. Mortgage Process: Our Step-By-Step Mortgage Loan Process | Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/our-process/
23. Texas Bank Statement Loans: 2026 Rates, Requirements & Markets: https://griffinfunding.com/texas-mortgage-lender/bank-statement-loans-texas/
24. Bank Statement Loans in Virginia - Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/virginia-mortgage-lender/bank-statement-loans-virginia/
25. Bank Statement Mortgages for the Self Employed | Griffin Funding: https://griffinfunding.com/washington-mortgage-lender/bank-statement-loan-washington/
26. Official pricing and terms source: https://griffinfunding.com/terms-of-use/

Independent Sources

27. Private Lender Link - Griffin Funding – Non-QM Home Loans: https://privatelenderlink.com/profile/griffin-funding/
28. Griffin Funding Review 2026: DSCR & Bank Statement Loans | ProInvestorHub: https://proinvestorhub.com/lenders/reviews/griffin-funding
29. Griffin Funding Bank Statement Loan Review (2026: https://www.mortgagemerlin.com/reviews/griffin-funding