I want to refinance my US investment property as a US citizen living abroad.

Greetings Charles.. You have a unique situation. One that most lenders will never experience in their entire career... That being said, I doubt you will find anyone who is "Experienced" in these types of transactions.. as far as the "foreign income tax exclusion" goes.. if you're dealing with a lender who has never done this type of transaction, then they might not know this.. or the lender might have their own guidelines that say they must show that exclusion as a loss.. in either case, you have your work cut out trying to find a lender.. If your ratios are really tight, and that reduced taxable income gets you over the hump, then my guess is that the lender is using this as a reason to turn down a loan that they don't want to deal with... There are lenders out there that don't have a ton of overlays / guidelines, so it's possible you can get one of those to work with you, but in any case, as i stated earlier.. They won't be experienced in these types of loans so be gentle with them. You will get a lot of lenders who will say upfront, "Oh ya... we do those types of loans"... but I'm gonna guess that they probably don't, so be patient... The best advice I can give you is to contact a LOCAL (Malden) mortgage broker, not the local "Big" bank, and certainly not one of those 50 states internet lenders...By applying with your LOCAL Broker, you have an advantage because he's familiar with local customs and works with numerous lenders, seeking out the best loan terms for your particular scenario. Because he has lower overhead, he can offer you lower rates and lower fees than most of the larger lenders.. I'm a Broker here in Scottsdale AZ and I only lend in Arizona. If you or someone you know is looking for financing options, feel free to contact me or pass along my information. 480-287-5714 WilliamAcres.com

You are going to have to work with a fairly large Mortgage Banker or a Regional Bank, rather than a local Broker. Most Brokers don't have the depth of experience you will need as a non-resident citizens. We would be capable, but are not licensed in MA. A potential source might be to look for a CMC certified Broker in MA. Check out www.namb.org ~ Bert Carpenter, The LoansA2z team of NOVA Home Loans ~ NMLS 40586 ~ www.LoansA2z.com 888-889-9950