Is child support treated as income for getting a loan? Does it have to be garnished? Or can the payments be made directly to me?

It can be used for income, and it can be grossed up in some cases. You will have to prove it will continue for 3 years beyond the date of the loan closing and will have to document that your last 12 months payments have been received on time.

More info needed, but in general, in order for child support to be counted as income, it must be court ordered (lender will require divorce decree or order of CS).. Most all states require those who pay child support, to pay the state, and then the state forwards the funds to the recipient, so expect scrutiny from the lender if they are paying you directly. For the income to be considered, you will have to prove you have been receiving it for at least 12 months, and the CS order must prove that its likely to continue for the next 3 years.. To prove this, you must provide 12 months bank statements showing the deposits.. 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. William J. Acres, Lender411's number ONE lender in Arizona. 480-287-5714 WilliamAcres.com NMLS# 226347

Great question. Just like any income, it must be consistent and proven that the child support payments will be made regularly for the next few years. If the child support is being calculated as income, please be sure to alert the mortgage broker if payments will decrease within the three year period due to one or more of the dependents aging out of the child support equation, thus ceasing some of the payment support amount.