Self-employment adds surprisingly little time. A straightforward W-2 pre-approval can turn around same day to next day, and a self-employed file might need an extra 24 hours. Whether you are W-2 or 1099, most of your income is reported on the same tax return, either on a Schedule C or through a business return, so a lender is reading the same kind of documents either way. The extra day on a self-employed file goes to working through the returns and any add-backs. What actually drives the timeline is the complexity of the income. A clean W-2 with steady pay is fast. Multiple businesses, K-1s, or a big year-over-year swing take longer to document properly, whichever label applies to you. The bigger point: a real pre-approval means an underwriter-grade review of your actual income, assets, and credit, while a two-minute online estimate can fall apart later. That deeper review is what makes your offer credible to a seller. If you want to see how quick your specific situation would be, that is exactly what the free Roadmap conversation covers, about 20 minutes where we run your real numbers, so you walk away knowing where you stand instead of guessing.