Some lenders who don't require any income documents will still ask for reserves. Its important to know if your qualifying for a stated loan no assets vs a stated loan verified assets. Check with your mortgage professional.

There are also programs known as "No Doc" programs which do not even require any income documentation. Check with your mortgage professional to see which program is right for you.

There is nothing more solid than W-2s. Verifications of Employment (VOE's) usually take more time, and unearth more problems if not filled out entirely correct. Nothing is more solid than the word of the IRS. W-2's.

If you plan on using child support or alimony as income for loan qualification be sure to have any divorce decrees or other pertinent documentation to prove the income is stable and will continue.

Tax returns can be used in certain instances to prove income. The documents that the lender is looking for are things that give them a concrete acknowledgement that what was specified in the application is true.

Some lenders will allow you to state a certain percentage of the income you can document.

Some lenders will accept copies your bank statements as proof of your income. Policies vary from one lender to the next, with some accepting 100% of your deposits as income, and others only accepting a percentage.

Many banks do not require any documents as proof of income from home buyers with excellent credit profiles and high credit scores. This type of loan borrowers only need to disclose their incomes on the Uniform Residential Loan Application, with no supporting W2's, paycheck stubs, or tax returns. Depending on the particular lender, some banks also require the home buyers to sign an IRS form 4506T, with which the banks can request a copy the homeowner's tax returns from the Internal Revenue Services.