Pregnancy has a lot of risks associated with it. But other than some of the obvious health issues involved, now your dreams of home ownership could be affected.
Apparently mortgage lenders are giving the thumbs down to parents who are expecting a baby or are on maternity leave when they apply for mortgage loans, according to the New York Times. That’s because mortgage lenders want to see proof that a borrower’s current income is enough to cover mortgage payments.
So if you just had a newborn and are on maternity leave, it’s likely that you won’t qualify for a mortgage even if you plan to return to work soon. Even if you can actually afford to buy a home to accommodate your growing family and are guaranteed a job after a leave, you may be required to provide even more proof of qualifying income and assets than normal.
In some cases, banks are showing new parents to the door and instructing them to apply later when they are back at work. And don’t think that new moms are the only ones being denied. Workers who are on other types of leaves from their jobs and have a drop in income may also be out of luck when applying for a mortgage.
“Maternity leave or any other leave of absence often prevents a person from obtaining a mortgage. There are some who long for the days when such strict proof of income was not required,” John Councilman, president of AMC Mortgage in Fallston, Md., told the New York Times.

