5 guides, read top to bottom, take you from The Mortgage Process, Step by Step to The Mortgage Document Checklist.
Read in this order
- The Mortgage Process, Step by Step1 min read
From pre-approval to closing: what happens at each stage of a home loan and what you will be asked for.
- Pre-qualification is an informal estimate.
- Once you apply for a specific property or refinance, the lender issues a Loan Estimate within three business days.
- Mortgage Fraud and Scam Prevention1 min read
How to protect yourself from wire fraud, foreclosure rescue scams and identity theft during a mortgage.
- Criminals send fake wiring instructions that appear to come from your title company or agent.
- Be wary of anyone who asks for upfront fees to save your home or asks you to sign over your deed.
- What Underwriters Look For1 min read
How underwriters evaluate credit, capacity, capital and collateral, and how to prepare.
- Underwriters review credit reports for payment history, balances and recent inquiries, and confirm scores meet program rules.
- Capacity means your ability to repay, measured largely by debt-to-income ratio and stable income documented by pay stubs, W-2s and tax returns.
What happens between final approval and receiving keys, including the Closing Disclosure, final walkthrough and funding.
- When all conditions are met, the underwriter issues clear to close.
- You must receive the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing.
- The Mortgage Document Checklist1 min read
A practical list of documents lenders commonly request, grouped by category, so you can gather them before you apply.
- Expect to provide a government-issued photo ID and your current address history.
- Wage earners are usually asked for recent pay stubs and two years of W-2 forms.
Run your own numbers
5 calculators on this site, all blank until you type:
- Payment and amortization
- Affordability estimate
- Rent or buy comparison
- Debt-to-income check
- Closing cost worksheet
Check which programs fit
The loan finder asks six questions and points you to the programs worth reading about, with a side-by-side comparison table. It is education, not an eligibility decision.
Terms you will meet in these guides
- Servicerfirst in Mortgage Fraud and Scam Prevention
- Debt-to-income ratio (DTI)first in What Underwriters Look For
- Appraisalfirst in What Underwriters Look For
- Closing Disclosurefirst in From Clear to Close to Keys: The Last Week
- Loan Estimatefirst in The Mortgage Process, Step by Step
- Rescissionfirst in The Mortgage Process, Step by Step
Everything here is general education. Program rules change; confirm current requirements with the official sources below and with a licensed lender.
Sources
- CFPB: Mortgage closing scams
- FBI IC3
- FTC: Report fraud
- CFPB: Mortgage process overview
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide
- CFPB: Closing Disclosure explainer
Sources reviewed . This page was assembled from the guides on this site.