Straight talk on mortgages from a loan officer who's done it for 10+ years.
Here's a scenario that doesn't get talked about enough: a buyer gets pre-approved, everything looks solid, an offer gets accepted, and then somewhere in the middle of underwriting, the deal nearly falls apart over something that had nothing to do with her ability to afford the home. It had to do with a few hours a week she cut back on her schedule to take her kid to school.
It's one of the most stressful moments in the homebuying process: you got pre-approved a few weeks ago, you were comfortable with where rates were — and then the market moved. Now rates are higher than when you started, and you're staring at a decision nobody prepared you for. Do you lock in now before they climb further? Or do you wait and hope they come back down?
You submitted your documents, your loan officer said it would be a few days, and now it's been a week. Your realtor is asking if you're ready to make offers. You have no idea what's happening on the other end.
One of the most common reasons pre-approvals get delayed isn't credit or income — it's missing paperwork. Lenders need to verify a lot of information before they can issue a pre-approval letter, and if you're scrambling to find documents after you've already found a home you love, you're at a disadvantage.
Getting a mortgage isn’t just about filling out an application. It’s about proving, on paper, that your income, assets, and overall financial profile support the loan you’re applying for. That’s why lenders ask for a specific set of documents upfront. When everything is provided clearly and completely, the process moves quickly. When it’s not, things slow down.
Getting pre-approved feels like a big step.
This is one people don’t expect until they’re already in the process.
This is one of the most common questions we get: how many pay stubs do you need for a mortgage?
If you recently switched to 1099 income, you’ve probably heard this already:
Talk to Nate directly — no forms, no call centers, no runaround.