Protect Your Mortgage Approval
Congratulations! You found your dream home and through hard work and financial discipline your loan has been approved. It’s time to celebrate the good news, but it’s not time to relax your credit standards or change your spending habits. Up until the moment of settlement, any change to your credit situation, credit score, or assets could cause problems or even reverse your lender’s approval. Here’s a list of credit do’s and don’ts to guide you before the loan closing.DO:
- Stay current on existing accounts. Late payments could cancel the deal.
- Continue to use your credit as you normally would.
- Call your mortgage loan officer for advice before engaging in ANY major transaction – including decisions on whether to pay off collections or charge-offs recorded on your credit report.
- Keep copies of your four most recent paystubs and three most recent bank statements (all pages).
- Keep detailed records of all bank and investment deposits.
- Be prepared to provide your mortgage loan officer with detailed records of all financial transactions.
- Don’t apply for ANY new credit, including credit cards and new lines of credit for furniture and other household necessities. Do this after your final closing.
- Don’t close existing credit card accounts.
- Other than your normal everyday credit card purchases, don’t buy anything that will increase your debt level.
- Don’t consolidate your debt – you already have been approved, let it be until settlement.
- Don’t co-sign on other loans – including those for your children.
- Don’t transfer any money or deposit any gift funds without talking to your mortgage loan officer.
- Don’t change employment or your current position without consulting your mortgage loan officer.
Offer of credit is subject to credit approval.