Documents you'll need
Underwriting will ask for all of this eventually. Gathering it early turns the slowest part of a transaction into a much shorter one.
If you're buying with financing
Income
- Recent pay stubs
- W-2s for the last two years
- Federal tax returns, usually two years - all pages and schedules, not just the summary
- If self-employed: business returns, profit and loss, and often a letter from your accountant
- If you receive rental, pension, disability or other regular income: documentation showing it will continue
Assets
- Bank statements, typically two months, every page - including the blank ones, because underwriters check page numbering
- Retirement and brokerage statements if you are drawing on them
- A paper trail for the down payment
- If any of it is gifted: a signed gift letter plus proof of transfer
Identity and history
- Government photo ID
- Two years of address history
- Divorce decree or child support order, where either affects income or obligations
- Bankruptcy or foreclosure discharge papers, if applicable
The thing that causes the most delay
Unexplained deposits. Any deposit that is not obviously payroll will need a written explanation and often documentation of where it came from. Selling a car, a family member helping out, a reimbursement - all fine, all need a paper trail.
This is why "just move some money across before applying" causes problems rather than solving them. If money needs to move, do it before you start and let it season, or be ready to document it.
And the thing that causes the most damage
Changing your financial position between pre-approval and closing. Lenders commonly re-check credit shortly before funding. A new credit card, a financed car, a large purchase, or a job change can undo an approval that was already granted - occasionally days before closing.
If something unavoidable comes up, tell us and tell your lender immediately. Handled early it is usually manageable; discovered late it often is not.
If you're selling
- Mortgage statements for any loans against the property
- Most recent property tax bill, including any special assessments
- HOA documents, CC&Rs, and contact details for the association
- Any Mello-Roos / CFD documentation - see the guide
- Permits and paperwork for work done, especially anything structural, electrical or an addition
- Warranties still in force - roof, HVAC, appliances
- Existing leases and tenant details if the property is tenanted
- Your existing title policy, if you can find it
Unpermitted work is worth raising with us early rather than hoping it goes unnoticed. It is a disclosure question and usually a manageable one - it only becomes a problem when it surfaces late.
A note on sending these
These documents contain more than enough to steal an identity. Send them the way your lender or escrow officer asks - normally a secure portal, never plain email attachments. If anyone emails you asking to change wire instructions, stop and call us on a number you already have. Wire fraud in real estate is common, well-executed and effectively irreversible.
Ready to start?
We will tell you what we think it will sell for and how we got there - including when that is less than you hoped.
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