The Mortgage (Purchase) Process
Another thing that helps is knowing that you aren’t alone in it. With an Affinity Plus mortgage, you partner with a dedicated mortgage loan officer through the whole thing, up until closing.
The 5 Stages
When you’re buying a home, there are 5 stages in the mortgage process.
- Application
- Document Collection
- Processing
- Underwriting
- Closing
Application
When you apply online for a mortgage, you’ll be asked for income info and the last 2 years of work history for both you and your co-borrower (if applicable). Then after submitting it, you can log in to check your application’s status anytime.
Document Collection
After we get your application and signed purchase agreement, we’ll ask for some documents to verify income and assets. And you can sign and send them electronically! We’ll email you about how to use the Secure Document Center. You’ll need to follow a link in that email and complete registration within 48 hours.
We'll Definitely Need These
- Most recent paystub that includes year-to-date earnings.
- W2 or 1099 for the most recent year.
- Bank statements for the 2 most recent months to verify you have down payment funds (unless your accounts are here at Affinity Plus, because we can check that).
- Other supporting documents as needed, depending on your situation (tax returns, divorce decrees, marriage certificates, etc.).
- Signed set of preliminary disclosures (which we’ll send you). These are based on estimates and info from when you first applied, and as we gather more throughout the mortgage process, they’ll change prior to closing. But the initial set needs to be signed – unchanged – in order to proceed.
And Maybe More Later
We might ask for additional documentation throughout the entire process. And prompt replies help ensure a timely closing!
A+ Tip: Never send sensitive info like your Social Security number, account numbers, or Affinity Plus member number over email or text messages. Those channels aren’t secure. If we ever need that kind of info from you, we’ll give you a secure way to send it.
Processing
This stage involves our processor asking you for additional documents and/or letters of explanation. And how long it takes really depends on how soon you can get back to us. Also during this time, the processor completes third-party services by ordering the title work, appraisal and flood report, and verifying your employment information.
Underwriting
The underwriter reviews everything for completeness and compliance with regulations. And this stage usually takes 10 – 30 days, but is subject to delays depending on your situation. If we need any additional documentation, the processor or mortgage loan officer will contact you immediately. And if you don’t hear from us during Underwriting, that’s a good sign!
Closing
We’ll get in touch to schedule a time and place that’s convenient for you, and also let you know what the final amount due is.
What Can Delay or Prevent Closing
Significant financial changes made after applying can cause major delays, and even prevent closing. To ensure that everything goes smoothly, please check with your mortgage loan officer before doing any of the following:
- Taking on new debt (loans or credit cards)
- Making large purchases
- Making large deposits (tax refunds, bonuses, substantial transfers, etc.)
