| Apply For a Loan |
When you submit your loan application
online or in person, your lender combines the information on
your application, the results of your credit report, the information
about the property you want to buy, and your proposed down payment
to estimate your ability to pay the money back.
The loan approval process may happen within two weeks if you've
already been pre-approved. The process can take 30 days or more
if you haven't been pre-approved. |
| To improve your chances of loan approval: |
|
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Fill out the loan
application completely.
The lender needs all this information to determine your creditworthiness.
Make sure you have the documents you need ahead of time. |
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Respond promptly.
Don't put off responding to lender requests for additional documentation.
Get the documents yourself if necessary. |
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Don't go on a spending spree.
Before the sale is scheduled to close, the lender may check
your credit report for high credit card balances and your bank
accounts to make sure you haven't drained them. |
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Make sure the appraisal is done properly.
For a home purchase loan, the lender will order an appraisal
to ensure that you don't pay too much for the home you want
to buy. If the appraisal is too low, you can fight the report
to prevent the transaction from falling through. Learn more
in the Solving Appraisal Problems guide. |