Legal Documents You Need When Buying a House
Buying a house can be an exciting but complex process that involves many legal requirements.
You will need to provide several documents to your lender and the seller. The specific documents required may vary depending on the lender and the type of loan you are applying for, but here are some of the most common documents you may need:
Proof of Income: This may include pay stubs, W-2 forms, and tax returns from the past two years.
Bank Statements: You will need to provide bank statements for the past two to three months to show your savings and checking account balances.
Credit Report: Your lender will obtain your credit report to assess your creditworthiness and determine your interest rate.
Employment Verification: Your lender may contact your employer to verify your employment and income.
Loan Application: This is the first step in the mortgage process, and it will require you to provide detailed information about your income, assets, and debts.
Pre-approval Letter: Once you have submitted your loan application, you may receive a pre-approval letter from your lender, which will state the amount of money you are qualified to borrow.
Loan Estimate: This document provides an estimate of the closing costs associated with your mortgage, as well as the interest rate, monthly payment, and other details about the loan.
Closing Disclosure: This document is provided to you three days before closing and includes a detailed breakdown of all the costs associated with your mortgage, including the interest rate, monthly payment, and closing costs.
Identification: You will need to provide a government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license or passport.
Purchase Agreement: This is a legally binding contract between you and the seller that outlines the terms of the sale, including the purchase price, closing date, and contingencies.
Mortgage Documents: If you are financing your home purchase, you will need to sign several mortgage documents, including a promissory note and a mortgage.
Deed: The deed is a legal document that transfers ownership of the property from the seller to the buyer.
Title Report: A title report is a document that shows the history of ownership of the property and any liens or other encumbrances that may affect the title.
Homeowner’s Insurance Policy: You will need to purchase a homeowner’s insurance policy to protect your investment in the property.
It is important to compile and review these documents carefully before submitting them to your lender. It is also wise to seek the advice of a real estate attorney or other qualified professional if you have any questions or concerns.
If you’re about to seek approval for a mortgage, you’ll want to ensure you have a solid credit score and clean financial records to boost your likelihood of being approved. There are certain characteristics that lenders want to see in a mortgage applicant before they agree to give a loan, and you want to prove that you’re a responsible borrower. But certain behaviors can easily tank your application and crush your home ownership dreams.
The mortgage process is a long and complicated one, with a number of similar-sounding terms that can easily confuse first-time homebuyers. A pre-approval is not the same thing as a pre-qualification, and it’s important to understand everything that goes into a pre-approval. Being declined during the pre-approval process means you’ll have a hard time getting the funds you need to buy your home, so it’s important that you know what the process is going to look like before going into it.