The 6 Most Common Causes of Mortgage Delays

You’re under contract on your new home! Yay! But don’t celebrate just yet. There are a few hurdles while you’re under contract and some of those have to do with your mortgage. Here are the 6 most common causes of mortgage delays.

Here are 6 reasons that may explain why your mortgage may be delayed (or some things you can watch out for to prevent delay!)…⁠⁠

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01. Being too slow at submitting requested docs to the lender, or taking too long to return requested items to a loan officer⁠⁠: The loan officer has a timeline of their own they need to follow. Not getting docs back in time will slow them down.
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02. Delay in signing initial loan disclosures: By not signing forms upfront, everything gets delayed⁠⁠: Your loan disclosures have to be signed in the beginning and end of the loan process. If you have any questions, ask them asap to avoid delays.
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03. Not ordering appraisal quickly: Once ordered, appraisals take a week or so to come back⁠⁠: Your lender will ask your agent for the green light to order the appraisal after inspection. If there is a tight turn around, the lender may go ahead and order that appraisal asap instead of waiting to hear you are moving past inspection. 
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04. Using your credit card on large purchases: Always ask your lender before buying a new car, washers, dryers, furniture, etc.⁠⁠ Using your credit cards for large items like this may change your debt to income and could hurt your chances of being approved for the loan.
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If there is a tight turn around, a mortgage delay could hurt the deal. 

05. Cash deposits: Cash is hard to source. Lenders need a paper trail⁠⁠ to explain where those cash deposits come from. Always ask your lender before depositing large amounts of cash into your checking or savings account. 
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06. Expired ID: Make sure your license is not expired at closing. The attorney will need a valid government ID. If for some reason your license is expired and you can not obtain a new one by closing, most attorneys will allow a passport as well. Call your closing attorney to double check. 

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