Meeting the 10-Day Pre-Close Requirement
Per Fannie Mae's Selling Guide, lenders must verify employment within 10 days before closing a loan.
Lenders are keen on verifying your employment history, income, and employment status to assess your ability to repay the loan. Stable employment is highly valued, and self-employed individuals may face unique challenges during this process.
Some things a lender checks before closing include your credit score, income and debts. Lenders are primarily looking to ensure nothing has changed since you initially applied for the mortgage.
This process varies from lender to lender. Some lenders will verify your employment with your employer either over the phone or through a written request. Then, about 10 days before your scheduled closing, re-verify your employment. This is done to make sure nothing has changed with your employment status.
Lenders typically verify your employment twice: when you apply for a home loan and several days before closing. They don't usually check your employment after closing, but they may in some cases. Loan companies verify employment multiple times because they need confidence you have a stable enough income to buy a home.
Mortgage lenders verify employment by contacting employers directly and requesting income information and related documentation. Most lenders only require verbal confirmation, but some will seek email or fax verification. Lenders can verify self-employment income by obtaining tax return transcripts from the IRS.
When the Know Before You Owe mortgage disclosure rule becomes effective, lenders must give you new, easier-to-use disclosures about your loan three business days before closing. This gives you time to review the terms of the deal before you get to the closing table.
Your lender will need an insurance binder from your insurance company 10 days before closing. Check in with your lender to determine if they need any additional information from you. Get a change of address package from the U.S. Postal Service and begin the change of address notification process.
Essentially, a debt collector or loan company isn't allowed to communicate with your employer unless you've explicitly permitted them to do so. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is an important piece of legislation passed by Congress to provide clarity on this and other related matters.
If possible, it's best to wait a while after closing on your home to change jobs, but life changes can happen suddenly.
The lender may verify a self-employed borrower's employment and income by obtaining from the borrower copies of their signed federal income tax returns (both individual returns and in some cases, business returns) that were filed with the IRS for the past two years (with all applicable schedules attached).
Yes. A mortgage lender will look at any depository accounts on your bank statements — including checking and savings accounts, as well as any open lines of credit.
Lenders run your credit just before your house closes to ensure your financial situation hasn't changed and you still meet the eligibility requirements for the loan. If your credit score decreases before closing, you can risk mortgage approval.
Underwriters can't approve a loan application with missing or unverifiable information. Although this might seem obvious, it was one of the top reasons for loan denial in 2020. You can't prove your income or employment history is stable. Most loan programs require a two-year history of steady earnings and employment.
Spending habits
And they will look to see if you are regularly spending less than you earn consistent with the savings you are claiming. No matter how frugal you might be most lenders have adopted a floor on the living expenses they will accept.
So, what do lenders look at when deciding to approve or deny an application? Lenders consider four criteria, also known as the 4 C's: Capacity, Capital, Credit, and Collateral. What is your ability to pay back your mortgage?
Timing Requirements – The “3/7/3 Rule”
The initial Truth in Lending Statement must be delivered to the consumer within 3 business days of the receipt of the loan application by the lender. The TILA statement is presumed to be delivered to the consumer 3 business days after it is mailed.
Legal or Regulatory Issues
Changes in legal or regulatory requirements could also impact the loan approval process and potentially lead to a loan denial after closing. For example, if new regulations are implemented that affect the borrower's eligibility for the loan or the lender's ability to fund it.
While it's not overly common, real estate deals do fall through now and then. According to a June 2024 survey from the National Association of Realtors, 5 percent of contracts from the prior three months were terminated before reaching closing.
The process can last from a few days to weeks if a lender is manually reviewing documents and calling employers. On the other hand, a lender that uses a third-party vendor to digitize or automate the verification process can complete verifications in minutes or hours.
Banks can call your employer to verify employment for personal loans. But most banks will simply verify your income through a tax document or bank statement when evaluating your application for a personal loan.
Income, asset and employment verification
You'll need to submit documents such as W-2s, pay stubs and bank statements for verification. If you're self-employed, you may need to provide more documents like tax returns and profit and loss statements.