Mortgage lenders have different 'turn times' — the time it takes from your loan being submitted for underwriting review to the final decision. The full mortgage loan process often takes between 30 and 45 days from underwriting to closing.
No, underwriting is not the final step in the mortgage process. You still have to attend closing to sign a bunch of paperwork, and then the loan has to be funded. The underwriting process itself can be smooth or “bumpy,” depending on your financial situation.
If your loan is approved, it means the underwriter has deemed you (and your co-borrower, if you have one) a trustworthy candidate and appropriate fit for the loan program you've applied for. At this point, you'll move forward to the next step of getting all your documents previewed and signed, then closing your loan.
When a loan request has met the underwriting requirements and has been reviewed and approved by an underwriter, you will receive a commitment letter. The letter will indicate your loan program, loan amount, loan term, and interest rate. Though it, too, may include conditions that may need met before closing.
Loan funding: The “final” final approval
This means the lender has reviewed your signed documents, re-pulled your credit, and made sure nothing changed since the underwriter's last review of your loan file.
The Bottom Line
Underwriting simply means that your lender verifies your income, assets, debt and property details in order to issue final approval for your loan. An underwriter is a financial expert who takes a look at your finances and assesses how much risk a lender will take on if they decide to give you a loan.
How often do underwriters deny loans? Underwriters deny loans about 9% of the time. The most common reason for denial is that the borrower has too much debt, but even an incomplete loan package can lead to denial.
Do lenders look at bank statements before closing? Your loan officer will typically not re-check your bank statements right before closing. Lenders are only required to check when you initially submit your loan application and begin the underwriting approval process.
Your loan is never fully approved until the underwriter confirms that you are able to pay back the loan. Underwriters can deny your loan application for several reasons, from minor to major. Some of the minor reasons that your underwriting is denied for are easily fixable and can get your loan process back on track.
Underwriting can take a few days to a few weeks before you'll be cleared to close.
The conditional approval process usually takes anywhere from 1 – 2 weeks, and the closing day comes shortly after that. The best way to ensure a fast closing process is to resolve any issues that come up with underwriting quickly. The faster you can resolve these issues, the sooner you'll be able to close on your home.
The entire process usually takes from 30 to 60 days, and it includes steps like the appraisal and title search. You can help speed up the process by having excellent credit and promptly responding to the underwriter's requests for information.
After Initial Underwriting Approval. After the initial underwriting approval is issued the Underwriter will send a list of “conditions” to the Processor. Conditions are items needed in order to get the final loan approval and close the loan.
There's no reason to worry or stress during the underwriting process if you get prequalified – keep in contact with your lender and don't make any major changes that have a negative impact.
Q: Do lenders pull credit day of closing? A: Not usually, but most will pull credit again before giving the final approval. So, make sure you don't rack up credit cards or open new accounts.
How soon after closing can I use my credit card? If you already have a credit card (or opened a new card shortly after closing on a home mortgage loan) there's no need to wait before using the account.
How many days before closing do you get mortgage approval? Federal law requires a three-day minimum between loan approval and closing on your new mortgage. You could be conditionally approved for one to two weeks before closing.
Underwriting—the process by which mortgage lenders verify your assets, check your credit scores, and review your tax returns before they can approve a home loan—can take as little as two to three days. Typically, though, it takes over a week for a loan officer or lender to complete the process.
Statistics from several mortgage bodies show that around 10% of all mortgage applications are declined each year. Furthermore, many of the declined applications are due to being placed with lenders that simply weren't suitable.
An underwriter will approve or reject your mortgage loan application based on your credit history, employment history, assets, debts and other factors. It's all about whether that underwriter feels you can repay the loan that you want. During this stage of the loan process, a lot of common problems can crop up.
Can a mortgage loan be denied after closing? Though it's rare, a mortgage can be denied after the borrower signs the closing papers. For example, in some states, the bank can fund the loan after the borrower closes. “It's not unheard of that before the funds are transferred, it could fall apart,” Rueth said.
When it comes to mortgage lending, no news isn't necessarily good news. Particularly in today's economic climate, many lenders are struggling to meet closing deadlines, but don't readily offer up that information. When they finally do, it's often late in the process, which can put borrowers in real jeopardy.