From Preapproval to Keys: Know Every Step.

Preapproval: Get the Starting Picture Right.

The lender reviews information about your income, assets, debts, and credit under its process. Ask how much has been verified and what assumptions remain. A preapproval letter can be useful when you make an offer, but it is not a final loan commitment.

Confirm the letter’s expiration date, the estimated payment range, and the funds expected for down payment and closing. If your income, debts, employment, or available cash change, the original picture may need to be reviewed again.

Your first action is to make the information complete and consistent. Explain financial changes early and ask what documents are still needed. A clear starting file is more useful than a letter with a large number and unanswered questions.

The Contract Turns a General Plan Into a Specific Transaction.

Once an offer is accepted, share the executed contract and all relevant amendments with your team. Purchase price, closing date, credits, contingencies, and deposit requirements now affect the financing and timing.

The property also needs its own review. An appraisal helps the lender evaluate value under its requirements. A home inspection evaluates condition for your purchasing decision. One is not a replacement for the other.

Title work, insurance, association information, and other property documents may be collected in parallel. Ask who owns each task and which deadlines come from the contract. If a problem appears, discuss the available choices before a deadline passes.

Underwriting Checks the Evidence Behind the Loan.

Underwriting evaluates the borrower and property against the selected program. A conditional approval means there are items that must still be satisfied. It does not necessarily mean a problem; it means the approval depends on completing the listed requirements.

A condition might request an updated record, an explanation supported by documents, confirmation of a deposit source, or another property item. Ask exactly what is needed and who should supply it. Sending something similar to the requested document can still leave the condition open.

Respond with complete records and keep a simple list of outstanding items. If a requested document cannot be produced, tell your team promptly. Do not edit financial records or provide an explanation that conflicts with the evidence.

• Ask what the condition is trying to verify.
• Send complete documents through the team’s designated secure channel.
• Tell the team when something has changed or cannot be supplied.
• Confirm which items are actually cleared, not just uploaded.

Keep the Financial Picture Stable While the Review Is Open.

A new loan, a large purchase on credit, a job change, or an unexplained transfer can affect the file. Ask your loan professional before making a significant change, even if you already have a preapproval or conditional approval.

This is not about putting your life on hold indefinitely. It is about understanding what the lender may need to recheck. A necessary change can often be addressed more effectively when the team hears about it before the final review.

Also monitor dates: the contract deadline, rate-lock expiration, insurance start date, and any document freshness requirements. If the schedule changes, ask what changes with it and whether new costs or approvals are involved.

Review the Closing Disclosure Before Signing.

For mortgages covered by the Closing Disclosure rules, you must receive the disclosure at least three business days before closing. Ask your team to confirm the actual review window and delivery schedule for your transaction.

Compare the final disclosure with the most recent Loan Estimate. Check names, loan amount, product, rate, projected payments, points, credits, closing costs, and cash to close. If something changed, ask what caused it and whether it is correct.

The disclosure review is the time to resolve questions. Do not wait until everyone is gathered for signing to discover that you do not understand a charge or the loan terms. Ask for other important closing documents in advance when available.

Signing Is One Step. Funding and Recording Matter Too.

Signing creates the documents needed to complete the loan and transfer. Funding, recording, and key release follow the requirements and practices that apply to the transaction. They may not all happen at the same moment.

Ask the settlement team when funds must arrive, how they will be verified, when recording is expected, and who authorizes key release. Rely on the actual contract and closing instructions rather than an assumption that signing automatically means move-in.

Protect the money you send. Independently confirm wire instructions using a trusted phone number you already know, rather than a number in a new email or message. Treat a last-minute change in payment instructions as something to verify directly.

Keep the Final Records and Know Where the Payment Goes.

Keep the signed closing package, final disclosure, insurance information, and proof of funds. Know the first-payment date and which servicer will collect it. If you receive a servicing-transfer notice, review the instructions and verify anything that looks suspicious.

Set up reminders or autopay only after confirming the correct account and servicer. Check the first statements for the payment amount and escrow details, and keep your insurance and tax records organized.

Your Pure Capital team can help explain the mortgage process and the next step while the loan is being arranged. For servicing questions after closing, the servicer and the documents for your specific loan are the starting point.