Before even deciding to go out and look at your dream house, the first thing that you should do is search for the paperwork and all information that is required for your mortgage application. The following are what you will need for your application: pay stubs, bank statements, W2s, brokerage statements and there is more. Remember, that it is not too late to get a file started. If you are the one going to the mortgage company or the bank, consider taking these documents along, because copies will be made.
If you are applying for your mortgage on the internet at home or in the office, the lender will email you a list of the paperwork that is needed on their side. You will then have to mail or fax in the documents. Keep in mind, if you are mailing in anything, send in copies and not original paperwork. Most importantly, copy both sides of the documents that you are sending in, even if it doesn’t seem “important”, because there are lenders that can be quite obsessive, insisting on seeing the original paperwork. There is a way you can get your copies notarized and making them “originals”, but expect to pay.