What to have ready
This is what lenders commonly ask for — not a form to complete and not a list that applies to everyone. What you actually need depends on your income, the program, and your situation, and Drake will give you the real list once he knows what he is looking at.
Do not send any of this yet, and do not send it through this website — there is nowhere here to upload a document, on purpose. Wait until Drake tells you where to send things and how. Nobody should be emailing pay stubs and bank statements around unprompted, including to us.
Who you are
Confirming your identity, which every lender has to do.
Commonly requested
- Government-issued photo ID
- Social Security number
- Permanent resident card or visa documentation, if that applies to you
What you earn
Showing income that is documented and reasonably steady — the shape of it matters as much as the amount.
Commonly requested
- Recent pay stubs
- W-2s or 1099s from recent years
- Recent federal tax returns, including all schedules
- Award letters for pension, Social Security, disability, or annuity income
- Documentation for child support, alimony, or other income you want counted
Income that is not a straightforward salary usually needs more paperwork, not less — bonus, commission, overtime, and rental income each have their own evidence.
Where you work
Confirming the income above is likely to continue.
Commonly requested
- Employer name, address, and dates of employment
- Contact details for employment verification
- An offer letter or contract, if you have recently changed jobs or are about to
Tell your lender early about a job change, a gap, or a move between industries. It is far easier to explain up front than to discover mid-underwriting.
What you have saved
Showing where the money for your down payment and costs is, and that it is genuinely yours.
Commonly requested
- Recent statements for checking and savings accounts — every page, including the blank ones
- Recent statements for retirement and investment accounts
- Documentation for any large or unusual deposit
- A gift letter and the donor's transfer documentation, if part of your funds is a gift
Large deposits attract questions as a matter of routine. It is not suspicion — an underwriter has to be able to show where funds came from.
Where you have lived
Establishing your housing history.
Commonly requested
- Addresses for the past couple of years
- Landlord contact details, or proof of rent paid, if you rent
- Mortgage statements, property tax bills, and insurance for any property you already own
If you work for yourself
Self-employed buyers are common. The documentation is different rather than harder, and it is worth starting earlier.
Commonly requested
- Business and personal tax returns for recent years, with all schedules
- Year-to-date profit and loss statement
- Business bank statements
- Business licence, or a letter from your accountant confirming the business exists
- 1099s from clients, where that is how you are paid
Do not send any of this yet, and do not send it through this website — there is nowhere here to upload a document, on purpose. Wait until Drake tells you where to send things and how. Nobody should be emailing pay stubs and bank statements around unprompted, including to us.
Reading about it only gets you so far.
Six short questions and Drake can tell you which of this actually applies to you.