Lender Steps

The appraisal, underwriting conditions and why 'clear to close' slips, and the credit and cash moves that undo an approval before closing.

Lender Steps August 22, 2026 Underwriting Conditions: Why Clear to Close Slips Conditional approval, prior-to-doc, prior-to-funding: the three points where documents come back, and what your lender re-checks in the final 72 hours. 10 min read
Lender Steps August 21, 2026 Home Appraisal vs Inspection: What an Appraiser Checks Form 1004 names your lender as the only intended user. What the appraiser measures, photographs and rates on that visit, and what a low number lets you file. 12 min read

About this section

A mechanic's lien recorded in 2009 surfaced on the title commitment six days before closing, and that purchase ended there. The second one, two years later, went through — but only because Ellis Tran had by then learned to open Schedule B on the day it arrives instead of the day before signing. He is neither an agent nor a loan officer, recommends no lender and no loan product, and is paid nothing by anyone involved in a transaction. Each page names the rule it leans on — a CFPB regulation section, an ALTA form number, a state's own disclosure form — and links the original, so the wording can be checked against whatever your own file actually says.

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How this is checked

Every guide cites the agency, statute, or document it was checked against, and carries the date it was checked. Rules change — if something here is out of date, tell us and it gets corrected.