What documents do I need?

For most W-2 borrowers: the last 30 days of pay stubs, the last two years of W-2s, the last two years of tax returns (federal, all schedules), the last two months of bank and asset statements (all pages, even the blank ones), and a copy of your driver's license. If you're self-employed, add two years of business tax returns, a year-to-date profit and loss statement, and any 1099s. If you receive Social Security, pension, child support, or alimony income that you want counted, bring the award letters and proof of receipt. If any large deposits show up in your bank statements (anything over about half your monthly income), we'll need a paper trail showing where the money came from. I'll send you a clean checklist tailored to your specific situation so you're not gathering documents we don't actually need — and so we don't get hit with surprise underwriter requests at the last minute.