It’s wild how inconsistent it can be. I’ve seen files where a $50 transfer from a roommate gets flagged, but thousands from an investment account just slide by without any questions. Drives me nuts trying to predict what’ll get attention.
Here’s how I usually try to tackle it:
1. Keep a running spreadsheet of all my deposits for the past three months, with notes on what each one is (paycheck, transfer from savings, etc).
2. For anything that’s not a direct deposit or regular income, I grab a screenshot or PDF statement right away—saves scrambling later.
3. If it looks like a gift or something out of the ordinary, I just assume they’ll want a letter of explanation and prep one in advance.
I do wonder though—has anyone had luck getting underwriters to clarify up front what types of transfers they'll flag? Or is it always just a guessing game? Sometimes feels like there should be more transparency in the process...
Yeah, it’s honestly baffling how random it feels. I’ve had a Venmo from my sister questioned, but a big transfer from my brokerage just went through with zero issues. I keep every single doc now, even for tiny amounts. Tried asking my loan officer what they look for—got a pretty vague answer about “unusual activity.” Not super helpful. Seems like you just gotta over-prepare and hope for the best...