Honestly, I get the urge to out-organize the chaos, but I’m not convinced that tracking every lender’s quirks is the best use of time. You mentioned,
I’ve got a spreadsheet going with columns for each lender’s pet peeves (one wants blue ink, another hates staples… go figure).
That’s dedication, but I’ve found it can become a rabbit hole. Lenders change their “rules” on a whim—one week they want scanned docs, next week they’re mailing originals back because they weren’t signed in front of a notary. It’s maddening.
Instead of trying to keep up with every micro-preference, I usually just ask upfront for their latest checklist and confirm anything unusual before submitting. Cuts down on surprises and saves me from spreadsheet overload. Not saying your method doesn’t work—it clearly does for you—but sometimes less is more when it comes to these ever-shifting requirements.
At the end of the day, there’s always going to be some curveball. I’d rather spend my time prepping clients than chasing down which color pen is in vogue this month...
Honestly, I tried to make a “master checklist” for my loan process and it turned into a Frankenstein’s monster of sticky notes and reminders. One lender wanted my signature in blue ink, another sent my docs back because I used a paperclip instead of a staple (seriously?). I get the urge to track it all, but at some point my brain just short-circuited. Has anyone actually had a lender reject something over pen color, or is that just urban legend?
Pen color actually tripped me up once—had a lender send back my signed docs because I used black instead of blue. At first, I thought it was a joke or some kind of test. Turns out, some underwriters are sticklers for “wet blue ink” so they can tell originals from copies. Not sure if it’s an urban legend everywhere, but in my experience, it’s real enough to be annoying. The paperclip vs staple thing though... that’s a new one for me. Makes you wonder if they’re just bored or what.
“some underwriters are sticklers for ‘wet blue ink’ so they can tell originals from copies”
That’s definitely not just an urban legend. I’ve had closing agents insist on blue ink for years—apparently scanners and copiers have gotten so good that black ink just doesn’t cut it for “proof.” The paperclip vs staple thing cracks me up though. Had a packet sent back once because I used binder clips. At some point, it feels like they’re making up new rules just to keep us on our toes…
It’s wild how much these little details matter. I’ve had docs kicked back for using the “wrong” shade of blue ink—like there’s a secret Pantone code or something. The binder clip thing is just next-level nitpicky, but I guess it keeps us sharp. Hang in there, you’re definitely not alone navigating this maze.