That’s a good breakdown. I’m curious—has anyone here actually had a lender in Dallas ask for more detail about a weird old collection, like maybe a medical bill that’s already been paid? I’ve seen files where underwriters just want a quick letter of explanation, but sometimes they’ll dig deeper if there’s a pattern. Has anyone run into a situation where a small ding ended up being a bigger deal than expected, or did it mostly get brushed off? Just wondering how common that is lately, especially with the new credit reporting rules.
Title: Are You Considering Buying A Home In Dallas? Read This Before!
Yeah, I’ve definitely seen underwriters in Dallas get weirdly fixated on old medical collections—even ones that were paid off ages ago. Had a deal last year where a $60 bill from 2017 turned into a whole saga. They wanted receipts, letters, the works. Other times, they barely blink at bigger stuff. It’s like they spin a wheel to decide how picky they’ll be that day. The new credit rules help a bit, but honestly, it still feels like a crapshoot sometimes. Just gotta be ready for anything...
That’s so true about underwriters in Dallas. I had a client last spring who got flagged for a $23 cable bill from a college apartment—she’d moved out in 2015! We spent two weeks tracking down paperwork, and the lender still wanted a letter of explanation. Meanwhile, another buyer with a much bigger collection sailed through. It really does feel random sometimes. I always tell folks to dig up every old statement they can find, just in case... saves a lot of headaches down the line.
Honestly, I see your point about digging up every old statement, but in my experience, that’s not always the most efficient use of time. Underwriters do seem inconsistent, but I’ve found that focusing on current credit and large outstanding issues gets better results.
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“Meanwhile, another buyer with a much bigger collection sailed through.”
This right here is why I question the logic of chasing down tiny amounts from years ago. Sometimes, lenders just want a paper trail for anything that pops up, but they’re usually more concerned with recent activity or big red flags.
- Instead of gathering every old bill, I usually advise people to get a current credit report and address anything that shows up there. If it’s not on the report, it rarely becomes an issue.
- That said, I keep digital copies of my stuff just in case... but I don’t lose sleep over a $20 cable bill from a decade ago. Just my two cents.
That line about not losing sleep over a $20 cable bill from a decade ago made me laugh—been there. I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve actually seen one of those tiny old bills pop up out of nowhere and stall a closing. It’s rare, but it happens. Maybe I’m just unlucky, but ever since then, I’ve kept a “just in case” folder with digital copies of anything that could possibly haunt me later.
I do agree with this though:
“Instead of gathering every old bill, I usually advise people to get a current credit report and address anything that shows up there.”
That’s pretty much my starting point too. But if you’ve moved around a lot or had weird stuff go to collections, sometimes things slip through the cracks. One time, an old gym membership from three apartments ago suddenly showed up during underwriting. No idea how they found it, but it was a headache.
Guess my approach is: hope for the best, prep for the worst. Most of the time, you’re right—it’s the big stuff and recent activity they care about. But man, those random curveballs keep me cautious.
