Totally agree about keeping things “boring”—I learned that the hard way during my refi. Here’s what helped me:
- Avoided moving money between accounts unless I had to.
- Flagged any incoming transfers over $500 and saved a screenshot or note about what it was for.
- Even had to explain a birthday gift from my mom... felt weird, but the underwriter wanted every detail.
Honestly, it’s a pain, but being over-prepared saved me some headaches when they started asking for “just one more document.”
It’s wild how much they want to know, right? I kept a spreadsheet of every deposit and transfer, just in case. The “boring” approach definitely helped, but I still got tripped up by a Venmo payment from a friend—had to dig up old texts to prove it wasn’t a loan. Did you run into any issues with cash deposits? That part confused me the most...
Title: Why does getting a mortgage feel like applying for a secret agent job?
Yeah, cash deposits are always the trickiest. Lenders get really jumpy about anything they can’t trace directly to your paycheck or a clear source. Did you have to write any “gift letters” or explain random birthday money? Sometimes even small amounts raise flags. You’re smart to keep that spreadsheet—most folks don’t realize how much documentation matters until they’re knee-deep in requests.
Honestly, I think the spreadsheet thing is overrated. When I refinanced last year, I just kept a folder of PDFs and labeled them with whatever random explanation the lender wanted—“Grandma’s birthday check,” “Side hustle payout,” etc. They still called me twice about a $50 Venmo deposit from my brother... guess they thought I was laundering lunch money? Sometimes you can explain stuff on the fly and it works out fine.
I get where you’re coming from—sometimes the “just explain it” approach does work. But honestly, I’ve seen lenders get hung up on tiny things and drag out the process for weeks just because someone couldn’t quickly show where a deposit came from. A spreadsheet or even a simple list can save a ton of hassle, especially if you’re juggling multiple accounts or side gigs. It’s not glamorous, but it can keep things moving and your stress level down. Lenders are just super risk-averse these days, so the more organized you look, the less they bug you.
