Haha, the $17 Venmo thing cracks me up—I've seen underwriters get hung up on way less. Meanwhile, a random $5k deposit? Crickets. It does feel like a moving target sometimes. Staying organized is clutch, but man, sometimes you just gotta laugh.
That $17 Venmo thing is wild, but honestly, I’ve seen weirder. Last year, a client had a $12 refund from a coffee shop flagged, but their side hustle income—like, $3k at a time—never got a second glance. It’s like the underwriter’s just spin a wheel some days. My advice: keep a folder with every random deposit explanation handy, even if it feels silly. Saves headaches later, trust me.
It’s honestly wild what gets flagged and what doesn’t. I’ve seen folks get grilled over a $20 birthday check from grandma, but a $5k transfer from a side gig just slides through. Underwriting can feel pretty random, but it’s really about paper trails. I always tell people: if you can explain it, document it—even if it’s just a screenshot or a text. Ever had a deposit questioned that made zero sense to you?
Yeah, I’ve seen some pretty odd stuff get flagged in underwriting. Had a client once who got questioned over a $150 Venmo from a friend for splitting dinner, but a $3,000 transfer from a freelance gig didn’t even get a second look. It really does come down to the paper trail, like you said.
Here’s what I always tell folks:
- Keep every scrap of documentation, even if it feels silly. Screenshot your bank app, save the text where your friend says “here’s my half,” whatever.
- If it’s cash, expect more questions. Lenders get nervous about anything they can’t trace.
- Even small deposits can raise eyebrows if they don’t fit your usual pattern.
Honestly, it’s less about the amount and more about whether it looks “normal” for you. Underwriters are just trying to check boxes, but sometimes their logic feels upside down. I’ve learned not to take it personally and just over-document everything... even if it’s just grandma’s birthday card.
Yeah, the whole paper trail thing threw me for a loop too. When I was getting my stuff together for my first home loan, I honestly thought they’d care most about the big numbers—nope. I had a $60 deposit from selling an old lamp on Facebook Marketplace, and they wanted a signed note and screenshots from the buyer... but didn’t even blink at my usual paychecks or a bigger transfer from my savings. It feels backwards sometimes.
Here’s what helped me keep my sanity (and maybe it’ll help someone else in Dallas going through a refi):
1. Make a folder on your phone or computer just for “weird deposits.” Every time something pops up that isn’t your regular paycheck, drop a screenshot or a note in there. Doesn’t matter if it’s $10 from your cousin for pizza—just toss it in.
2. If you’re getting money from friends, like splitting dinner or whatever, ask them to put something in the memo line. Even just “dinner” or “reimbursement” helps. I used to ignore that, but now I’m all about the memo.
3. Cash is a pain. If you have to deposit cash, get a receipt and jot down where it came from. I had to explain a $100 birthday gift from my aunt, and I ended up sending a photo of the card. Felt silly, but it worked.
4. Watch your bank account for a few months before you apply. If you know you’ll be refinancing soon, try to keep things as boring and predictable as possible. No random side hustle payments or big transfers unless you can easily explain them.
It does feel a little invasive, but I get that the underwriters are just trying to keep everything by the book. Still, I wish there was a bit more common sense sometimes. The best advice I got was: if you think it’s weird, they’ll probably think it’s weird too... so over-explain, even if it feels like overkill.
Anyway, you’re right—it’s less about the dollar amount and more about what stands out. As much as I wanted to fight it, I just leaned into the “over-document everything” approach and it made the process way less stressful.
