Sometimes you get someone who’s willing to use their brain, sometimes it’s just “policy is policy.”
Yeah, I ran into that exact thing with my lender—one person was cool with a PDF, then their manager freaked out and wanted the actual paper. It’s wild how inconsistent it is. Feels like luck of the draw whether you get a human or a robot. I get that they need to be careful, but honestly, scanning tech isn’t new. Why are we still pretending it is?
It’s honestly baffling. I had to fax something last year—yes, fax, like it was 1998—because the underwriter “couldn’t accept” an emailed scan. Meanwhile, the same office took my digital signature for everything else. I get that they’re trying to prevent fraud, but it feels like they’re just making it up as they go sometimes. You’d think by now everyone would be on the same page with digital docs... but nope.
I had to fax something last year—yes, fax, like it was 1998—because the underwriter “couldn’t accept” an emailed scan.
That’s wild, but honestly, I’ve seen the same thing. One lender wanted a wet signature on a single page but was fine with e-signed everything else. Makes you wonder if there’s some logic or if it’s just random policy. Has anyone actually had a lender explain the reasoning behind these weird document rules, or do they just shrug it off?
It’s honestly baffling how inconsistent lenders can be with this stuff. I’ve had clients jump through hoops for one random piece of paper, then breeze through the rest. Sometimes I push back and ask why, and usually get something like “it’s just our process” or “compliance requires it.” Never a real explanation. I get wanting to protect against fraud, but half the time the rules feel like holdovers from a decade ago. Hang in there—it’s not just you!
Honestly, I’ve seen the same thing—one lender wants a 10-year-old tax return, the next just shrugs and waves you through. It’s like playing “guess what document we’ll need today.” Here’s my go-to: keep a folder with every possible doc you can think of, even the weird ones (old pay stubs, pension letters, you name it). Saves a lot of back-and-forth. And yeah, sometimes I ask “why?” too... usually just get a vague answer about compliance, like you said. At this point, I just roll with it and try to laugh it off.