Yeah, I've run into that too. Seems like lenders get extra cautious once the numbers start climbing. Had a similar experience when refinancing my place—small HELOC was all digital, no issues. But when I went for a bigger cash-out refinance to fund an ADU build, suddenly they wanted wet signatures on everything. My broker mentioned something about internal policies and risk management, but honestly, it felt more like old-school thinking than anything else. Maybe it's just their comfort zone or some outdated compliance thing they're stuck with. Either way, it's a minor hassle, but if it gets the deal done smoothly, I'll sign whatever they want...
I've noticed the same thing—smaller loans seem to breeze through digitally, but once you cross a certain threshold, lenders tighten up fast. I think it's partly compliance-driven, but also just comfort level. Had a similar scenario when pulling equity for a rental property renovation. Suddenly, paperwork galore and wet signatures everywhere. Honestly, it's a bit inconvenient, but if that's what it takes to keep their risk department happy and get the funds moving, I'll deal with it...
- Interesting point about the comfort level—makes sense lenders get cautious with bigger numbers.
- Curious though, did you find the extra paperwork actually slowed down your timeline significantly?
- I've had clients where digital approvals were lightning-fast, but once manual processes kicked in, delays piled up...
- Wondering if that's typical or just varies by lender?
"I've had clients where digital approvals were lightning-fast, but once manual processes kicked in, delays piled up..."
Yeah, that's been my experience too. Had a friend recently who breezed through the initial online approval for a HELOC—thought he was golden. Then came the manual underwriting, and suddenly it was like wading through molasses. They kept asking for more docs, clarifications on income streams, even stuff he'd already uploaded digitally. Felt like every time he checked his email, there was another hurdle.
Honestly though, I think it depends heavily on the lender and their internal processes. Some lenders seem to have smoother transitions between digital and manual steps than others. Makes me wonder if it's more about the lender's tech integration or just their internal policies causing bottlenecks. Did your clients notice differences based on lender size or type (like credit unions vs big banks)?
Interesting points here. I've noticed similar issues, especially with smaller credit unions—they tend to have great customer service but sometimes lag behind in tech integration, causing manual underwriting to drag on longer than necessary. Big banks often have more streamlined processes, but ironically, they can be less flexible with unique income streams or property types. Curious if anyone's seen exceptions to this pattern...maybe a smaller lender with surprisingly efficient manual processes?
