Totally relate to the stress of chasing every single document, just in case. I used to think being extra thorough would save me headaches, but honestly, it just made me second-guess everything and lose sleep. Now I try to keep it simple:
- Focus on what the lender actually asks for, not what someone else *thinks* they might want.
- Get the septic and well stuff done right away—agree that waiting for those can kill a deal.
- If something feels off or confusing, I’ll just call the underwriter. Saves so much time vs. guessing.
One thing I still wonder about: how do you handle situations where a seller’s agent insists on some random doc “just in case”? I’ve had agents push hard for things that ended up being pointless, but sometimes they get really insistent and it’s hard to push back without making things awkward. Curious if anyone’s found a good way to handle that without slowing everything down?
Yeah, I’ve run into that with seller’s agents asking for oddball docs, like a random water test or some ancient survey, “just in case the lender needs it.” Last time, I politely asked them to show me where in the contract or lender’s checklist it was actually required. Usually, they back off once they realize you’re not just being difficult—you’re trying to keep things moving. Every now and then, though, you get someone who just won’t let it go. In those cases, I’ll weigh how much hassle the doc is versus the potential delay from arguing. If it’s quick and easy, sometimes I’ll just do it to keep the peace... but if it’s gonna slow things down, I stand my ground and blame the lender’s process. Funny how often they just want to look busy for their client.
I’ve definitely had similar run-ins, especially with rural properties where folks seem to think every old document is suddenly crucial. I get wanting to cover all bases, but sometimes it feels like busywork more than anything else. Out of curiosity, have you ever had a lender actually push back and require something obscure, or is it usually just the agents? I’ve only had one instance where a lender insisted on a well yield test from 20 years ago... which was impossible to track down. Wondering if that’s more common than I thought.
Title: Speeding up rural home loan approvals: my favorite shortcut
I’ve had lenders get weirdly picky, but it’s usually the agents who go on a scavenger hunt for every scrap of paper since the dawn of time. That said, I did once have a lender ask for a septic inspection from the 90s—like, who keeps that stuff? I get being thorough, but sometimes it feels like they’re just trying to trip you up. I always keep digital copies of everything now, just in case someone asks for the deed to Noah’s Ark next.
I get what you’re saying about the paperwork overload, but honestly, I’d rather they ask for too much than miss something important. I’m super paranoid about missing a detail and having it come back to bite me later. My cousin’s deal almost fell through because of a missing well report, so now I’m the person with a folder for every possible document. It’s a pain, but I’d rather be safe than sorry, especially with rural properties where stuff can get weird.