Next thing I know, I’m getting emails every other day for random stuff—like an old propane tank inspection from five years ago, or proof that my barn isn’t secretly a disco club (kidding... mostly).
That disco barn line got me. I swear rural lenders have a sixth sense for the most obscure documents. Last time I did a deal out in the sticks, they wanted a photo of the well cap with a ruler next to it. Not kidding. Ever had them ask for something so random you had to laugh?
Had a lender ask for a “current” photo of a chicken coop once—just to confirm it wasn’t being used as a rental unit. I get why they’re cautious, but sometimes it feels like rural loans come with a scavenger hunt attached.
Speeding up rural home loan approvals: my favorite shortcut
Honestly, I get the frustration, but I don’t think the lenders are being unreasonable here. Rural properties can have all sorts of non-standard structures, and I’ve seen outbuildings turned into rentals without permits. It slows things down, sure, but I’d rather deal with a few extra photo requests than find out about a code violation mid-deal. Sometimes it’s just part of the territory.
I hear you on the lender side—seen a few deals nearly fall apart because someone had a “guest house” that was more like a shack with plumbing. Still, it feels like some lenders overdo it with the documentation. Ever had an appraiser flag something minor, like a shed with no foundation, and suddenly everything’s on hold? Curious if folks have found any workarounds for those little hiccups...
Title: Speeding up rural home loan approvals: my favorite shortcut
Ever had an appraiser flag something minor, like a shed with no foundation, and suddenly everything’s on hold?
Honestly, I get where the appraisers are coming from, though. Sometimes that "minor" shed turns out to be wired up illegally or sitting right on a setback line. Lenders are cautious because it’s their risk if something’s not up to code. I’ve tried getting ahead of it by pulling permits and docs before listing, but even then, appraisers sometimes nitpick. Has anyone actually seen a lender waive those minor issues, or is that just wishful thinking?