Always contact Mary Mensch with questions: 612-202-3553
Don't quit your job
Don't change your job.
Don't get a promotion.
Don't buy any large ticket items.
Don't make David Copperfield deposits (all funds must be traceable.)
Don't talk to the sellers directly.
Not getting a gift letter and/or a bank statement for funds.
Not telling the person who is giving you the gift that you will probably need a gift letter and some proof (bank statement) that they have the money to give.
Not telling me you are allergic to animals.
Not being completely honest with the lender about child support, alimony, wage garnishments or any other payroll deduction.
Making a major purchase.
Getting advice from a buying committee that has not purchased a home in the last year (rules and laws change almost daily).
Waiting to see everything else that is on the market.
Don't trash (talk) the property in front of the owners.
Calling other agents on "For Sale" signs.
Attending Open Houses/ new construction without your agent.
Not telling me you have a house to sell.
Delaying paperwork because you are irritated by the frequency and number of requests from the mortgage company.
Finding a lender on the internet that offers a super low interest rate.
Not realizing it is possible to find what you are looking for the very first day you go out (this happens more than you think...)
Sleep on it. In a hot market, if you sleep on it, you may never sleep in it.
Waiting to find the absolute PERFECT house. You will always be limited by income, zoning, inventory at the time, and/or legislation or property taxes.
80/10/10 Rule. If you find a house that has 80% of what you are looking for, 10% of the things you can change and 10% of things you can live with, it's a keeper.
Do not co-sign for even a candy bar.
Don't schedule a vacation before we close (especially a cruise).
Don't order Direct TV, cable, telephone or any utility that will pull a credit report unless you want to write a letter of explanation about the credit report to the mortgage company.
Don't change your name during the mortgage process.
Not being up front with your loan officer (hiding information).
Realize the clock starts ticking from when the loan officer gets the contract, not when it was written.
Need a letter of Explanation.
Unreasonable expectations.
Not getting a home warranty.
Don't give away your negotiation power by speaking in the house (assume you are being recorded).
Posting your real estate thoughts on social media sites.
Not having a home inspection done.
Not being FULLY approved BEFORE you go looking (nothing hurts as much as finding a house you love and losing it when someone else beats you to it because you were not completely ready).
Believing what you see on HGTV and reality television (the majority of that stuff is scripted).
Not shopping the Good Faith Estimate.
Not telling me what is MOST important to you.
Calling at the very last minute to cancel appointments.
Finding a lender on the internet that offers a super low interest rate and is from outside the area.
Using a 100% online lender.
Not using the name on your Driver's License for mortgage docs (use Jr. or Sr. if required).
Not telling your lender if you lost your job before you close.
Do not go window shopping and let people pull your credit.
If it can't be written on the front page of the contract because it's being done "under the table", it is probably mortgage fraud.
Do not look at a short sale if you need to move immediately.
Do not consider a short sale if you need to be in control of the process.
Dying before the transaction closes (this really messes things up).