A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to show my networking group an illustration of what a file looks like when we start and what a file looks like by the time we are finished and the loan is headed to closing. That manila file folder grows like a teenager during the process of putting a client's loan application together, often bursting at the seams by the time we reach the finish line. In fact, we recently had a file that did indeed burst the seams of the folder so we had to divide it in to two very full folders and bind it all together with a huge rubber band. Whew!

Then last week I had the opportunity to see the opposite. A client had an old lien still showing up on their title work, so they brought in their old loan files to ask my assistance in locating which document would provide the evidence of the payoff. Looking at their loan files from the 90s brought back memories of how few pages went in to a single loan closing back in the day. It made me chuckle to contrast the dozen or so pages from the 90s compared to the 60+ page packet that it takes to close a loan today. What a difference a decade makes.

So why does so much paperwork go in to a file like this? The answer can be found in many reasons. For one thing, as applicants and consumers our lives have become more complicated. It is common for an applicant to have numerous past employers, numerous credit accounts, numerous asset accounts. And each one must be properly documented. But from another aspect me and my team are working hard to ensure that not only have we included the minimum documentation needed to get your file approved, we are also attempting to stay compliant with all the state and federal rules. Ultimately, we want to be sure we do everything within our power to make it easy for the underwriter to say yes to granting the loan.

I described it to a client this way yesterday. Think of those cooking contest shows on the Food Network. (Many of you know that I am a Food Network junkie.) Each of the contestants competes to win the prize for having the best dish to present to the judges. They prepare tasty food, develop the flavors, incorporate texture and technique, and then present their preparation with such beautiful garnishes that the judges are compelled to grant them a prize. That's how we want to present your file to the underwriter--we want them to see that your story is so compelling and so well-documented, that it becomes easy for them to say yes to granting your loan.

So when we ask for the 5^th page of a 5-page bank statement, please know that it is because we are working on your behalf. Equip us with the garnishes we need to put a tasty touch on your file. Help us make it easy for the underwriter to say yes.