What is the silliest request you have received from a lender?

Verify that the property is located in an earthquake zone..mind you....the property was located in Florida!

I can't wait to see the answers that will get posted here. Of yours, the request for an employee's death certificate seems the most outrageous. Did you have to request it of the deceased's family or were you able to get it through public records? Great blog!

I tell clients that mortgage companies are going to ask about everything except their sex life....and who knows they may start asking about that.

I have to say the silliest I've had of late is when the underwriter asked the borrower to write a LOX explaining why I pulled their credit, which the lender was using to underwrite the loan.

The file was completely approved except for this item. My AE agreed it was not needed, instructed me to communicate with the "head underwriter".  When it was all said and done, one week later the head underwriter communicated that they NEVER ask for a LOX from the broker's pull. By then the borrower had written the letter. BTW, the letter was dated and signed, but rejected so the borrower could write the date again by her name.

A divorce decree for a single, never married, applicant.  

Phil:  Yep .. and the list could go on and on.  One of the first words of suggestion I give any client is "comply".  Don't try to think it over too closely.  Don't get upset by the request.  Just "comply" and move on.  It really will make life much easier and your stress levels won't rise as high.  For the client ... or for me ...

Oh the stories we lenders could share!  Think of the book we could write!

Gene

Lenders are often misunderstood by our so-called "silly questions". Well,those are part of the process. 

The most interesting request I have heard was what my father-in-law had to do when he bought his home in 1972. He had to document his Vasectomy as they were relying on his wifes income to qualify. At least we are not here today.

Wow, I cannot believe the comment from Byrant.  Now that is going too far.  My experiences are from lenders asking for the same thing over and over when it had already been provided.  This is maddening.

I remember the days when women had to have letters from gynocologists to prove they weren't pregnant, so it could be worse.  I had a cllient who deposited approsimately $1000 cash which was wedding gifts.  The underwriter wanted her to go get a receipt from every gift giver. 

Phil - at least with our current underwriters, we don't have to redocument too many times, as the documents are all on the company server, though sometimes, a doc may not be in the category they expect it to be in.  Recently had to have an LOX from single male client as to why he had a child, but no divorce papers (never married, and mother of child didn't want resposibilities.)

I am sure you will hear some strange answers... i get lots of things... but notingtoo crazy so far

Oh this is good, good stuff!

I recently had one lender ask for a water quality report.  I provided a report directly from the company's website.  The underwriter then said that the report was from 2011.  The lender called the company and they said the water report for the previous year doesn't come out until June.  They would accept a letter from the company stating this but if not, I would have to drive an hour away to get a vial of water to test.  Who would do that test?  I don't know.  

Fortunately, the UW called the water company herself and was satisfied.  Lovely!

Good read and love the comments.  Funny.  The oddest thing was a cert from the pool inspector that the pool was not an in-ground pool, even though it was, it was an in-ground but not permanent. 

The picture you provided is the best. It really says it all.

Actually, Phil... I think the four items that you mentioned in your post, although they are not "everyday" items, are really within the bounds of things the underwriter could ask for.  They are just dotting all their "i's" and crossing all their "t's"

Now, if this post was about some of the silliest reasons why a client chose not to buy a home... I could come up with a few pretty silly ones.

When I refinanced recently the underwriters boss had to sign off because I am a Realtor. I was refinancing a house I have been if for 5 years.