FeaturedAfter a Denial
Pre-Approval Denied? What to Do in the Next 48 Hours
Pre-approval denied? What to do in the first 48 hours: get the written reasons, stop applying everywhere, gather documents and get a second look.
Tanner Cook8 min read
Second-Look Guides
When the Answer Was No
Straight-talk guides for buyers whose pre-approval was denied, shrank, or stalled in underwriting, and for the agents trying to keep the deal together: what a denial really means, what you're entitled to ask for, and what may still fit.
Featured Article
All Articles
For Agents
When a Buyer's Financing Falls Apart: An Agent's Playbook
For agents: what to ask a buyer whose loan is failing, what to send a second-look lender, how to manage the timeline, and when to line up a backup lender.
Tanner Cook7 min
Mortgage Options After a Denial: How Non-QM Loans Work
Denied for a conventional or FHA loan? How non-QM loans work: bank statement, P&L, 1099, WVOE, asset-based, DSCR and ITIN programs, and the trade-offs.
Tanner Cook7 min
After a Denial
Can You Switch Mortgage Lenders While Under Contract?
Yes, but it restarts part of the process: a new application, new disclosures, new underwriting and an appraisal that may not transfer. How to do it safely.
Tanner Cook7 min
After a Denial
Denied in Underwriting After Pre-Approval: Why It Happens
Why loans get denied in underwriting after pre-approval, from income and new debt to appraisals, condos and overlays, and what can change the answer.
Tanner Cook7 min
What Is a Lender Overlay? Why One Lender Says No
An overlay is a lender's own rule on top of the agency or investor guideline. How overlays work, how to spot one in a denial, and why another lender may differ.
Tanner Cook6 min
Pre-Qual vs. Pre-Approval vs. Underwritten Approval
Lenders use these terms differently. What each step really checks, why a pre-approval can still fall apart, and when an underwritten (TBD) approval is worth it.
Tanner Cook7 min
After a Denial
Pre-Approval Denied? What to Do in the Next 48 Hours
Pre-approval denied? What to do in the first 48 hours: get the written reasons, stop applying everywhere, gather documents and get a second look.
Tanner Cook8 min