You applied. Now what? Here's the real timeline:
Day 1-2: I pull credit, verify income, and issue your pre-approval letter.
You find a house and go under contract with your agent.
Days 1-5: I submit your full file to underwriting. They verify everything. income, assets, employment, credit.
Days 5-10: Appraisal gets ordered to confirm the home's value matches the purchase price.
Days 10-20: Conditions come back (they always do). Missing a document, need a letter of explanation, updated pay stub. We clear them.
Days 20-25: Clear to close. Final numbers locked. Closing disclosure sent.
Closing day: You sign docs and get your keys.
Total: 25-35 days from contract to close. No surprises if your loan officer communicates. That's the part most lenders get wrong.
(805) 801-1380