Day 1: The Acquisition

Ridiculous.  The amount of work coordination and work that goes into buying a house!  Today was closing day, and it really seems like the process was smooth an unencumbered.  Yay for a new house!

I'm not complaining, just a little amazed.  It went smoothly because I take the methodical/measured approach, and have my documents "in order" and am quick to turn-around document requests from agents and lenders.

Here's the brief timeline:
10/6 Neighbors tell us about this cute little house a friend at church is selling.
10/10 We saw the house for the first time.
10/12 We come to an agreement with the seller
10/14 Start calling lenders
10/17 We lock in with our preferred lender, and send a load of paperwork to begin application
10/18 Home Inspection
10/24 Radon report comes back
10/28 Call the landlady and tell her we'll be out by Nov 30th
10/31 Mortgage Commitment comes back
11/1 Update with final financials (through October 31st)
11/4 Landlady shows the rental in two consecutive appointments, makes a deal
11/6 Homeowner's policy
11/15 Funds drawn for settlement
11/18 Actual Closing Day
11/26 Original closing day from offer

Here's what all I sent the lender:

• First-time home-buyer certificate (from a class that we took...twice, but our particular loan product ended up not requiring it.)
• Copy of the MLS listing
• Application form with critical personal information and financial status (establishing net worth)
• 2 months bank statements for every account (with another month update just prior to finalizing the application)
• Last quarter's investment account statements for every account
• Last two pay stubs (sent with inquiry, updated with final application, updated prior to close!)
• Credit report authorization
• Letter of explanation of other recent credit inquiries (we had shopped other lenders!)
• 3 years federal tax returns (1040s and W2s)
• Homeowner's Insurance Binder attached to the mortgage with proof of payment
• Borrower's Certification and Authorization (to proceed with the mortgage application)
• Request for Tax Transcripts (for Joe and Jen individually)
• 12 months utility bills (short credit history!)
• 12 months record of rental payments (short credit history!)
• Copy of the P&S earnest money check
• Copy of the Offer deposit check
• Record of sale of CDs and subsequent transfer of funds to savings
• Record of sale of IRA Investments and subsequent transfer of funds to savings
• Record of transfer of funds between banks

Here's what the lender sent back:

• Mortgage Draft Worksheet (that's the basis for the Good Faith Estimate)
• Mortgage Locked Worksheet (once we've locked the rate and agreed to proceed)
• Truth in Lending Disclosure Statement
• Good Faith Estimate
• Typed Mortgage Application
• Appraisal Disclosure 
• Federal Equal Credit Opportunity Notice
• US Patriot Act
• Interest Rate agreement
• Continuation Sheet
• License Disclosure
• Occupancy and Financial Status
• Notice of Intent to Proceed with Loan Application
• Customer Privacy Notice
• Servicing Disclosure Statement (they can sell, assign, transfer servicing)
• Undisclosed Debt
• HUD-1 Settletment Booklet
• Mortgagee Clause for Homeowner's insurance (they want to be beneficiary too)
• Residential Mortgage Loan Commitment (with conditions)
• Final HUD-1 Settlement Statement (with the big final "bring to close" number!)

Here's the documents with the real estate agents and sellers:

• Signed offer
• Copy of check with offer
• Personal letter of interest, directly to the seller
• A postcard, thanking the seller for the showing
• Purchase and Sale agreement draft
• Purchase and Sale agreement Contract
• Copy of check with the P&S
• Rider to P&S with inspection contingency
• Radon Contingency
• Repair Agreement
• Supplemental Agreement (inclusions of appliances, curtains, basement workbenches/shelves)

Here are the documents I generated or found on my own: 

• Home Comparison Worksheet
• Home inspection report
• Radon inspection report
• Home-owner's insurance policy
• Radon EPA guidebook
• Record of wire transfer for settlement costs to local bank (for the heavy bank check)
• Town "Master Plan" document (where the town is going)
• Town Newsletter 
• Zillow Estimate
• Interest Rates trends over recent years
• A list of contacts for professionals for home buying process.
• Lending estimates to decipher who has the best deal
• History of the house
• Packing plan worksheet
• A list of upgrades, and priority/timeline/budget worksheet
• A tool acquisition plan
• An annual cleaning and maintenance schedule for necessary home systems
• An expense log

Here's what all of that rigmaroll turned into: