10/06/2026
Things and circumstances can change quickly! Keep your pre-approval up to date and accurate!
Your pre approval can be current on paper and outdated in practice.
Before your next offer, run this 15 minute refresh:
1️⃣ Check the letter
Find the issue date and any expiration date. Ask your lender what becomes stale first for your loan: credit, income, asset statements, or the letter itself. Do not assume they all follow the same clock.
2️⃣ Rebuild the payment for the actual address
Ask for principal, interest, property taxes, homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance, and HOA dues. Your original approval may have used an older rate or a generic tax and insurance estimate.
3️⃣ Report what changed
New job? Different hours? Smaller bonus? Higher card balance? New car loan? Student loan payment changed? Money moved between accounts? Tell your broker before it is discovered during an offer deadline.
4️⃣ Recheck your cash cushion
Verified funds today
Minus estimated cash to close
Minus the reserve you refuse to spend
Equals your real cushion after closing
5️⃣ Build the offer plan
Ask whether credit needs to be reviewed again, which documents to upload now, how fast a letter can be updated, and who can help if the offer happens at night or on a weekend.
Then get these four numbers in writing:
• Maximum price
• Full estimated monthly payment
• Estimated cash to close
• Cash expected to remain after closing
Save this for later.
Send it to someone who needs to see this.
— Paula Bond, your go-to mortgage broker in Texas!
