By the time you’re past inspection, past the appraisal, and just waiting on a closing date, it’s tempting to relax. The hard part feels done. I remember thinking exactly that — right before I almost caused my own closing delay over something completely avoidable.
It turns out the stretch between “under contract” and “keys in hand” is exactly when a handful of ordinary decisions can quietly put your loan at risk. None of these mistakes are exotic. That’s what makes them worth listing out — they’re the kind of thing you do without thinking twice, right up until a loan officer calls asking what happened.
Financing a Big Purchase Before Closing
This is the classic one, and I almost did it myself. New furniture felt like a harmless purchase to make while waiting for closing day — until I mentioned it offhand to my lender and got a very direct “please don’t do that yet.” Opening a new credit line or financing anything sizable changes your debt-to-income ratio, and lenders re-check credit shortly before closing. A new furniture loan, a new car, even a new credit card with a modest limit, can be enough to throw off final approval.
The rule I now follow: nothing gets financed, on credit or otherwise, until after I actually have keys.
Moving Money Around Without Thinking It Through
I’d already learned about fund seasoning by this point, but it’s worth repeating because it’s an easy mistake to make twice. Transferring money between accounts, consolidating savings, or accepting a cash gift toward closing costs late in the process can trigger a fresh round of documentation requests, even when the money is completely legitimate. If a transfer isn’t necessary before closing, it’s safer to just leave accounts alone until afterward.
Changing Jobs, Even for a Good Reason
A friend of mine got a genuinely great job offer while under contract and took it — reasonably, since it was a real opportunity. It also nearly derailed her closing, because lenders verify employment again right before funding, and a job change, even a good one, can require re-underwriting the loan from scratch. If a job change is truly unavoidable, the move is to tell your lender immediately rather than letting them find out on their own.
Skipping the Closing Disclosure Review
I mentioned this in an earlier post, but it’s worth restating as a mistake, not just a surprising detail. Skimming the closing disclosure instead of actually comparing it line by line against your loan estimate means you might not catch an error, or a legitimate change, until you’re sitting at the closing table with less time to ask questions. Reading it early gives you room to actually resolve anything that looks off.
Not Getting Homeowners Insurance Lined Up Early
I underestimated how long it would take to get homeowners insurance actually in place, and ended up scrambling for it closer to closing than I would have liked. Lenders need proof of a policy before funding, and shopping for coverage under time pressure isn’t the ideal way to compare options or pricing. Getting quotes early, even before you’re sure of a closing date, gives you more breathing room.
Ignoring Late Document Requests From the Lender
Underwriting sometimes asks for things that feel repetitive or unnecessary — an updated bank statement, an explanation for a transaction they’ve already asked about once. It’s tempting to let these sit for a few days if they seem minor. I learned it’s better to respond the same day, every time, because delays in responding to underwriting are one of the more common reasons closings get pushed back.
Assuming the Final Walkthrough Doesn’t Matter
I covered this before, but it belongs here too: treating the final walkthrough as a formality instead of a real check is a mistake. It’s the last real opportunity to catch a problem before you’re financially and legally committed. Skipping it, or rushing through it, gives up your last real chance to flag something before closing.
Forgetting to Budget for the Actual Day
This one’s smaller, but it caught a few people I know off guard. Closing day itself can come with small costs beyond the closing disclosure — a cashier’s check for remaining funds, possibly a notary fee depending on how things are structured, sometimes a moving-related expense that lands the same week. None of it is dramatic, but showing up assuming the closing disclosure is the very last number you’ll deal with isn’t quite accurate.
Final Thoughts
Almost none of these mistakes are things people make out of carelessness. They’re things people make because the pre-closing period feels calmer than it actually is, and it’s easy to let your guard down right when it matters most to keep it up. The fix for basically all of them is the same: assume nothing about your finances, your job, or your paperwork should change until you’re actually holding the keys.
FAQs
How late in the process do lenders actually re-check credit?
Often within a few days of closing, sometimes closer than buyers expect. It’s safest to assume it could happen at any point and avoid new credit activity for the full duration of the process.
What should I do if I have to make a large purchase before closing?
Talk to your lender first. In some cases it’s manageable if timed carefully, but it should never be a decision made without their input.
Is it too late to fix a mistake if I’ve already made one of these?
Not necessarily. The best move is to tell your lender immediately rather than waiting for it to surface on its own — early disclosure gives them more options to work around it.
Does a small credit card purchase count as a risk, or just big financed purchases?
Normal day-to-day spending on an existing card is generally fine. The real risk is opening new credit or taking on new debt, not typical spending within your existing accounts.