Income documents (every borrower)
- Last 2 pay stubs (30 days of income), with year-to-date figures
- Last 2 years of W-2s — or 1099s and full tax returns if self-employed
- Self-employed: year-to-date profit & loss statement, signed and dated
- Social Security, disability, or pension: current award letters
- Rental income: leases and 2 months of proof of receipt
- Child support/alimony (only if you want it counted): order plus proof of receipt
Account and property documents
- 2 most recent statements for every bank account, all pages — including the blank ones; missing page 4 of 4 stalls files daily
- Most recent mortgage statement and any foreclosure notices received
- Homeowners insurance declaration page
- Property tax bill (if not escrowed)
- HOA statement, if applicable
- Utility bill as proof of occupancy
The narrative documents
- Hardship letter — one page, structured as our guide describes
- Hardship proof: termination letter, medical records or bills, divorce decree, death certificate, disaster declaration
- A written explanation for any large non-payroll deposit on your statements — one line each is enough
- The servicer's own application form (often called an RMA or Borrower Assistance Form), every field completed, signed by all borrowers
Submission rules that protect you
- Submit everything at once — piecemeal files never reach 'complete' status
- Write your loan number on every page
- Keep proof of submission: upload confirmations, fax receipts, or certified mail
- Ask the servicer to confirm in writing that the application is complete and note the date — that's the date protections attach
- Refresh anything older than 60 days if the review drags — expired documents are the #1 silent killer of applications