While there are many aspects of the mortgage process that are out of your control, there are steps you can take to speed up the process. For starters you can educate yourself on what your lender will need from you ahead of time.

If you have been through the mortgage process before then you know there is a lot of paperwork involved. Be prepared to provide your lender with all your financial documents including W-2 statements and federal tax returns from the past 2 years, pay stubs from the past 30 days, account statements for all checking, savings, investment and retirement accounts for the past 60 days, liability summary for all outstanding debts: car loans, credit cards, student loans, child support, etc., letter of explanation for any recent credit inquiries or derogatory items, and divorce decree, if applicable.

Another way to speed up the loan process is to get pre-approved for a loan. Before you begin house hunting you want to have a pre-approval, not only so you know how much you can afford but also because it will save you time during the approval process. A pre-approval is like a dry run mortgage approval because a complete loan application is taken and your income and assets are verified, the only thing missing is a property address.

The last thing you can do to push the process along is make sure you are working with an experienced loan officer. The right mortgage professional will help you do everything possible to ensure the process is smooth and efficient.