Mortgage Guide

First-time buyers

Mortgage Application Documents

Published by the Mortgage Guide editorial team. Rate assumptions and content updated October 2026. This page is educational. It is not a loan offer, approval, or personalized financial advice.

What a full file often includes

Pay stubs, W-2s, and tax returns support income. Bank statements support the down payment and reserves. A gift needs a paper trail if the program allows gifts.

Self-employed income is documented differently from a salary. The affordability calculator cannot tell which income a lender will count.

What to do with the numbers

Use the documents to fill in gross monthly income and the debts that will remain. Then run DTI and affordability.

Keep the documents for the lender. The contact page asks you not to send them here.

Documents and calculator fields
DocumentField it informs
Pay stubGross income
Credit report or statementsMonthly debts
Bank statementDown payment and reserves
Loan estimateRate, APR, and costs

Calculators

Related guides

Sources

Common questions

Can I upload my documents here?

No. There is no upload. The email address is for corrections, not for an application.

How many months of statements?

Lenders set that. Two months is a common request and not a rule this site can promise.