Ask a big bank how long your mortgage will take and you will usually hear 30 to 45 days. Our typical purchase closes in about 15. That is not a stunt and it is not a special product — it is what the same loan looks like when nothing sits in a queue. Here is the actual day-by-day, and what you can do to keep the clock moving.
Why a broker can be faster than a bank
Speed is mostly a routing decision. A retail bank has one underwriting department and one queue — your file waits behind everyone else’s. As an independent brokerage we work with dozens of wholesale lenders, and their current underwriting turn times are part of how we pick where your loan goes. Rate matters most, but when two lenders are within a hair of each other, the one clearing files in 24 hours beats the one taking five days. Banks cannot make that choice. We make it on every file.
The 15 days, day by day
Days 1–2 — Application and setup. You complete the application, upload your document package, and we lock your rate and send disclosures. This is the step you control most: a complete file on day one is the single biggest predictor of a fast close.
Days 3–6 — Underwriting and appraisal. The file goes straight into underwriting while the appraisal is ordered in parallel — not after, which is where retail timelines quietly lose a week. Initial approval typically comes back with a short list of conditions.
Days 7–11 — Conditions cleared. The appraisal comes in, remaining conditions are cleared, and title work wraps up. If anything needs your attention — a letter of explanation, an updated statement — same-day turnaround here keeps everything on schedule.
Days 12–14 — Clear to close. The lender issues final approval and your Closing Disclosure. Federal law requires a minimum of three business days between the CD and signing — that wait is built into every mortgage in America, which is exactly why the rest of the file cannot afford to dawdle.
Day 15 — Closing. You sign at the title company, funding happens, and you get your keys.
What you control
Three habits keep a file on the 15-day track: have your documents ready before you shop (we send the exact list), respond to any request the same day, and keep your finances boring during the process — no new credit lines, no large unexplained transfers, no job changes if you can help it.
What can stretch the timeline
Honesty matters here: not every file is a 15-day file. Appraisal scheduling in outlying areas, condo and HOA document requests, title surprises on the property side, and complex self-employment income can each add days. The difference is that we tell you which of these applies to your file on day one — not on day 25.
Fast-close questions we hear most
Is 15 days guaranteed?
No — it is our typical result when the document package comes back quickly and the property cooperates. Some scenarios legitimately take longer, and we will tell you up front if yours is one of them.
Does closing fast cost more?
No. The speed comes from routing and process, not from paying for priority. Occasionally a rush appraisal fee applies in a tight market — if so, you will know before we order it.
Why the mandatory 3-day wait at the end?
It is a federal consumer protection (the TRID rule): once you receive your final Closing Disclosure, you get three business days to review the numbers before you can sign. It applies to every lender, everywhere.
Related: Refinance Conventional Mortgage FAQs
The application takes about 15 minutes, and your document checklist arrives right after.
360 Lending Group, LLC — NMLS 266484. This information is for general education and is not a commitment to lend or a rate quote. Loan programs, limits, and terms are subject to change and to borrower qualification.
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