What documents do I need at closing?
Three categories: government-issued ID for every signer, entity documents if an LLC, trust, or partnership is borrowing, and the purchase contract if you are buying. No tax returns, no bank statements, no financials — the no-doc rule holds all the way through closing.
For entities, have the formation and authority papers ready: articles of organization and operating agreement for an LLC, the trust agreement or a certification of trust for a trust, the partnership agreement for a partnership. Title companies also want a certificate of good standing in most states, which your secretary of state issues online in minutes for a small fee.
On a purchase, the executed contract and any amendments go to the title company early — they drive the legal description, the closing date, and how the seller gets paid. On a refinance, a recent statement or payoff letter from the existing lender replaces the contract.
Then the loan documents themselves, which the lender prepares: the note, the deed of trust or mortgage, the personal guaranty, and the business-purpose and non-owner-occupancy certifications. You review, you sign before a notary, and that is the entire stack. Most borrowers spend more time gathering documents for a truck loan.
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