What Not to Do Between Pre-Approval and Closing

Don't open, close, or co-sign anything

New tradelines change your DTI (debt-to-income ratio — how a lender measures your monthly bills as a percentage of your monthly income before taxes) and your score. Closing an old account shortens your average account age and can raise your utilization ratio. Co-signing makes someone else's payment your liability. All three are re-checked before funding.

The safest posture in this window is total inaction. Keep paying your existing accounts on time and change nothing else.

Don't change how you're paid

Lenders verify employment again within days of closing. Switching employers, moving from salary to commission, going part-time, or starting a business all require the income calculation to be redone — and in some cases the income no longer qualifies at all until you have a track record.

Don't move money around

Every transfer creates a trail that has to be explained. Consolidating accounts, moving funds to a new bank for a signup bonus, or depositing cash from a side gig all trigger sourcing requests. Park your funds and leave them alone.

Don't buy furniture, appliances, or a car on credit

This is the classic. A $600 monthly car payment taken on two weeks before closing can push your DTI past the program cap and cancel the loan you already paid for an appraisal on. Buy it after funding, in cash if you can.

Don't miss a payment or ignore a collection notice

A single 30-day late during escrow can drop your score enough to change your rate tier or your approval. If a collection surfaces, talk to your loan officer before paying it — sometimes paying it at closing is strategically better than paying it today.

Don't wire money without verifying by phone

Wire fraud targets homebuyers specifically, and the emails look legitimate. Call the title company at a number you independently looked up and confirm the instructions verbally before you send anything. Wired funds sent to a criminal are usually gone permanently.