If you’re a mortgage planner, you can’t be afraid to trust your gut feeling when encountering unusual situations.

If a client hesitates when you ask them a direct question (like “How many properties do you own?” or “Where is your down payment coming from?”), be on alert.

If something just doesn’t seem “normal,” it’s your obligation to ask questions continuously until you feel confident you have the facts.  Then, send the client an email summarizing what they told you. That confirms you understood them correctly, gives them another opportunity to correct any misstatements, and puts everything on the record.

The last thing you want to do is send in a deal with inaccuracies, or worse yet, fraud.  When your internal alarm bells are going off, do whatever is necessary to protect your lenders, your clients, and your reputation.