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Become a Certified Buyer

Makes your offer as good as cash – with no financing contingency.

Logo for Certified Buyer

Gain a competitive edge and transform your offer into a cash-like guarantee by joining our exclusive Certified Buyer Program. By obtaining loan approval through SFMC Home Lending prior to making an offer, you can eliminate the need for a finance contingency. With our program, you can rest assured that you can close the deal within a swift 19-day period. And to demonstrate our commitment to timely transactions, we offer a guarantee: if we fail to close on time, we’ll compensate the seller with up to $2,000.*

PRE-APPROVAL VS. PRE-QUALIFICATION
Being pre-approved rather than pre-qualified means that all your documents have been submitted, reviewed by an underwriter, and you have already been conditionally approved for your loan. This tells the seller that you have already cleared the first step of the loan process and are able to close quickly.

HOW IT WORKS

1

Connect with a SFMC Home Lending Loan Officer
2

Submit all the requested documents to your Loan Officer.
3

Once the documents are received, your Loan Officer will send you a short disclosure package and a link to a payment portal for your underwriting fee. This is a deposit towards fees that would have otherwise been paid at closing – you’re simply paying it at the beginning of the process instead.**
4

Once payment is received, you can expect your loan to be reviewed for pre-approval within just a few days.
5

Your Loan Officer will send your Pre-Approval Letter/Certified Buyer Letter to you and your Realtor. Using the letter will make your offer stand out and give you the competitive edge you need to win in this market!

*19 calendar days excludes National Holidays. Available for FHA, Conventional, and VA primary residence purchase transactions; conforming loan limits only. $499 deposit due at the time of application. The property being purchased must satisfy all underwriting requirements including condition, appraised value, and insurability. Loan is also subject to satisfactory Title and Survey. Borrower must provide all documents for credit and income approval (all income, assets, etc. received before offer is accepted); No changes in the Purchase contract after submission of conditions for clear to close; seller cooperates with scheduling the appraisal inspection without any delays and appraisal is at the value and not subject to repairs; no condominiums, rural or unique property types, including manufactured homes, borrower must submit all requested documentation within 24 hours of requested time (including HOI). Maximum reimbursement of $2000 ($200 per day). Delays in services provided by third-parties excluded. For FHA purchase transaction, seller must have owned the property for at least 180 days at the time of contract. Offer null and void if either the seller or borrower extend the closing date, the closing does not occur on the contract closing date due to events outside the control of SFMC, LP including inclement weather, natural disaster, or other catastrophic events. Certificate does not constitute loan approval. The loan must close with SFMC Home Lending to be eligible for guarantee incentive.