1003 Form: Explaining the Uniform Residential Loan Application

Filling out a 1003 form is the first step you’ll take to getting preapproved for a mortgage. Officially known as the uniform residential loan application — URLA for short — the 1003 application gives your lender the information required to determine whether you qualify for the loan you’re applying for.

Knowing what’s requested on the 1003 form will help you gather up the right financial documents to fill out the application as accurately as possible, so you won’t have any surprises during the mortgage process.

What is a uniform residential loan application?

The uniform residential loan application is a form designed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, government-sponsored enterprises (GSE) that support the mortgage market. The form was created to collect the information lenders need to assess your creditworthiness for a mortgage loan.

The form also collects information required by the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) to ensure lenders are practicing fair lending and to check for any patterns of discrimination.

Make sure all your information is correct to prevent preapproval delays

Your mortgage preapproval is only as solid as the details you provide. Lenders can and will vet everything, so providing accurate information will help prevent delays. One other note: Lenders use the application information to generate a rate quote for you, and if you change the information later, you could end up with a higher interest rate.

  Read more about the mortgage preapproval process.

What information is needed on the 1003 form?

Your personal information. In addition to your legal name, Social Security number and date of birth, you’ll need two years’ worth of address information.

Your finances. Lenders need info about your income, assets and monthly debt payments. They’ll also need information about anything you’re legally required to pay, like alimony or child support.

Reason for the loan and type of home. The lender needs to know if you’re buying or refinancing a home, and whether you plan to live in the home, use it as an investment property or just for vacation time. The type of home is important, too, especially when the lender reviews your application for a rate quote. Single-family home mortgage rates are typically lower than rates on a condominium, manufactured home or multifamily home.

Declarations

Acknowledgments. You’ll need to answer a series of questions about everything from whether you’ve owned real estate before, to whether you pay alimony or child support or have filed for bankruptcy in the past seven years.

Military service. This section is especially important if you’re applying for a loan backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). VA-approved lenders need to know whether you’ve had a VA loan before and, if so, whether it’s paid off.

Demographics. This information is required by the federal government to track lending practices and guard against discrimination.

Loan originator. Your loan officer’s name, phone number and license number will appear on the application once you’ve selected a lender. This section will be blank until you’ve chosen a lender to work with.

The 1003 loan application form section by section

Here’s a breakdown of what info is requested in each section of the 1003 form. Watch for the   symbol to spot information you should pay close attention to so you avoid delays in the mortgage process.

Section 1: Borrower Information

This section asks for personal information, including employment, income and past addresses.

Section 1a asks for personal details, including:

• Your name, Social Security number, date of birth and citizenship status
• Whether you’re applying on your own or with someone else
• Your marital status and how many dependents you have
• Contact information including cellphone, work phone and email address
• Your current address and prior address, if you’ve lived at your current address for fewer than two years

  If you’ve moved around a lot in the past two years, make sure you provide full, correct addresses and the dates you lived at each residence. Lenders match the addresses up with what appears on your credit report.

• Whether you live rent-free, rent or own the home you currently occupy

Section 1b and 1c provide employment and income details including:

• Current employer information, including contact numbers and start date

  Your employment is verified and re-verified multiple times during the mortgage process. The contact information needs to be current to avoid delays before your closing.

• Details about any self-employment income
• Whether you’re employed by a family member or party to the mortgage transaction
• Your current and prior monthly income

  Lenders use your before-tax income to qualify, so always input the correct gross income here, or you may not qualify for the amount you’re applying for.

Section 1d applies if you have less than two years of employment in your current position.

  Don’t worry if you don’t have a two-year job history. You may be able to get a mortgage with a new job with proof you recently completed education or training related to the new position. Any gaps in employment for more than a few months may need to be explained.

Section 1e gives you a place to add any other types of income you receive, including:

• Alimony
• Child support
• Disability
• Public assistance
• Unemployment benefits
• Income sources that aren’t listed on the form

  If your income includes earnings from a second job, you’ll generally need to prove you’ve been working the side hustle for at least two years.

Section 2: Financial Information — Assets and Liabilities

You’ll detail bank account balances, assets you own and the balances and monthly payments of any debt you owe in this section. Lenders review this section to determine whether you have enough money for the down payment and closing costs, and enough income to cover the new mortgage payment plus any debt you already pay.

Section 2a is for cash-value assets, while Section 2b is for assets you plan to convert to cash or use to pay toward the purchase. The table below shows the difference.

The next two sections deal with all monthly debt obligations you have — those that do and don’t appear on your credit report.

Section 3: Financial Information — Real Estate

In Sections 3a to 3c you’ll outline the specifics of other homes you own, including:

• Monthly rent received
• Monthly payments, including property taxes, insurance and homeowners association fees

  If you pay your HOA dues quarterly or yearly, divide the amount by four (if paid quarterly) or 12 (if paid annually) so the monthly amount appears here.

• How much the home is worth
• The balance of any existing mortgages

Section 4: Loan and Property Information

This section tells the lender why you’re applying for the loan and gives them details about the home you’re buying or refinancing.

Section 4a is where you add information about:

• How much you want to borrow
• The purpose of the loan
• The property address, the number of units and the estimated home value
• Whether you intend to live in the home, rent it out or use it as a second home
• Whether the home can be used as both a residence and a business (mixed-use)
• Whether you’re financing a manufactured home

  Most standard home loan programs only allow you to finance manufactured homes that are permanently attached to land you own.

Section 4b details any additional financing you’re taking out along with the mortgage you’re applying for, like a home equity line of credit (HELOC) or a home equity loan.

Section 4c is for rental income you’re expected to receive on the home you’re buying, such as a multifamily home that you plan to live in.

Section 4d is specifically for information about gifts or grants you’ve received or will receive for the loan. They include gifts or grants from:

• A relative
• Your employer
• A nonprofit or local, state or federal government agency
• An unmarried partner

Section 5: Declarations

This section of the 1003 form features questions about the home being financed, funds for the loan and past financial history.

Section 5a digs a little deeper into the home you’re buying and the money you’re using, including:

• Details about homes you’ve owned in the past
• Whether you’re related to the seller of the home you’re buying
• Information about any other loans you’re applying for
• If there will be any other loans on the home

Section 5b asks you specific questions about your credit history to make sure you disclose details about:

• Past bankruptcies, judgments and foreclosures

  Discuss any of these types of credit issues with your lender before applying for a loan. Most standard loan programs require a waiting period after a bankruptcy or foreclosure before you can be approved for a new mortgage.

• Lawsuits you’re involved in
• Any delinquent federal debt
• Cosigned loans

Section 6: Acknowledgments and Agreements

This section includes pre-printed legal language, which says you agree and acknowledge that:

• You’ve provided accurate information and understand the penalties if you don’t
• The loan will be secured by the home you’re buying or refinancing
• The lender will order a home appraisal to verify the home’s value
• Electronic copies may be kept of all the records related to your loan
• You understand lenders are allowed to report any late payments to credit bureaus
• You can contact a HUD-approved counselor for advice if you have trouble making your mortgage payments
• You authorize the lender to use your information and share it with other parties to approve your loan

Section 7: Military Service

Lenders approved to make VA loans gather information in this section about the current or prior service of a military borrower or their surviving spouse.

Section 8: Demographic Information

Lenders must request and provide information about your ethnicity, sex and race under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) so regulators can identify and prevent patterns of lending discrimination. However, you’re not required to answer the questions.

Section 9: Loan Originator Information

Your loan originator will fill in this information with details about the mortgage company, licensing and contact information.