Can I Quit My Job Before Closing on a House? What You Need to Know

Purchasing a home is an exciting milestone. However, the process also involves a lot of stress and difficult decisions. One common question homebuyers face is whether they can quit their job before closing on the house.

The short answer is – it’s risky and could jeopardize your mortgage approval. Here’s a detailed look at what happens if you quit your job before closing and steps you can take.

Why Lenders Care About Your Employment

If you want to get a mortgage, lenders will want to see that you have a steady job and income. This helps them figure out if you can reliably pay the monthly bills. Loan providers may not trust your ability to pay back the loan if you quit your job in the middle of the process.

Specifically, here’s what lenders look for regarding employment:

• Good work history: Most lenders want to see two years of steady work in the same or a similar field. Job hopping can be a red flag.

• Current employment Lenders will verify your employment, often within 10 days of closing Quitting before closing means you no longer meet the job requirements

• A job that pays enough to make payments. If you quit, you might not have enough money to pay back the loan.

In the end, your lender wants to see that your job and income are stable. They don’t want to give you the loan because quitting your job makes them nervous about your stability.

What Happens If You Quit Before Closing

If you voluntarily resign from your job before closing, a few things could happen:

• Delay in closing: The lender may delay closing and require you to provide proof of new employment with similar income. This can drag out the process.

• Denial of the loan: If you cannot show you still have enough income, the lender may deny the mortgage altogether. This means you cannot buy the house.

• Higher interest rates: As you now look riskier to lenders, they may only approve you for a higher interest rate on the mortgage. This raises your long-term costs.

• Financial penalties: If resigning causes the purchase to fall through, you may lose your earnest money deposit and other related fees.

The consequences depend on your specific situation, such as your overall financial health and the lender policies. But in most cases, voluntarily quitting will negatively impact your loan approval process.

When Is It Okay to Quit Your Job Before Closing?

There are a few scenarios where quitting your job before closing may be safe:

• You’re staying at the company but switching departments or taking a different role. As long as your income is the same, this may not affect the process.

• You have a co-borrower on the loan whose income can carry it. Their stable job may compensate for you quitting.

• You have substantial assets, savings, or alternative income sources to replace your salary. This requires planning ahead.

• You’re lined up to start a new job very soon after closing with equal or higher pay. Timing is key here.

Outside of limited cases, quitting mid-process is risky. The lender wants to see consistent employment right up until the closing date.

Tips If You’re Considering Quitting Your Job

Here are some tips if you’re thinking about resigning before closing:

• Talk to your lender first: Explain the situation and get their advice. See if they will still approve the loan.

• Line up new employment: Having a new job offer in hand will help ease the lender’s concerns over quitting.

• Consider timing: Waiting until after closing is safest. If you must quit before, do it as far from closing as possible.

• Maintain income: Make sure you have enough income between jobs to qualify for the mortgage.

• Check with your realtor: Understand penalties if you must delay or cancel for financial reasons.

• Review your budget: Ensure you have savings to cover bills during an unemployment gap.

While allowed in some cases, quitting your job before closing on a home is generally inadvisable. If you are thinking about it, proceed with extreme caution and get professional advice.

What to Do If You’ve Already Quit Your Job

If you’ve made the decision to resign before closing, take these steps to preserve your home purchase:

• Inform your lender immediately: Explain why you left your job and your plan going forward.

• Provide new employment details: Offer letters, pay stubs, or contact info to verify your new job.

• Show supplementary income: Bank statements proving you have ample savings or assets to cover payments temporarily.

• Request loan modifications: Ask the lender if they will still approve the mortgage with updated terms given your new financial status.

• Be honest: Lying about quitting your job constitutes mortgage fraud. Tell the truth upfront to avoid bigger issues down the road.

• Get help: Consult a real estate attorney if you run into significant hurdles or delays related to quitting before closing.

The more evidence you can provide that you’re still financially stable, the better chance you have of convincing the lender to move forward with closing on schedule.

Key Takeaways

Quitting your job before closing on a home mortgage introduces risk into the lending process. While possible in some cases, it can lead to higher rates, denied loans, or monetary penalties if you void the purchase agreement.

To keep your home buying plans on track, try to avoid resigning until after closing day. If you must quit before closing, be upfront with lenders and have backup income sources in place. With proper preparations, you may be able to quit and still follow through on buying your dream home.