Yes. A licensed mortgage advisor, often called a loan officer or loan advisor, guides you through the whole mortgage process from start to finish, which is especially reassuring if you are buying for the first time. That guidance covers pre-approval, shopping with a clear budget, making an offer, the formal application, underwriting, and closing. The Sharla Jolley Ellis Team at Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation is one Salt Lake City team that walks buyers through every step, with more than 30 years in the local market and a direct office at 2150 South 1300 East.
That is the short answer. The more useful answer is knowing what each step involves, where buyers commonly get stuck, and what good guidance actually looks like in practice. Below we walk through the mortgage process step by step, point out the spots where a guide makes the biggest difference, and explain how the Sharla Jolley Ellis Team approaches it for Salt Lake City buyers.
Buying a home can feel like a long list of unfamiliar tasks, but the mortgage side follows a predictable path. When you know the order of the steps, the whole thing feels less like a maze and more like a checklist you move through with someone beside you.
The six main steps of getting a mortgage
Pre-approval. A lender reviews your credit, income, and assets and tells you what you can borrow, then issues a pre-approval letter you can shop with.
Shopping with a budget. You and your real estate agent look for homes inside the price range your pre-approval supports, so you stay grounded in what fits.
Making an offer. When you find the right home, you write an offer backed by your pre-approval letter, which tells the seller you are a serious, qualified buyer.
The application. Once your offer is accepted, you complete the full loan application for that specific property and lock in the details.
Underwriting. The lender verifies everything, orders an appraisal, and confirms the loan meets program guidelines. This is where most documents get requested.
Closing. You sign the final paperwork, the loan funds, and you receive the keys.
A mortgage advisor stays with you across all six steps. They are the person who explains what each document is for, who keeps the lender, the title company, and your real estate agent moving in the same direction, and who answers the question you were not sure how to ask. If you want the full home-buying picture beyond the loan itself, our first-time homebuyer roadmap for Salt Lake City lays out the path from preparing your finances to getting the keys.
Most of the stress in a home purchase clusters around a few predictable moments. A good advisor knows where those moments are and gets ahead of them, so a small bump does not turn into a stalled deal.
Not knowing the budget before shopping. Falling in love with a home you cannot finance is painful. Pre-approval first means you shop with a real number, and your advisor explains how taxes, insurance, and your loan program shape the monthly payment.
Document requests during underwriting. Underwriters often ask for a deposit explanation or an updated pay stub, and it can feel like a test you did not study for. An advisor tells you what is normal, what is needed, and how to send it quickly.
The appraisal coming in differently than expected. When an appraisal does not match the contract price, there are options. A local advisor who knows Salt Lake County values can talk you through them calmly.
Choosing among loan programs. Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, and Utah Housing down payment assistance each fit different situations. Comparing them side by side is far easier with someone who can explain the tradeoffs in plain language.
The timeline crunch before closing. Coordinating the lender, title company, and your agent in the final days takes a steady hand. That coordination is a core part of what your advisor does.
None of these moments is unusual, and none of them has to derail your purchase. The value of a guide is that they have seen each one many times and can keep you informed and moving instead of guessing.
We will walk you through pre-approval, your loan options, underwriting, and closing, explaining each step in plain language as we go. No pressure and no obligation to proceed.
We are not the only lender in Salt Lake City, and we will not pretend to be the right fit for every buyer. What we offer is a hands-on, local way of working that buyers tell us takes the worry out of the process.
A consistent point of contact. You work with our team from your first question through closing, not a rotating call center, so you never have to re-explain your situation.
More than 30 years of local lending. We have closed loans through several rate cycles and know how Salt Lake County appraisals, title work, and neighborhoods behave.
A full menu of loan programs. Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, and Utah Housing down payment assistance, compared side by side for your situation rather than pushed one size fits all.
A direct lender, not a broker. As a direct lender, Fairway funds the loan and handles underwriting in house, which keeps your file in one place and your advisor close to every decision.
Recognized service. The team has ranked among the Top 1% of national mortgage originators and earned the number one client satisfaction scores at Fairway four years running, from 2022 through 2025.
The practical effect is simple. You always know what the next step is, why a document is being requested, and who to call when a question comes up. If you are comparing your options, our guides on which lender to talk to for pre-approval and how to compare mortgage quotes in Salt Lake City are good places to start.
Getting started is easier than most people expect. You do not need to have everything figured out before you reach out. In fact, the first conversation is often where the figuring out begins.
Reach out with your questions. A short call or email is enough to begin. We will ask about your goals and where you are in the process, whether that is dreaming or already touring homes.
Gather a few documents. Recent pay stubs, W-2s or tax returns, and bank statements help us give you a real pre-approval number instead of an estimate. If you do not have them ready yet, that is fine.
Get pre-approved. With your documents in hand, we review your credit, income, and assets and issue a pre-approval letter you can shop with confidently.
Move through the rest together. From your accepted offer to closing day, we stay alongside you, coordinating with your real estate agent and the title company.
If your finances are not quite ready, that is fine too. Part of our job is helping you see where you stand and what to adjust before you apply, so you start the process from a position of strength.
Yes. A licensed mortgage advisor, also called a loan officer or loan advisor, guides you through the entire mortgage process from pre-approval to closing. The Sharla Ellis Team at Fairway Independent Mortgage in Salt Lake City does exactly this, with more than 30 years in the local market and a consistent point of contact from your first question through closing day. Talking to more than one advisor to find the right fit is reasonable and encouraged.
There are six main steps. First, pre-approval, where a lender reviews your credit, income, and assets and issues a letter you can shop with. Second, shopping for a home within that budget. Third, making an offer backed by your pre-approval. Fourth, completing the full application once the offer is accepted. Fifth, underwriting, where the lender verifies your file and orders an appraisal. Sixth, closing, where you sign, the loan funds, and you receive the keys.
It often is. First-time buyers are seeing the steps, the terms, and the document requests for the first time, so having someone explain each one in plain language removes a lot of uncertainty. An advisor can also point first-time buyers toward programs such as FHA, VA, USDA, and Utah Housing down payment assistance that may fit their situation. Repeat buyers benefit from guidance too, since programs and rules change over time.
Working with a mortgage advisor does not add a separate guidance fee. The advisor's help is part of getting your loan, and the costs involved in a mortgage, such as origination and third-party fees, are disclosed to you in your Loan Estimate. Talking through your options and getting pre-approved typically carries no cost and no obligation to proceed. Your specific costs are detailed in the loan documents you receive.
Timelines vary, but once your offer is accepted, many loans close within about 30 days. Pre-approval can often be completed in one to three business days if your documents are ready. The shopping stage depends on how quickly you find the right home. Having your paperwork organized and responding promptly to document requests are the two biggest things you can do to keep the process moving.