In
addition to the letter, a lender can ask
for two or three months' worth of statements
for the account where the down payment
funds are located. If the money was recently
placed into that account, the lender may
ask where it came from and request verification
of that source as well.
Gifts
-- with the proper documentation -- can
be from relatives, friends, an employer,
church, municipality, or nonprofit organization.
Lenders often have stricter restrictions
on gifts from friends and relatives other
than parents.
Also,
if you put less than 20 percent down,
some lenders may require that a portion
of the down payment be your own cash,
not a gift. If you want to use a gift
as part of your down payment, check with
individual lenders to learn the restrictions
of specific private or government-insured
mortgage programs.