The mortgage process

Apparently there are three stages to a mortgage approval.

1. The application process. For us, this was handled by the woman who said we could close within 14-21 days. She was also very helpful and answered all my questions. She checked our credit history and entered our financial information (pay stubs, bank statements, etc.). After sending us an approval letter she passed us along to step 2.
2. The processing process. It's a confusing and hectic time where everyone is waiting on the person before them to get moving. In this step, our mortgage processor said they would need at least 21 days, successfully freaking me out. In this step they add the purchase agreement to the mix and order an appraisal of the property. We were then passed along to step 3.
3. The underwriting and closing process. I mentioned when we wanted to close to this guy and he didn't even shudder. I don't know what to think of that yet. He verified our information and asked for a copy of our earnest deposit check and the contact information for our homeowner's insurance agent. He promised to contact me on Monday with our progress. I think I like this guy...

Hopefully, this guy will be as successful as he sounds and we will close on June 22. According to our agent, it will depend primarily on how much motivation the HUD lawyers have. If I poke my people and he pokes those people, maybe we can poke our way to closing faster.