Creating a Loan File

Each borrower engagement in BorrowerDocs is organized as a loan file. When you create one, BorrowerDocs seeds a document checklist from the template pack you choose and sets up a private portal for your borrower.

Prerequisites

Before creating your first loan file, make sure your branding is set up (company name and reply-to email are required to send portal invitations). See Setting Up Your Branding.

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Creating a loan file

Go to Loan Files in the sidebar and click New Loan File.

Loan type

Choose Purchase or Refinance. This is for your own reference and doesn't change the document checklist — template pack determines that.

Template pack

Select the document checklist template that matches your borrower's income situation:

Template	When to use
W2 / Salaried	Borrower earns W2 income from an employer
Self-Employed	Borrower is self-employed or owns a business
Bank Statement (Non-QM)	Non-QM loan using bank statements to qualify

Self-Employed and Bank Statement templates require a Starter or Pro plan.

If you've created custom templates, they appear below the standard packs under My Templates. See Custom Templates.

Borrower details

• Borrower email (required) — used to send the portal invitation
• Borrower name (optional) — used to name the file (e.g., "Jane Smith Purchase")
• Co-borrower email (optional) — add a second borrower who will share the same portal

Plan limits: Free plan allows 1 active loan file at a time. Close an existing file before creating a new one if you've hit your limit.

Creating the file

Click Create Loan File. BorrowerDocs will:

1. Create the loan file and seed the checklist with all document requests from the selected template
2. Create contact records for the borrower (and co-borrower if provided)
3. Take you directly to the Checklist tab

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After creating

From the checklist you can review the default items, add custom requests, and send the borrower their portal link when you're ready.

• Choosing a Template Pack — what's included in each standard pack
• Inviting Your First Borrower — sending the portal link
• Working the Checklist — managing items and approvals