That's a very good question! If you have everything with you when you visit your lender, you'll save a good deal of time. You should have:

1. Social security numbers for both your and your spouse, if both of you are applying for the loan;
2. Copies of your checking and savings account statements for the past 6 months;
3. Evidence of any other assets like bonds or stocks;
4. A recent paycheck stub detailing your earnings;
5. a list of all credit card accounts and the approximate monthly amounts owed on each;
6. A list of account numbers and balances due on outstanding loans, such as car loans;
7. Copies of your last 2 years' income tax statements; and
8. The name and address of someone who can verify your employment. Depending on your lender, you may be asked for other information.

Remember, obtaining a loan to purchase a home can be documentation intensive. Make sure to prepare by having all documentation available for the lender. In addition, sometimes the lender will throw you for a loop and ask for documentation about something which might seem impossible to obtain. When you run into these issues, remain calm, stay focused and work with the requester to obtain the required information.