Everyone knows that when you try to order any food in America you get a zillion supplemental questions. A mortgage is no different.

The questions and extra steps we’re having to take are getting slightly out of hand. Our problem is that we’re not US citizens and don’t (as yet) have the right to reside in the US (visa application in process). This meant that we need a US resident to co-sign the mortgage and guarantee us. Luckily we have a friend (who we’ll call Jason because that’s his name) who agreed to do this.

Over time, “co-sign the application” has become “become a named holder on all our bank accounts, be the main signatory on the mortgage and co-owner of the house”. Jase is happy to do this - which speak a lot of his trust of us. We’re not so happy because it assumes a lot of him and, there seem to be some legal problems - can he just give us his half of the house when we have a residency? Will that involve a huge tax payment?

The upshot is that we’ve found another mortgage lender and we’re starting from the beginning again - but keeping the first guy ambling along so as to keep the vendors happy.