Most people don’t think too hard when asked for their signature. Let’s use Christine Mary Smith as the name of a home buyer. Her friends call her Chris, Mary she only heard from her parents when she was in trouble as a child, usually she signs her checks Chris Smith but sometimes Christine or maybe on credit card applications she signs Christine M. Smith. Does it really matter?  In real estate, the answer is YES! Especially when you are buying a property, things have to be uniform. Before you even visit your loan officer to apply for a mortgage, decide how you will be writing out your name, and you must sign and print your name that way on ALL paperwork from that point forward which has to do with your home purchase – even things like first time home buyer classes. Why? Banks and underwriters have gotten picky and they want everything to match. If your signatures don’t match exactly on all paperwork, there may be a delay in your closing or problems getting your loan approved. It sounds simple, and it really is, but make sure you decide how you will be signing and stick with it to make your buying process go along a bit smoother and without delay!