A conditional commitment occurs when a lender agrees to approve a home loan if the borrower agrees to meet certain conditions. There are a variety of conditions that may apply to a lender’s conditional commitment, and it can require a borrower to meet specific requirements as well. For example, a lender’s conditional commitment may require that a borrower pay off a certain outstanding debt before the loan is approved; another condition may be that the borrower must be able to contribute a larger down payment. A conditional commitment basically gives the borrower a tentative approval that is contingent upon the borrower completing the specific conditions set forth by the lender. A buyer is always free to apply for a loan with a different lender in order to find out if he or she will inevitably be required to meet the conditions as all lenders have different approval criteria.
