Once your contract has been ratified, you should be working very closely with your loan officer to make sure all documentation is complete for your loan approval. Now a days, loans may be approved in a week or even days, but this is considered a quick turn around and you can't rely on your loan happening that quickly. Ask your loan officer what timeframe to expect your loan process to take. Make it your top priority to get all documentation to your loan officer to be sure to lock in your best interest rate for your morgage.