After You Close, the Letters Start: What’s Real and What’s Junk

Within weeks of closing on a home, your mailbox changes. Suddenly you’re getting letters stamped “IMPORTANT MORTGAGE INFORMATION” and “FINAL NOTICE,” some of them naming your lender, your loan amount, even your loan date. Here’s the thing to know up front: almost all of it is junk mail wearing a costume — and a few pieces are outright scams. This guide, part of our Homeowner Library, sorts every common letter into real, junk, or fraud.

Why am I getting all this mail?

When you bought your home, the deed and deed of trust were recorded with the county — that’s how ownership works, and it’s public record. Marketing companies scrape those records daily. That’s how a letter can correctly name your lender and loan amount and still have nothing to do with your lender. Accurate details are not proof a letter is legitimate.

The usual suspects, sorted

“Mortgage protection insurance” letters — junk. These look like a required step (“RESPOND WITHIN 5 DAYS REGARDING YOUR MORTGAGE WITH [YOUR LENDER]”). They’re selling a form of life insurance that pays your mortgage if you die — usually overpriced compared to simple term life insurance, and never required. If you want that protection, price regular term life on your own; don’t buy it from a scare letter.

“Obtain a copy of your deed” offers — junk. They’ll offer to send you a “certified copy” of your deed for $80–$100. Your deed is a public record; if you ever need a copy, your county clerk and recorder provides one for a few dollars — in El Paso County, you can pull it online. Never pay a third party for your own document.

“Your home warranty is expiring” notices — junk. Designed to imply a lapsing coverage you probably never had. If you’re actually curious about home warranties, we wrote an honest take on whether they’re worth it — but don’t buy one from a pressure letter.

Bi-weekly payment programs — junk with a fee. They offer to split your payment in half every two weeks, which does modestly accelerate payoff — then charge setup or per-payment fees for something you can do yourself for free. The real math is in our guide to extra principal payments.

A servicing-transfer notice — REAL, but verify. Loans genuinely do change servicers, and you’ll get letters when it happens. Because scammers imitate these to redirect payments, verify any transfer through your existing servicer’s phone number or portal — never one printed on the letter itself. More in our servicer transfer guide.

Property tax and insurance mail — REAL. Your county assessor’s valuation notices and your insurance company’s renewal documents matter. Anything from the actual county or your actual insurer deserves a read.

How do I tell real from fake in 10 seconds?

• Check the fine print. Junk mail almost always discloses it — federal advertising rules bar mailers from misrepresenting who they are, so look for “not affiliated with your lender” in small type. It’s almost always there.
• Check the sender. Real mail comes from your servicer’s name exactly as it appears in your portal, your insurer, or the county. “Home Records Department” and “Mortgage Fulfillment Center” are nobody.
• Never act on the letter’s own contact info. If something claims urgency, log into your servicer account or call the number on your statement. Real problems show up there; manufactured ones don’t.

When should I actually worry?

Two pieces of mail deserve fast attention: anything from your servicer about a missed or misapplied payment, and anything from your county about taxes or valuation. And one genuine (if overhyped) risk — deed and title fraud — has its own playbook, including the free way to monitor it in many Colorado counties. We covered it in title fraud and “title lock” services.

Frequently asked questions

Is mortgage protection insurance required? No. It’s optional insurance sold through mailers designed to look mandatory, and plain term life insurance usually protects your family better for less.

Why do these letters know my lender and loan amount? Your deed and loan are public county records. Marketers scrape them — accurate details don’t make a letter legitimate.

Do I need to buy a copy of my deed? No. Your county clerk provides copies for a few dollars. The $89 “deed retrieval” letters are junk.

How do I know if a servicing transfer letter is real? Verify through your current servicer’s portal or the phone number on your statement — never the contact info printed on the letter.

By Timothy Chase, Founder, 719 Lending — Colorado Springs mortgage broker. NMLS #868175 (Company NMLS #1601989). Equal Housing Opportunity. This article is educational only and is not financial, tax, or legal advice; program details and figures are general — confirm current. 719 Lending is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. Last updated: July 2026.