If borrowers plan to use gift money, they must request a gift letter from their lenders. A short letter like this sample gift letter will cover all of the requirements your lender needs.A gift letter for a mortgage shows your lender that you don't need to repay gift money toward your down payment. A gift letter is a note from a donor to your lender regarding cash funds for your mortgage down payment. Use these stepbystep instructions for accepting a cash downpayment gift on a home, including a readytouse mortgage gift letter template. Gift letter if a family member is helping with down payment (lender will have form). I was a financial adviser, and I never sat down to figure out what it would take to make this work. DPA may be used for down payment assistance, closing costs, and prepaids. Experts have blamed housing scarcity on several factors, including high mortgage rates and years of underbuilding of new homes.