The letter must explain who is gifting the money, where the donor's funds are coming from and the relationship between the donor and the recipient. A gift letter is a document stating that any money received from family or friends is a cash gift and not a loan.Filling out a gift letter in OP's case would actually be mortgage fraud. Upvote Simply put, it's a letter written to your lender that fully details the generous financial gift you're receiving. A short letter like this sample gift letter will cover all of the requirements your lender needs. A gift letter is a piece of legal, written correspondence explicitly stating that money received isn't expected to be repaid. Your bank needs a written letter to prove that any money gifted to you to help buy a house is in fact a gift, not a loan. A gift letter for a mortgage shows your lender that you don't need to repay gift money toward your down payment. A signed Gift instrument such as a gift letter is fine, along with financial documentation to show the legal source of funds from the gift giver. Your brother provides a letter stating that it is a gift, and no repayment is required.