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. Only certain gifts can be used for your down payment.Gifts can only come from family members or friends who have a close relationship with you. A gift letter must contain the donor's name, the gift's value, confirmation that the gift is not to be repaid, and the donor's signature. Yes, all lenders will require a gift letter. Although you may have the funds, the lender needs to confirm that you won't have to repay the gift. A gift letter must include the amount being gifted and state that no amount of the gift is expected to be repaid under any circumstances. A gift letter for a mortgage is proof to the lender that money you've been given for your home purchase is a gift, not a loan to be repaid. A gift letter for a mortgage shows your lender that you don't need to repay gift money toward your down payment. Gift funds may not be contributed from any source that has an interest in the sale of the property (seller, builder, real estate agent, etc.).