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. Pin down the specifics of the property in question.Clearly state the property's address, ensuring there's no ambiguity about where the gift funds are intended. A short letter like this sample gift letter will cover all of the requirements your lender needs. You can use gifted funds to make a down payment, but your mortgage lender will want to know some details before they allow you to use it. A gift letter is a document that overviews and outlines the terms of a down payment gift for a real estate purchase. The gift donor may not be a person or entity with an interest in the sale of the property such as the seller, real estate agent, builder, or developer. To use gift funds, you must provide a gift letter proving the money is not a loan. If their gift is too large, they may have to fill out a gift tax form when filing returns. Most importantly, the letter should state that the money is a gift and that there's no expectation of repayment.