soft approval
I went to school in Eugene/Springfield area. Love the area! I'd be be happy to help guide you through the process and give you some feedback. I understand what your saying when you say soft approval, I'm guessing you want to know if you would qualify for a mortgage based on your current situation. I'd be...

If a home is in escrow and due to close Sept 4, do I still have to pay the mortgage in Aug?
Yes, You will want to pay the mortgage! Otherwise you would be deemed 30 day late which will impact your credit. Mortgage late payments are an immediate negative hit to your credit score. You will want to pay it. Hope that helps.

Can they prevent my 81 yr old grandfather from getting a 30 year loan?
no they cannot prevent someone getting a mortgage based on age. that would be age discrimination.