This is a question that I hear quite often when auditing loans. The argument is that “the guidelines” don’t require them. I say better be safe than sorry. The “guidelines” do say the lender is required to re-verify the income used to qualify the loan. How else can you re-verify self-employment income other than with tax transcripts? Letters from the…
Remembering Those Who Served and Sacrificed
Today is the day to step back from all the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, to set aside our differences and come together for one common cause. Not to stand behind the new President-Elect, although we should. but to honor all those men and women who have served us and our nation as members of the Armed Services.…
Mortgage Lenders Doing Their Part for the Economy
Hiring among non-bank mortgage lenders increased in September, adding 2200 full-time employees to their payrolls. That’s a big jump from the 900 hires they added in August. The additions were part of a rise in September employment to 315,000 new jobs, the highest increase since 2008. Maybe things are looking up. This hiring increase by non-bank mortgage lenders comes at…
Lenders Lament Increases in Loan Origination Costs
By all accounts, it cost a lender more money to originate and close a mortgage loan today than it did 10 years ago. But then again, what doesn’t cost us more today than it did 10 years ago? The question is how much is the increase, why, and is it worth it? That’s something each lender needs to decide. Recently,…
Non-Banks Take Over The Mortgage Market
It’s official. Mark it down. In the third quarter of 2016, non-bank mortgage lenders originated more than half of the mortgages originated in the US. According to a WSJ report, they represented about 51.4% of the mortgage dollars lent as of the end of September. You’ve come a long way, baby. With the big bank’s exodus from FHA lending and…
Housing Policy: Is It Too Little – Too Late?
As the Obama Administration is winding down, the Treasury Department issued a paper that may be considered the administration’s final word on Housing policy. The paper indicates that reform efforts should focus on providing access to credit and affordable rental housing (Housing). A real revelation. The goal is to provide fair and accessible housing to all Americans. Just about everyone…