Chapter 4: Processing & Underwriting Flashcards
Learning Objectives for Chapter 4 • Describe the different types of income and how to calculate them • Explain how to analyze a borrower's liabilities, qualifying ratios and credit reports • Restate the requirements under FCRA and FACTA related to credit reports • Outline the requirements under RESPA and the US Patriot Act • Understand what constitutes net tangible benefit • Describe how title, appraisals and insurance play a part in the origination process
Liquid financial reserves are those liquid or near liquid assets that are available to the borrower after the mortgage closes, including:
- Money in a checking or savings account.
- Investments in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, certificates of deposit, money market funds, and trust accounts.
- Amounts vested in a retirement savings account; and
- The cash value of a vested life insurance policy.
Things that are not considered acceptable sources of reserves are:
- Funds are not vested.
- Funds that cannot be withdrawn under any circumstances other than the account owner’s retirement, employment termination or death.
- Stock held in an unlisted corporation.
- Non-vested stock options and non-vested restricted stock.
- Personal unsecured loans.
The underwriter is likely going to require a Verification of Deposit this is
a form filled out by the borrower’s depository institution that will verify the borrower has those funds available to them.
For a reserve to be considered seasoned and acceptable the funds must be in the borrower’s possession for at least
60 days. This means that the funds are seasoned.
Examples of Stable Income are:
- Base Salary.
- Consistent hourly wages.
- Social Security; and
- Payments for retirement or long-term disability
Examples of Variable income are:
- Commission.
- Bonuses.
- Overtime.
- Self-Employed income.
- Fluctuating hourly wages; and
- Second job income.
Most of the time the borrower is going to have to show 2 years of income, most underwriters want to see ________?
that income be from the same employer or at least in the same line of work.
There are some types of income that do have a defined expiration date and will require proof of at least a 3-year continuance from the time the loan is originated. Examples of those types of income include:
- Alimony or child support.
- Distributions from a retirement amount.
- Mortgage differential payments.
- Notes receivable.
- Public assistance.
- Royalty payment income.
- Social Security (not including retirement or long-term disability).
- Trust income; and
- VA benefits (not including retirement or long-term disability).
Once the underwriter has determining that the income is non-taxable the underwriter can do what we call gross up the income by adding _______?
25 percent of the nontaxable income to the borrower’s income.
If a borrower has a second job, that income can be used to qualify for a mortgage but again, there must be at least
2 years of history of that income.
If a borrower has rental properties, the income from those properties is an acceptable source of stable income if it can be established that the income is likely to continue The rental income can be verified in two ways, through the _______?
borrower’s tax returns as it should appear as income there or by using a fully-executed current lease agreement.
Any individual who has a 25 percent or greater ownership interest in a business is self- employed.
The following factors must be analyzed before approving a mortgage for a self- employed borrower:
- The stability of the borrower’s income.
- The location and nature of the borrower’s business.
- The demand for the product or service offered by the business.
- The financial strength of the business; and
- The ability of the borrower to continue generating and distributing sufficient
income to enable the borrower to make the payments on the requested mortgage.
Things that are considered a borrower’s liabilities include:
- The housing expense on the borrower’s principal residence (mortgage payment, taxes and insurance on their home); and
- All revolving charge accounts (credit cards).
- Installment loan debts with a remaining payment term greater than ten (10) months
(For example, if the borrower’s car loan has less than ten (10) months left on it then the underwriter does not have to consider it in the borrower’s debt-to-income ratio); - Lease payments (must be counted no matter the number of payments left).
- Real estate loans (other properties mortgages).
- HELOCs.
- Alimony and child support (the payment of these things, not receiving them).
- Maintenance payments.
- All other debts of a recurring nature.
Things that are not considered liabilities:
- Utilities.
- Cell phone payments.
- Insurance payments (except homeowners’ insurance).
- Tax payments.
- Union dues; and
- Voluntary deductions on the paystub (like 401K contributions).
Qualifying Ratios
& Debt-to-Income Qualifications :
Conventional
28 percent/ 36 percent
Qualifying Ratios
& Debt-to-Income Qualifications :
FHA
31 percent/ 43 percent
Qualifying Ratios
& Debt-to-Income Qualifications :
VA
Back end DTI of 41 percent with residual income calculation
Qualifying Ratios
& Debt-to-Income Qualifications :
USDA
29 percent/ 41 percent
The maximum LTV & Loan to Value Qualifications:
Conventional
97 percent (3 percent down payment)
The maximum LTV & Loan to Value Qualifications:
FHA
96.5 percent ( 3.5 percent down payment)
The maximum LTV & Loan to Value Qualifications:
VA
100 percent (0 percent down payment required)
The maximum LTV & Loan to Value Qualifications:
USDA
100 percent (0 down payment required)
There are three bureaus that a credit score can be pulled from:
Experian, Equifax & Transunion
Those scores can range from
300 - 850
The things that are included in the credit score are:
- Payment history.
- Amounts owed/credit utilization (how much credit do you have access to and how much are you using of it).
- Credit mix: (how many different types of accounts do you have)
- New credit: (the age of your credit, have you recently opened new credit, etc.)
- Credit inquiries.
- Derogatory marks (Bankruptcy, foreclosures, repossessions, collections, &
judgments).
For a conventional loan, if a borrower’s credit report shows that a borrower has been ___60__________ or more days late within the past ________?
12 months then that could cause the borrower to be declined.
For conventional loans, a borrower cannot have had a Chapter 13 bankruptcy discharged within the past ______?
2 years, dismissed within the last 4 years, or filed but neither dismissed nor discharged within the last 4 years.
For non-chapter 13 bankruptcies, the borrower cannot have filed, discharged or dismissed a bankruptcy within the last
4 years to be eligible for a mortgage loan.
For a conventional loan, a borrower is prohibited from obtaining a loan if they have had a foreclosure reported on their credit within the previous
7 years. If there is a short sale and not a foreclosure, then the borrower must wait 4 years from the short sale to obtain a new mortgage.
Inquiries remain on a borrower’s credit for
2 years but most of the time the score only takes it into account for 12 months.
Federal Mortgage Law Quick Facts: Fair Credit Reporting Act
Regulation:
Acronym:
Year Created:
Main Purpose:
Other Laws that are Complimentary:
Federal Mortgage Law Quick Facts: Fair Credit Reporting Act
Regulation: Regulation V
Acronym: FCRA
Year Created: 1970
Main Purpose: Restricts the use of credit reports and requires accuracy on credit reports
Other Laws that are Complimentary: FACTA
The Fair Credit Reporting Act or Regulation V is
a federal law that regulates how consumer credit reporting agencies use consumer’s information.
Credit reports are a cornerstone of determining a borrower’s creditworthiness when obtaining a loan.
Access to credit reports and the information contained on them is regulated by FCRA. FCRA aims to make sure that the use of the information on credit reports is used for permissible purposes.
FCRA allows a consumer credit reporting agency to furnish consumer credit reports for certain acceptable circumstances and with written permission from the consumer or within the government agency’s statutory authority. Give examples of acceptable circumstances.
- He intends to use the information for a credit transaction involving the consumer’s request for extension of credit, or review or collection of an account;
- Intends to use the information for employment purposes
*Intention to use the information for the underwriting of insurance for the consumer
Along with the definition of permissible use, FCRA requires credit-reporting agencies to delete obsolete information and make sure that the information that they have is accurate in how they report it. Most things must be removed within
7 years, 10 years on bankruptcies. FCRA also allows consumers to dispute erroneous items on their credit report.
FCRA requires an adverse action disclosure be provided to the borrower if their credit is the reasoning for all or part of the decision to deny the loan application. The disclosure must disclose from what credit reporting agency the credit information was obtained, disclosure that the credit reporting agency is not responsible for the denial of the loan, disclose that the credit reporting agency will provide a free copy of the exact report used (you as an MLO cannot do this as you are not a credit reporting agency), and this disclosure must be given within
30 a decision must be made on an application within 30 days of application).
Federal Mortgage Law Quick Facts: Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act
Regulation:
Acronym:
Year Created:
Main Purpose:
Disclosures/Notice Required:
Entity Responsible for Enforcement:
Other Laws that are Complimentary:
Federal Mortgage Law Quick Facts: Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act
Regulation: Not applicable
Acronym: FACTA
Year Created: 2003
Main Purpose: Improves consumer access to credit information, avenues for disputes, and helps prevent and detect identity theft
Disclosures/Notice Required: Notice to Home Loan Applicant
Entity Responsible for Enforcement: CFPB
Other Laws that are Complimentary: FACTA
Explain the purpose of FACTA:
The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act or FACTA is an amendment to FCRA and adds provisions to improve the accuracy of consumers’ credit related records.
It gives consumers their right to one free credit report each year from each credit reporting agency. It also allows consumers to purchase, for a reasonable fee, a credit score along with the information about how the credit score is calculated. FACTA also requires the provision of “risk-based pricing” notices and credit scores to consumers whose applications are denied or who receive less favorable offers of credit.
The FACTA also adds provisions designed to prevent and mitigate identity theft, including a section that enables consumers to place fraud alerts in their credit files.