One of the most prominent changes with every lender in today's market are the stricter underwriting guidelines they are imposing on all their borrowers. Because of their previous lackadaisical approach, many lenders have found themselves in great trouble with many closing their doors and claiming bankruptcy. The lenders who are still in business now realize the importance of sound underwriting on all of the loans that come across their desk.
When a loan request is submitted to a lender, a loan processor is typically assigned to the loan to gather all of the necessary documents that the underwriter will need to evaluate the loan and to make sure the borrower will be able to make their payments and still have a reserve for emergencies. The documentation they will require is also required by the regulators that the banks have to answer to. Because of the mortgage crisis, regulators are running around as fast as they can and are extremely picky with what they need as documentation.
While this should have been happening over the past years, it has caused banks to reorganize their underwriting departments and request for more information than they need to ensure they will meet the regulators stringent requirements so they can keep lending. Many of these changes have increased the underwriting process and the amount of paperwork the borrowers need to collect.
If borrowers, sellers and brokers do not understand this, they might not give the borrower enough time in escrow on a purchase and will have to deal with their money going hard sooner than they would like. Borrowers requesting a refinance may also find delays if they do not have the proper paperwork up to date, especially if they are holding title in a trust or limited liability company.
Some of the other underwriting changes to look out for include:
1. Increased Debt Coverage Ratios (DCR)
2. Changes in term, rate, fees to accommodate perceived added risk
3. Additional bank statements for ALL liquid or semi-liquid assets listed on the personal financial statement
4. The minimum credit scores for approval have been raised
