Step 5: The underwriter will make an informed decision.
The underwriter has the option to either approve, deny or pend your mortgage loan application.
The mortgage process is complicated but can be broken into six steps: pre-approval, house shopping, mortgage application, loan processing, underwriting, and closing.
Underwriting is the process of evaluating and reviewing a potential borrower's creditworthiness, ability to repay, financial profile, submitted documents, and collateral to determine whether the lender can fund the loan. Essentially, underwriters have the final say in whether you qualify for a loan.
The mortgage underwriting process can take up to 60 days. The standard turnaround time to take a mortgage purchase loan from contract to funding usually takes 30 to 45 days, but most lenders will work to have the mortgage underwritten within 30 days to meet the agreed upon closing date set in the purchase contract.
The mortgage underwriting process can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. The timeline varies depending on whether the underwriter needs more information from you, how busy the lender is and how streamlined the lender's practices are.
The term “clear to close” means the Underwriter has signed-off on all documents and issued a final approval. You meet all of your lenders' requirements to qualify for a mortgage, and your mortgage team has been given the green light to move forward with your home loan.
Underwriting can take a few days to a few weeks before you'll be cleared to close. Understanding how underwriting works and the average timeline of the process can help you feel more prepared to handle any issues that may arise while your loan is being underwritten.
Key takeaways about mortgage denials in underwriting
Your loan can be denied if you have incomplete or missing information on your loan application or don't meet minimum mortgage requirements. Denials are less common on mortgage loan applications.
The underwriting period ends upon delivery by the issuer of the securities to the underwriters (i.e., the bond closing) if the underwriters no longer retain an unsold balance at such time.
Titles such as 'Chief Underwriting Officer' (CUO) or 'VP of Underwriting' typically offer the highest salaries. These roles involve strategic oversight of underwriting policies, risk management, and often encompass a broad range of insurance products or services.
Federal law requires a three-day minimum between loan approval and closing on your new mortgage. You could be conditionally approved for one to two weeks before closing. Can you close on a house in two weeks? If you're a cash buyer, you could close on a house within a few days.
On closing day, the ownership of the property is transferred to you, the buyer. This day consists of transferring funds from escrow, providing mortgage and title fees, and updating the deed of the house to your name.
Once your loan is approved and your inspection, appraisal and title search are complete, your lender will set a closing date and let you know exactly how much money you'll need to bring to your closing. Close on your home.
The appraisal is typically ordered by the buyer's lender once their initial loan application package has been submitted and is under the early stages of underwriting review.
The underwriting firm is selected well in advance of the intended date when the security will be offered for sale. Before the trade, the issuer and the underwriter will enter negotiations to determine a purchase price and offering price. Negotiated underwriting is essential during an initial public offering (IPO).
A conditional approval happens when most everything in your loan application looks good, but there are a few conditions that must be met before you can get final approval. A loan may fall through during underwriting if an underwriter assesses your financial information and recommends the lender not give you a loan.
There's no reason for a borrower to worry or stress during the underwriting process if they get prequalified. They should keep in contact with their lender and try not to make any major changes that could have a negative impact on this critical process. That includes taking out new debt or making a big purchase.
Underwriters and loan officers typically check the previous two months' bank activity in your bank statements. For self-employed mortgage applicants, however, they may go back up to 12-24 months.
When the Know Before You Owe mortgage disclosure rule becomes effective, lenders must give you new, easier-to-use disclosures about your loan three business days before closing. This gives you time to review the terms of the deal before you get to the closing table.
Underwriters are the decision makers because they look at your application and will determine whether you receive approval. They usually have the final say as to whether you'll receive a loan or insurance policy.
And of course, they will require a credit check. I am often asked if we pull credit more than once. The answer is yes. Keep in mind that within a 45-day window, multiple credit checks from mortgage lenders only affects your credit rating as if it were a single pull.
The final step in the mortgage underwriting process is the closing. This is where you sign all of the necessary paperwork to complete the purchase of your new home. The closing typically takes a few hours, and you will need to bring a cashier's check or wire transfer for the down payment and closing costs.
Lenders typically do last-minute checks of their borrowers' financial information in the week before the loan closing date, including pulling a credit report and reverifying employment. You don't want to encounter any hiccups before you get that set of shiny new keys.
The final stage of the loan process is the disbursement. The housing finance company will disburse the loan on completion of technical appraisal of the property, documentation and 'own contribution' being made in full. You can then make your request for disbursement – offline or online.