HELOC Mortgage Underwriter - Remote

The Underwriter position is responsible for reviewing, analyzing, and evaluating residential mortgage, HELOC, HELOAN, FHA & Proprietary products to ensure compliance with company guidelines, investor requirements, regulatory standards, and established risk tolerance.

The Underwriter exercises sound credit judgment, identifies layered risk factors, and works collaboratively with Sales, Processing, Closing, Compliance, and Operations teams to facilitate efficient loan decisions. The role requires a strong understanding of income analysis, asset utilization, collateral review, and risk assessment principles while delivering a high level of customer service and operational excellence.

Primary Job Duties:

• Review loan files to determine eligibility based on company guidelines and risk appetite.
• Evaluate borrower credit profiles, payment history, debt obligations, and compensating factors to assess credit risk and support sound underwriting decisions.
• Calculate and verify income from a variety of sources, including wage income, self-employment, retirement, investment, and asset depletion.
• Evaluate appraisal reports, collateral risk, occupancy considerations, and property eligibility requirements.
• Review title, vesting, trust, and ownership documentation to confirm lien position and property eligibility.
• Assess fraud prevention, identity verification, and due diligence findings to identify potential risk indicators and support underwriting decisions.
• Issue clear and concise underwriting decisions with appropriate conditions and supporting rationale.
• Review and clear underwriting conditions in a timely manner to support service level expectations.
• Maintain compliance with federal and state regulations, investor requirements, company policy, and quality control standards.
• Communicate effectively with internal and external business partners regarding underwriting decisions and documentation requirements.
• Support internal audits, quality control reviews, and compliance examinations as requested.
• Review exceptions and compensating factors and provide recommendations consistent with company guidelines and risk appetite.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, Business Administration, Accounting, Economics, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 3 years of residential mortgage underwriting experience.
• Experience underwriting non-QM, alternative documentation, asset-based, HELOC, HELOAN, or portfolio lending products preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of credit risk analysis, income calculation, asset verification, collateral review, and title evaluation.