IET Real Estate Los Angeles Blog

I really don't understand this whole new phenomenom about REO listing agents (and now short sale & standard transaction agents) requiring a pre-approval from a "Direct Lender".  Maybe I'm just bitter because my client who was told by a "Direct Lender" that their financing was secure and all they had to do was find a property.  So I found them a property and then 20 days later the "Direct Lender" denies the client due to credit/employment/income factors (layered risk) that were present prior to the client being issued their pre-approval.  Maybe its because for the most part the loan reps I see at Direct Lenders at the banking institutions I go to (Bofa, Chase, Wells Fargo) are young, seemingly inexperienced and likely unlicensed.  Many loan reps working at banks now were the unlicensed LO's that put their clients into loans that are causing their current employers large financial losses.  With the industry effort to blame the credit crisis on mortgage brokers and all the negative press, Mortgage Brokers that are still in the business in June 2009 are still around because they are doing something right.  The independent brokers operating at this point in the game are the cream that has risen to the top.  The flexibility independent mortgage brokers have to work with wholesale investors who offer the most competitive terms, service, u/w guidelines and turntimes can not be matched by Direct Lenders.

I think it is crazy hypocritical for our fellow independent real estate company colleagues to be blacklisting their fellow independent mortgage broker.

Here is what any loan officer, independent or bank owned should sit down and do before issuing a pre-approval and sending a client out to look for property:

1. Collect borrowers income & assets documentation
2. Pull credit
3. Interview client and complete 1003 application (being good at this takes experience at being able to smell out typical client BS)
4. Run DU
5. And verify underwriting guidelines if financing scenario is at all out of the box
   

The loan manager at IET Capital in Whittier, Carla Moreno is excellent at this process.  She can be reached 9-6pm M-F at (562) 360-1027.  You can reach Carla via e-mail also.