Category: VanDyk Mortgage News

July 11, 2024

• Mid-Year Look Back

It might be hard to believe, but we are halfway through 2023! Here’s a recap of some of the highlights and accomplishments VanDyk celebrated in the first half of the year:

Launched Soft Pulls in AUS Opened using soft pull to obtain conditional approval in UW Created various Encompass pipeline views to assist LOs and Processors Presented our first virtual fly-in event Acquired a new flood cert provider

Launched VDM Virtual app Launched Welcome to VDM Adam Morolla’s prestigious TE award! Updated agency guideline search in Howee New 3rd party providers – VOA/VOE Presented our first virtual Summer Sales Rally fly-in event Transitioned to a new 401k provider

 

• VanDyk Victories and Grateful Clients

You may have noticed some emails highlighting recent wins amongst our team.  We are excited to continue celebrating your greatness and hope you will notify us the next time you have a victory!

• • Deal desk saves
  • Lost an A/E and someone helped get it back
  • CTC in 15 or less business days
  • Happy clients, good news

Send details to productionsupport@vandykmortgage.com – you deserve to be celebrated!

Now for some shoutouts:

 

• This year at Accelerate, Total Expert’s annual conference, Adam Morolla was recognized as the best of the very best – winning the Journey Wizard Award. This award recognizes the work Adam has done to build out the best marketing in the industry to help our LOs grow their business. Let’s celebrate Adam on this well-deserved reward!
• We also wanted to pass along some praise for Sean Carter, sent by a grateful borrower:

• Welcome to VDM/VDM Virtual App: Story Time!

Some of you may recall June’s Iron Sharpens Iron call – we emailed a reminder with the incorrect Zoom link (oops!). But you can avoid headaches and delays by opening the VDM Virtual app, or by going to https://welcometovdm.vfairs.com/. Click Join a Meeting and you’ll never need a Zoom link again!

• Photo ID: UPDATE

Effective immediately, we will no longer be requesting a copy of any borrowers’ photo ID for underwriting.  It remains a best practice to collect the photo ID for verification of legal names and data within the loan application as well as Halcyon orders.

Underwriting will continue to require verification of a borrower’s Permanent Residency or Non-Permanent status according to agency guidelines.

If it is necessary to verify a discrepancy in any of the data on our loan application and a photo ID is requested in this instance, the photo should be blacked out prior to submitting to the underwriter.

• Condo Appraisal Update

If the Condo Vault or InterIsland has a correction to the appraisal, the branch can make this revision request directly to ValueLink; however, please be sure that the documentation to support the revision is uploaded to the order / revision request.

• $2,500 Grant – Homebuyer Education Requirement

For the HomeReady/Home Possible $2,500 free money: homebuyer education is required to receive this grant. For borrowers who want to decline this money, a waiver form will be required to be signed prior to closing. The form will be available to print in Encompass, but can also be downloaded here (click the Download button to save).

• SSO Logins

To enhance our cyber security, we are currently transitioning our Encompass log-in procedures to Single Sign-On (SSO). This will allow users to sign into Encompass with a single button click instead of typing in a username and password. It will also limit password sharing between users. With this transition to SSO, we do not want job functions to be impacted. Thus, the IT team will work to adjust user access to ensure everyone can perform their job functions without needing to log in as someone else. Thank you for your cooperation during this transition.

• Bond Loans Update

We are excited to open-up Bond loan disclosures to our branches!  We have scheduled 2 live training sessions to ensure you have the information you need to begin sending out your own packages beginning 8/1.  Anyone needing additional training or assistance after 8/1 can reach out to Compliance@vandykmortgage.com.

• AVMs via Encompass

We are excited to announce that AVMs can now be ordered within Encompass for $8. This can be found under Services > Order Appraisal > ICE Automated Valuation Solutions.

 

When the order is completed, you’ll find the results in the “Appraisal” bucket.  We have created an AVM bucket to move these over to: 2000 (Appraisal): AVM

The costs for your AVM can be passed on to the borrower at closing if the fee was disclosed (either as part of the initial LE or as a COC within 3 days)

When would you order an AVM?

1. When conditioned for one by UW
2. When you are brokering a loan and the lender accepts/requires one to be submitted
3. To determine initial value of a property during the prequalification process

• AccountChek Disabled

Due to the PointServ option costing substantially less and covering more providers, we have disabled AccountChek access.  If you are unable to obtain a VOA report with PointServ or run into issues, please reach out to Production Support – they can help you troubleshoot or obtain an AccountChek report as a last option.

• Loan Pipeline Automation

We are currently utilizing the “Connector” for several automated functions in our workflow. The most recent updates have been to Pipeline Management and ECOA Actions.

• Pipeline Management – For the Prospects Folder, any file that has not moved milestones in 180 days will be moved to Inactive Prospects. The LO will receive a reminder email 7 days prior to the move and can keep the file active if needed.
• ECOA Action – Per ECOA, we must issue our borrowers a Notice of Incompleteness (NOI) every 30 days until the loan is either Approved or Adversed (Withdrawn or Denied). Branches will receive an email 5 days before the ECOA action is due to trigger it (see below). If no action is taken by day 30, a generic NOI will be issued to the borrower. This process will repeat every 30 days, however at 60+ days, the ECOA action must be taken by the branch, otherwise the loan will be automatically withdrawn from active pipeline.

• New Pricing Engine: Coming Soon

We have made the decision to move on from Optimal Blue and move to Polly. Polly has been pushing to become the leader in the Pricing Engine space for the past 5+ years. They have a product that is superior to Optimal Blue and are utilizing a new integration with Encompass. Some key highlights with Polly:

• Pricing website that allows you to lock, extend, change products, and more from a mobile-friendly website – instead of the Encompass file.
• Ability to accurately price lead categories (branch vs self-generated)
• Ability to accurately price LO comp differences for Purchase vs Refi
• Capable of running Government and Conventional scenarios at the same time.

We are looking for a few volunteers to run at least a one-month Pilot to work out bugs. Please reach out to Brad and Zuzana in Secondary to request to be part of the pilot.

• Updated Mortgagee Clause

As of 7/1, we have a new mortgagee clause for insurance policies. Insurance order forms in Encompass have been updated to the following:

 

VanDyk Mortgage Corporation

ISAOA ATIMA

5510 Richfield Rd

Flint, MI 48506

We appreciate your help in ensuring that loans are reflecting this new mortgagee clause on all homeowners, flood, wind, and/or earthquake policies.   The title insurance request form has been updated and reflects the Grand Rapids address.  If you have questions or need assistance, please reach out to productionsupport@vandykmortgage.com

• Reminder: Soft Pulls in Floify

If you are ever in a situation where the soft pull liabilities don’t import from Floify into Encompass, reach out to PS to troubleshoot.  Users should never manually change their Encompass log in to their soft pull credentials in the credit report section.

We are running into issues where users are obtaining the SP in Encompass (not Floify) and finding files missing the required written auth/ creating the incorrect credit buckets.

Your assistance is appreciated!

• One-Off eSign Docs: Update

We require the signature envelope page from Floify to accompany all one-off LOE/LOXs that are eSigned.  Be sure to provide this additional page to UW – you will begin to see a condition from UW if it is missing from your bucket.

These certificates typically come into the eFolder as the last page of your eSigned doc. If you have any trouble locating the signature page, reach out to Production Support.

• Tax Transcripts Reminder

For loans that require transcripts, best practice is to place your order as soon as you have the signed 8821 back.

• Marketing Updates

We’d like to give a shout out to Sean Carter for winning last quarter’s Open House contest. Sean, we hope you’re enjoying your Nespresso! Want your chance to take home an awesome prize?

The New Marketing Challenge is Live!

Grow your influence locally with community events and stand a chance to win a Blackstone Grill! Want more details? Join our Teams chat to learn more: [Click Here]

New Feature Alert: Refinance In-Process Journey

A Refinance In-Process Journey has been added to your Total Expert accounts. Don’t forget to record your BombBomb videos to personalize updates for your refi clients throughout the process.

Discover the New Pipeline Views in Total Expert

Check out the new Pipeline Views in your contacts tab. These views offer a quick and easy way to sort your database and identify opportunities. Have ideas for additional pipeline views? Send us an email at: vandykmarketing@vandykmortgage.com

 

Agency Updates

Freddie Mac

Freddie Mac issued Bulletin 2024-9, making additional updates to their Rental Income guidelines.

1. Purchase of Investment Property –
   1. Rental Income can now be used if the borrower rents their Primary Residence; formerly, the borrower had to own their Primary Residence.
   2. Rental Income can now be used if at least one borrower rents or owns their Primary Residence; this has changed from all borrowers.
2. Purchase of Investment Property (or) Primary Residence being converted to an Investment Property –
   1. The full amount of net rental income may be used to qualify as long as at least one borrower has a minimum of one year investment property management experience; this has changed from all borrowers.
3. Property owned as a Rental Property during the entire calendar year –
   1. The Net Income or Loss reported on Schedule E may be established based on the number of days in service based on Schedule E provided that the property was out of service for any time period during the prior year, and it is documented that there was an event such as renovation as supported by a reduced number of days in use and repair costs on Schedule E.
4. Property purchased of converted to a Rental Property later in the prior calendar year –
   1. Rental Income may be based on the number of months after the purchase or conversation date; formerly, the net income or loss reported on Schedule E was required to be annualized (divided over 12 months).
   2. The Net Income or Loss reported on Schedule E may be established based on the number of days in service based on Schedule E provided that the property was out of service for any time period during the prior year, and it is documented that there was an event such as renovation as supported by a reduced number of days in use and repair costs on Schedule E.

Freddie Mac Condo Updates – Project Eligibility requirements have been updated to allow Condominium Projects to share amenities with other residential projects.  Residential projects include residential Condominium Projects and PUDs.

USDA

As we anticipated based on the proposal, USDA has in fact increased the maximum PITI ratio to 34% for GUS Refer / Manual underwrites.  With this update, there is no longer a ratio waiver permitted to exceed 34% on the front-end ratio, however, the waiver does remain in effect for the back-ratio to exceed 41% up to 44% for 680+ FICO scores where the borrower has at least one of the noted compensating factors.  Here is the advance copy of the update: USDA Handbook 35555 Chapter 11: Ratio Analysis

 

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Upcoming Events and Reminders

Miss a training? You’ll find our monthly newscast and Iron Sharpens Iron recordings in the VDM Vault. Department-specific trainings are shared in their respective Seafile folders.

Don’t forget: you can find invitations on our shared calendar under What’s Happening at VDMC.net (all times posted on the What’s Happening calendar are EST)

• Deal Desk: Every Tuesday at 1:30pm Eastern
• VanDyk Mortgage Newscast: Thursday, July 11 at 1pm Eastern
• Iron Sharpens Iron: Tuesday, July 16 @ 11am Eastern
• Production Roundtable: Thursday, July 18  @ 1pm Eastern  REMINDER: ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY for all LPs and TCs/LOAs who perform TC functions.
• Bond Disclosure Training:  Tuesday, July 23 @ 2pm Eastern and Thursday, July 25 @ 11am Eastern

Additional Training Opportunities

• Freddie Mac has published their training offerings available in July and August. Check out the calendar here and enroll today!

 

 

 

Updating Loan Status – Save Yourself an Email!

Did you know that branches can update a loan status on the Borrower Summary screen? No need to email to withdraw or close out a file!

Check out the how-to here and try it next time you have a file that needs updating.

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Best Practices: AskUW & Underwriting Scenarios

To provide the best service possible when it comes to your underwriting scenarios, it is a best practice to provide the loan number of the file that you are inquiring about. In addition, ensure that all documentation pertaining to the scenario is uploaded to the Encompass file – the underwriting managers do not have access to Floify.

Following these best practice will allow our AskUW team to provide a complete and accurate response (or request for additional information) so your loan file sails through underwriting without any issues.  As a reminder, for income calculation help, please have the Prism worksheet completed prior to requesting assistance – as this helps us provide any training opportunity that may present itself.

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aiUW Updates: Enhanced Conditions

aiUW is constantly being updated with more specific conditions based on your loan program. Be on the lookout for programs-specific conditions for Vista Point loans, DPA programs, and more!

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Running DU and Credit Credentials

When you order DU, the credit credentials entered on the submission screen (pictured below) must match the credit report type.

If you are running DU on a soft pull, DU needs your soft pull credit username and password – if it’s a hard pull, it’ll require your hard pull username and password.

If you have more than one borrower pair, each borrower pair must have the same type of credit report – otherwise, DU will not run.

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VDMC: Closing Request Form Update

In case you didn’t notice, there’s a new box for Wind Insurance on the Closing Request:

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25 Points

June 12, 2024

 

• Pump Up The Volume: The Summer Remix

Summer is in full swing, and we are excited to Pump Up the Volume once again!  Final touches are being finessed and Outlook invitations have been sent to everyone for the 4 available sessions of Summer Remix.  Reminder to submit your topics for the Senior Management panel (last day to participate is 6/14) HERE.

If you have not already registered or are unsure if you need to, try logging in to the Fly In space VanDyk Fly In (vfairs.com) using your VanDyk work email address.  If you see the under-maintenance pop up, you are all set!  Otherwise, you will need to complete the registration.

• Verbal Script for Credit Authorization

It has come to our attention that a best practice to obtain verbal permission to pull a borrower’s hard credit had not been published.  We have added our best practice script for use in the regulatory compliance shared files of VDMC.net: Verbal Auth Script.pdf – VanDyk Seafile (vdmc.net)

Reminder, a written authorization is required prior to obtaining a soft pull, and all soft pulls MUST be completed in Floify.  Verbal permission is acceptable prior to obtaining a hard pull

If you have any questions, reach out to Production Support.

• VDM Employee Recognition

We’re proud to share shout-outs we’ve received for our team members!

• Mickie Gomez (Closing) received this praise from a title company: “Mickie is so wonderful to work with. She is so nice and great at communicating and I love that she answers the phone. Every Transaction is smooth when working with her.”
• Shyanne Steed (LO) received a STAR Award from Idaho Housing for her excellent service to homebuyers.

Great job Mickie and Shyanne! We are proud of how you represent VDM.

• Pre-Application Worksheet: Updated

The Pre-Application Worksheet – VDMC has been updated to list debts paid off as part of the transaction. This will carry in from the “Credit Cards and Other Debts Paid Off” field on URLA – Lender (section L4 – box E)

• Broker Updates
  • FAR – Reverse: FAR now offers a HomeSafe Second in AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, SC, and TX. This second lien reverse mortgage helps preserve first mortgage rates and improves cash flow. Reach out to our A/E for more details: Kris Buglino, kbuglino@far.com
  • REMN HELOC: REMN has updated all of their training materials and information for their quick-close HELOC. We have updated the reference materials in the REMN HELOC folder in Seafile. You can also watch a recorded training here – you’ll need to enter your name and VDM email to access the recording. REMEMBER: You need an Encompass file with broker approval from Secondary in order to receive compensation on these loans.
• Technology Updates
  • Veri-Tax is now processing VOE orders in Encompass under the payroll cascade setup. As long as the borrower’s email address is listed on the URLA under “Home Email,” they will receive instructions on providing a payroll VOE to VanDyk, which can be imported into your Encompass file upon completion. Why the change? Look forward to income/employment validation options with Fannie AND Freddie within the next 60 days! For more details, see the attached Veri-Tax Breaking News email.
  • Halycon has announced that they’re in the process of integrating with DU for validation as well! More information to come.
  • SARMA has updated how we access their service in Encompass – see the attached Credit Outage email announcement for instructions.
• VistaPoint OB Update

Optimal Blue has updated the search filters needed to price Vista loans. Instead of the Standard product type, you will now need to select the Expanded Guidelines product type when pricing Vista HE loans. Check out the updated pricing guide here. As a reminder, you must complete the product certification in order to originate Vista Point HE Loans – you can find that training here.

• VistaPoint – Disclosure Desk Updates

Two new Integrity Check pieces are being released for Vista Home Equity Loans. It will ensure you are ordering Mavent whenever the APR changes on a loan so that the High Cost and State Rules will be reviewed in Mavent. If High Cost or State Rules are failing you will need to clear the fails to order disclosures. Any issues should be addressed with the Origination Compliance Department.

Reminder: A red alert on the left side of the screen will tell you when Mavent is picking up a High Cost or State Rule issue.

• aiUW: Required for Processing Milestone

Starting June 17, Encompass will require aiUW to be run prior to a file being moved to the Processing milestone.  If you need a refresher training, the job aid is here VanDyk Seafile (vdmc.net) or you can watch a recorded training here VanDyk Seafile (vdmc.net)

• Marketing Updates

The deadline to participate as a panelist for the Brittany Hodak workshop session of Summer Remix is XX/XX.  Don’t miss the incredible opportunity to work on your story and unique marketing angle!  Turn in your application by filling out this form. Those who complete the homework will be entered into a random drawing to be selected to participate in the workshop with Brittany. Come prepared to reignite relationships and redefine your story!

 

Reminder: AGENTS AND PARTNERS WANTED!  Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to extend a service of value to your partners and those whose business you are hoping to capture!  Brittany Hodak’s sessions and joining in on the Kahoot are great opportunities to strengthen relationships and create opportunity for conversation

 

 

• HR Updates

Welcome to our most recent new hires!  We are delighted to announce the following have joined our team.  Be sure to give them a warm welcome and log in to our Welcome to VDM (vfairs.com) site to “like” the photos they have added to the photobooth:

 

Michael Anderson, PT Loan Officer	531 – Maryland
Brittany Dunkle, Marketing	Corporate

 

 

 

 

Agency Updates

Fannie Mae

Effective for DU casefiles created on and after May 19, the 2024 AMI limits are now in place.  You can access Fannie Mae’s AMI Lookup Tool here Area Median Income Lookup Tool (fanniemae.com)

Fannie Mae has issued Selling Guide Announcement SEL-2024-04 as of June 5, 2024.  From this SEL, we would like to highlight the following:

1. Effective Immediately: Closing Costs Definition – Amounts paid in connection with the closing, typically itemized under “Closing Costs Details” on the Closing Disclosure are generally inclusive of loan-related amounts such as origination fees, discount points, title exam, lender’s title insurance, appraisal fees, and prepaid items such as taxes and insurance escrow payments; and other costs, such as owner’s title insurance, real estate agent commissions, inspections, and transfer taxes.
2. EFFECTIVE JULY 20: HomeReady housing counseling LLPA credit requirements – HomeReady borrowers who complete housing counseling may be eligible for a $500 loan-level price adjustment (LLPA) credit when the loan is delivered with SFC 184.  The weekend of July 20, 2024, DU will be updated to provide new messaging when the data in the Supplemental Consumer Information (Form 1103) has been provided.  It is imperative that this section of the URLA Lender screen be completed as well as accurate.  The underwriters will then ensure that the SFC 184 is entered appropriately.  We are working on building out rules to aid in preventing any oversight.

 

Fannie Mae DU Updates COMING JULY 20, 2024, Highlights:

1. Potential Red Flag Occupancy Message – A new message will be issued to confirm the accuracy of the occupancy on the loan casefile.
2. Loan Application Data Validation Updates

 

In addition to the above-named announcements, we are also including a Year-to-Date Summary of 2024 from Fannie Mae that is inclusive of all updates since the beginning of 2024 (in case you missed it).

 

Freddie Mac

As with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac has also updated the 2024 Area Median Income limits (AMI) (attachment Freddie Mac Bulletin 2024-C) effective with LPA submissions on and after May 19, 2024.  Freddie Mac offers a house of tools in relation to the AMI including the Home Possible® Income and Property Eligibility Tool, Area Median Income and Property Eligibility Tool, and Income Limits and Affordable Check APIs.

 

Freddie Mac has expanded the Warranty of Completion Alternatives to now allow use of Guide Form 400, Warranty of Completion of Construction or Repairs/Alterations, to now confirm not only completion of construction, but also for repairs.  You can find the updated Guide Form 400 attached to the news as well as in Seafile in the Appraisals folder.

 

Regarding Flood Insurance Premiums used for Qualifying – With rising rates of flood insurance, Freddie Mac is requiring that when the flood insurance policy shows a full risk premium and a discounted premium, we are to use the full risk premium, plus any fees and surcharges, for qualification in the DTI.  This is for both the subject property as well as any non-subject property REOs.

 

We are including Freddie Mac’s Loan Product Advisor June 2024 Release Notes as well as Freddie Mac’s Loan Product Advisor Feedback Messages June 2024 as attachments to the News.  There are multiple new messages coming in conjunction with the Property Data Report eligibility as well as processing errors.

 

FHA

Last month, we pushed out exciting FHA Updates as a Breaking News bulletin!  We have attached a quick comparison of old vs new guidelines to aid in all of the exciting changes.

USDA

We know that the USDA Procedure Notices are not always the easiest to read, so we are distributing the USDA Handbook Updates that occurred in April and May as a quick resource.

 

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Upcoming Events and Reminders

Miss a training? You’ll find our monthly newscast and Iron Sharpens Iron recordings in the VDM Vault. Department-specific trainings are shared in their respective Seafile folders.

Don’t forget: you can find invitations on our shared calendar under What’s Happening at VDMC.net (all times posted on the What’s Happening calendar are EST)

• Deal Desk: Every Tuesday at 1:30pm Eastern
  • Special Editions: June 18^th will cover USDA Manual UW. June 25^th is all about No Score loans!
• VanDyk Mortgage Newscast: Thursday, June 13 at 1pm Eastern
• Iron Sharpens Iron: Tuesday, June 18 @ 11am Eastern
• Production Roundtable: Wednesday, June 19  @ 1pm Eastern  REMINDER: ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY for all LPs and TCs/LOAs who perform TC functions.

Additional Training Opportunities

• Freddie Mac has published their training offerings available in June and July. Check out the calendar here and enroll today!
• Radian is putting out “micro-learning” opportunities that can be watched at your own pace. Check out this Non-Traditional Credit episode and other episodes in the Unlocking Loan Solutions with Radian series.
• MGIC has several trainings available for June – check out the Variable Income training tomorrow (June 13) at 3pm eastern!

 

 

Bond Loans: Registration

Secondary is the only personnel that should be registering bond loans with the State Bond Authority. Please utilize the bond request forms here. If you have any questions, reach out to Secondary@vandykmortgage.com

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New Prospect? Assign Your Processor!

Best practice for brand new loans is to add your processor’s name right from the start.

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SmartFees Reminders

As a reminder, you can run SmartFees from Borrower Summary prior to ordering your initial disclosures.

You’ll need a login in order to run – ITHelpDesk@vandykmortgage.com can provide you with credentials.

Find a step-by-step how-to here!

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Duplicate Tradeline Reminder

We do not need a credit report supplement or alternate documentation when the credit report clearly identifies that two accounts are the same.

RC Willey, AMEX and Victoria’s Secret accounts commonly report this way. Note the same open date and terms reporting to different bureaus. Notate this on your Transmittal Summary.

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VA Retirement Asset Calculation

We reached out to VA to get clarity on what percentage of a retirement account can be used when utilizing a retirement account as reserves, since the handbook is silent.
We have confirmed that we may use the amount that is able to be withdrawn/liquidated per the Terms of Withdrawal.

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Chase Community Lending

For Chase Community Lending deals, all title holders must be included on the hazard insurance policy – even if they are not on our loan.

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Seafile Search – Check It Out!

Did you know you can search the Howee Shared Docs folder in Seafile? This will help you locate documents even if you’re not sure which department folder they’re contained in.

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25 Points

May 9, 2024

 

• Pump Up The Volume: The Summer Remix

We are delighted to confirm Brittany Hodak will be back to present an amazing keynote session followed by a focus workshop!  Mark your calendars for greatness happening on June 20th from 1-2:30 EST and get pumped up to enjoy this virtual summer sales rally!   We will also host a Sr Management Panel and Kahoot game – additional details will be coming soon.  The Pump Up the Volume fly-in website is being updated to accommodate these events – anyone who didn’t attend February’s virtual fly-in can register for Remix at VanDyk Fly In (vfairs.com).

While we are working on this summer glow-up, the Pump Up the Volume site will not be available.  You can access the prior sessions on VDMC.net in the Production Support Seafile Fly-In 2024 folder – and once we go live, you will be able to access everything on the site again.  Be sure to download the VDM Virtual mobile app and get your summer jams mix-tape ready!

• The Business of Closing Loans

At VanDyk Mortgage, teamwork is not just a buzzword – it’s our driving force. We come together, utilizing our diverse skills and strengths, with one common goal in mind: closing mortgage loans. Our resources are vast and varied, ensuring that all options are exhausted to provide the best possible outcomes for our clients. Before you ever turn a borrower away, we want to be sure you have checked all scenarios and scoured every outlet, including broker partners.  With ever-changing guidelines and new programs coming online constantly, it’s possible a loan that was denied yesterday could be approved today.

AskUW@vandykmortgage.com, ProductionSupport@vandykmortgage.com, Deal Desk calls, Iron Sharpens Iron, Origination Nation, Branch Managers, Sales Managers, Department Managers, and co-workers… we have hundreds of years of combined experience.  Bounce things off one another, ask for suggestions and keep pushing.  If the deal can be done, we want to figure out a way!

Speaking of resources: don’t forget to check out Welcome to VDM, Howee Shared Docs in Seafile, and our What’s Happening Calendar. The Home Tab in Encompass provides contact information for our UW team and turn times, as well as a link to the Encompass Resource Center. There you’ll find training and tools to enhance your Encompass experience. For a deeper dive into the Resource Center, join our Production Round Table this month!

 

• Chase Community Lending/Nexbank: Reminder

Reminder that the Chase Community Lending and the Nexbank products are both non-delegated underwrites, meaning the investor underwrites the loans. Please make sure you are submitting and resubmitting your files in a timely manner as we must adhere to the investors turn times and don’t have the ability to submit rush requests. The pricing on these products is substantially better so flipping in house last minute is a costly and stressful endeavor.

• Floify Co-Mortgagor Updates

INCREDIBLE NEWS!!!  Effective Monday 5/13: Floify will NO LONGER REQUIRE a separate loan flow for co-mortgagors/additional borrower pairs. The process for adding an existing Encompass loan to Floify has been updated to reflect this change and is attached for you to review. You can also watch a demonstration of this updated process.

Remember, all changes to a loan need to be made in Encompass. Once you save your changes, Floify will reflect those updates.

• Reminder: Closing Costs/Discount Points Locked Down

With the last Encompass update, there was a forced lock implemented for the closing cost and discount point fields on the URLA Lender form in Encompass.  Files effected were disclosed on or before 4/6 – the great news is funds to close on the LE and CD have been correct, so borrowers have been given accurate figures, however, AUS picks up the funds to close from our URLA so there may be some cash to close or eligibility issues needing attention.

The list of impacted files was sent to TCs and processors, so most loans should already be resolved. But if you notice these fields locked down, please unlock and re-run AUS/aiUW to confirm eligibility.

• Tech Corner: Howee in Teams  

Did you know you can chat with Howee in Teams?  Click on Apps, search for Howee and click Open – it’s that simple!  Howee operates in the same fashion as he does on VDMC.net – you can even chat with him from the Teams mobile app.

• eClose Email Reminders

Email reminders were implemented starting 5/1/24 for incomplete eClosing docs. Please see the attached eClose Reminder Email for more details.

• ICYMI: HomeReady/Home Possible: $2,500 Grant Option

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have launched a $2,500 grant program designed to help very low-income borrowers. To qualify for this program, borrowers need to be eligible for either HomeReady or Home Possible and have income at or below 50% AMI.  AUS findings will contain the following messaging if the borrower qualifies. See the attached how-to for setting up your loan to reflect this grant.

aiUW will also add conditions regarding this grant, for both eligibility and also ineligibilty – see below:

 

• Notes on Quality Control

As you’re all aware, we have been experiencing more stringent post-closing reviews by our investors. We want to bring some recent concerns to your attention so we can prevent future stressful situations with borrowers.

• When qualifying your borrower utilizing an employment contract, be sure to review your underwriting and agency requirements. Have conversations with your borrowers regarding the expectations within the first 30 days after closing – most agencies require the borrower to produce their first pay stub in order to deliver the loan.  It is beneficial to keep communication open with these borrowers until we have provided all required documentation.
• Other recent issues involve fluctuating earnings and 1099 income. In both cases, these income types were not acceptable to close on an offer letter per the agency guidelines – and may result in an unsaleable/repurchased loan.

• Welcome to VDM: Virtual Meeting Space

Have you accessed our company virtual meeting space, Welcome to VDM yet?  Did you know we have department specific details, handy hot links (shortcuts), training courses, games, and meetings available here?  All employees have access to this site and are encouraged to utilize the resources via the VDM Virtual mobile app.  Check it out today Welcome to VDM (vfairs.com)

• Marketing Updates
  • Want a chance to win a Nespresso for your office? Don’t forget about the open house challenge. If you haven’t participated in the challenge yet, it’s not too late. Send a note to VanDykMarketing@vandykmortgage.com, and we will include you in our teams channel!
  • Don’t forget to record your BombBomb videos. Last month, we launched new Lead and Prospect journeys, providing you with a great opportunity to get in front of your clients early in the process. Don’t miss out; record your videos today!
  • Birdeye auto-replies are here! Responding to your reviews is a best practice that helps raise your visibility in the local market. Even better, it can now be easily automated with auto-replies through the vendor. If you are interested, please submit a marketing ticket here: https://marketing.vdmc.net/.
  • Realtors Wanted!  The Marketing team is currently working on invitations to send to your realtor partners for Brittany Hodak’s keynote in June.  We are looking forward to a great turn out!
• HR Updates

Welcome to our most recent new hires!  We are delighted to announce the following have joined our team.  Be sure to give them a warm welcome and log in to our Welcome to VDM (vfairs.com) site to “like” the photos they have added to the photobooth:

Gucci Singh                         Branch Manager, Branch 261, CA

Chuck Terry            Loan Officer, Branch 261, CA

Lupe Alvarado                   Loan Officer, Branch 261, CA

Mary Palmer                       Loan Officer, Branch 261, CA

Marissa Bastida                PT BDA, Branch 261, CA

Tyson Williams                  Loan Officer, Branch 200, ID

Maria Dennis                      Loan Officer, Branch 259, Utah

Joell Young                          LOA, Branch 208, GA

Dawn Hall                           Loan Officer, Branch 453, FL

 

Agency Updates

Fannie Mae

Fannie Mae has provided further clarification on Trust Income to include the following:

 

1. Trust verification documentation must clearly identify the date the Trust was created.
2. Trust verification documentation may include a letter from an accountant or attorney who has reviewed the Trust’s documentation, when the trustee’s statement or other documents are not available or when the borrower is trustee.
3. Trusts created within 12 months of the loan application date and funded by the borrower’s employment-related assets may still be used as income but must meet the income calculation and all other requirements in Employment-Related Assets as Qualifying Income.
4. When variable Trust income has been received for less than 24 months, but not less than 12 months, this can be considered as stable income when other positive factors are present that reasonably offset the shorted income history in alignment with standard variable income guidelines.
5. For variable Trust income, copies of the Trust’s federal income tax returns may be used as an alternate to the borrower’s personal tax returns.

 

Freddie Mac

Effective for LPA submissions or resubmissions on and after May 5, 2024, Freddie Mac is allowing loans where no borrower has a credit score to utilize LPA’s cash flow assessment.  In short, this means that if LPA includes a feedback message that indicates positive Borrower cash flow was identified, non-traditional credit is not required to be documented!  For more information on Borrower cash flow included in LPA’s assessment, visit the Freddie Mac Seller/Servicer Guide here https://guide.freddiemac.com/app/guide/section/5201.1

 

USDA

This month, there were several updates to the USDA Handbook. Check out Updates to HB-1-3555, Chapters 9, 10 and 16. One highlight is a change to the maximum insurance deductible. The VDMC Insurance Guidelines have been updated to reflect this change and are attached.

Chapter 16 – Closing the Loan and Requesting the Guarantee

• Updated the maximum insurance deductible permitted to 5% of the total coverage amount for hazard insurance and $10,000 for flood insurance.
• Clarified that when permitting a high deductible, lenders must be mindful of the applicant’s repayment ability to ensure the deductible selected is reasonable and will not cause undue hardship on the applicant.

 

*  *  *

Upcoming Events and Reminders

Miss a training? You’ll find our monthly newscast and Iron Sharpens Iron recordings in the VDM Vault. Department-specific trainings are shared in their respective Seafile folders.

Don’t forget: you can find invitations on our shared calendar under What’s Happening at VDMC.net (all times posted on the What’s Happening calendar are EST)

• Deal Desk: Every Tuesday at 1:30pm Eastern
• VanDyk Mortgage Newscast: TODAY, May 9 at 1pm Eastern
• Iron Sharpens Iron: Tuesday, May 21 @ 11am Eastern
• Encompass Reports Training: Thursday, May 16 @ 1pm Eastern
• Production Roundtable: Wednesday, May 22 @ 1pm Eastern  REMINDER: ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY for all LPs and TCs/LOAs who perform TC functions.

Additional Training Opportunities

• Freddie Mac has several training offerings available in May and June. Check out the calendar here and enroll today!

 

 

Affirm/Klarna/Afterpay: Documentation Requirements

We need to document the terms and conditions for “buy now, pay later” services. These creditors offer extended terms out beyond 10 months, which will require us to document the balance and monthly payment for review. We may need to include the debt if it doesn’t meet agency requirements to omit for installment debt less than 10 payments.

*  *  *

25 Points

April 11, 2024

• Welcome to VDM: Virtual Company Space

Exciting news – we have created a new virtual environment!  Like Pump Up the Volume, Welcome to VDM is a companywide virtual meeting space.  Here you can visit departments, access recurring meetings (like the Newscast and Iron Sharpens Iron), play the NEW scavenger hunt and take photos to post to social media.  Access content via the VDM Virtual mobile app or through the website here: Welcome to VDM.  See the attached announcement email which includes instructions on accessing the site.  Fun tip – you can join tomorrow’s live newscast via Welcome to VDM !

• Welcome to the Team, New Hires!

Help us welcome our newest teammates and check out their Photobooth pics in our new virtual space at VDM. Drop by and add your own photo!

• Welcome Mia!

Please join us in welcoming the newest addition to the VanDyk family, Mia! Born on Monday morning, Mia weighed a healthy 7 lbs 7oz and measured 20.25 inches tall. Her beautiful dark hair has already captured our hearts and we couldn’t be more grateful for her safe arrival. The VanDyk’s are overjoyed to have her in their lives. They want to extend their heartfelt thanks to everyone for your love and support throughout the journey to Mia’s arrival. Your kindness has meant the world to them as they embark on this new chapter as a family.

Please join us in sending warm wishes and congratulations to Mia and her proud parents as they begin this incredible adventure together!

• Soft Pulls – AUS for Government Loans

Until recently, we were able to run FHA and VA loans through Freddie Mac’s LPA using a soft pull.  This was a system glitch with Freddie, which has since been fixed. We are no longer able to run government loans through AUS utilizing a soft pull.  See the attached revised job aid and reach out to productionsupport@vandykmortgage.com with any questions.

• Winnow Guideline Search: Discontinued

Please note that our company access to Winnow has been discontinued. You can utilize Howee at VDMC.net for any of your guideline needs:

• Encompass Forms Updated

The below input forms have been updated to account for workflow changes and encompass updates. The major changes/additions are listed below.

• • Borrower Summary – VDMC
    • First Time Homebuyer dropdown – Field is tied to the declarations on URLA Part 4 (5a).
    • Seller/Lender Credits section.
    • Payment Shock Indicator – Will flag on 150%+ increase from Current Payment to Proposed Payment.
    • ATR/QM – Points and Fees. – Flag takes Seller Credits into account.
    • AMI – Affordable loan Eligibility.
    • Message to User – To improve communication, messages for certain tasks, such as Annual Training will may be displayed when navigating to this form.
  • Closing Request – VDMC:
    • Closing Date Requested – Removed Button feature. User can now input the date directly once all required fields have been completed.
    • Required fields – Highlighted in Red.

eFolder Docs/Invoices – Required fields now tied to eFolder buckets.

• Recent Events Recap
  • We’d like to give a shout out to Samantha Archabal for winning the marketing video challenge last month! Great job Samantha!
  • As an added point of interest and fun, the winners of our Dance-Off game during Pump Up the Volume collected their reward earlier this month.

 

 

• COC: Clarification for Loan Type Changes

When you have a COC due to the core program being altered (i.e. Conventional, FHA, USDA, or VA), these requests will be redirected to the Compliance department to disclose.

However, in instances where the loan program is changing (e.g., from Bond to Non-Bond) but the core program is unchanged, the branch offices will be permitted to submit the redisclosure request through the Disclosure Desk, as no additional program-specific documents require manual intervention.

• LOs eSigning URLA from a Mobile Device: How?!
  • Follow this link on your mobile device è www.encompassloconnect.com
  • Log in using your Encompass username and password. Our instance ID is BE11125393
  • Navigate to “Packages” in the main menu
  • Select the eClose Package you wish to eSign by clicking “Review & Sign.”

    

• Broker Comparison Tool Update

We have added additional details to the  Broker Comparison Tool, including the lenders’ submission process – find that under “Submission Info” in the bottom navigation tabs. Feel free to bookmark the comparison tool for quick access – and if you lose the link, you can visit Howee and find it in the main menu.

• Prism Reminder

When PRISM/blueprint emails you that their income calculation is complete, be sure to read the notes.  There is also an email address that you can contact if something wasn’t submitted accurately and therefore impacts the calculation.  See the example below.  Upload the most recent tax year and email info@getblueprint.io.

 

• New Flood Service Provider

We wanted to make you aware of the new flood cert provider we will be utilizing.  Beginning on April 1^st, new files that trigger the flood cert order will push to ICE/SnapCorp for results.  We are not expecting interruptions to your workflow, however, should you need a correction to the flood cert automatically obtained for your file, there is a new process for requesting revisions.  See the attached job aid for instructions and reach out to productionsupport@vandykmortgage.com with any questions.

 

• Reminder: HomeReady/Home Possible: $2,500 Grant Option

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have launched a $2,500 grant program designed to help very low-income borrowers. To qualify for this program, borrowers need to be eligible for either HomeReady or Home Possible and have income at or below 50% AMI.

AUS findings will contain the following messaging if the borrower qualifies. See the attached how-to for setting up your loan to reflect this grant.

DU:

LP:

 

• Marketing Updates

Marketing is thrilled to announce our upcoming Open House & Broker Open Challenge, designed to help you generate leads by increasing your visibility in your community through active participation and strengthening and gaining realtor partner relationships!

Enter for a chance to win a Nespresso! Attend as many open houses and broker opens as possible, and post the photos to your chosen social media platform with the hashtag #VDMCLiving. It can be a group photo, solo photo, or even a photo of your setup with VanDyk merch and goodies!  Join The Challenge – Join The Teams Channel Here!

The Details:

• Sign Up: To participate, join our Teams channel by using the link above.
• Start Attending: Take opportunities to attend weekly open houses or broker opens. We will share some tips and goodie bag ideas on the Teams channel that you can bring.
• Post & Hashtag: Share your photos on your social media with the hashtag #VDMCLiving.
• Earn Points: Each post earns you 10 points.

• HR Updates

Great news!  VanDyk has added an Employee Assistance Program benefit for all employees.  This is now available to all full time benefit-eligible employees at no additional cost. Please see the attached flyer for more information.

Agency Updates

VA

Ordering a VA IRRRL Case Number:  VA recently deployed a system enhancement that provides lenders with additional information about the terms of the Veteran’s existing VA-guaranteed loan when ordering an IRRRL case number. The Order IRRRL Case and IRRRL Status & History screens in VA’s WebLGY system will now display the most recent servicer-reported loan modification information (if applicable) in addition to the original information for the existing VA-guaranteed loan. See attached VA Circular for more details.

*  *  *

Upcoming Events and Reminders

Miss a training? You’ll find our monthly newscast and Iron Sharpens Iron recordings in the VDM Vault. Department-specific trainings are shared in their respective Seafile folders.

Don’t forget: you can find invitations on our shared calendar under What’s Happening at VDMC.net (all times posted on the What’s Happening calendar are EST)

• Deal Desk: Every Tuesday at 1:30pm Eastern
• VanDyk Mortgage Newscast: Thursday, April 11 at 1pm Eastern
• Iron Sharpens Iron: Tuesday, April 16 @ 11am Eastern
• Production Roundtable: Wednesday, April 17 @ 1pm Eastern  REMINDER: ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY for all LPs and TCs/LOAs who perform TC functions.

And coming this summer: Pump Up the Volume Re-Mix! More details coming soon.

 

Additional Training Opportunities

• Freddie Mac has several training offerings available in April and May. Check out the calendar here and enroll today!
• MGIC Presents: Credit in 2024 – What You Need to Know to Stand Out with Referral Partners and Borrowers: Thursday, April 18 at 2pm ET. Register Here!
  • This webinar will cover trigger leads, credit score modernization, the proposed transition to bi-merge credit reports, and more hot topics about credit.

 

 

 

Area Median Income – Field for Pipeline

Did you know we have a field that will display the AMI right on your pipeline view? This can help identify borrowers who qualify for the Fannie/Freddie $2,500 grant discussed above, as well.

If you need any assistance modifying your pipeline view, reach out to Production Support.

*  *  *

 

25 Points

March 13, 2024

 

• The Best Mortgage Companies to Work For: 2024

We are proud to announce that we have been recognized as one of the Best Mortgage Companies to Work For in 2024! In a year marked by industry challenges, our emphasis on employee engagement has set us apart. As the landscape evolved with consolidations, we stood strong, prioritizing our team’s well-being. With just 33 companies making the cut this year, down from 48 in 2023, it’s clear that our commitment to fostering a positive workplace culture has been a driving force. A huge thank you to our dedicated team for making this achievement possible!

• Fly-In – Recap and Reminders

Our first companywide virtual fly-in was one for the books and we hope the post party blues haven’t hit you too hard.  Here’s your ultimate Pump Up the Volume recap, sprinkled with reminders and garnished with unmissable takeaways:

Reminders:

📋 Survey Says: The event survey window closes on 3/15! Be a legend and share your thoughts. We want to make future events as valuable and fun as possible.

🕵️‍♂️ Survey Side Quest: Session surveys are still rolling until 3/15. Did you LOVE a session?  Was it too short, too long, too much?  Let us know by completing a survey for the specific sessions you attended.  Find them next to the “Play” button on the agenda – because your opinions matter!

📱 Mobile Magic: Download the event app for some on-the-go goodness. Search the google play or apple store for “VanDyk Virtual” – it will come in handy when you want to consume content on the go!

🗓️ 365 Days of Wisdom: Recorded sessions are available and can be accessed in the mobile app and on the vandykflyin.com website for a year.  We have saved the session recordings in the fly-in folder on VDMC.net as well.  Please re-watch and enjoy sessions you may have missed like a never-ending Netflix binge, but with more professional development and fewer cliffhangers.

Recaps:

📲 Floify Fun: Yes, there’s a Floify mobile app! Pro tip: It’s not an app that you have to download from the app store, but a shortcut you save to your phone that looks and acts like a mobile app, just without the need for update installations!

📁 Encompass Everywhere: Encompass app – Access files on the go, pull credit, price loans

💸 Veri-tax VIPs: Save money, save time with Veri-tax VOE service. Because why stress over paperwork when you can delegate like a boss?

🦸‍♂️ SUPER Heros: Create SUPER fans, be a HERO.

Takeaways:

🎙️ Sr Management Panel: Get ready for a quarterly Sr Management panel where the state of the company is discussed, and your burning questions are answered. It’s like a backstage pass to the company’s inner workings!

🗣️ TomTalks: Brace yourselves for words of wisdom from the silver fox himself. TomTalks: he knows WAY more than Ted.

🦄 Kahoot Spirit Animal: Our company spirit animal is a Kahoot – a magical competitive creature that constantly wins. Embrace the Kahoot spirit, be competitive, and own the virtual jungle like the fierce Kahoot warrior you are – we are gonna be doing a lot of Kahoot-ing!

✨ Marketing Gold Nuggets: The marketing department is mining for marketing gold and will provide nuggets to share. Stay tuned for golden opportunities to elevate our marketing game and make us shine like mortgage royalty!

🚀 Floify Bonus: Don’t forget to reach out to Jen at Floify for any one-on-one training and questions about customizations: jennifer@floify.com. Because we’re not just rising; we’re soaring with personalized Floify expertise!

Remember, Pump Up the Volume wasn’t just an event; it was a vibe, a mood, a whole experience. Keep the energy alive and the volume turned up to 11!

• Specialty Programs and Appraisals

Please don’t forget to notify the Appraisal department when your loan is a specialty program (for example, Chase Community Lending). This ensures we are not sending appraisal orders to ineligible appraisers on the “do not use” list. It’s as easy as leaving a note on the Appraisal order screen!

• Pricing Changes

Introducing Spec pricing for Government loans. Spec pricing stands for specified pools and provide payups for certain loan sizes. We have this on the Conventional side and now effective today you will see a Spec 250k, 200k, and 150k on government loans. Reminder Spec pricing can be a little more volatile and may not always flow evenly with market movement.

Also, effective today we have revised our government FICO LLPA’s to account for new delinquency data.

• Multiple Credit Pulls

CFPB requires a separate credit authorization for each credit pull. If we pull credit after the initial pull, we will need another authorization from the borrower in the file.

• NexBank Submission and Lock Updates

Changes to NexBank deadlines will now require locked loans to be submitted to the investor within 18 calendar days.

• Due to this change the only lock term available for NexBank with be 30 days.
• Loans that are not submitted within that allotted period will have the lock cancelled and will face worst-case pricing for reinstatement.

• Title Company DNU List

VanDyk requires title approval prior to closing any loan.  We have a Do Not Use list (DNU) – a list of companies we will not do business with which should be referenced before requesting title work from any company.  See the attached excel sheet which lists DNU companies as of 3/8/2024 and the instructions on searching for companies in Encompass.

• Training Opportunities
  • Back from our January News, after high demand following our virtual fly-in Variable Income session, here is Freddie Mac’s webinar on fluctuating income!
    • Freddie Mac Policy on Point Webinar (previously recorded) – VARIABLE INCOME!  A Discussion With Policy and Quality Control Experts About Rental and Employed Fluctuating Income (youtube.com)
  • Speaking of Freddie… Freddie Mac has several training offerings available in March and April. Check out the calendar here and enroll today!

 

• Floify Update: Soft Pulls

Excellent News!  Beginning Friday, you will see an option for both Soft and Hard Pulls in your Floify account.  We have removed your Hard Pull credentials, so you aren’t having to use our work-around to obtain a soft pull.  Moving forward, simply select Soft Pull and identify if you are using Sarma or Xactus.  See the attached Running AUS job aid for details and contact productionsupport@vandykmortgage.com with any questions.

• Soft Pulls: DU

As announced at fly-in, we are now able to run Fannie Mae’s DU with a soft pull!  We have attached a job aid which details the steps needed.

• Soft Pulls: Cost Increasing

Due to the requirement to include trended data in soft pulls, Sarma has updated their pricing for soft pulls.  The attached Credit Pricing document lists fees for Sarma and Xactus as of 3/8/2024.  Contact your account executives with questions.

• Broker Partner Updates 

Acra Lending: Steve Sansone is our preferred Acra A/E and has proven to be available, communicative, and trustworthy. Should you be solicited by any other Acra reps, you are welcome to work with them, though you may not receive the high-quality service and support we have come to expect from Steve.

Acra Lending has white label marketing pieces available for use.  Check out the offerings here and be sure to obtain approval from our internal Marketing team before you send anything out.

• AskPoli Update

Coming soon – AskPoli will be updated to require SSO/user-specific logins in order to access. Until we have individual logins established, utilize the Agency Guidelines link in Howee’s main menu for the easiest access to Fannie Mae guidelines.

• New 3^rd Party Verification Service Providers

We have provided account credentials to the production staff (processors and TCs) for Veri-Tax and PointServ.  All VOEs should be requested through one of these providers and AUS run before a work #/Lender’s One order is ever placed.  This will ensure the highest and most accurate results with the lowest cost.  We will review in more detail during this month’s round table – see below for highlights and pricing:

Veri-Tax includes a direct payroll verification feature which is $12, a Verbal VOE is $17, Written VOE is $20, and a Verbal reverification is $7.00 These VOE charges are a substantial savings from Lenders 1 / The Work Number.

PointServ is our new VOA provider.  For $6 per borrower per institution, the asset report from PointServ will provide the same validations and information as we are currently receiving from AccountChek at a much lower price point.  Remember to always pull the asset report and run AUS before obtaining any VOE.  Often, the asset report can validate both assets AND income making any additional verifications unnecessary.  Follow your AUS findings!

• Welcome Our New HR Director

We are excited to welcome Kris Benson, our new Director of Human Resources, to the VanDyk family. Kris comes to us with 14+ years of experience in human resources within the mortgage industry, having previously worked at Envoy Mortgage where she served as Vice President of Human Resources. She brings a wealth of knowledge in talent acquisition, employee relations, payroll, performance management, and organizational development. Please reach out and introduce yourselves, as she will be an invaluable resource for all of us.

 

Agency Updates

Fannie Mae

• Fannie Mae is in perfect synchrony with our Third-Party Vendor updates.  The entire Selling Guide update is around DU Validation services.  Income and Employment can now be validated using an eligible asset verification report by obtaining an asset verification report that contains at least 12-months of data from the borrower’s checking and/r savings account from an approved third-party vendor.
• Defer to Selling Guide Announcement (SEL-2024-02)  for the full scoop (it’s a hefty scoop of exciting things for reps and warrants).

 

VA

• VA is extending the circular issued April 15, 2021, 26-21-08, Expanded Home Loan Eligibility Based on Certain National Guard Service.  Formerly, this circular was to be rescinded April 1, 2024, but is now valued until rescinded with no defined date.

*  *  *

Upcoming Events and Reminders

Miss a training? You’ll find our monthly newscast and Iron Sharpens Iron recordings in the VDM Vault. Department-specific trainings are shared in their respective Seafile folders.

Don’t forget: you can find invitations on our shared calendar under What’s Happening at VDMC.net (all times posted on the What’s Happening calendar are EST)

• Deal Desk: Every Tuesday at 1:30pm Eastern
• VanDyk Mortgage Newscast: Thursday, March 14 at 1pm Eastern
• Iron Sharpens Iron: Tuesday, March 19 @ 11am Eastern
• Production Roundtable: Friday, March 22 @ 1pm Eastern – We will celebrate our Gryffindor Pride by Goofing Off a little and talk like William Shatner while indulging in Bavarian Crepes and then clap our arms like a seal for a second helping. It will be full of Metta.  REMINDER: ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY for all LPs and TCs/LOAs who perform TC functions.
• Prism: Linked Income: Wednesday, March 20 @ 12pm Eastern: REGISTER HERE
  • Great news! Prism’s IncomeXpert now supports linking past employment with current employment. This solves the problem of borrowers who have variable income and have switched jobs recently. This feature is great for analyzing borrowers such as travel nurses, union workers, or borrowers who recently changed jobs. Join Prism for a demonstration of this new feature!

 

Upcoming MI Company Training

Radian National Training

• Financing Properties with Solar Panels: March 14 @ 2pm ET – Register Here
• Connecting to Close: Top Producers Mindset: March 18 @ 1pm ET – Register Here
• Understanding Schedule C: Calculating Sole Proprietor Income for Self-Employed Borrowers: March 19 @ 1pm ET – Register Here
• Analyzing Schedule E Rental Income: March 26 @ 1PM ET – Register Here

 

 

SimpleNexus Links: FYI

Please be aware that all access to SimpleNexus for VanDyk has been disabled. Should a borrower follow an old SN link, they will receive a 404 Page Not Found error.

*  *  *

UDM & Derogatory Information

Should new derogatory information appear on UDM, a brand new hard credit pull will be required. Examples include late payments, new collections, and new judgements.

*  *  *

Reminder: Last Minute Hard-Pulls

As a reminder, there is a risk involved in pulling a new hard credit report the closer we get to closing. If you have a borrower with borderline credit, don’t wait until the last minute to do your hard pull!

*  *  *

PTF Conditions

Did you know that you don’t have to wait until funding to take care of a PTF condition?  The sooner you can provide the PTF condition and notify the appropriate parties, the better.  We do not want delays in funding your loan.  Additionally, PTF conditions prevent the loan from being at will – which is all the more reason to get those items taken care of ASAP.

*  *  *

 

25 Points

February 7, 2024

 

• 2024 Virtual Fly In

Are you ready to Pump Up the Volume?  We are beyond excited to present our first companywide virtual fly-in event this month!  Be sure to visit the event webpage (http://vandykflyin.com/) to register, review FAQs and see all the most up to date details.  You will not be able to log in the day of the event unless you have completed the registration form here. Be sure to visit the site and get yours done soon. You are encouraged to invite your realtor partners to join us!

Help us help you: Please complete our survey on breakout sessions so we know what you’re most interested in attending. Access the survey here!

• New Broker Partner: American Heritage Lending

We are excited to announce a new broker option: American Heritage Lending. AHL offers hard money/bridge loans in addition to other NonQM options (DSCR, Foreign National, Alt Doc, Asset Qualifier). We will host a session with AHL in the coming weeks to learn about their loan options – be on the lookout for an invitation!

• HomeReady/HomePossible: New DPA Option

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have launched a $2500 grant program designed to help very low-income borrowers. To qualify for this program, borrowers need to be eligible for either HomeReady or HomePossible and have income at or below 50% AMI. We are working through the back-end process of this program and will announce when we are fully ready to utilize the program. In the meantime, if you have a deal that meets this criteria, please reach out to Brad Chatel and he will coordinate with all departments to ensure we work through the logistics.

• 2023 4506Cs at Closing: Reminder

Reminder: any application dated on or after 1/31 will require a 2023 4506C for all borrowers to be signed at closing. The Production Operations Staff were advised of the need for the 2023 4506C during last month’s Round Table.  Be sure to check your Request for Transcript of Tax form in Encompass and ensure the 2023 form has been added for each borrower prior to closing to avoid any post-close issues.

• • As a reminder, the 4506C form is only sent with the closing package. Initial disclosures are sent with the 8821 for Halcyon orders.
• Trainings from MI Companies/Agencies

Check out these training highlights for the month of February:

• Lakeview National DPA Loan Program – February 14 – Register Webinar Registration – Zoom
• Lakeview National DPA Loan Program – February 21 – Register Webinar Registration – Zoom
• MGIC – Can I Use Rental Income from a Business-Owned Property? –  February 28 – Register MGIC Webinar: Can I Use Rental Income from a Business-Owned Property?

• Income Documentation Updates  

For applications dated on or after 1/31/2024, OR loans with a note date on or after 2/15/2024: 2023 W2s OR a Written VOE will be required.

• • Tax Transcripts Cheat Sheet:  Updated version for 2024 is attached.
  • Income Worksheet – Prism: Updated within Encompass to include tax year 2023.
• Marketing Updates

New birthday BombBomb Vist videos are available to record! Log in to your BombBomb Vist account now to record personalized birthday videos for all your contacts with a birthday on file, including realtors and clients. If you don’t create a custom video, a standard corporate one will be sent instead. Be creative and make each birthday greeting special. Remember to vary the videos to keep them fresh year after year. Let’s ensure every birthday wish is unique and memorable.

• HR Updates

Priority Health offers a mobile app that allows you to manage your health insurance anytime, anywhere. Please see the attached PDF for more details.

 

 

Agency Updates

Fannie Mae

• Value Acceptance + Property Data is now allowable for Condos.  DU will begin issuing messaging on condo casefiles effective immediately.  As a note, we are still required to confirm the condo project eligibility.

 

• Manufactured Housing Cash-Out Refinancing is now available for a multi-width MFH for a 30-year mortgage term (formerly 20 years).  Single-wide MFHs remain ineligible for cash-out refinances.

 

• Non-Traditional Eligible Credit References have been expanded upon to include the following:

1. Rent: Fees paid to a landlord or property management company;
2. Private Mortgage: Housing payments not reported to the credit bureaus provided the payments are related to the borrower’s residence; and
3. Real Estate Taxes: Payments made on a principal residence, regardless of payment frequency (for homes owned free and clear).

 

• Use of Business Income Clarifications for Borrowers with less than 25% Ownership:

1. If business tax returns are provided, we are not required to analyze the viability of the business.  We may rely solely on the borrower’s proportionate share of the business income as reflected on the Schedule K-1.
2. Income reported on Schedule K-1 can only be considered for qualifying if we verify that the income was actually distributed to the borrower consistent with the level of business income being used to qualify (meaning that there are distributions and those are supported by the ordinary income) OR that the business has adequate liquidity to support the withdrawal of earnings.

 

• Property Insurance Requirements:

1. For 1-4 Unit properties and master property insurance policies, the following clarifications apply:
   1. In addition to actual cash value coverage being unacceptable, policies that limit, depreciate, reduce, or otherwise settle losses at anything other than a replacement cost basis are also not acceptable.
2. For Master Property Insurance, the following clarifications apply:
   1. The minimum required perils that a policy must cove are those found in a commercial “Broad” coverage form.
   2. Outdated references to guaranteed replacement cost, extended replacement cost, and replacement cost coverage have been removed to improve clarity.
   3. Coinsurance requirements have been removed to streamline the property insurance review process and to ensure that all project developments are reviewed for sufficient coverage.

 

Freddie Mac

• Freddie Mac is aligning with Fannie Mae at the direction of the FHFA on the Insurance updates noted above.

 

• Trust Income Documentation requirements are being updated effective with loan applications March 1, 2024, as follows:

1. Documented History of Receipt of income for the most recent one-year
2. When documenting continuance where the borrower is the Trustee, a letter from the Trustee is not acceptable documentation.

 

• ACE (appraisal waiver) Eligibility is being updated to allow for cash-out refinance mortgages.  The parameters of this offering will be 70% LTV for C/O refinances secured by a primary residence and 60% LTV for C/O refinances secured by a second home.

 

*  *  *

Upcoming Events and Reminders

Miss a training? You’ll find our monthly newscast and Iron Sharpens Iron recordings in the VDM Vault. Department-specific trainings are shared in their respective Seafile folders.

Don’t forget: you can find invitations on our shared calendar under What’s Happening at VDMC.net (all times posted on the What’s Happening calendar are EST)

• Deal Desk: Every Tuesday at 1:30pm Eastern
  • Reminder: Tuesday, February 13 is our special CONDO Deal Desk, covering FL Condos and Milestone Phase Inspections as well as Master Insurance issues.  Realtors are invited to attend. Invitation is attached, please forward as needed!
• VanDyk Mortgage Newscast: Thursday, February 8 at 1pm Eastern
• Iron Sharpens Iron: Tuesday, February 20 @ 11am Eastern
• Pump Up the Volume! Monday, February 26^th to Friday, March 1^st

*There will be no mandatory Round Table for February. Processors/TCs will be notified of the mandatory virtual fly-in sessions being assigned to them.

 

 

 

Prism Income Calculation Help

When submitting a request to askuw@vandykmortgage.com for income help, please ensure that you have already completed Prism or Prism Plus (Tax Return borrowers).

*  *  *

EPO Scenario – Calculating Proceeds, Can They Pay Off REO?

We are seeing many EPOs (early payoff) in situations where the borrower is purchasing a new home and has a property that is pending sale or will be sold.

EX:  Sales Price (if listed) OR Value (if not listed) multiplied by 90% less any lien payoffs = Projected Net Proceeds.

If those Net Proceeds are enough to pay off our loan, we should be having conversations with our borrowers.  This quick calculation early in the loan process can help identify those loans that could be subject to an EPO and allow us the opportunity to set expectations with our borrowers to prevent an early payoff from happening.

*  *  *

Halcyon Reminder: Photo ID Required 

Reminder, a photo ID is REQUIRED when placing an order for transcripts with Halcyon. A how-to guide is attached.

*  *  *

aiUW and Soft Pulls: Reminder

For loans where you’ve used a soft pull for initial underwriting submission, we need a full tri-merge credit report and AUS run in order to resubmit (as you already know). We also need to re-run aiUW for updated conditions based on that credit report that may need to be addressed. Don’t forget to re-run aiUW prior to resubmittal!

*  *  *

 

January 10, 2024

 

• 2023 Lookback/Gratitude Wins

As you are aware, VanDyk Mortgage is the best of the best!  We rise above other lenders in the industry in many areas but feel our people and our culture are what set us most apart.  With the focus we place on integrity, honesty, hard work, and gratitude, we have been able to support each other through one of the roughest years in recent memory.  See the attached document showcasing just a few of our team members quoted from 2023 – we are grateful for your attitudes of gratitude!

• 2024 Newscast Schedule

To ensure all employees have opportunity to attend our monthly newscast, we are taking over the 2^nd Thursday of each month at 1pm EST time slot.  A calendar invite was sent out and the meeting details are also posted on our shared What’s Happening calendar on VDMC.net.  Email ProductionSupport@vandykmortgage.com should you like the outlook invitation re-sent to you or forwarded to potential recruits.

• Credit Report Costs

As previously announced, costs for credit reports and credit related services are increasing.  See the attached email for details regarding the SARMA fees and be sure to review with your Branch Manager any changes in what is being disclosed to your borrowers.

• Soft Pulls with LPA

Due to the increased fee for soft pull reports taking effect 1/19/2024, we have revised our policy for loans being submitted to LPA / Underwriting with a soft pull to allow for a single or two-bureau report instead of requiring all three bureaus.  Please be mindful of the following:

1. If completing a 1 bureau pull, Experian is the default you should select (they tend to be the most accurate and are the least expensive)
2. If pulling 2, Experian and TU are the default.
3. To lock using a soft pull, a three-bureau report must be provided.

A copy of the breaking news email addressing this is attached and you can contact ProductionSupport@vandykmortgage.com for assistance.

• Pipeline Updates

We have created a new pipeline view for LOs available now in your Encompass!

The Loan Officer – Refi 2024 view will provide you with a list of borrowers closed on a rate over 6.4% who may be eligible to Rate/Term refi when interest rates drop.  We recommend reaching out to these borrowers ahead of time to get everything lined up so you can close them all quickly once you lock them in.  BRING IT ON 2024!!!

• Trainings from MI Companies/Agencies

We are thrilled to make 2024 a growing year.  This year, each month we will be highlighting trainings that both our agency and MI partners are offering.  Nothing is top secret or off limits!  We know knowledge is power and we are powerful people. Highlights for the month of January:

• • Freddie Mac Policy on Point Webinar (previously recorded) – VARIABLE INCOME!  A Discussion With Policy and Quality Control Experts About Rental and Employed Fluctuating Income (youtube.com)
  • Essent’s “DU Live! Advanced Micro Session” – January 9 – Register Here (gotowebinar.com) AND “LPA Live!  How to READ AUS Findings like a PRO” – Coming January 11 – Register Here (gotowebinar.com)
  • USDA Turn Income Into Opportunity – Coming January 18 – Register REGISTRATION SFHGLP “Turn Income into Opportunity” January 18, 2024 (2 pm – 3 pm ET) (office.com)
  • MGIC – Self-Employed Borrower Opportunities – January 16, January 23 and January 30 – Multiple Sessions can be found here: Mortgage Industry Training | MGIC

 

Find links to additional training provided by the MI companies here.

• EPO Policy Reminder

With the anticipated rate drops for 2024 and refinances on the horizon, we wanted to remind everyone of our Early Payoff policy.  Be sure you are watching the Earliest Refi Date in your Encompass pipelines and talk with your borrowers up front on every transaction regarding their intent to keep the loan.  If it is anything less than one year, communicate with Secondary to ensure your risk is minimized wherever possible.  Our EPO policy can be found HERE.

• EPDs and Risk

VP of Servicing Pam Groosbeck has put together an overview of delinquent loans and the seven basic stages of default. Please take a moment to review to see how the back end impacts the front end when it comes to delinquent loans.

Interested in learning more about VanDyk’s stance on late payments and early payoffs? Tune in to the Newscast for a special feature discussion piece.  You don’t want to miss this!

• Updated 8821/Halcyon Form

Halcyon has updated their disclosure to provide more transparency and detail regarding the individuals named on the 8821.  The new disclosure has been updated in Encompass as a 2 page document with the 8821 form to be signed by the borrower as the second page.

• Howee’s Agency Guideline Search: Updated

If you missed our announcement on December 12, the Howee Agency Guideline search has been improved. Check out the attached email for more information, and try it out next time you have a guideline question!

• Marketing Updates

Have you joined Marketing’s Video Challenge Teams Channel? Participate to learn and improve your video marketing techniques, dynamically connect with clients and colleagues, and have the chance to WIN BIG!!  Reach out to Morgan Bledsoe today to get added to the Teams Channel!

• HR Updates

Available Now: 2024 Annual Employee Training

• • As of January 2, the Annual Employee Training course is available to complete. Please visit VDMU to complete your training today.
  • New employees hired from Oct 1 -December 31, and who have already completed the training, do not need to repeat the training at this time.
  • See the attached announcement and contact hr@vandykmortgage.com with any questions.

Blue Cross Blue Shield: Mobile App Instructions

• • Always have your virtual Blue Cross Blue Shield card accessible for dental and/or vision care appointments. Check out the attached instructions to download!

 

 

Agency Updates

REMINDER: Self-Employed Borrower + Rental Income

As a reminder, effective January 1, 2024, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac both updated their requirements involving self-employment and rental income.    Here is a highlight of those changes:

 

Fannie Mae – https://singlefamily.fanniemae.com/media/37021/display

Rental Income:

1. Non-Subject Rental Properties acquired in the last 12 months will require the borrower to have a primary housing expense and at least a one-year history of property management experience to use the full amount of rental income towards qualifying, otherwise the amount may be limited.
2. Lease Agreement use – Form 1007 or Form 1025 must support the income reflected on the lease agreement or the lease agreement must provide evidence the terms of the lease have gone into effect with proof of receipt for at least two-month’s rental payments.

 

Self Employed:

1. Less than a two-year history – Personal and Business Federal Tax Returns must reflect a minimum of 12 months of self-employment income from the current business (if a business was opened 2/1/2022, the 2022 tax return would not have a full 12 months of self-employment income and therefore could not be considered).
2. Using one-year of Tax Returns – This will only be allowed when ALL self-employed businesses have been in existence for five years and the borrower has had a 25% or greater ownership interest for the last 5 consecutive years.

 

Freddie Mac – https://guide.freddiemac.com/app/guide/bulletin/2023-19

Lease Agreements:

1. Lease term of a minimum of one-year is being removed – This is a flex!
2. Newly Executed Leases must require the due date of the first rental payment be no later than the first payment due date of the Mortgage.
3. Evidence of receipt of the security deposit plus first month’s rent OR receipt of two month’s rental payments AND must have evidence that the payments were cashed or deposited into the Borrower’s depository account or transferred into a third-party money transfer application account owned by the borrower.

 

Fannie Mae

Verification of Employment

Effective immediately, Fannie Mae has updated their Verification of employment to include alternative documentation to satisfy the final verbal verification of employment such as a paystub or bank statement.

• Within 15 business days prior to the note date, the borrower can provide either
• The most recent available paystub as of that date that

o meets the requirements in B3-3.1-02, Standards for Employment Documentation,

o reflects information for the most recent expected pay period based on the date it is provided and the borrower’s pay cadence, and

o does not include any information indicating the borrower may not be actively employed.

• Bank statements dated no earlier than 15 business days prior to the note date that

o meets the requirements in B3-4.2-01, Verification of Deposits and Assets,

o reflects information for the most recent expected pay period based on the date of the statement and the borrower’s pay cadence, and

o does not include any information indicating the borrower may not be actively employed.

 

Restricted Stock Units and Restricted Stock

Restricted Stock Units and Restricted Stock has been added as an eligible income source under “Other Sources of Income”.  Documentation requirements can be found here.

 

Non-Taxable Income

Fannie Mae is aligning with Freddie Mac to allow 15% of the social security income to be grossed up by 25% and added to qualifying income without needing to provide additional documentation (tax returns) evidencing the nontaxable status.  They have also specific that child support income may be grossed up by 25% without having to provide documentation of nontaxable status.

 

Freddie Mac

Verification of Employment

Effective immediately, Freddie Mac is also updating their 10-day Verification of employment to include use of a paystub.  The paystub must be the pay period immediately preceding the Note Dat AND has the “paid through” date no more than 15 business days before the Note Date.  For all alternate 10 day PCV allowances from Freddie Mac, visit their Selling Guide.

 

Non-Occupying Borrowers on Cash-Out Refinances

Effective with loans closing March 6, 2024, Freddie Mac is no longer allowing non-occupying borrowers.  All borrowers must occupy when it is a Primary Residence.

 

Condo Project – COMING SOON!

Coming in February, Freddie’s Condo Project Advisor Project Assessment Request will indicate if a project is not eligible.  Also in February, the condominium unit mortgages webpage will detail how an authorized representative of an HOA may contact Freddie Mac to inquire both whether a project has received a “Not Eligible” status and/or how to appeal a “Not Eligible” status.

 

VA

As announced in a special Corporate Communications update (attached), effective as of January 1, 2024, non-medical and non-charged off collection accounts must be considered in the DTI with 5% of the balance unless there is a documented established payment arrangement.

 

 

*  *  *

Upcoming Events and Reminders

Miss a training? You’ll find our monthly newscast and Iron Sharpens Iron recordings in the VDM Vault. Department-specific trainings are shared in their respective Seafile folders.

Don’t forget: you can find invitations on our shared calendar under What’s Happening at VDMC.net (all times posted on the What’s Happening calendar are EST)

• Deal Desk: Every Tuesday at 1:30pm Eastern
• In House HELOAN Training: Wednesday January 10^th @ 1pm Eastern
• VanDyk Mortgage Newscast: Thursday, January 11^th @ 1pm Eastern
• Iron Sharpens Iron: Tuesday, January 16th @ 11am Eastern
• HECM 101 – Reverse Mortgage Training: Wednesday, January 24^th at 11am Eastern
• Production Roundtable: Wednesday, January 24^th @ 1pm Eastern – National Talk Like a Grizzled Prospector Day  REMINDER: ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY for all LPs and TCs/LOAs who perform Processor or TC functions.

 

Updated Matrices

The VanDyk matrices have been updated to reflect 2024 loan limits. You can review in the Product Matrices folder here.

*  *  *

FHA Timeframes

Where the 4000.1 HUD Handbook is silent on what a timeframe is based upon, it is to be assumed that it is based on the FHA Case Number Assignment Date.  An example of this would be late payments in the last 12 and 24 months.

In a case where the FHA Case Number has been transferred to us from another lender, the timeframe is based upon the date of the documented transfer.

*  *  *

FHA New Construction Reminder

For aiUW to generate FHA New Construction document requirements: “New (less than 1 year)” must be checked within the HUD-92900LT FHA Loan Transmittal:

*  *  *

Brokered Loans & Appraisals

As a reminder, any questions regarding a brokered loan appraisal should be directed to the Account Executive.

December 6, 2023

 

• Closing Request: CD No Longer Required!

With the recent change in who is preparing and sending Closing Disclosures (either the assigned Closer or a Branch team member), we have determined a CD being sent out prior to submitting the closing request is no longer a requirement.

What does this mean?  It means you can now SUBMIT your Closing Request as soon as you have the information on the form completed, no Closing Disclosure required!

• 2024 Conventional and FHA Loan Limits: Update

Please see the attached email for the updated Conventional and FHA loan limits and full details. We will allow Conventional loans to close on or after December 18th, 2023 utilizing the 2024 loan limits. Locks will need to be valid through 1/1/2024.

FHA limits are effective with case number assignments on/after 1/1/2024. The new directive raises the FHA one-unit loan limit to at least $498,257. The full mortgagee letter is attached.

• Please keep in mind that the maximum loan limit is determined by the effective date of your case number. If you have an FHA loan already in process, and the case number has already been assigned, you cannot increase the loan amount to the new limits.

Note: Conventional loan limits are now live in Optimal Blue.

• Floify eClose Update

As we work through a few minor wrinkles with hybrid eClosings in Floify, we wanted you to be aware of a quick and easy fix should your borrower experience issues completing their closing documents.  Please know we absolutely CAN and LOVE to close as many borrowers as possible using the hybrid eClose option with Floify and look forward to full eClosing packages with Floify very soon.

Borrowers may see a “Page Expired” error when trying to complete their closing documents in Floify when:

• • Accessing via Safari on iPad, iPhone, or Mac
  • Accessing via Chrome in Incognito Mode (private browsing)

Please see the attached how-to for the workaround for these “page expired” error messages.

• Bond Submissions & Best Practices

State Housing, Bond and DPA loans require additional steps and work from a secondary, compliance, underwriting and closing standpoint and it is important to ensure each department is given ample time to complete their required processes.  When mistakes are not caught prior to closing, the costs to cure can be substantial.  We ask for your support and assistance when originating and processing these loans to submit them in a timely manner and set expectations with your borrowers and realtor partners.  Lightning close is not available for these programs.

• REMINDER – SOFT PULLS should NEVER be pulled outside of Floify

With the recent uptick in soft pull activity and the upcoming possibility of price increases in 2024, we wanted to remind you of our companywide policy regarding how soft pulls are obtained.  We pull all soft pulls via Floify once the borrower has given consent.  This ensures we have the required permission in writing and our aiUW condition will be properly applied to the Encompass file.  It is IMPERATIVE that written authorization is in the file the day a soft pull is completed.

In the very rare occasion your borrower is not able to create a Floify account, you must present the borrower’s credit authorization to pull in writing to ProductionSupport@Vandykmortgage.com so a manual soft pull can be done.  Sarma is pulling reports and actively requesting proof of the credit authorization in writing, which we must be able to provide.  Please contact Production Support if you need a refresher training on how to obtain a soft pull via Floify.

• Social Media Support

If you have a YouTube, TikTok or Instagram account and would like your VanDyk co-workers to like and subscribe or follow, you can add your handle and pages to our Social Media Inspiration group in Teams!  This is a great way to get support and be supported by your VanDyk team so if you add your information here, be ready to follow back co-workers who follow you – that’s just part of the deal.  If you want to participate, email vandykmarketing@vandykmortgage.com to be added to the Social Media Inspo group in Teams today!

• Broker Updates
  • REMN has overhauled their HELOC program – Steve from REMN will be presenting on these updates Tuesday, December 19 at 12pm Eastern. The invitation is available in the attached Training email.
  • Acra Lending: Reminder that we have a new broker partner – our A/E Steve Sansone will be presenting on these products on Monday, December 18 at 1pm Eastern. See attached Training email for invitation.
• Product Certifications: Reminder

If you missed our in-house HE loan training, you can find the training here at VDMU – once you pass your quiz, you will receive your Product Certification. A product certification in Buydowns is available as well!

• New Pilot Program: CitiBank HomeRun

Exciting news: VanDyk Mortgage was selected to help CitiBank pilot a Community Lending product, HomeRun. This product is in very select markets, see attached eligible areas. HomeRun offers a no mortgage insurance option for borrowers up to 97% LTV and minimum borrower contributions as low as 1%. The borrower does need to be at or below 80% AMI to qualify and this will be a product that Citi will underwrite. See attached HomeRun product overview and Manual for all the program details.

• Last Call: Licensing Renewals

Don’t forget! All licenses expire on 12/31/2023 – and you are not eligible to renew your license until your 2023 CE has been complete and posted in your NLMS account. If you have any questions, reach out to Shelby Losinski.

• KUDOS and WINNING!

Congratulations to Heather Simon, Branch Manager in Oklahoma, for receiving a 2023 HBA Presidential award!  The Oklahoma branch of VanDyk Mortgage has only been open for 16 months and has already made an impressive impact in the marketplace.  We also congratulate Heather for becoming the VP of Oklahoma’s HBA Southwest Chapter.  We are thrilled for you!

If you have a win, kudos or other great news you would like published and shared, email ProductionSupport@vandykmortgage.com

• #VanDykDifference

At VanDyk Mortgage, our difference and what sets us apart is our culture and our people.  VanDyk is THRILLED to have TWO members of our leadership team featured in the most recent issue of National Mortgage Professional magazine.  Congratulations to Jon Barnes and Lindsey Kuhnle for their incredible accomplishments in the mortgage industry!     40 Under 40: The Future Is Here Digital Edition | NMP Magazine (nationalmortgageprofessional.com)

 

Agency Updates

As you’re aware, the agencies passed along maximum loan amount updates for 2024 – which was their most exciting news.  They have been quiet on any additional updates. Should any Agency Updates be released in the coming weeks, we will be sure to pass along in a separate Corporate Communication.

 

*  *  *

Upcoming Events and Reminders

Miss a training? You’ll find our monthly newscast and Iron Sharpens Iron recordings in the VDM Vault. Department-specific trainings are shared in their respective Seafile folders.

Don’t forget: you can find invitations on our shared calendar under What’s Happening at VDMC.net (all times posted on the What’s Happening calendar are EST)

• Deal Desk: Loan Save with Dave: Every Tuesday at 1pm Eastern
• Deal Desk: Feature Topic + Loan Save with Dave: Every Thursday at 1pm Eastern
• VanDyk Mortgage Newscast: Friday, December 8 @ 1pm Eastern
• Production Roundtable: Wednesday, December 20 @ 3pm Eastern on National GAME Day REMINDER: ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY for all LPs and TCs/LOAs who perform TC functions.
• Iron Sharpens Iron: Tuesday, December 19 @ 11am Eastern

 

Training Feast: Leftovers!

Hungry for more training? Join us for any or all of these upcoming sessions! Find Outlook invitations in the attached email or on the shared training calendar.

• The UW’s Brain-Income Part 1:  Variable Income, Emp related Assets, VOE cheat sheet | Wednesday, 12/6 12pm ET
• The UW’s Brain-Credit:  Bankruptcy, non-traditional credit, disputed accounts Wednesday, 12/6 3pm ET
• Broker Flow- The Updated VanDyk Way:  New milestones, the broker tool and tips/tricks Monday, 12/11 1pm ET
• Encompass Mastery Part 1: most common errors/issues will be reviewed Tuesday, 12/12 12:30 pm ET
• The UW’s Brain-Income Part 2:  Nontaxable income, rental income on tax returns, S Corp, Schedule C Wednesday, 12/13 12pm ET
• Prism Income Calc- The VanDyk Way:  A review of calculating income in Prism Friday, 12/15 3pm ET
• Acra Lending- New Broker Partner: Review products/processes with our new lender Monday, 12/18 1pm ET
• REMN HELOC Updates:   A review of the new process/program updates Tuesday, 12/19 12pm ET
• Secondary 101:  What is the secondary market/back end and pricing basics including LO Comp Wednesday, 12/20 1pm ET
• Buydown Refresher:  price and structure a buydown, review the agreement disclosure practice Friday, 12/22 12pm ET

 

AUS Findings + W2s

If AUS is calling for W2s for the prior year, a W2 is required for any employers for that previous year – regardless of it being prior employment or income that we are not using for qualification if it is on the application.

The same would go for the 2 years of W2s requirement.  In lieu of W2s, a written VOE can be obtained – but 12B of our written VOE form must be completed.

*  *  *

Supplemental Wages

Though many agencies allow for use of supplemental wages of at least 12 months, we must still attempt to verify 2 years history of that type of income via paystubs + 2 years W2s or written VOEs with income covering a 2-year period, as applicable per agency requirements.

*  *  *

In-House HE Loans: Appraisals/AVMs

Did you know an AVM is possible to use for our in-house HE Loan program through Vista Point?

Reach out to AskUW@vandykmortgage.com to determine how and when you can use an AVM.

*  *  *

25 Points

 

November 3, 2023 

• In-House HE Loan Product Certification

Great news! Beta testing has been completed and we are ready to roll out our in-house second mortgage product companywide. AWESOME!!!  If you are interested in originating or assisting with an in-house HELOAN, you will need to complete a training course for Product Certification to have access to the program templates in Encompass.   We have a live training session scheduled for Tuesday 11/14 at 11am EST.  The outlook invitation is attached, and we will send out a separate invitation with additional details soon.  Reach out to ProductionSupport@vandykmortgage.com with questions.

• Condo Vault Training

Earlier this week, Tony Migliavacca from the Condo Vault hosted training for all our processors and TCs.  Branches are able to order their own condo reviews immediately, however,  as of November 6, all condo orders must be placed by the branch directly through The Condo Vault. Attached is our FAQ for Condo Vault orders and Condo Reviews, and you can find recordings of the training and a how-to guide in the Condos Seafile.

• Compliance Disclosures Update

Our fabulous production team of transaction coordinators and loan processors were trained on sending initial and revised disclosures during last month’s round table and as of today, all of our sales team members have had an opportunity to attend this training as well.  Thank you so much to everyone who participated!  Remember to reach out to Compliance@Vandykmortgage.com  on your first one or two packages should you need assistance or would like to have someone screenshare with you as you work on your first few, to make sure all your questions are answered.  Here are some key updates and important information:

1. Branches will be responsible to send all initial disclosures and COCs starting 12/1.
   1. We will provide additional training for bond loans that require a 2^nd Encompass file.
2. If the compliance team is sending out any initial disclosure packages (aside from the excluded Bond loans) the fee has increased from $30 to $40 as of 11/1 and the SLA has been updated to the end of the 3^rd business day
3. Beginning December 1^st, any COC/Revised LE packages will be an additional $40
   1. $40 per disclosure set sent

The job aids for sending initial and revised packages are attached and also available with other training resources HERE

• Closing Disclosure Update

As of 11/1, your Closing Disclosures are being sent by the Closing department.  A few of our go-getter branches asked to be trained on sending the CDs themselves (to avoid waiting on someone else in urgent situations and to take the power into their own capable, brilliant hands) and we are THRILLED to accommodate anyone else wanting to take on the CD portion of disclosures.  If you are not trained to send a CD at your branch, a closer will be assigned and work on sending out the CD for you within current our current SLA.  Contact Compliance@Vandykmortgage.com to schedule training.

• Loan Comparison Tool

Are you utilizing the LTK – Loan Comparison Tool to view changes made to your file?  You SHOULD BE!  Easily identify if a re-disclosure is needed at a glance and what modifications are being made to your file.  Check it out under Forms > LTK Loan Comparison Tool

 

• Floify Reminders

Accepted Documents: Once we give a “thumbs up” and accept docs in Floify, those docs should flow into the Unassigned portion of the File Manager. If that isn’t happening, reach out to Production Support so we can troubleshoot your Encompass integration and make sure it’s set up properly.

Disclosure Automation: After you request a disclosure package, be sure to exit the file. If the file is occupied, Floify will not be able to access the file to send disclosures to the borrower. This can cause issues if we have a time-sensitive CD needing to be sent to the borrower – so best practice is to exit the file and allow Floify access to get them sent.

Floify Inbox: Now that we have worked through our initial launch – when you email Floify@vandykmortgage.com, those emails will be forwarded to Production Support to answer. If you need help after hours or on weekends, Concierge@floify.com has expanded hours (Monday through Friday 9:30 AM – 8:30 PM eastern, Saturday and Sunday 10:30 AM – 7:00 PM Eastern).

Floify and the Borrower Experience: We have some excellent helps and resources from Floify regarding the borrower’s experience and the co-pilot feature where you can follow along with your client while they are in their Floify Portal.  Check out the videos and articles below to become an expert in what your clients experience when accessing their accounts:

• Videos
  • Borrower Portal Overview
  • The Borrower’s Experience (this is a webinar)
  • Borrower Filling out the Application

 

• Help Articles
  • Co-Pilot
  • Borrower facing – Complete My Loan Application

 

• Broker Updates
  • Angel Oak has rolled out non-QM standalone closed-end seconds. You can find more details on this program here.
  • Quorum is now offering an interest-only first lien position HELOC “Bridge” product – see the attached PDF for additional information.
• Loan Template Sets – Floify/Loan Duplications

When loans are duplicated in Encompass or are submitted through Floify, they will come into Encompass without a loan template set applied. Best practice is to apply a loan template set the first time you are in the file. If you forget to do this, a Conventional Purchase template set will be applied by default.

• Licensing Renewals

It’s that time of year! Please see the attached email on licensing renewals. As a reminder, all licenses expire on 12/31/2023 – and you are not eligible to renew your license until your 2023 CE has been complete and posted in your NLMS account. If you have any questions, reach out to Shelby Losinski.

• Human Resources Update: Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment for 2024 is just around the corner! Invitations will be sent soon for informational meetings being held Monday, November 20 at 10am and 2pm eastern. Open Enrollment will start on Monday, November 20 and run through Friday, December 1. See attached PDF for additional details.

• Who Do I Contact

With recent changes to roles and responsibilities, our Need Help?  Who to call link on VDMC.net has been updated.  In a nutshell, all our “extra” department addresses (SpecUW, NonQM, BrokerSupport) have been suspended in favor of one general email address for each department: askUW@vandykmortgage.com, ProductionSupport@vandykmortgage.com, Compliance@vandykmortgage.com etc.  Please take a moment to review the Need Help?  Who to call link on VDMC.net to ensure your email communications are responded to as quickly as possible.

• SE Income Support?  PRISM and AskUW!

We are over a month into our full PRISM launch and with the success of this income tool we are transitioning away from our current Self-Employed and Rental Income Support Team set-up.  Have no fear, once you have completed your PRISM calculation, if you have concerns with your income, you can contact askuw@vandykmortgage.com for support.

• Property Taxes – Important!

We are approaching the months of the year where property taxes are coming due. This is important for us when structuring our LEs and cash to close on files. Many title companies and attorneys’ offices will begin using the estimates for what is due to establish tax proration credits, and we will also need to account for this in our escrow account set-up as well, which in turn effects the final monthly payment we use for qualification.

Please be sure that you are reviewing the most up-to-date estimates in your locality. Also be reminded that in situations where taxes or CDDs are paid for the year in advance, there is a considerable reimbursement due from our Borrowers to the Sellers on purchase transactions. This often grossly increases cash to close over what we may have estimated – please review your LEs and escrow account set-ups carefully and make sure that your borrowers have the most accurate information up front.

• QC Updates

During the QC process we continue to see numerous loan files that have employment and income discrepancies.  Here are some common red flags that, if you watch out for and address up front, should reduce the number of discrepancies and improve our overall loan quality.  See November’s Quality Control Insight letter attached for all the details.

• Offer letters and qualifying with future employment (start date after close)
• Unable to validate business – location, phone number, online presence, or websites.
• Applicant’s job title is generic – e.g., “manager” or “vice president.”
• Income levels are inconsistent with applicant’s occupation and position.
• Income appears to be out of line with the applicant’s type of employment, length of time at the employer, or education level.
• Recent large pay increases

Agency Updates

Fannie Mae has specified in their most recent Selling Guide Announcement that when a borrower is scheduled to begin new employment under the terms of an employment offer or contract, the offer or contract cannot be for employment by a family member or interested party to the transaction.  This is regardless of whether a paystub is obtained prior to loan delivery.

We are re-attaching the DU Release Notes from last month’s new as these updates will occur the weekend of November 18.

Reminder about LTV changes! BIG NEWS coming for DU Casefiles created on and after or resubmitted on and after the weekend of November 18, 2023!!!  LTVs are increasing to 2- and 3-4-unit properties up to 95%!!

 

Freddie Mac wins the hottest topic from the year – Income!  Most of the Freddie Mac bulletin surround income this month.  If you read anything, please read this!  (Okay – And read everything else, too.)

Freddie Mac is emphasizing the importance of documenting our income analysis and calculation as this may aid in future secondary reviews.  This starts from application.  When you are calculating income at any point in the loan process, please be sure that this is explained and documented if you are using anything other than the recommended income.  It could mean the difference between a post-closing issue and not.

 

The Bulletin this month also touches on history requirements, how to determine the earnings type, and fluctuating earnings.  Freddie Mac has created an FAQ to aid in their Employed Income Calculation and Requirements HERE

 

Timeshare Related Obligations:

*Timeshare loans are considered installment debts, regardless of how they are reflected on the credit report and are not considered housing payments; foreclosure time periods are not applicable.

*Timeshare maintenance fees are not required to be included in the monthly debt to income ratio. And

*Timeshare ownership is not considered an ownership interest for First-Time Homebuyers.

 

FHA  has made multiple updates to the 4000.1 – so much so that we are sharing the most recent version of the 4000.1 with changes effective November 7, 2023 HERE

Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) has seen some of the most specific updates from HUD.  We have attached a Summary Chart outlining these bullet points.

 

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Upcoming Events and Reminders

Miss a training? You’ll find our monthly newscast and Iron Sharpens Iron recordings in the VDM Vault. Department-specific trainings are shared in their respective Seafile folders.

Don’t forget: you can find invitations on our shared calendar under Whats Happening at VDMC.net (all times posted on the What’s Happening calendar are EST)

• Deal Desk: Loan Save with Dave: Every Tuesday at 1pm Eastern
• Deal Desk: Feature Topic + Loan Save with Dave: Every Thursday at 1pm Eastern
• VanDyk Mortgage Newscast: Friday, November 10 @ 1pm Eastern
• In-House HELOAN Training: Tuesday 11/14 @ 11am Eastern
• Production Roundtable: Wednesday, November 15 (National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day) @ 1pm Eastern REMINDER: ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY for all LPs and TCs/LOAs who perform TC functions.
• Iron Sharpens Iron: Tuesday, November 21 @ 11am Eastern

 

Variable Income

PRISM – When a borrower is a variable wage earner (hours or wage varies, union, traveling nurse, as examples),

make sure that the drop down within the Prism Worksheet reflects as “Variable” to get the most accurate income calculation.

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25 Points

October 6, 2023

• Floify Roundup

We had some exciting Floify updates last week (see attached Newsworthy News email). Let’s review some of the highlights:

• SimpleNexus access has been extended. If your borrower completed their initial disclosures in SN and their closing is before 12/31/23, they can stay in SimpleNexus. Any new files, TBDs, or loans that haven’t been disclosed yet need to be moved to Floify. See the attached Switch Guide for more details. We STRONGLY ENCOURAGE you to take this opportunity to reach out to your TBD borrowers and those who may be on the fence with a personal call/email – this is an excellent opportunity to get in front of them.
• The Mobile Mailbox has been disabled – any new loans submitted by borrowers will be imported by the Floify team and the branch will be notified. We will likely see a handful of old applications coming through – either from borrowers who started an app prior to Floify going live, or by partners/realtors giving out old links.
• Soft credit pulls must be obtained in Floify. More details on that below.

Check out the Floify Resources folder for recorded trainings and how-to guides. At the VDMC.net blog, the Howee’s Helpful Tips category is where you’ll find tips and tricks for Floify.

• SimpleNexus – Closing Documents + Login Reminders

When you’re utilizing SimpleNexus for closing, please advise borrowers to use the link that gets emailed to them to access their docs. If they go to the LO’s VanDyk website (name.vandykmortgage.com), it will incorrectly redirect them to Floify. Make sure those SN borrowers are logging in at https://simplenexus.com/login to access their existing loans.

• Soft Pulls in Floify

Currently, soft pulls are only available via Floify and are no longer available in SimpleNexus or on the Sarma website.  Please DO NOT request soft pulls directly from Encompass. See the attached how-to for pulling soft pulls in Floify. Like re-scores, the cost of a soft pull cannot be passed on to the borrower.  If you need access to an old report, please contact Production Support for assistance.

• Prism Income Calculation

Check out the Prism Income Calculation Resources folder for a step-by-step guide for using Prism, with embedded video walkthroughs of using the tool. We also have attached a comprehensive reference sheet that compiles all 4 of the live training sessions, lists the topics, and has timestamped links to the training to watch. We recommend using Ctrl+F if you use this guide as it’s quite extensive!

• Broker Updates
  • AFR has brought back site-built FHA Construction loans! Previously, site-built construction was only available on USDA and VA. (Note that Conventional Construction is still not available for site-built properties.)
  • Newrez will be joining us for product training on October 16 at 1pm Eastern. Since our in-house NonQM options are no longer available, we are happy to host NewRez on the broker side for a refresher! Watch your inbox for a training invitation – they will be sent this afternoon.
  • REMN 5 day HELOC loans are easy and require only a little effort on our part.  If you want to be paid the commission earned, the “little effort” you MUST complete includes creating the Encompass file, requesting/obtaining approval from Secondary to broker and uploading any docs REMN provides to you.
• .99 Interest Rates in OB

We are excited to announce that as of September 28, .99% rate options have been added to Optimal Blue. This is not an error – you may originate and lock loans with these interest rate options now.

• COCs and CDs – SLA and Training Opportunities

When you need a re-disclosure package (COC) sent out or a CD delivered, you are more than welcome to submit your request in Encompass and the compliance department will happily prepare and send for you.  That’s some great news!  Our SLA for these requests is by the end of the 2^nd business day.  Example – you submit your request on Monday, the package will be generated and sent by end of business Wednesday at the latest.  If you need something sent urgently, shoot an email over to compliance@vandykmortgage.com after you have submitted your request, and we will determine the ETA we can accommodate.  The REALLY GREAT NEWS is our compliance team is ready, willing, and excited to teach you and/or your designated branch team member how to prepare and deliver YOUR OWN COCs and CDs!  HOLY AWESOME!!!!  Take back the power and learn how to generate disclosures when you need them.  Contact compliance@vandykmortgage.com to schedule a one on one or team training – we look forward to hearing from you!

• New Form to Replace Credit Card Authorization Form

We are doing away with the payment authorization form in Encompass that requires credit card information.  To charge the borrower for fees outside of closing, the new CC Link Request form will be required.  The CC Link Request form is available in Howee and Seafile here.

Once form is received by accountingclerk@vandykmortgage.com, a payment link will be emailed to the person (Borrower/Co-Borrower) listed on the form.  Be sure to include the Encompass loan number on your form.  Intent to proceed is ALWAYS required before the borrower can be charged, and we will not be able to request payment for any non-disclosed fees.

The below example is what the borrower will receive in their email.

When they Click to view/pay invoice, they will be taken to the specific transaction details where they can see the details and make a payment.

 

Borrowers not able to pay online can call the Accounting department to make a payment over the phone.

• Freddie Mac LPA with a Soft Pull

We have negotiated pricing for Sarma soft pulls – they will now be $5.50 per bureau per borrower, with a $2.25 mailing disclosure fee per borrower – but there is no reissue or Encompass fee if we run through Freddie Mac’s LPA.  That comes to $18.75 for an individual tri-merge soft pull – all in. Note: We cannot pass the cost of the soft pull over to the borrower (same as with a rescore).

At this time, Xactus is not able to provide us with the tri-merge soft pulls needed for running LPA, so we are only offering this option with SARMA.

Be mindful that the credit data could change in the time between the soft and hard pull (FICO score, balances, payments, inquiries etc).  If a soft pull is obtained after a tri-merge, a new tri-merge will be required and the most recent tri-merge used to qualify the borrower.

SARMA is all set up for a 3-bureau soft pull that can be run through Freddie Mac’s LPA.  Here are the important details:

1. Soft Pull MUST be pulled in Floify as a tri-merge.

1. If not running through LPA, a single or two bureau report can be pulled instead of a tri-merge.
2. Production Support can assist with the initial set up.

1. ALL soft pulls are required to be obtained via Floify.

1. For those few instances where borrowers are not in any LOS and deliver items face to face, contact Production Support for an exception/assistance.

1. All loan types can be run through LPA with a soft pull (except USDA which require GUS)

1. Fannie Mae DU is not eligible.
2. Manual UW/Bond programs are not eligible.

1. Loans can be conditionally approved in UW with the LPA + soft pull.
2. Processors should clearly list on the UW Cover Letter a soft pull is being used.
3. AI UW and/or manual UW condition(s) will be added to the file indicating a hard pull is needed.
4. Loans CAN be locked using a soft pull.
5. Loans CANNOT have a CD issued or be re-submitted for CTC with a soft pull.

• Xactus – Credit Provider

Reminder for those interested in an alternate credit option, XACTUS is available.  The A/E info is below – Kimberly is excited to talk with you and provide one on one or group training whenever you like.

Kimberly Donovan​ Strategic Account Manager

D:  (800) 258-3488 x4548 M:  (630) 337-3330  kimberly.donovan@xactus.com xactus.com

• Chenoa Fund Update

Great news from Chenoa: loans with AUS approval will not have payment shock calculations applied!

• NexBank

As announced in the September news, NexBank is offering reduced LLPAs on Second Home and Investment properties under their Mortgage Connect product. Reminder – these are portfolio products for the bank, so these loans will be underwritten by NexBank.

Currently, after a loan is locked and the lender specified as NexBank, DO must be run instead of DU.  UW will add a condition specifying this to ensure proper delivery.  Once DO is run, DU will NOT work.  We have set DO credentials accordingly and wanted you to be aware that you will receive an error message if you try to run DU after DO has been completed (and vice versa).  We are hopeful the requirement for DO can be removed in the future and will advise if the procedure changes. For assistance or questions, contact ProductionSupport@vandykmortgage.com

• Marketing Updates

New Training Resource: We’re excited to introduce the Real Estate Agent Co-marketing Training Journey, now available in your Total Expert accounts. This training is designed to assist your Real Estate Agent partners in maximizing the benefits of our Co-marketing tools.

Floify Marketing Materials: During the week of 9/26, we dispatched Floify marketing materials to your agent partners via your weekly marketing piece. Even if you opted out of sending the weekly piece for that week, you can still access this email in your Total Expert account.

Daily Office Hours: Have questions about either of these topics or anything related to Total Expert or other marketing technology? Join our daily office hours at 2:30 pm EST. Add office hours to your calendar.

• QC Update: Income Misrepresentation

Did you know that income fraud increased by 27.3% from 2021 to 2022? Most industry experts and risk managers say the increase in income fraud risk is their number one concern, methods of committing income fraud is through doctored paystubs.

• Compliance Corner with James Beebe

You have likely noticed recent guidance and clarifications around compliance rules – for instance, when it comes to getting authorization to pull credit. As we know all too well, the industry is constantly changing. We need to ensure that we are compliant, secure, and keeping up with state and federal rules. In an effort to provide transparency and clarify VanDyk’s best practices, James Beebe, our Chief Compliance Officer & General Counsel, has put together important memos regarding three topics which we recommend you review and become familiar with.  The memos are attached with a few important takeaways below:

• Information Security – do not accept unencrypted/unprotected document delivery of anyone’s private information and do not store these private documents anywhere outside of the Encompass or POS system (Floify/Simple Nexus)
• Credit Pull Authorization– get permission in writing from the borrower before credit is pulled.
• Pre-Approval Letters– Use only company approved letters, which can be generated in Floify and Encompass.  Uploading a copy of the letter into the Encompass file eFolder is a requirement.

 

Fair Lending Policy – Consistent Lender Fees

As a reminder, our Fair Lending Policy states that itemized lender fees must remain consistent for all borrowers, except in cases where there are legitimate, well-documented justifications for differentiation. When adjustments are necessary, we must adhere to our established practice of lender crediting the 801 fees rather than removing them entirely.

 

Agency Updates

Fannie Mae is beginning to align more with Freddie Mac in regard to Rental Income and Self-Employed Borrowers.  Where we previously had some flexibilities, this is changing for all loans with application dates on and after January 1, 2024.  Here are some bullet points of these impending changes:

Rental Income:

1. Non-Subject Rental Properties acquired in the last 12 months will require the borrower to have a primary housing expense and at least a one-year history of property management experience to use the full amount of rental income towards qualifying, otherwise the amount may be limited.
2. Lease Agreement use – Form 1007 or Form 1025 must support the income reflected on the lease agreement or the lease agreement must provide evidence the terms of the lease have gone into effect with proof of receipt for at least two-month’s rental payments.

Self Employed:

1. Less than a two-year history – Personal and Business Federal Tax Returns must reflect a minimum of 12 months of self-employment income from the current business (if a business was opened 2/1/2022, the 2022 tax return would not have a full 12 months of self-employment income and therefore could not be considered).
2. Using one-year of Tax Returns – This will only be allowed when ALL self-employed businesses have been in existence for five years and the borrower has had a 25% or greater ownership interest for the last 5 consecutive years.

BIG NEWS coming for DU Casefiles created on and after or resubmitted on and after the weekend of November 18, 2023!!!  LTVs are increasing to 2- and 3-4-unit properties up to 95%!!  Additional messaging updates will also be occurring over November 18^th weekend for changes announced in our previous news surrounding Limited Cash-Out Refinances, Gift Donors, and Trust Income.  See the attached DU V 11.1 Release Notes and the Newsflash email for full details.

. . .

Freddie Mac is also making updates to Rental Income requirements for Settlement Dates on and after April 1, 2024.

Lease Agreements:

1. Lease term of a minimum of one-year is being removed – This is a flex!
2. Newly Executed Leases must require the due date of the first rental payment be no later than the first payment due date of the Mortgage.
3. Evidence of receipt of the security deposit plus first month’s rent OR receipt of two month’s rental payments AND must have evidence that the payments were cashed or deposited into the Borrower’s depository account or transferred into a third-party money transfer application account owned by the borrower.

ADU:

1. At least one-comparable sale must have an ADU that is rented, when rental income generated from and ADU on a subject 1-unit Primary Residence is being removed as an appraisal requirement.

For the complete Freddie Mac Bulletin visit https://guide.freddiemac.com/app/guide/bulletin/2023-19

We will be working on an updated Rental Income Cheat Sheet for publishing by the end of the year with the changes!

Also attached for Freddie Mac are LPA Release Notes and updated Feedback Messages for your reading pleasure!

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Upcoming Events and Reminders

Miss a training? You’ll find our monthly newscast and Iron Sharpens Iron recordings in the VDM Vault. Department-specific trainings are shared in their respective Seafile folders.

Don’t forget: you can find invitations on our shared calendar under Upcoming Events at VDMC.net.

• Deal Desk: Loan Save with Dave: Every Tuesday at 1pm Eastern
• Deal Desk: Feature Topic + Loan Save with Dave: Every Thursday at 1pm Eastern
• VanDyk Mortgage Newscast: Friday, October 13 @ 1pm Eastern
• Newrez Broker Product Refresher: Monday, October 16 @ 1pm Eastern
• Iron Sharpens Iron: Tuesday, October 17 @ 11am Eastern
• Production Roundtable: Oct 24th @ 12 PM EST – National Bologna Day REMINDER: ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY for all LPs and TCs/LOAs who perform TC functions.

 

Rent Free Letters

When a borrower is living Rent-Free and a Rent-Free Letter is required, evidence that the person providing the letter is either the owner of the home or the person on the existing lease is required.
A letter just from the borrower is not acceptable.

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Sarma + Freddie Mac LPA

As a reminder, when running LP with a Sarma credit report, make sure you are choosing MeridianLink (2) as the provider, with SARMA in the second dropdown.

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25 Points

Floify/SimpleNexus Pipeline Tip
You can add the Loan Source and Floify ID columns to your Encompass view to help manage your pipeline.

If the loan is active in Floify, it will have a Floify ID. If it’s blank, it hasn’t been set up in Floify yet.

For loans that were started in SimpleNexus but won’t close before 12/31, or for any new loans or TBDs, we want to make sure we see a Floify ID! If you don’t see a Floify ID, add your loan to Floify.

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