Third quarter of 2020 is almost over, and we are feeling the strain of the increased production and COVID restrictions, and from all indications these conditions will continue for a while. To update you on what we are doing in the Lending department to get back to our normal turn time and service commitments.
Richard Passanante has been promoted to Asst. Chief Operating Officer. His focus will be the Lending Department starting with staffing, streamlining the process, and improving communication throughout the departments. Rich is a dedicated hard-working individual and has already shown that he will excel in this role.
Rich has been diligently working on finding underwriters and has seven new underwriters starting in the next two weeks and more offers in process. We are also working on procedures for the option for processors to send your conventional MI deals directly to a few MI companies if you wish, and other options for getting the backlog caught up.
Lindsey will be working on training our underwriting staff on our various products, so we have complete coverage and creating a support system to allow them to improve their workflow and environment.
Ryan has hired people for Closing and Compliance, and we are starting to see improved turn times in those areas.
Your Regional Managers are assisting with recruiting efforts for new underwriters. If you have any referrals, please send to your RM and they will work with HR and Rich to schedule an interview. We will continue to use all resources available to us to get these new volume levels to be our new normal and not an exception.
Thank you for your patience and hard work. We are a team and we rise and fall as a team and we look forward to getting back to the amazing service you have always counted on.
Topics in the Announcement
- Power of Attorney and Trust Approvals
Effective immediately, please email POA.Trust@vandykmortgage.com with requests for approval of Power of Attorneys and Trusts. Please allow at least 24 hours for review. Reminder, we need an executed Hardship Letter and copy of the Power Of Attorney for POA approvals, and need a signed Attorney Opinion Letter for Trust Approvals. Attached are the POA checklist and the Closing in a Trust checklist to reference VanDyk’s requirements: POWER OF ATTORNEY APPROVAL CHECKLIST revised August 10 2016 | CLOSING IN A TRUST (1)
- Work Number VOE’s are now being obtained through Equifax
Guidance is attached showing how to order these within Encompass. Please do not order using The Work Number website. VanDyk Corporate only pays for VOE’s that are ordered through Encompass. Encompass The Work Number Guidance Sept 2020
- USDA Rural Development fee structure for coming year published
The fees for the coming year have remained unchanged at 1% upfront guarantee fee and .35% annual fee for both purchase and refinance transactions. See also attached regarding yearly lapse in funding. The lapse will have no effect on our loan flow or procedures. USDA Fees Fiscal year Oct 2020 through Oct 2021
- Flood Certificates are now to be obtained from Corelogic
Please begin choosing Corelogic for your Flood Certificates. Effective October 1, 2020, Corelogic will be the only flood certificate company available to be chosen in Encompass.
- Reminders From Servicing
The Servicing Department would like to remind everyone of the attached Recast Policy, and the attached PMI Cancellation Requirements as we have had a number of inquiries of recent: Recast Policy and Guidelines (external) | PMI Cancellation and Removal Policy and Guidelines (External)
Also, VanDyk Mortgage Corporation does not offer any form of bi-weekly payment options. Any third party providers who offer this service are not affiliated, and we ask that no one actively directs a borrower to enroll in these services.
- Appraisals imported into Encompass from Mercury
Changes have been made to streamline the import process of appraisals from Mercury to Encompass. There is no longer a need to exclude any information. Leave all included items checked as-is. Some fields now show greyed out.
- USDA Chapter 6
Attached please find USDA’s changes regarding eligible loans purposes. RD-GRH-AdvanceCopyChapter6
Compliance and Closing Turn Time/Cutoffs:
- Initials:
- 24 hours from submission of LE page 0
- Redisclosures:
- 24 hours from submission of LE page 4 – Either LE or CD.
- TRID Reviews:
- 24hrs from TRID Ready date.
- Resub+ will be given priority – Will accommodate same day TRID if submitted prior to 2pm EST and rush is requested.
- Files worked max of 10 calendar days from ECD.
- 24hrs from TRID Ready date.
- Initial CD:
- CDs issuance depends on milestone.
- Resub+
- A closer will be assigned and will issue your CD within 24-48hrs of clearing TRID depending on volume and ECD.
- Cond. Approval
- Branch must request an unbalanced CD through LE page 4. Compliance will issue your CD within 24-48hrs depending on volume and ECD.
- Resub+
- CDs issuance depends on milestone.
- Closing Package – CTC:
- Must be CTC by 3pm 48hrs prior to closing – ECD will be move out once cutoff is missed.
- Rush Closings:
- Rush closings are becoming increasingly difficult to accommodate and if the file misses the CTC cutoff it is likely your ECD will need to be extended. However, if a rush is needed a rush request will be reviewed using the following criteria:
- All rushes must be approved by management (Monique Garcia). The closer on the file cannot authorize a rush closing, it must go through management.
- Purchases will be given priority over refinances, however even purchase rushes cannot be guaranteed.
- Rush closings are becoming increasingly difficult to accommodate and if the file misses the CTC cutoff it is likely your ECD will need to be extended. However, if a rush is needed a rush request will be reviewed using the following criteria:
- Bond Loans cannot be rushed due to their complexity to close.
End of Month Closing Conditions:
- 9/30 – Reserved for purchases and non-rescindable refinances only.
- Saturday Closings – 9/26 will be open for closing primary refinances if your file is CTC by 8am Friday the 25th.
NEXT Month – October Closing Conditions:
- Saturday Closings – 10/24 will be open for closing primary refinances if your file is CTC by 8am Friday the 10/23.
- 10/30 – Reserved for purchases and non-rescindable refinances only.
Title Company Searches in Encompass – Custom View
Attached please find instructions on how to create and save a custom view to find VanDyk’s approved title companies. Once created, use of this view will save you a great deal of time and effort.
These instructions can also be used for creating custom views for any business file category:
Encompass Approved Title Company Search Tutorial Sept 2020
IRS TAX TRANSCRIPTS and AMENDED RETURNS
Tax transcript orders should be placed as soon as possible at the start of the process to prevent delays with Underwriting Final Approval. If a borrower has amended any return used for qualification, tax transcripts will always be required to reflect the amendment. Amended returns are not accepted if the amendment takes place after loan application. A borrower cannot amend tax returns to qualify.