Residential Loan Underwriter

The Residential Loan Underwriter is responsible for evaluating and underwriting residential mortgage loan applications to assess borrower creditworthiness, loan eligibility, and compliance with established lending guidelines. This position analyzes borrower financial information, credit reports, income and asset documentation, property information, and other relevant records to make sound, consistent, and well-documented credit decisions. The Underwriter ensures that loans meet applicable investor, agency, regulatory and company requirements while maintaining prudent risk management practices and supporting efficient loan processing. This role requires strong analytical skills, attention to detail, independent judgment, and effective communication to facilitate timely, accurate, and compliant lending decisions. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS Review and underwrite residential mortgage loan applications, including purchase, refinance, conventional, non-conforming, home equity lines of credit, home equity loans, and other applicable loan products. Analyze borrower credit history, income, employment, assets, liabilities, debt-to-income ratios, loan-to-value ratios, and overall financial capacity; review and validate supporting documentation, including pay stubs, W-2?s, tax returns, bank statements, employment verifications, and self-employed income records. Evaluate property and collateral documentation, including appraisals, title reports, purchase contracts and other relevant property information. Assess loan eligibility and risk, exercise independent credit judgment within established lending authority, and issue approvals, conditional approvals, suspensions or denials in accordance with applicable underwriting guidelines and credit policies. Document underwriting decisions, supporting rationale, and outstanding conditions in the loan origination system, ensuring loan files comply with applicable investor, agency regulatory, and company requirements. Identify potential fraud, misrepresentation, undisclosed liabilities, income discrepancies, collateral concerns, and other credit or eligibility risks; escalate complex or unusual issues to management or the appropriate department. Communicate underwriting decisions, documentation requirements, and outstanding conditions effectively with loan officers, processors, closing teams, borrowers, and other stakeholders, as appropriate. Maintain established underwriting turn times, productivity, and service standards while ensuring accuracy, consistency, and quality. Stay current with mortgage lending regulations, investor requirements, agency guidelines, underwriting standards, and company policies; participate in quality control reviews, audits, and process improvement initiatives. Maintain the confidentiality and security of borrower financial, personal, and other sensitive information. EXPERIENCE, SKILLS & EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS 2 or more years of residential mortgage underwriting preferred, with a strong understanding of mortgage lending principles, credit analysis, and underwriting practices. Working knowledge of applicable agency, investor, regulatory and company underwriting guidelines. Experience with automated underwriting systems, including Desktop Underwriter (DU) and/or Loan Product Advisor (LPA), as well as mortgage loan origination systems and Microsoft Office applications. Strong analytical, critical-thinking, problem-solving, and credit decision-making skills, with sound judgment in assessing loan eligibility and credit risk. Excellent attention to detail, organizational skills, and documentation practices to ensure accurate, consistent, and compliant underwriting decisions. Ability to manage multiple loan files, prioritize competing demands, and meet established productivity, turnaround time, and service-level requirements.