Chapter
3
Miscellaneous Policies
Page 3-06
Once
you have received approval from the "Lender Approval and Recertification
Division" in Washington, DC, as a supervised or non-supervised lender,
you may request permission to enter the Direct Endorsement (DE)
pre-closing process. This is done by contacting the Processing and
Underwriting Division of the Homeownership
Center,
in writing, in the jurisdiction of the lender's corporate office.
(Each HOC requires submission of pre-closing files.) Your request
to enter pre-closing should identify the DE underwriter, and include
copies of your approval letter and the "Application for Approval
FHA Lender and/or Ginnie Mae Mortgage-Backed Securities Issuer."
Upon
receipt of the above-mentioned items, a "Welcome Letter" is mailed
to the lender for review and notification to set-up an "entrance
interview." After the interview is conducted, you may begin submitting
cases for the pre-closing review. The reviews consist of not less
than 15 cases. The cases are submitted for underwriting analysis,
appraisal review, and issuance of a firm commitment. Upon receipt
of 15 acceptable reviews as evidenced by issuance of a firm commitment
the lender will be granted full and unconditional DE approval.
Five
of the fifteen cases may be a combination of streamline refinances
and automated underwritten/TOTAL cases.
In
addition, if a lender is seeking Direct Endorsement unconditional
release, separately or at the same time for approval to underwrite
HECM loans, the submission of a minimum of 5 cases and the issuance
of the firm commitments are required. Please properly and boldly
identify cases as "PRE-CLOSING TEST CASES." We suggest that you
place a cover sheet with the wording "PRE-CLOSING TEST CASE" on
the outside of the binder. Due to the huge volume of cases passing
through the mailroom, it is easy to misdirect cases that are not
properly identified. Pre-closing test cases will be given a 3-business
day turnaround time, commencing with the date received. If the case
is completed sooner, you will be notified through the FHA Connection.
Please do not call for status unless the 3-day period has passed.
In
order to provide the highest level of service, files submitted as
test cases on a post-closing basis will be reviewed on a lower priority
basis than test cases waiting to close.
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