Mortgage Underwriter

Firstsource•Palm Bay, FL

About The Position

The HELOC Loan Underwriter is the credit decision authority for the credit union's home equity line of credit program. This role is responsible for evaluating the creditworthiness of HELOC applicants against the credit union's board-approved lending policy, ensuring that every credit decision is accurate, consistent, well-documented, and defensible under NCUA examination. The Underwriter analyzes the complete Four C's — Credit, Capacity, Capital, and Collateral — and issues clear, actionable decisions supported by detailed conditions that allow compliant processing teams to move files forward without ambiguity.

Requirements

Minimum 4 years of mortgage underwriting experience, with at least 2 years specifically underwriting home equity products.
Expert-level income analysis skills — including self-employed income analysis using Schedule C, 1120S, 1065, and K-1 documentation.
Working knowledge of Encompass LOS including the condition log, eFolder review, and milestone management.
Deep familiarity with ECOA adverse action requirements, HMDA data elements, and compliance as applied to HELOC transactions.
Demonstrated ability to make credit decisions independently and defend those decisions in writing against examiner or audit scrutiny.
Strong analytical and written communication skills — conditions and decision narratives must be clear, specific, and actionable.
Track record of accurate, timely decisioning with a first-submission approval rate and condition specificity that enables clean file flow.

Nice To Haves

Credit union underwriting experience — familiarity with NCUA examination process and member-relationship lending culture.
Experience underwriting in Texas, New York, or other states with complex home equity lending requirements.
Experience serving as an underwriting trainer or mentor for junior underwriters or processors.

Responsibilities

Review and decision HELOC loan files submitted by the processing team — issuing conditions for approval, final approval, or denials in compliance with the credit union's board-approved credit policy and any applicable regulatory requirements.
Conduct a comprehensive credit analysis covering: tri-merge credit report review, tradeline history, derogatory item evaluation, mortgage and rental payment history, recent inquiry analysis, credit score tier determination, income, assets, property, lien position, and all other underwriting decision factors as presented in file.
Calculate qualifying income for all borrower types — W-2 salaried, hourly, commission, self-employed, retired, and rental income earners — using the credit union's approved income analysis methodology.
Complete back-end and front-end DTI calculations.
Evaluate collateral using the appraisal or AVM report — reviewing comparable selection, market condition adjustments, property condition rating, and the resulting CLTV against policy maximums by property type and occupancy.
Review title report or title commitment for lien position, outstanding encumbrances, judgments, tax liens, mechanics liens, and any title exceptions that affect insurability or lien priority.
Issue clear, specific conditions that are achievable, policy-grounded, and actionable by the processing team — avoiding vague conditions that require repeated interpretation.
Prepare exception requests documenting the compensating factors considered, the exception granted or denied, and the approval authority level in compliance with the credit policy exception framework.
Maintain a working knowledge of fair lending requirements — ensuring that credit decisions are based solely on documented, credit-policy-grounded factors and that no file reflects differential treatment based on a protected characteristic.
Provide clear written decision rationale in Encompass for every file — approved with conditions, suspended, or denied — sufficient to reconstruct the decision logic during an NCUA examination or a member dispute.
Respond to processing team condition clearance submissions within 24 hours of receipt — reviewing documentation, clearing eligible conditions, and issuing any secondary conditions clearly identified as such.
Participate in pipeline review calls identifying stalled files, exception trends, and systemic underwriting issues.
Respond to prefund and post-closing review and audits in a timely fashion.
Maintain comprehensive working knowledge of TILA/Regulation Z, ECOA/Regulation B, FCRA, HMDA/Regulation C, and NCUA real estate lending regulations (12 CFR Part 723).
Apply fair lending principles consistently across every file — document the credit rationale for every decision in terms that demonstrate consistency with how similarly situated applicants are treated.
Flag any file with potential BSA/AML concerns — large unexplained deposits, third-party payoffs, or identity inconsistencies — to the BSA Officer before issuing a decision.
Verify completion of OFAC screening and flood determination before issuing an approval decision.
Maintain underwriting decision records in Encompass sufficient to support NCUA examination, internal audit, and fair lending review for the required retention period.