FHA TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard
FHA TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard
04-47user guide
FHA TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard
OMB: 2502-0556
FHA TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard User Guide
INTRODUCTION
This User Guide is designed to assist lenders using the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) Technology Open To Approved Lenders (TOTAL) Mortgage Scorecard deployed in conjunction with various automated underwriting systems (AUS). FHA’s TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard evaluates the overall creditworthiness of the applicants based on a number of credit variables and, when combined with the functionalities of the AUS, indicates a recommended level of underwriting and documentation to determine a loan’s eligibility for insurance by FHA. Taken together, TOTAL and the AUS either conclude that the borrowers’ credit and capacity for repayment of the mortgage are acceptable or will refer the loan application to a Direct Endorsement (DE) underwriter for further consideration and review. It is FHA’s policy that no borrower be denied a FHA-insured mortgage solely on the basis of a risk assessment generated by the TOTAL mortgage scorecard.
The mortgage credit portion of loan applications that receive an accept or approve recommendation (competing AUSs may use either term) need not be reviewed by a DE underwriter, and neither the mortgage credit analysis worksheet nor the DE Approval (HUD-92900-A, page 3) need indicate the individual underwriter’s Computerized Homes Underwriting Management System (CHUMS) identification number. Instead, these documents will show the identification number assigned by FHA for its TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard and provide feedback to the lender. A DE underwriter must underwrite the appraisal according to standard FHA requirements regardless of the mortgage credit risk score determined by the scorecard.
Each AUS using FHA’s Mortgage Scorecard produces a document that provides feedback to the lender. The feedback document upon which the lender makes its credit decision (typically, the result from the last scoring event) must be included in the binder submitted to FHA for insurance purposes even if the loan application is referred to a DE underwriter for manual underwriting. It is to be placed on the right-hand side of the endorsement binder, top sheets.
Regardless of the risk assessment provided, the lender remains accountable for compliance with FHA eligibility requirements, as well as for any credit, capacity, and documentation requirements not covered in this user guide. A registered DE underwriter must fully underwrite those applications where the AUS refers the loan application to an underwriter for review and comply with the underwriting requirements described in Handbook HUD 4155.1 REV-5, Mortgage Credit Analysis, and applicable mortgagee letters and other policy directives.
Chapter 1 of this User Guide describes the process for submitting loans, the programs and property types eligible for risk assessment by FHA’s Mortgage Scorecard, and data integrity issues. Chapter 2 describes underwriting issues and contrasts the documentation requirements between loans rated as accept/approve and those rated as refer, and details system overrides and manual downgrades. Chapter 3 briefly describes mortgage endorsement procedures.
Summary of Credit Policy Revisions and Documentation Reductions
As described in greater detail in Chapter 2 in this guide, borrowers may be eligible for some or all of the reduced documentation and credit policy revisions in the following categories, depending on the risk class of the mortgage. Most of the credit policy revisions to the underwriting requirements of the mortgage credit analysis handbook and documentation reductions are available only on loans scored as accept or approve.
For ease of reading, we have chosen to use “lender” in lieu of “mortgagee” throughout this user guide. However, lender is to be interpreted as a FHA-approved mortgagee as described in 24 CFR § 202.10.
CHAPTER 1
LOAN SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The Loan Origination System (LOS) being used, as well as the AUS vendor or platform, will determine the manner in which data are entered into the AUS, including the field names, which may vary across systems. The instructions below are designed to provide lenders with basic information on FHA standards and definitions.
Please note that although all of the following products and programs are eligible for risk assessment using FHA’s TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard, it is possible that not all are supported by the AUS. Mortgage lenders will need to check the AUS vendor’s user guide for details. The AUS’s proprietary user guide will provide the requirements for data input specific to that AUS.
Property and Program Eligibility
To obtain a credit risk assessment from FHA’s TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard, the loan must meet the following FHA eligibility criteria:
Loan Purpose
Purchase Money Mortgage
Construction-to-Permanent Mortgages
Regular Refinance with Credit Qualifying
Cash-Out Refinances up to 85 percent of the appraised value
Streamline Refinance (both credit qualifying and non-credit qualifying, provided sufficient data is entered and verified to obtain a risk analysis)
Credit Qualifying Assumptions
FHA Insurance Product
203(b)---Standard FHA product for detached dwellings
203(h)---Mortgages for Disaster Victims
234(c)---Unit Mortgages in Condominium Projects
203(k)---Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance
251---Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) on single family Detached and Condominium Units
Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs) (see instructions under “Income and PITI Information,” below)
Section 247---Hawaiian Home Land mortgages
Property Types
Single family dwellings of 1- to 4-living units [Note: 3- and 4-unit properties have additional underwriting requirements as described in Handbook HUD 4155.1 REV-5 which may or may not be supported by the AUS]
Manufactured homes meeting FHA’s property requirements for Title II mortgage insurance
Units in Low- and High-Rise Condominium Projects [Note: Project must be FHA approved or individual unit must be eligible using “spot condo” processing]
Plan Type
Fixed Rate Mortgages
Adjustable Rate Mortgages, including 1-year ARMs and FHA’s hybrid ARMs of 3-, 5-, 7-, and 10-years
Loan Application Information and Definitions
The Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA) captures most of the information needed to obtain a risk assessment from an AUS, and a completed URLA is required for all FHA insured mortgages. The following guidance is to ensure that information entered into the LOS/AUS meets FHA eligibility criteria. Income, assets, debts, and other credit variables entered into the AUS to obtain a risk assessment evaluation using FHA’s TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard must meet FHA’s eligibility for that loan application element.
Type of Mortgage and Terms of Loan
Section I of the URLA captures data on the Type of Mortgage and Terms of the Loan, including interest rate, etc. The interest rate at which the loan will close is to be entered in the AUS for qualifying purposes; any increase requires a resubmission. Borrowers using 1-year ARMs are to be qualified at an interest rate one percentage point above the initial rate if the loan-to-value equals or exceeds 95 percent. FHA’s 3-year, 5-year, 7-year, and 10-year ARMs are to be underwritten at the loan’s initial interest rate.
Property Information/Section II
This captures information on the property and purpose of the loan. Because the maximum insured mortgage is a function of location and the number of units, accurately enter the property county and property state as listed in the AUS vendor’s Maximum Mortgage Limit Table (if provided by the AUS vendor).
Borrower Information/Section III
Must include a two-year residency history for each borrower (except for streamline refinances of FHA-insured mortgages).
Employment Information/Section IV
Must include a two-year employment history for each borrower (except for streamline refinances of FHA-insured mortgages).
Income and Principal, Interest, Taxes and Insurance (PITI) Information/Section V
All income entered into the AUS for risk assessment purposes must meet FHA’s requirements for qualifying income (as explained in Handbook HUD4155.1 REV-5 and applicable mortgagee letters). The lender is responsible for ascertaining that the income used in qualifying the applicant meets FHA’s criteria for inclusion in the qualifying ratios.
PITI consists of the items listed below (as well as any other real estate owned):
Principal and Interest
Real Estate Taxes (if proposed construction, base estimate on property being completed and valued/reassessed by the taxing authority)
Hazard Insurance Premiums
Monthly FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums
Flood Insurance
Ground Rent
Homeowner’s Association Dues/Condominium Fees
Other property related special assessments
Subordinate Financing payments scheduled to begin within three years of loan closing
If the mortgage being underwritten is a one-year ARM with a loan-to-value (LTV) ratio equal to or greater than 95 percent, calculate the Principal and Interest using a rate one percentage point above the loan’s initial interest rate. FHA’s 3-, 5-, 7-, and 10-year ARMs are to be underwritten at the loan’s initial interest rate.
If the mortgage being underwritten is an Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM), and the AUS does not separately accommodate such mortgages, use the following instructions for underwriting these loans. If the lender obtains an “accept” or “approve” on a mortgage loan application prior to adding the energy efficient improvements, FHA will recognize the risk rating from the AUS and permit the increased mortgage payments without re-underwriting or re-scoring provided that the lender’s DE underwriter certifies that he or she has reviewed the calculations associated with the energy efficient improvements, and found the mortgage and the property to be in compliance with FHA’s underwriting instructions. This language must appear either in the remarks section of the mortgage credit analysis worksheet or on a separate document in the case binder.
Assets/Section VI
Asset documentation must comply with FHA requirements. All asset information entered into the AUS must be verifiable and meet FHA requirements for eligibility.
Verified Reserves After Closing are not a requirement for FHA underwriting (except on 3- and 4-unit properties), but are nevertheless considered in the mortgage evaluation. If not already calculated by the LOS, this information should be entered in the appropriate field for the automated underwriting database. See Chapter 2 of this User Guide for information on what assets may be considered as Reserves for qualifying purposes.
Liabilities Section VI
Include the following amounts, if applicable, in Total Debt:
All debts listed on credit report that are not excludable under the conditions described below.
Alimony, child support, separate maintenance agreements (Note: Because of the tax treatment of alimony, the lender may reduce the borrower’s monthly gross income by the amount of the alimony payments rather than include it as a debt obligation under Total Debt. If this option is chosen, do not also include the alimony payment in the data field that calculates Total Debt.)
Negative Rent on other real estate owned
Mortgage Debt (PITI) on other real estate owned
Installment debt (Note: Installment debts with fewer than ten payments remaining may be excluded from the ratio calculations. However, if the AUS indicates that manual underwriting is required, then the DE underwriter must determine that short-term debt will not negatively affect the borrower’s ability to make mortgage payments during the early months following loan settlement. See Handbook HUD 4155.1 REV-5 for additional information.)
Significant (greater than $100 per month) debt payment not shown on the credit report and all debts disclosed by the borrower.
Payment from new debt resulting from material inquiries on credit report within 90 days of application. Material inquiries result in obligations incurred by the mortgage borrowers and may include other mortgages, auto loans and leases, or other installment loans and must be considered in the underwriting analysis. Inquiries from department stores, credit bureaus, and insurance companies are not considered as “material.”
Those debts that must be considered in the qualifying ratios if the borrower resides in or the property is located in a community property state, per Handbook HUD 4155.1 REV-5.
Loan Resubmission Requirements
The lender is responsible for the integrity of the data used to obtain the risk assessment, and for resubmitting the loan when material changes are discovered or otherwise occur during loan processing. The lender is required to resubmit the loan through the automated underwriting system for an updated evaluation under any of the conditions described below.
Borrowers were either added to or deleted from the loan application. Those borrowers shown on the most recent submission into the AUS must be the same borrowers who sign the mortgage note/deed of trust.
Borrower’s income and/or cash assets/reserves decrease.
There were changes to the sales price or terms and conditions of the mortgage.
Any changes are discovered that would negatively affect the borrowers’ ability to repay the mortgage.
Information about the property valuation changes (e.g., the appraised value is determined to be less than the sales price).
CHAPTER 2
UNDERWRITING REQUIREMENTS
The underwriting and documentation instructions contained throughout this chapter are designed only for lenders using FHA’s TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard in conjunction with an AUS. For mortgage loans scored as “accept” or “approve,” FHA has granted a number of credit policy revisions and documentation relief from the instructions in Handbook HUD 4155.1 REV-5 as described below. Lenders must still comply with outstanding eligibility requirements and ensure the integrity and accuracy of the data used to render a decision. Loan applications receiving a “refer” risk classification are remanded to a DE underwriter and FHA’s credit policies as described in HUD Handbook 4155.1 REV-5 apply, subject to certain specific modifications as detailed below.
Credit and Capacity to Repay Evaluation
FHA’s Mortgage Scorecard evaluates the borrower’s credit history, income, cash reserves, and other components of creditworthiness and either determines that the borrower is acceptable as a mortgage credit risk and may be processed with reduced documentation, or refers the loan application to a DE underwriter for his or her personal review and evaluation. This chapter describes how lenders may use FHA’s TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard deployed through an approved AUS in evaluating the borrower’s credit and capacity to repay the mortgage including:
Adequacy of Income;
Funds to Close and Cash Reserves; and
Credit History
Risk Classification and Related Responsibilities
Lenders should also refer to the user guides developed by the AUS vendor. However, feedback messages provided by the AUS vendor do not supersede the written guidelines issued by FHA in this User Guide.
“Accept/Approve”
If the AUS using the TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard rates the mortgage loan application as an accept or approve, based on the analysis of the credit and capacity to repay and certain other loan characteristics, the loan is eligible for FHA’s insurance endorsement provided:
The data entered into the AUS are true, complete, properly documented, and accurate; and
The entire loan package meets all other FHA requirements (except for those specifically not required because the loan was evaluated by an AUS). FHA requires adherence to all eligibility rules and the documentation requirements described elsewhere in this User Guide and Handbook HUD 4155.1 REV-5. The DE underwriter need not use his or her personal CHUMS identification number on forms HUD-92900-WS, 92900-PUR, loan information summary sheet, or 92900-A and must substitute the CHUMS identifier provided as feedback by TOTAL.
“Approve/Ineligible” Recommendations
The AUS vendor may also provide “approve/ineligible” recommendations. Loans receiving this recommendation have been determined to have met FHA’s Mortgage Scorecard threshold but do not meet certain FHA eligibility requirements. The vendor will provide detailed information advising why the loan did not meet FHA’s eligibility requirements. Typical reasons for an “approve/ineligible” recommendation include:
Loan amount exceeds the FHA maximum;
Property type submitted does not correspond to the Section of the Act selected in the AUS;
Insufficient reserves on a 3- or 4-unit property; and
Insufficient funds for closing.
Loans that receive a recommendation of “approve/ineligible” may still be eligible for FHA insurance. To achieve eligibility status, the lender must analyze the findings report and determine that the reason for the ineligibility is one that can be resolved in a manner complying with FHA underwriting requirements. The lender must document the circumstances or other reasons that were evaluated in making the decision to approve the loan in the remarks section of the mortgage credit analysis worksheet (MCAW). The lender is not required to re-underwrite the entire loan, but must address each reason the loan received an ineligible recommendation and document and explain why it is now eligible for FHA insurance. Loans that receive a recommendation of “approve/ineligible” will receive the benefit of all other accept or approve documentation and credit policy revisions. The CHUMS identifier issued by TOTAL (currently ZFHA) may be used as the underwriter on the MCAW for mortgages risk classified as “approve/ineligible.”
The lender may also need to correct the issue(s) that caused the loan to be ineligible and resubmit the loan to attempt to obtain an “accept/approve” recommendation such as when a mortgage amount exceeds statutory limits.
“Refer”
The lender using the TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard must conduct a manual underwriting review according to FHA requirements for all loan applications that generate a “refer” rating. The DE underwriter must determine if the borrower is creditworthy in accordance with FHA standard credit policies and requirements. It is FHA policy that no borrower will be denied a FHA insured mortgage loan solely on the basis of a risk assessment generated by the TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard.
System Overrides and Manual Downgrades
A system override and/or manual downgrade of an “accept/approve” to a “refer” classification may be required if a particular loan application variable is revealed during loan processing. Loan processors and underwriters must be aware of the variables detailed later in this User Guide that otherwise require an accept/approve mortgage loan application to be remanded to an underwriter for his or her personal review and decision.
Documentation Requirements
All standard FHA documentation requirements must be met, with the exception of those described below which may allow for reduced documentation sets based upon the risk classification of the loan. The lender must also document any situation not addressed in this User Guide in accordance with the applicable HUD Handbook or Mortgagee Letter.
“Faxed” Documents—If income/employment, asset, or other documents including various disclosures are “faxed” to and from the lender, the documents must clearly identify the employer, depository/investment firm’s name, etc., and source of information. The lender is accountable for ascertaining the authenticity of the document by examining, among other things, the information included at the top or banner portion of the fax received by the lender. The document itself must also include a name and telephone number of the individual with the employer or financial institution that can verify the accuracy of the data.
Internet Downloads—Income/employment or asset documents downloaded from an Internet website must be placed in the case binder in paper form. The documents must clearly identify the employer or depository/investment firm’s name and source of information. The lender is accountable for ascertaining the authenticity of the document by examining the information included on any headers, footers, and the banner portion of the printouts of the downloaded web page(s). The printed web page(s) must also show its Uniform Resource Locator (URL) address and the date and time printed.
Employment /Income
Specific underwriting requirements for what constitutes acceptable types and sources of income, as well as stability of income requirements are described in Chapter 2 of Handbook HUD 4155.1 REV-5. The lender is responsible for documenting and verifying the accuracy of the amount of income being reported, and for determining if it can be considered as effective income in determining the payment-to-income and debt-to-income ratios. If any information regarding a borrower’s income or employment changes during loan processing, the lender must resubmit current, corrected information through the AUS to determine if the risk classification changes. Additional documentation may be required for borrowers who work for family-owned businesses, as per the mortgage credit handbook.
For loan applications rated as “Accept/Approve”, use the following to verify employment for employed borrowers: |
For loan applications rated as “Refer”, use the following to verify employment for employed borrowers: |
If the applicant has not been employed with the same employer for the previous two years and/or all conditions immediately above cannot be met, then the lender must obtain one of the following for the most recent two years to verify the applicant’s employment history:
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Employment History---The lender is required to verify the applicant’s employment history for the previous two years. Obtain one of the following for the most recent two years to verify the applicant’s employment history:
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Commissioned Individuals
A commissioned applicant is defined as one who receives more than 25 percent of his or her annual income from commissions. For these individuals, obtain and analyze signed federal income tax returns, including all schedules, for the most recent two years and subtract unreimbursed business expenses in underwriting.
Self-Employed Borrowers
FHA considers a borrower owning 25 percent or more of a business as being self-employed. The minimum length of self-employment that a borrower must exhibit to have that income considered stable and effective for qualifying is discussed in Handbook HUD 4155.1 REV-5. Unless the self-employed borrower’s income information is obtained directly from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), as a quality control measure, all other self-employed borrowers must sign form IRS 4506 or 8821 and lenders must routinely verify through IRS the income being reported for the mortgage application.
Use the following to verify the income for self-employed borrowers rated as “Accept/Approve” by TOTAL: |
Use the following to verify the income for self-employed borrowers rated as “Refer” by TOTAL: |
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“Deminimus” Self-employed
If a borrower receives less than five percent of his or her stable monthly income as a result of being self-employed, and the loan application receives an “accept/approve”, there is no need to obtain individual or business tax returns, nor is it necessary to obtain balance sheets or P&L statements. Verify the existence of the business through telephone listings, business cards, etc.
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If a borrower receives less than five percent of his or her stable monthly income as a result of being self-employed, and the loan application receives a refer, there is no need to obtain individual or business tax returns, nor is it necessary to obtain balance sheets or P&L statements. Verify the existence of the business through telephone listings, business cards, etc. |
Other Income Information
If the loan application is rated as “Accept/Approve”, the lender must abide by the following if there are employment gaps or if alimony or child support are being used in qualifying:
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If the loan application is rated as “Refer”, the lender must abide by the following if there are employment gaps or if alimony or child support are being used in qualifying:
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Asset Information
If the loan application is rated as an “Accept/Approve”, document the borrower’s assets to close and cash reserves, if any, using the following: |
If the loan application is rated as a “Refer”, document the borrower’s assets to close and cash reserves, if any, using the following:
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Cash reserves may include certain retirement accounts. To account for withdrawal penalties and taxes, only 60% of the vested amount of the account may be used. The lender must document the existence of the account with the most recent depository or brokerage account statement. In addition, evidence must be provided that the retirement account allows for withdrawals for conditions other than in connection with the borrower's employment termination, retirement, or death. If withdrawals can only be made under these circumstances, the retirement account may not be included as cash reserves. If any of these funds are also to be used for loan settlement, that amount must be subtracted from the amount included as cash reserves.
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Cash reserves may include certain retirement accounts. To account for withdrawal penalties and taxes, only 60% of the vested amount of the account may be used. The lender must document the existence of the account with the most recent depository or brokerage account statement. In addition, evidence must be provided that the retirement account allows for withdrawals for conditions other than in connection with the borrower's employment termination, retirement, or death. If withdrawals can only be made under these circumstances, the retirement account may not be included as cash reserves. If any of these funds are also to be used for loan settlement, that amount must be subtracted from the amount included as cash reserves. Note: To be considered as a compensating factor when manually underwriting, there must be three months’ worth of such reserves.
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Credit Report Processing and Reconciliation Information
The lender is responsible for reviewing all credit reports for all borrowers. Lenders may choose to document each borrower’s credit history by obtaining credit reports through the AUS vendor, or separately through an independent source, depending on the chosen AUS. The vendor will determine the options available to the lender, including use of in-file credit reports, merged credit reports, and Residential Mortgage Credit Reports (RMCRs).
In the event that derogatory or delinquent credit items are revealed during processing that are not reflected on the credit report and, thus, were not considered by the scorecard, downgrade to a Refer and manually underwrite the loan. Derogatory credit items that could conceivably not appear on the credit report and must result in a downgrade include but are not limited to:
Bankruptcy, foreclosure, collection account, charge-off, tax lien, or judgment; and
Any mortgage trade line including mortgage line-of-credit payments, during the most recent 12 months, consisting of:
3 or more late payments of greater than 30 days, or
1 or more late payments of 60 days plus 1 or more 30-day late payments, or
1 payment greater than 90 days late.
Use the following to document the borrower’s credit history for loans receiving an “Accept/Approve”: |
Use the following to document the borrower’s credit history for loans receiving a “Refer”: |
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SYSTEM OVERRIDES AND MANUAL DOWNGRADES
A system override occurs when a loan application variable triggers a requirement (a “review rule”) that an underwriter review the loan file. A manual downgrade becomes necessary if additional information, not considered in the AUS decision, affects the overall insurability or eligibility of a mortgage otherwise rated as an accept or approve. Both system overrides and manual downgrades may be triggered by inaccuracies in credit reporting, by eligibility issues, and for other reasons including the unlikely failure of the TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard or AUS to recognize a derogatory credit variable. Unless specifically permitted to continue to use the “accept/approve” documentation class, such as following a favorable resolution of a credit issue due to an error in reporting, the lender must document as a “refer” risk class and is accountable for the credit and ratio warranties on these loans. If the AUS the lender is using does not provide for a system override for any of the conditions shown below, then the lender is required to manually downgrade the loan to a “refer” under any of the following conditions:
FEDERAL ELIGIBILITY
Certain individuals may not be eligible for federal benefits due to delinquent federally-related obligations or actions taken by a federal government agency. If a borrower is discovered to be ineligible due to any of the conditions described below, the lender must downgrade the loan to a Refer status (if the AUS does not do so) and determine what actions—if any—may be taken to allow the borrower to qualify for the mortgage. If it is determined that the information originally relied on to determine a borrower to be ineligible was erroneous, the lender may document the file accordingly and if the loan application is rated as an “accept/approve,” use the credit waivers and reduced documentation accordingly.
Delinquent Federal Debt
If the borrower, as revealed by public records, credit information, or HUD’s Credit Alert Interactive Voice Response System (CAIVRS), is presently delinquent on any federal debt, the borrower is not eligible for a mortgage insured by FHA. See Chapter 2 of Handbook HUD 4155.1 REV-5 for details.
CAIVRS
If CAIVRS indicates a federal delinquency, default, claim payment, or lien, the borrower is not eligible for additional federally related credit. Exceptions and error resolution are discussed in Chapter 2 of Handbook HUD 4155.1 REV-5. A check of CAIVRS is not required for streamline refinances.
We do not require a "clear" CAIVRS access number as a condition for mortgage endorsement, but the lender must document and justify its approval based on the exceptions described in the handbook or otherwise provide documentation proving erroneous or outdated information residing in CAIVRS.
Suspended and Debarred Individuals
A borrower suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from participation in the Department's programs is not eligible for a FHA-insured mortgage. Both the General Services Administration (GSA) “List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Non-Procurement Programs” and HUD’s Limited Denial of Participation (LDP) list are available through the FHA Connection.
CREDIT ISSUES
Previous mortgage foreclosure
A borrower whose previous residence or other real property was foreclosed on or has given a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure within the previous three years is generally not eligible for an insured mortgage. If the lender chooses to continue processing and manually underwrite the loan application, it must refer to Handbook HUD 4155.1 REV-5 for exceptions and additional underwriting requirements.
Provided that the foreclosure was completed at least three years previously and the risk-classification from TOTAL is an “accept/approve,” no further documentation regarding the foreclosure is required.
Bankruptcy
Both Chapter 7 liquidations and Chapter 13 bankruptcies discharged within two years of loan application require a referral to an underwriter and compliance with the instructions regarding bankruptcies described in Handbook HUD 4155.1 REV-5. A borrower whose bankruptcy has been discharged less than one year is not eligible for FHA mortgage insurance (except on non-credit qualifying streamline refinances).
Provided that the bankruptcy was discharged at least two years previously and the risk-classification from TOTAL is an “accept/approve,” no further documentation regarding the bankruptcy is required.
Late Mortgage Payments
If any mortgage trade line including mortgage line-of-credit payments, during the most recent 12 months, shows:
3 or more late payments of greater than 30 days; or
1 or more late payments of 60 days plus one or more 30-day late payments; or
1 payment greater than 90 days late,
the loan application must be referred to a DE underwriter for review.
Disputed Accounts
If the credit report reveals that the borrower is disputing any credit accounts or public records, the mortgage application must be referred to a DE underwriter for review.
CHAPTER 3
ENDORSEMENT PROCEDURES
The loan is eligible for FHA insurance endorsement if:
The TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard rated the mortgage loan application as an “accept” or “approve”, or if a “refer”, the DE Underwriter manually underwrote and approved the mortgage application; and
The data entered into the AUS are true, complete, and accurate; and
The entire loan package meets all other FHA requirements (except for those specifically not required because the loan was evaluated by TOTAL).
Loan-level data in the AUS used to render a risk assessment must match that data also entered into CHUMS (if the lender has manually updated any of the fields used by TOTAL for scoring the mortgage). If data entered by the lender into CHUMS indicate a degradation of loan quality when compared with the AUS data used to obtain the risk assessment, FHA reserves the right to return the case binder to the lender unendorsed until such time as the lender corrects its data. FHA may also score the mortgage using FHA’s TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard emulator. If the results of this re-scoring indicate that an “accept/approve” has been downgraded to a “refer” risk classification, the case binder may be returned for traditional manual underwriting.
It is imperative that lenders make certain that they enter the FHA case number into their LOS or AUS as soon as it is known. This will ensure a more efficient endorsement process. Mortgage loans that FHA’s system of records cannot identify as having been risk-assessed by FHA’s TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard will not receive the benefits of documentation reduction and credit policy revisions and may be returned to the lender for manual underwriting.
Scorecard Version Issues
From time to time, FHA will revise the TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard. FHA will announce the date that the new version of the scorecard will be available and from that date forward all new, first-time risk assessments will be based on the new scorecard. Loan applications that were scored under the previous version of the scorecard will be “grandfathered” and eligible for re-scoring under the earlier version for 90 days. Once that period has lapsed, all re-scores will be subject to the new version of the TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard. Lenders and vendors are also advised that the version number must be passed back to the TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard to allow for this grandfathering feature to operate.
Underwriter Responsibilities
For mortgages receiving an “Accept/Approve”:
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For mortgages receiving a “Refer”
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December
2004
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | .CHAPTER 2 |
| Author | James A. Beavers |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-02-02 |
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