Consumers have options when it comes to lenders and mortgage loan originators (MLOs).
According to the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry (NMLS), thousands of companies and individuals (mortgage loan originators) are licensed to originate mortgages. A mortgage lender is a financial institution or organization that lends consumers money to purchase real estate. A mortgage loan originator (also known as a mortgage consultant, loan officer, etc.) is someone who works for a mortgage lender and can originate mortgage loans. These professionals are often the first person applicants contact about mortgage loans. In addition to educating consumers on mortgage options, they also guide them through the loan application and closing process.
Mortgage lenders and loan officers are regulated by both state and federal agencies.
As stated on its website, “NMLS is the system of record for nonbank, financial services licensing and registration in all 50 states, and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. All jurisdictions manage mortgage licenses on NMLS and 64 regulatory agencies use NMLS for issuing licenses in the money services businesses, debt, and consumer finance industries.” Learn More
The primary mortgage market refers to the marketplace where lenders meet with borrowers and originate loans. Among the major players in this market are mortgage brokers, mortgage bankers, commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, credit unions, and other lenders. Let’s take a closer look at the major players in this market.
Lenders can either hold or sell mortgages on their books. The majority of lenders choose to sell, which allows them to replenish their funds and make more loans to borrowers. Buying and selling mortgages and servicing rights takes place on the secondary mortgage market.
A mortgage broker is not a lender. A broker acts as a middleman between potential borrowers and lenders. The broker matches individuals and businesses to mortgage lenders and helps them to obtain financing.
Lenders who issue mortgages directly to individual consumers. In addition to mortgage loans, retail lenders offer a suite of financial products and services to consumers, such as checking accounts, credit cards, auto loans, and more. Popular examples include: banks, credit unions, savings and loan institutions.
Lenders who specialized in and originate their own mortgage loans. There is no middleman. Because mortgages are their focus, direct lenders tend to have more flexible terms and loan alternatives for borrowers.
A portfolio lender is a bank or other lending institution that uses its own money to originate mortgages directly to individual consumers. These lenders hold the mortgages in their portfolio, instead of selling them on the secondary market. Portfolio lenders tend to offer more flexible lending guidelines. But, interest rates may be higher and loans may carry a prepayment penalty. Borrowers include home buyers, investors and businesses.
Commercial Mortgage-backed Securities (CMBS) are bonds tied to commercial real estate loans. CMBS lenders originate first-position mortgage loans against commercial properties. The mortgages are divided up into pieces and sold to investors on the bond market.
Wholesale lenders are not in direct contact with individual consumers. Instead, their loans are offered to consumers through third parties, such as mortgage brokers, credit unions and other banks. These third parties are paid a fee to act as an agent for the wholesaler. The wholesaler originates and funds the loan. In some cases, the wholesaler even services the loan. However the majority of the time, wholesalers sell their loans to the secondary market. It’s not uncommon for banks to operate both retail and wholesale divisions.
"A correspondent lender originates, underwrites, and funds mortgage loan using their own funds. The initial loan is usually made in the name of the correspondent lender, and then after closing, the loan is either sold to a larger primary lender or on the secondary mortgage market." Wikipedia
Life Insurance companies originate commercial and multifamily mortgage loans for stable, creditworthy borrowers with low project risk. Loans generally range from 5 to 30 years.
A debt fund consists of private equity-backed capital that is used by lenders to originate and purchase commercial mortgage loans and securities.
Warehouse lenders are financial institutions that offer short-term funding or lines of credit to mortgage lenders. Mortgages originated by the lender are held as collateral until repayment, which generally occurs when the mortgage is sold on the secondary mortgage.
"The FHLBanks are 11 regionally based, wholesale suppliers of lendable funds to financial institutions of all sizes and many types, including community banks, credit unions, commercial and savings banks, insurance companies and community development financial institutions. The FHLBanks are cooperatively owned by member financial institutions in all 50 states and U.S. territories." - FHLBanks
Per FDIC, “Marketplace lending is a small but growing alternative to traditional financial services for consumers and small businesses.” Marketplace lenders leverages online “platforms” to connect prospective borrowers with investors willing to buy or invest in the loan. Once the loan is originated, the platform is generally responsible for collecting principal and interest payments from the borrower and sending to investor, net of fees.
Hard money lenders are private investors or companies who provide flexible, short-term loan options. Hard money lenders do not adhere to a standardized underwriting process, which allows them to evaluate each loan individually and close quickly. However, the loans carry much higher interest rates and shorter repayment terms.
State-Licensed vs. Federally Registered
“Mortgage loan originators employed by state-licensed companies are generally required to hold a state license to conduct business in that state. Mortgage loan originators employed by banks, credit unions, and other federally regulated depository institutions must be federally registered in order to conduct business, and that registration is not limited to a particular state.” – NMLS
The secondary mortgage market is where lenders and investors buy and sell mortgages, servicing rights, and mortgage-backed securities (MBS).
Key players in the secondary market include: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae.
“Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac buy mortgages from lenders and either hold these mortgages (that conform to their lending standards) in their portfolios or package the loans into mortgage-backed securities (MBS) that may be sold. Lenders use the cash raised by selling mortgages to the Enterprises to engage in further lending. The Enterprises’ purchases help ensure that individuals and families that buy homes and investors that purchase apartment buildings and other multifamily dwellings have a continuous, stable supply of mortgage money.” – Federal Housing Finance Agency
“Ginnie Mae guarantees investors (security holders) the timely payment of principal and interest on securities issued by private lenders that are backed by pools of Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Veterans Affairs (VA), Rural Housing Service (RHS), and Public and Indian Housing (PIH) mortgage loans. The full faith and credit guarantee of the U.S. Government that Ginnie Mae places on mortgage-backed securities lowers the cost of, and maintains the supply of, mortgage financing for government-backed loans.” – HUD
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Source 1: Wikipedia: Reusing Wikipedia Content. This work is released under CC BY-SA. Source 2: Farlex Financial Dictionary
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