others. Therefore conforming and jumbo loans will be different depending on your area. Most real estate agents will only deal with home prices that fall below the conforming price, so this will rarely come up with you. However, the difference between obtaining a conforming loan and obtaining a jumbo loan is significant, so it’s important to understand the terms when dealing with lenders. Now you know about the mortgage options on the table. Let’s talk a bit about the people involved in making the mortgage a reality.
THE PLAYERS INVOLVED IN THE LENDING PROCESS
The first person engaged in the lending process is referred to as the loan officer. The loan officer is the project coordinator, overseeing the transfer of information between you (the prospective buyer) and their organization’s processing and underwriting departments. It is likely that the loan officer will be in direct contact with the borrower from the beginning of the mortgage process all the way through until closing. The loan officer should be licensed with the National Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS). The loan officer’s licensing status can be verified with the NMLS at www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org. The site is incredibly simple: you enter in a loan officer’s name, address, and other important information, and the system tells you if they are on the level. It will let you know if they are an active registrant in the federal database, if they are authorized to conduct business, and, if so, what organizations they are authorized to represent. It goes without saying that if you start working with a loan officer who is not up-to-date on their NMLS certifications, you and you should not work with them. This could not only cause serious
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