An adult child may be able to buy a home for an aging parent as a principal-residence transaction, even without living there. Here is how Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac handle the exception, what needs to be documented, and why the borrower still has to qualify carrying both housing payments.

Same credit file, different calculations. FICO vs VantageScore 4.0 comes down to how each model evaluates balances, payment trends, collections, and credit history. Here’s what loan officers should understand before assuming a different score means a better result.

Initial underwriting comes back asking about a child support deduction nobody put on the 1003. Here's how to ask about child support on the first call, what Fannie, Freddie, and FHA need to count it as income, and how it hits the DTI when the borrower pays it, with the guide language quoted.

Per Diem, Stipend, and Reimbursement Income for Mortgage files get misread when the paystub label becomes the whole analysis. “Stipend,” “per diem,” “allowance,” and “reimbursement” are payroll labels. Underwriting is trying to answer a different question: is this money the borrower can use however they want, or is it money the employer pays back because the borrower has to spend it doing their job? Start with the document, not the paystub The paystub tells you the payment ex

Limited Review was fast because it never looked at the association's books. It's retired for applications dated on or after August 3, 2026, and established projects that used to sail through now get a full project review or fall into a waiver lane. Here's what changed, what's coming in January, and the three things that will actually cost you a deal.

A dispute flag isn't a late, and there are three possible outcomes hiding behind it. One needs nothing from you. The other two need a week of borrower work you don't have once the CD is out. Your findings tell you which one you're in. Read them before you submit.

Most asset conditions aren't underwriting being difficult. They're a question nobody asked on the pre-approval call. What counts as an acceptable source, why verifying a balance isn't the same as sourcing it, and the ten-minute conversation that keeps a $7,400 deposit from becoming a week-three condition.