Definition of "Mortgage banker"

Joy Jones real estate agent

Written by

Joy Joneselite badge icon

Bluecoast Realty Jacksonville

Mortgage banker is the person or business that originates mortgages and receives payments.

The mortgage banker typically sells these mortgages to investors and obtains service fees for the loans. The mortgage banker is a major initiator of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Veteran Administration-insured mortgages and also serves a key function in the conventional mortgage markets.

Financial help is often sought from a lender, typically a commercial bank. The bank becomes a warehouse for mortgage money, and the mortgage banker draws on these funds until payment is received from the investors. Usually, the mortgage banker continues to service the loan even after the loan has been packaged and sold. For this management service, a small percentage of the amount collected is retained before forwarding the balance to the investor.

The success of the mortgage banker depends upon the ability to generate new loans. In some geographic areas, mortgage bankers are the primary source for financing real estate. All mortgage bankers try to stay in constant touch with investors and are aware of changing market conditions and lender requirements. Quite often the loan origination fee or finder's fee charged the borrower is more than offset by a lower interest rate from a lender not directly accessible to the borrower.

Mortgage bankers are involved in both commercial and residential financing and also carry out related activities such as writing hazard insurance policies, appraisals, and investment counseling. As with mortgage brokers, mortgage bankers are regulated by state law.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

The definition of the Environmental Protection Agency can be explained by what the agency does. This independent executive agency works for the United States federal government and is ...

The Real Estate Settlement Procedure Act (RESPA) is a piece of law passed by the US Congress in 1974 to protect homebuyers and home sellers against bad settlement practices. The Real ...

Kind of siding for wood frame houses where the joints in the usually vertical siding are covered by narrow strips of wood called battens. The battens are nailed over the joints. ...

When a mortgage loan is provided to a borrower, the lender establishes a fund called a tax and insurance escrow to accumulate the debtor's monthly payments for property taxes and insurance ...

Legal order for a person to present at a deposition or trial documents in his possession, such as related to a real estate transaction. ...

The smallest lot area required for building under the municipal zoning code. For example, a municipal zoning code requires all building lots to have a minimum lot area of 1/4 of an acre in ...

Heating system hidden behind special panels, the walls, or the ceiling. Can use electric heating elements, hot air, or hot water pipes. ...

The definition of low-income housing is any house that is either rented or owned by an individual or family that has a monthly household income that does not exceed a certain percentage of ...

The slope of surface inclination normally expressed as a percentage. The gradient is determined by dividing the surface change by the length of the surface ...

Popular Real Estate Questions