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

Rights granted to owners of property restricted to conservation use, historic preservation, or some other low density function to sell to other landowners allowing them to develop their ...

Administrator of estate is a term used in common-law jurisdiction for a person assigned a particular responsibility. The administrator of estate definition describes a court-appointed ...

Divider made of plasterboard or plaster used to partition rooms. A room is created by the walls surrounding it. ...

Contracts: Awarding a contract to the bidder for the property with the best offer. Lease: To lease property to a lessee. ...

Expenditure to make a specific security or real estate transaction. Real estate transaction costs include survey costs, mortgage points and origination fees, recording fees, state transfer ...

The American Society of Appraisers, also referred to as ASA, is the largest voluntary membership, a multi-discipline trade association that stands for and promotes its appraiser members. ...

The interest rate and terms competing mortgage lenders are offering to potential mortgagees. The mortgage market is competitive on the basis of mortgage interest rates, points, credit ...

Legal obligation to pay taxes associated with owning property or earning income. For example, a real estate owner must pay property taxes. ...

Also called financial leverage. The use of borrower funds to magnify return. Trading profitably on the equity, also called favorable financial leverage, means that the borrowed funds ...

Popular Real Estate Questions