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

Inverted gable roof design where the two side slope upward from the center to the eaves with a valley in the middle. The roof resembles the wings of a butterfly, hence, the name. ...

Deed used to convey property back to the original property owner. Normally a reconveyance deed is issued upon the satisfaction of a property's mortgage. ...

Law enacted by a local authority applicable to the action of people or things. An example is a fine of $5,000 for littering vacant real estate. ...

Generic name given for any association of property owners sharing an interest in commonly owned property. Community associations may be developed in condominium, cooperative, or housing ...

Gentrification is an urban development phenomenon wherein a specific area changes its population profile by way of an economic appreciation of its real estate. The best way to understand ...

Funds that are retained in an account until a certain event occurs. For example, a downpayment on a contract held until full payment is received whereupon the holding funds are credited to ...

The largest financial intermediaries directly involved in the financing of real estate. Commercial banks act as lenders for a multitude of loans. While they occasionally provide financing ...

Using beams on an interim basis while a structure is being built. Reinforcing a building with supports. A property. ...

All the costs involved in constructing a development project including the cost of acquiring a parcel of land, paying for contractors labor, materials as well as taxes and development loan ...

Popular Real Estate Questions