Sr. Underwriter

About Homeward

Homeward takes the “what ifs” out of homebuying by creating financial products that give buyers and sellers certainty and convenience. We’re a fast-paced, remote-first real estate startup that partners with real estate agents to offer innovative products and services, helping clients buy with cash, sell with certainty, and time their move, regardless of the market.

Founder and CEO Tim Heyl, owner of one of the fastest-growing agent teams in the country, started Homeward in 2018 to fix the antiquated and broken real estate process. Today, we offer bundled cash offers, mortgage, and title services in 13 states, enabling buyers and sellers to move with certainty and convenience.

We’re a fully remote company with a diverse team spread across several countries - Grounded in three core values: The Golden Rule, One Team One Dream, and Calm Focus. Hear from our employees about what our values mean to them.

About The Opportunity

The Homeward Mortgage Team is responsible for conducting the financial review and approval of every customer that works with Homeward and processing and closing every loan secured with Homeward Mortgage. We’re focused on bringing financial innovations to life and delivering a seamlessly integrated mortgage experience. We are looking for residential Mortgage subject matter experts and smart, flexible people who can easily adapt to a new way of doing things. 

We’re looking for a Senior Underwriter to join our growing team. Our Fulfillment Underwriting team is responsible for ensuring all Homeward Mortgage originated loans have strong approval, meeting Homeward’s and our investor guidelines, ensuring the certainty of a close. 

This team collaborates directly with our Mortgage Sales and Operations team to ensure we communicate conditions clearly and expertly, and show great intent to make the deal work every time we can, through creative solutioning and structuring. We are looking for team members who are collaborative, motivated and creative. You must have front-line Underwriting experience as well as experience working with multiple Investors. 

Responsibilities Will Include: 

• Validate the accuracy of all calculations and update data in LOS to ensure data integrity in the AUS response.
• Evaluate the credit package to ensure an investment-quality loan product. Analyze borrower’s credit capacity through in-depth review of income and asset documentation, including self-employed borrower income calculations. Calculate housing and debt ratios, measuring applicant liquidity, asset concentrations, and leverage.
• Review and approve third party purchase contract/addendums, title report, escrow instructions, environmental report, and other legal documentation.
• Review complex tax returns
• Review Appraisals (experience with new 3.6 Format)
• Work with team members (Processors, Closers, and Loan Officers) to identify potential solutions/alternatives for difficult/denied loan files.
• Ensure timely escalation to the Underwriting Manager/Director for review of any/all loan level challenges. 
• Meet turn time expectations and SLAs for review
• Maintain current knowledge of secondary market guidelines
• Manage a daily pipeline and ensure service expectations and company mandated turn times are met

About You:

• 5+ years of experience underwriting FNMA, FHLMC, FHA or VA
• Experience underwriting to multiple Investor guidelines and overlays
• Experience in Correspondent Lending and Wholesale Lending
• Advanced knowledge of Desktop Underwriter (DU) and Loan Product Advisor (LPA)
• Refinance and Purchase mortgage underwriting
• Experience with Lending Pad or other LOS
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high production environment

Compensation and Benefits

Com pensation:

• $95,000 - $110,000 base salary.
• Annual performance bonus eligibility.
• Equity grant – stock options with real upside potential.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage – with company contributions towards premiums.
• Meaningful time off – including 20 days of paid vacation, 5 sick days, 12 company holidays, and 2 floating holidays.
• Generous paid parental leave of up to 13 weeks.
• 401(k) with employer contribution match.
• Remote-first work environment (our headquarters are in Austin, TX).
• Collaborative, low-ego team that values intellectual curiosity and continuous improvement.

See more about how Homeward takes care of our team here.

Value-Driven Employee Experience

THE GOLDEN RULE . It’s simple: Treat others the way we want to be treated. Whether we’re dealing with colleagues or customers, we don’t prioritize money or growth over people, and we practice empathy at every opportunity.

CALM FOCUS . We work in tech and build solutions for real estate. Both are fast-paced and stressful industries. But by focusing on the larger objective rather than rushing from one task to the next, we can create solutions our customers love.

ONE TEAM, ONE DREAM . Big problems require big solutions. We look at our customers’ experiences holistically and recognize that solving them requires collaboration across teams and our three affiliate companies — Homeward, Homeward Mortgage and Homeward Title.