Forensic Underwriter

About the Company

CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) is the nation's number one distributed retail mortgage lender with more than 9,000 employees operating over 700 branches and servicing loans across all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Our company has been recognized ten times on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private businesses and has received many awards for our standout culture. CCM fosters an entrepreneurial spirit that empowers every employee, offering unwavering support from all departments and total transparency from the top down.

About the Role

The Forensic Underwriter performs in-depth forensic underwriting reviews of closed mortgage loans for compliance with government agency and/or investor-specific guidelines, and with applicable state and federal laws. This position conducts reviews to identify potential fraud and/or misrepresentation from any interested party to the transaction, coordinates corrections, and tracks deficiencies. The role may include preparing formal written responses to HUD, FNMA, or investors to avoid potential buy-back requests.

Responsibilities

• Re-underwrite closed loan files to ensure compliance with agency or lender guidelines, including credit report review, income calculation, asset analysis, and collateral assessment.
• Exercise delegated lending authority to render final underwriting decisions (approvals, suspensions, denials) while ensuring compliance with regulatory and investor requirements.
• Review compliance documentation to verify adherence to federal and state laws.
• Analyze closing documentation (mortgage note, CD, TRID) to ensure proper execution, IPCs are not excessive, and fees are within federal/state tolerances.
• Perform investigations to identify potential fraud using resources such as Lexis Nexis, written/verbal verifications, etc.
• Attend regular meetings to discuss defects discovered from investor delivery or delays in loan purchases from warehouse lines.
• Collaborate with underwriting, sales, and processing teams to cure defects delaying loan purchases.
• Prepare formal written responses to agencies/investors following audits where deficiencies are discovered.
• Report true deficiencies for training and development opportunities.
• Coordinate with the legal department regarding potential fraud to determine if a SAR report should be filed.

Requirements

• Minimum 5 years of underwriting experience with exposure to both manual and automated underwriting environments.
• Knowledge of FNMA, FHLMC, FHA, VA, and USDA guidelines.
• Understanding of transaction components that indicate potential fraud.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Ellie Mae Encompass experience is preferred.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation plan.
• Robust benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• 401K retirement plan.
• Company-provided short-term disability.
• Employee assistance program.
• Wellness program.