Professional, ABF IMS Credit and Valuations Associate

About the Role

K-Star Investment Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of KKR, is seeking a detail-oriented and analytically rigorous Credit & Valuations Associate to join our residential mortgage whole loan acquisition team. This dual-function role involves serving as a key contributor to both the valuation and credit review processes that underpin our secondary market acquisition strategy. The position is based in Dallas and collaborates regularly with the deal team at KKR.

Responsibilities

• Perform detailed appraisal reviews on residential mortgage loans, evaluating for accuracy, reasonableness, current market trends, and overall property condition.
• Develop a tiered process flow for utilizing third-party valuation tools (AVMs, BPOs, desktop appraisals) to support and corroborate review conclusions.
• Provide clear, well-documented review commentary and actionable recommendations to support acquisition decisions.
• Create and implement a systemic procedure for the continued review of supplemental valuations obtained by loan servicing to ensure ongoing accuracy and compliance.
• Serve as the primary knowledge source on the team for all appraisal-related activity, market dynamics, and evolving industry standards.
• Review originator underwriting guidelines for variations across counterparties and collaborate with third-party vendors to create a consolidated framework that highlights key differences across guidelines.
• Maintain current and historical versions of originator underwriting guidelines, and track the specific guideline version under which individual loans were originated.
• Monitor and analyze trends across underwriting guidelines to proactively identify shifts in market standards and lending practices.
• Aid in reviewing credit diligence results, identifying compensating factors, and documenting exceptions for new loan acquisitions.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree.
• Strong working knowledge of residential appraisal methodologies, including the cost, sales comparison, and income approaches to value.
• Demonstrated experience reviewing Uniform Residential Appraisal Reports (URARs), Broker Price Opinions (BPOs), and Automated Valuation Models (AVMs).
• Thorough understanding of evolving appraisal regulations (USPAP, Dodd-Frank, GSE requirements) and secondary market valuation trends.
• Deep understanding of residential mortgage credit underwriting standards and key performance metrics (DTI, LTV, FICO, reserves, etc.).
• Familiarity with conventional, business purpose (DSCR, fix-and-flip), and non-QM lending requirements and their respective risk profiles.
• Hands-on experience in secondary market operations, post-close quality control, or investor-level loan review.
• 4–5+ years of progressive experience in residential mortgage whole loan valuations, operations, and/or acquisition diligence.
• Versatile, innovative, and analytical professional with critical thinking skills and the ability to synthesize complex data into clear conclusions.
• Excellent attention to detail with strong organizational skills and effective time management in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present findings, collaborate cross-functionally, and perform effectively in a deadline-driven environment.
• Knowledge of the loan acquisition process, warehouse lending, loan securitization, and servicing transfers is a plus.
• Proficiency with industry-standard appraisal and credit platforms (e.g., Collateral Analytics, Clear Capital, CoreLogic, Black Knight).
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills including data analysis, pivot tables, and scenario modeling.
• Experience working with loan-level data tapes and due diligence platforms.
• Familiarity with regulatory frameworks governing residential mortgage lending and secondary market transactions.