Loanwright Blog

How the Fannie Mae Selling Guide now allows IRS Form 8821 as an alternative to Form 4506-C for tax transcript verification (updated by SEL-2026-06), and what documentation lenders need.

ML 2026-09 permanent EPD/PDMDA sample exemption and QC red-tape cleanup; what changed from prior handbook treatment.

Mortgagee Letter 2026-06 raises the Limited 203(k) draw limit and allows multiple disbursements per draw; workflow notes for brokers.

Cross-agency guide to who can use VantageScore 4.0 and FICO Score 10T today, what stays on Classic FICO, and pending implementation dates per the Fannie Mae Selling Guide, Freddie Mac Seller/Servicer Guide, and FHA INFO 2026-11.

How USDA property eligibility works in 2026 under HB-1-3555, including rural area designation, site and acreage requirements, income-producing restrictions, and which property types are ineligible.

How Freddie Mac Home Possible works in 2026, including the area-median-income limit, maximum LTV and TLTV, eligible occupancy and property types, and the homeownership education requirement.

How the FHA streamline refinance works in 2026, including the net tangible benefit test, seasoning and payment-history requirements, and the difference between credit-qualifying and non-credit-qualifying streamlines.

How Fannie Mae debt-to-income limits work in 2026, including the Desktop Underwriter risk-based maximum, manual underwriting caps, and how qualifying income and monthly debts are calculated.

What the February 27, 2026 revision of VA Pamphlet 26-7 Chapter 12 actually changes about Minimum Property Requirements, effective May 1, 2026: Topic 1's removal of subtopics g and i, Topic 23's removal of Non-Vented Heater, Topic 32's condensed Lead-Based Paint language, and Topic 34's removal of Radon Gas, plus the 43-Topic MPR list, the high-frequency catches brokers should know going in, and what carries over unchanged.

How VA appraisals work in 2026, including the WebLGY ordering workflow, the SAR-to-NOV review chain in Pamphlet 26-7 Chapters 10 and 11, the alternative valuation waterfall under Circular 26-22-13, the Connecticut Planning Regions update under Circular 26-25-11, and the appraisal-bias oversight procedures under Circular 26-23-5.

How pre-qualification and pre-approval differ in 2026, including the TRID Loan Estimate trigger under 12 CFR 1026.19(e), AUS underwriting, documentation requirements, what each letter does and does not guarantee, and the broker-side workflow that keeps both in good standing.

How VA loan assumptions work in 2026, including the approval requirement under 38 CFR § 36.4309, the two stacking-order pathways from Circular 26-23-10, the $300 processing fee plus regional locality variance, the new Form 26-10291 entitlement acknowledgement, secondary borrowing rules, and release of liability under § 36.4326.

How the VA funding fee works in 2026, including the current rate window per Circular 26-23-6 Exhibit B, the exemption categories under 38 CFR § 36.4313(e)(5), and the refund procedure under Circular 26-23-19.

A practical guide for brokers evaluating Calyx Point alternatives and planning a migration. Covers data export realities, modern LOS options, the Calyx Path question, and a step-by-step migration framework.

A realistic look at where AI is and is not useful in the mortgage workflow today, covering guideline search, document extraction, condition analysis, and what the major platforms are building, without the hype.

An honest comparison of LOS options for brokers priced out of Encompass, covering ARIVE, Calyx, AcutisLOS, and Floify with cost, feature, and workflow tradeoffs for small to mid-size shops.

Practical workflows for tracking underwriting conditions from issuance through clearance, including common PTD and PTC conditions, processor handoffs, and how digital tools reduce cycle times.

Practical guide to USDA household income limits including adjusted annual income calculations, property eligibility lookup, and common pitfalls that cause denials, referencing USDA HB-1-3555.

How Freddie Mac condo eligibility differs from Fannie Mae, covering project review types, ineligible project characteristics, and reciprocal reviews per Guide Chapter 5701, updated for 2026 Bulletin changes.

Step-by-step guide to Fannie Mae gift fund rules including eligible donors, documentation requirements, and common audit findings, referencing Selling Guide B3-4.3.

A plain-language guide to FHA appraisal requirements under HUD Handbook 4000.1. Covers property standards, minimum property requirements, repair conditions, and common deal-killers.

How to build and use a pre-submission file readiness checklist that catches missing documents, flags guideline issues, and reduces underwriting conditions.