KAREN L. WILLIAMS
PLANO, TX 75025
*****************@*****.***
Summary: Vast experience in mortgage banking and financial industry across the mortgage banking spectrum. Well versed in all aspects of the mortgage industry, to include operational, credit risk & analysis, underwriting, loan structure, Risk Management, Fraud research and audits, origination & sales. Extensive background with DU & LP. Experience in government loans, conventional conforming and nonconforming and Bond programs. FHA DE (R086) and VA LAPP/SAR (8150) underwriter. Except for Digital Risk and BofA have been contract since 2017.
Professional Experience
Bank of America
January 2022 – Present
Underwriter
Underwrite Conventional residential loans ensuring compliance with appropriate company and secondary market investor standards. Examine loan documentation for accuracy and completeness. Work with loan originator & production staff to secure all required documents and set conditions for items missing or insufficient. Have authority to withdraw and decline loans.
TIB
October 2021 – December 2021
Underwriter
Underwrite Conventional and Government residential loans ensuring compliance with appropriate company and secondary market investor standards. Examine loan documentation for accuracy and completeness. Work with loan originator & production staff to secure all required documents and set conditions for items missing or insufficient. Have authority to withdraw and decline loans.
Inter Continental Group
June 2021 – September 2021
Underwriter
Underwrite Conventional and Government residential loans ensuring compliance with appropriate company and secondary market investor standards. Examine loan documentation for accuracy and completeness. Work with loan originator & production staff to secure all required documents and set conditions for items missing or insufficient. Have authority to withdraw and decline loans.
Plaza Home Mortgage
March 2021 – June 2021
Underwriter
Underwrite Conventional and Government residential loans ensuring compliance with appropriate company and secondary market investor standards. Examine loan documentation for accuracy and completeness. Work with loan originator & production staff to secure all required documents and set conditions for items missing or insufficient. Have authority to withdraw and decline loans.
Caliber Home Loans
January 2021 – March 2021
Underwriter
Underwrite Conventional and Government residential loans ensuring compliance with appropriate company and secondary market investor standards. Examine loan documentation for accuracy and completeness. Work with loan originator & production staff to secure all required documents and set conditions for items missing or insufficient. Have authority to withdraw and decline loans.
DAS/USA-Mortgage
September 2020 – December 2020
Underwriter/Research Desk
Underwrite Conventional and Government residential loans ensuring compliance with appropriate company and secondary market investor standards. Examine loan documentation for accuracy and completeness. Work with loan originator & production staff to secure all required documents and set conditions for items missing or insufficient. Have authority to withdraw and decline loans. Operate the ‘Q & A’ Help Desk to provide product and guideline support for staff company-wide.
Amerihome Mortgage
July 2020 – August 2020
Contract underwriter
Plains Commerce Bank
May 2020 – July 2020
Contract underwriter
Digital Risk Mortgage Services
November 2019 – March 2020
Site Manager – Dallas Center
Built up and managed new Dallas mortgage underwriting site with 70 new hire underwriters and 2 management staff. Manage the Site facilities to include things like badge access, time keeping, overtime, supplies, vendor management. Work with on-site security personnel regarding multiple daily walk-throughs and inspection to ensure compliance with DR and BAC standards. Supervised over 6 weeks of training at temporary facilities for all to learn Bank of America standards and requirements and to facilitate underwriting to B of A standards for SASE testing for underwriter authority level. In conjunction manages an underwriter Team to adjust underwriter pipelines, loan assignments, escalations, audit findings. Prioritize daily assignment workflow for the underwriters. Manage ECOA workflow to ensure no violations. Monitor and provide guidance regarding daily and monthly production, audit findings, critical errors, aged loans in the pipeline. Participate in multiple daily calls with upper management, Sales/production for various issues. Work with loan officers & production staff to secure all required documents and set conditions for items missing or insufficient. Review production status and set standards for staff every morning to meet daily and monthly production quotas as required by our Bank of America contract.
Guaranteed Rate
September 2019 – November 2019
Preclose Auditor
Audit residential loans ensuring compliance with appropriate company and secondary market investor standards. Examine loan documentation for accuracy and completeness. Review and evaluate data to confirm loan viability; identifying underwriting loans for errors.
Loan Depot
August 2019 – September 2019
Contract underwriter
MetaSource
November 2018 – July 2019
Post Funding Auditor
Audit closed residential loans ensuring compliance with appropriate company and secondary market investor standards. Examine loan documentation for accuracy and completeness. Review and evaluate data to confirm loan viability; identifying underwriting loans for errors.
M/I Financial
February 2018 – June 2018
Operations Manager/Underwriter
Work with loan officer & production staff to secure all required documents and set conditions for items missing or insufficient. Underwrite files in accordance with Fannie, Freddie, VA and FHA guidelines. Review production status and set standards with staff every morning to meet daily and monthly production quotas.
Fay Mortgage
September 2017 – November 2017
DE Underwriter
Underwrite Conventional and Government residential loans ensuring compliance with appropriate company and secondary market investor standards. Examine loan documentation for accuracy and completeness. Work with loan originator & production staff to secure all required documents and set conditions for items missing or insufficient. Have authority to withdraw and decline loans.
First Bank
January 2017 – May 2017
Sr Underwriter
Underwrite Conventional and Government residential loans ensuring compliance with appropriate company and secondary market investor standards. Examine loan documentation for accuracy and completeness. Work with loan originator & production staff to secure all required documents and set conditions for items missing or insufficient.
CMG Financial
January 2013 – December 2016
VA/FHA Purchase Auditor, Correspondent Division
Audit closed residential loans ensuring compliance with appropriate company and secondary market investor standards. Examine loan documentation for accuracy and completeness. Review and evaluate data to confirm loan viability; identifying underwriting loans for errors. Condition for missing or inaccurate documents required for secondary marketing purchases.
NexBank SSB
September 2012 - January 2013
Sr Underwriter
Underwrite residential loans ensuring compliance with appropriate company and secondary market investor standards. Examine loan documentation for accuracy and completeness. Work with loan originator & production staff to secure all required documents. Have authority to withdraw and decline loans. Involved in various workstreams including conventional and government loans.
Bank of America
September 2010 – September 2012
Team Lead - Auditor II: July 2011 – September 2012
Utilized vast Industry knowledge to audit In-Line QA HAMP & Non-Hamp programs to include DOJ & DSCR programs. Primary Responsibilities include management of a team of Auditors to ensure compliance with Bank of America's investor guidelines; reviewing and evaluating data to confirm loan viability; identifying underwriting loans for errors, quality and accuracy. Provided recommendations for quality control and general operational improvements based on review of findings. Provide input on processes, procedures and/or new approaches. Conducted full and comprehensive audits of Auditor reviews with heavy focus on compliance and investor requirements, ensuring loan quality, adherence to policies and guidelines, business validity. Determined corrective action on issues or problems in loans, rating auditors, counseling & training to minimize errors in their audit production.
Auditor II (see dates above) (promoted)
Primary Responsibilities included independently conducting full and comprehensive audits and evaluations of the post-funding loans with heavy focus on compliance and investor requirements, ensuring loan quality, adherence to policies and guidelines, business validity and salability. Heavy focus on loan viability and salability; identifying risk issues and potential fraud; analyzing loans with guideline exceptions and determining if approval is warranted; auditing Underwriting operations and loan files for quality and accuracy. Provided recommendations for Underwriting quality and general operational improvements based on review of findings. Provided input on Underwriting processes & procedures. Determined corrective action on issues or problems in loans, determining loan-quality impact and quantifying anticipated financial loss. Resolved investors' concerns and issues related to non-performing loans. Performed audits on conventional and government loans to include VA and FHA.
Trinet/Bank of America (KB Home Mortgage)
December 2009 – September 2010
Underwriting Manager
Duties include supervision of staff, counseling, training and guidance in all programs and procedures. Perform file audits for new underwriters to obtain lending authority. Review all declinations, loans exceeding underwriter’s lending authority, and approving credit variance and exceptions. Underwrite all types of loans including VA, FHA, Conventional conforming and nonconforming, USDA and Bond programs using various automated underwriting engines as well as manual underwriting. Authority $3 M.
Chase Home Finance
May 2008 – October 2009
AVP, National Underwriting Supervisor
Responsible for national support at all Underwriting Centers as needed. Duties include supervision of staff, counseling, training and guidance in all programs and procedures. Perform file audits for new underwriters to obtain lending authority. As part of the 21078+authority, and approving credit variance and exceptions. Underwrite all types of loans including VA, FHA, Conventional conforming and nonconforming, and Bond programs using various automated underwriting engines as well as manual underwriting. Authority $3 Mil.
AVP, Dallas Underwriting Center Manager (see dates above) (promoted)
Responsible for supervision of Texas staff and contract underwriters in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. Grew Center from a sub-site of Denver into a fully functional independent Center with a staff of 24. Duties included counseling, training and guidance in all programs and procedures, performed file audits to ensure standards, policies and guidelines are being maintained. Reviewed all declinations, loans exceeding underwriter’s lending authority, and approved credit variance and exceptions. Responsible for maintaining adequate production parameters and satisfactory customer service while incorporating policies and procedures to ensure adequate standards, following all legal and investor requirements. Performed daily analysis of staff production to ensure adequate performance and file turn time. Authority $3 Mil.
Flagstar Bank
Dallas, TX January - February 2008
DE Training/Refresher
Countrywide Home Loans
Plano, TX August 2005-September 2007
First Vice President, Compliance and Underwriting
Working within the training department, perform as Retail Divisional SME for any Compliance, Fraud or Underwriting issues. Redesigned and rewrote the new FHA DE training manual. Worked in government Web-Based Training courses. Reviewed reports to identify trending issues, perform Needs Analysis and act as Chair for meetings with Managing Directors, EVPs and SVPs to discuss needed improvement processes and training requirements. Created necessary documents and Project Plans for required training, working with Instructional Designers and Multimedia to create and produce all required training. Worked extensively with Credit Risk, Risk Management, Sales Support and Underwriting Support to update and improve procedures, polices and Best Practices to enhance production while reducing instances of fraud, audit findings or Compliance related issues regarding RESPA, HMDA. Developed SASE procedures for each level of authority from processors up through Sr underwriters and their required skill sets.
AVP, Underwriting
Richardson, TX (see dates above) (promoted)
Set up new group within Specialty Lending Group as first rollout of new ‘One Source’ initiative to do prime loans within the subprime division. Responsible for all aspects of staff to include hiring, counseling, training and guidance in all programs and procedures. Responsible for maintaining adequate production parameters, satisfactory customer service, and timely closings while incorporating and generating policies and procedures to ensure adequate standards, following all legal and investor requirements. Responsible for ensuring such aspects as Customer Relations, EEO, Regulatory Compliance and Fair Lending. Designed training for staff trainers to instruct divisional Sales and Operations staff on loan programs and policies. Authority $2 Mil.
Aegis Mortgage Corp
Houston, TX April 2005-July 2005
Director of Underwriting
Washington Mutual Home Loans
Dallas, TX 2004-2005
AVP, Policy & Procedures - Operations & Policy Support
Loan Fulfillment Center Team Manager – Dallas Retail Fulfillment Center
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
Senior Underwriter
Dallas, TX 2002-2004
MGIC (Mortgage Guarantee Insurance Corp.)
Senior Contract Underwriter
Dallas, TX 2001-2002 (contract)
Countrywide Home Loans
Plano, TX 1999-2001
Mortgage Skills Trainer – Government Underwriter and Processing Trainer
FT Mortgage
Dallas, TX 1998-1999
Underwriting Dept Manager
Countrywide / Full Spectrum Mortgage
Plano, TX 1997
Senior Underwriter
Other positions held:
Centex Home Equity/CTX Mtg - Dallas, TX Jr/Sr Underwriter
National Bank Mortgage- Killeen, TX Operations Mgr/Head Underwriter
First Bankers Mtg Corp. - Killeen, TX Branch Manager
First Community Mtg, - Killeen, TX Underwriter/Originator/Sr Processor
REFERENCES
Anne Ebert 832-***-****
Sam Gomaa 925-***-****
Debbie Culpepper 214-***-****
Vinny LoBue 972-***-****