Tried and true non-QM lending beats “shiny and new”

Will Fisher, executive vice president of non-QM and jumbo lending at LoanStream Mortgage, urged mortgage brokers and borrowers to do their homework when seeking a lender. “It comes down to experience,” he said. “We are seeing many prime / agency-focused lenders try to dip their toe in non-QM with similar but limited offerings. But, unfortunately, their underwriting teams usually don’t have the experience, and their loans need to be rescued by a more experienced lender.”

In operation since 2001, LoanStream describes itself as the premier third-party originator and real estate finance lender. According to its corporate literature, its wholesale and correspondent lending division works with quality community-based mortgage brokers, bankers, and originators.

Fisher’s advice comes when many in the industry are pivoting to take advantage of the non-QM space that, by some estimates, will be valued at approximately $200 billion this year. Moreover, the segment is increasingly appealing amid a changing mortgage landscape fueled by rising rates. 

“When you’ve been originating non-QM since 2013, ‘14, like us, you have a long history, you have performance data you can look at, and then you have the underwriting experience on the team,” he said, “you get great data that helps direct our  current underwriting, new program creation, and guideline expansion.”

Serene Vernon, president, noted, “We continue to be and are a lender that writes their guidelines, has the data to make those decisions, and creates proprietary non-QM programs. Only a few organizations can deliver proprietary loan programs, and LoanStream has been a pioneer in this area since 2013.”