VerLana McCombs
Lee's Summit,MO
Summary
Results-oriented professional with extensive experience in managing complex workflows, process optimization, and cross-functional team collaboration. Proven ability to lead projects, mitigate risks, and deliver high-quality outcomes under tight deadlines. Seeking to leverage transferable skills and experience to excel in a project management role.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Non-Qualified Mortgages (QM) Underwriter
Change Mortgage-Contract
01.2021 - 01.2022
- Underwrote correspondent, wholesale/broker, and retail loans, analyzing borrower credit files, and clearing conditions on a timely basis.
- Collaborated with loan officers, auditors, and legal teams to resolve escalated issues, improving stakeholder satisfaction by 20%.
- Examined documents to determine potential risk factors related to borrower financial standing and credit.
- Designed and implemented a risk assessment framework, reducing loan processing errors by 15%.
- Awarded Underwriter of the Month, 2021, for exceeding production goals.
Underwriter
Guaranteed Rate-Contract
01.2020 - 01.2021
- Oversaw loan processing workflows, ensuring the timely delivery of underwriting decisions for over 40 applications weekly.
- Examined loan documents for accuracy and completeness, securing required documentation in collaboration with loan originators, processors, and officers.
- Identified process inefficiencies and proposed solutions, leading to a 10% increase in productivity across the department.
- Managed the Clear to Close queue for the entire team, which includes attaching pertinent documents to facilitate the assignment of a date for mortgage signing with the title company.
Underwriter
Chase Bank-Contract
Jacksonville, USA
01.2019 - 01.2020
- Manually underwrote files for various programs in compliance with lender (retail and wholesale) guidelines, including refinance, home equity, jumbo, and non-conforming loans with signature authority of up to $650K
- Responsible for reaching quota of underwriting at least four files per day, consistently surpassing this target
- Managed pipeline of resubmissions within 48-hour turnaround time
- Utilized both automated and manual underwriting systems for conventional and portfolio loans
- Communicated with Loan Originators on loan decisions to provide constructive feedback for other staff members and loan officers; and demonstrated leadership skills as a team player by providing superior customer service
- Completed appropriate documents for Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) worksheet and reviewed exception reports to ensure task completion
Direct Endorsement (DE) Senior Underwriter
Carrington Mortgage
Jacksonville, USA
06.2016 - 07.2018
- Manually underwrote loans for mortgage programs (retail, wholesale, FHA, VA, IRRRL, USDA, FNMA, FHLMC) in compliance with lenders guidelines, including refinance, home equity, jumbo, and non-conforming loans with signature authority up to $750K
- Responsible for underwriting for A, A-, Alternative Doc (stated income), Mortgage Insurance & Compliance, FNMA, FHLMC, (DU, LP); including Loan Solutions, Community Commitment & Acorn
- Responsible for reaching quota of underwriting at least eight (8) or more files per day
- Managed pipeline of resubmissions within 48-hour turnaround time while assigning daily tasks to team of underwriters and reviewing second signs for approval/accuracy
- Utilized working knowledge of KYC (Know Your Customer), BSA (Bank Secrecy Act), and AML (Anti Money Laundering) standards
- Trained and mentored junior underwriters, field sales partners, loan processors, and peers, providing feedback to management regarding quality and performance
- Functioned as team lead in supervisor’s absence for 12 associates to field questions, problem solve and distribution of work to ensure mortgage process continued
- Served as subject matter expert (SME) for assets and income related to underwriting
- Taught process to determine income from check stubs and tax returns (classroom teaching) to new hires/employees and processors that were promoted to mortgage underwriters
- Delivered customer service training for newly hired processors and underwriters
Senior Underwriter
Wells Fargo
Jacksonville, USA
09.2010 - 09.2013
- Analyzed conventional, special bond, and manufactured housing loans in accordance with company/industry underwriting guidelines
- Reviewed complex tax returns and financial statements for self-employed borrowers, examining transactions for accuracy and completeness
- Reviewed documents, including titles, homeowners’ insurance, and powers of attorney, to prepare for loan closing
- Assisted closers with pre-closing activities, ensuring all sale terms were met
- Collaborated with sales partners to renegotiate loan terms based on lending guidelines
- Mentored field sales partners, loan processors, and peers, analyzing quality and performance and providing feedback to managers
Underwriter
Digital Risk
01.2020
- Determined mortgage loan approvals based on application data, verifying income/employer information, credit history, and collateral/asset value
- Calculated income for all borrower types, reviewed tax returns and related financial statements, and interpreted credit and other reports to establish credit worthiness
- Responsible for quota of underwriting for at least three new loans per day followed by resubmissions of files within 24/48-hour turn time, and Clear-to-Close files exceeding the daily quota
- Responsible for reviewing various income statements, tax returns, employment history, and other financial details
Education
Project Management -
Johnson County Community College
Overland Park, KSBachelor of Science - Business Management
University of Phoenix
Jacksonville, FLSkills
- MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook)
- PeopleSoft
- LPS
- MSP
- E360
- Encompass
- Core
- Project planning and execution
- Workflow optimization
- Risk management
- Team collaboration
- Budget oversight
- Stakeholder engagement
- Process improvement
- Data analysis, Lending, and Underwriting
- Skill Development Guidance
- Negotiations
- Vendor Relations
- Cross-functional collaboration
Certification
- Federal Housing Authority (FHA) Certified Underwriter, HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development)
- Direct Endorsement (DE) Certified Underwriter, HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development)
- Licensed Insurance Adjuster, Florida, Georgia, Texas
- Project Management
Community Service
- Volunteer, She is Me, Minneapolis, MN
- Volunteer, Brown Girls Who, Minneapolis, MN
Timeline
Non-Qualified Mortgages (QM) Underwriter
Change Mortgage-Contract
01.2021 - 01.2022
Underwriter
Guaranteed Rate-Contract
01.2020 - 01.2021
Underwriter
Digital Risk
01.2020
Underwriter
Chase Bank-Contract
01.2019 - 01.2020
Direct Endorsement (DE) Senior Underwriter
Carrington Mortgage
06.2016 - 07.2018
Senior Underwriter
Wells Fargo
09.2010 - 09.2013
Project Management -
Johnson County Community College
Bachelor of Science - Business Management
University of Phoenix
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