TOP LENDERS
(Tie) First National, RMG Mortgages, Marathon Mortgage Corp.
MERIX/Lendwise
(Tie) Scotiabank, MCAP
TOP ALTERNATIVE LENDERS
(Tie) Equitable Bank, Hosper Mortgage, CMI
(Tie) CWB Optimum Mortgage, Hosper Mortgage
(Tie) Haventree Bank, HomeEquity Bank
Once again breaking the ‘good’ score threshold after falling below it last year, underwriter support was called out by several brokers as the best thing their lender has done for them over the past year. “There’s nothing better than having an underwriter who will look for a way to get a deal approved instead of just declining it,” one broker said, while another enthused, “My dedicated underwriter has been the best.”
This increased support was seen in the top rankings. There were three-way ties for gold for both A lenders and alternative lenders; the highest honour went to First National, RMG Mortgages, Marathon Mortgage Corp., Equitable Bank, Hosper Mortgage and CMI. Ties also happened in the A lender bronze medal (shared by Scotiabank and MCAP) and the silver and bronze for alternative lenders (where CWB Optimum Mortgage and Hosper Mortgage took silver, and Haventree Bank and HomeEquity Bank earned bronze).
In terms of areas of improvement, brokers are looking for better communication, faster turnaround times and underwriters who are more familiar with their cases. “The biggest challenge I had with my lender in the last 12 months was getting answers quickly or being told to speak to an underwriter, which was never the case before,” lamented one broker. Another complained that “there’s a disconnect between the BDM and under-writers as to what can and can’t be done.”
