Pre-Approval Specialist

Pre-Approval Specialist

CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) is the nation's number one distributed retail mortgage lender with more than 9,000 employees operating over 700 branches and servicing loans across all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Our company has been recognized ten times on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private businesses and has received many awards for our standout culture.

CCM offers eligible employees a competitive compensation plan and a robust benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, as well as a 401K. We also offer company-provided short-term disability, an employee assistance program, and a wellness program.

Position Overview:

The Pre-Approval Specialist delivers timely, accurate, and policy-aligned pre-approval decisions that protect CrossCountry Mortgage, support Loan Advisor recommendations, and enable downstream operations to proceed without rework. This role ensures eligibility determinations are accurate and supported by clear, defensible documentation. The Pre-Approval Specialist provides objective assessments that prepare files for smooth transition into operational processing.

Job Responsibilities:

• Maintain high decision quality and operational efficiency by meeting accuracy, timeliness, capacity, escalation, and review-related performance expectations.
• Review submitted applications and supporting documents within 24 hours to ensure each file meets company completeness standards and to identify missing, unclear, or inconsistent information.
• Request and track additional borrower documentation through Blend or other approved systems.
• Evaluate whether files meet defined consult-readiness criteria.
• Qualify borrower income, assets, credit, and liabilities to support eligibility determinations.
• Order and review verifications as needed (employment, assets, credit, etc.) to substantiate file data.
• Research investor guidelines and document relevant references and citations in the file.
• Determine eligibility-supported loan programs and structures based on file data and investor requirements.
• Render accurate, guideline-aligned pre-approval decisions.
• Document whether a file is approved or not and record eligibility constraints, assumptions, and identified risks.
• Create a concise decision narrative that supports underwriting, rework diagnosis, coaching and training, and audit and compliance review.
• Develop and document a realistic action plan for clients who are not yet eligible, specifying what must change, required documentation or behaviors, and estimated timing.
• Communicate and coordinate the action plan with Loan Advisors so they can confidently explain next steps to clients.
• Consult underwriting proactively to validate pre-approval logic when guidelines are unclear.
• Collaborate with processors for experiential insight into approval patterns.
• Escalate ambiguity, risk, or ethical concerns to the Production Manager.
• Support diagnosis on denials or postpre-approval rework when required.
• Prepare files for contract and lock consultation by reviewing executed contracts, updating loan applications to reflect contract terms, verifying borrower, property, agent, and third-party contacts, and accurately setting up fees so the file is consultation-ready.
• Issue initial disclosures to borrowers through the system upon Loan Advisor direction and send disclosures the same day as the lock consult whenever possible.
• Complete required setup checklist items and submit files to setup after the lock consult, ensuring files are prepared for the lock call within 24 hours and transferred to setup within 24 hours of signed disclosures.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Knowledge of mortgage underwriting and investor guidelines.
• Knowledge of Encompass LOS, preferred.
• Familiarity with conventional, FHA, VA, jumbo, and portfolio products.
• Proficiency with Automated Underwriting Engines (AUS), including DU and LP, and interpreting findings.
• Excellent attention to detail and pattern recognition skills to identify inconsistencies and trends.
• Skilled in writing clear, well-organized documentation and explaining decisions with concise rationale and next steps.
• Skilled in exercising measured, sound judgment under pressure and communicating decisions clearly to internal partners.