Mortgage servicers are companies responsible for the logistical aspects of servicing a loan. Things like processing and tracking payments, sending payment reminders and filing foreclosure documents are some of the tasks they perform.
Your mortgage servicer helps handle your loan, but also satisfies certain federal requirements. For example, your servicer sends a report each year describing your accounts balances, property tax payments, homeowners insurance and other pertinent account activity.
Sometimes, your loan servicer might change financial institutions. When this happens, servicers are required to notify you within 30 days of your mortgage transfer.
The mortgage loan industry involves three key players: mortgage lenders, investors and servicers.
The lenders, or originators, are banks or mortgage firms that give you the money when a home loan was approved for you.
A mortgage investor is a person or organization - often a government-sponsored entity - that buys the entire mortgage from the originator. This allows the lender to sell additional mortgages.
Finally, the servicers are companies handling your loan account. In some cases, the loan owner - whether a lender or investor - can also be a servicer. However, borrowers are usually connected with a third-party company to help manage repayment.
Having a quality loan servicer can make a huge difference in your borrowing experience. An excellent company maintains accurate information, is quick to contact and offers good customer service. Their important duties include canceling mortgage insurance, assisting in avoiding foreclosure or answering general queries.
Unfortunately, you have no control over who can buy and service your loan. The lender’s right to sell to an external company is included in the terms of service you have to agree to when signing up for the loan.
These are only a few of the important aspects of mortgage servicing to know. However, the more you understand about the parties involved, the better borrowing experience you’ll have.
Lana Harris is a Chicago native who is a second-generation real estate professional. She was introduced to real estate at a very young age while attending open houses with her mother who is a broker. She honed her skills assisting in property searches (back in the thick, Multiple Listing Service book days,) and using map reading skills to help plan property tour sequencing. Lana’s love of working with people and delivering strong customer service led her to the retail sector, where she developed her management skills at MC Sports, Ann Taylor, and Adidas. She and her husband moved to Utah in 2008 to enjoy the natural beauty of the mountains, and she began her real estate career here in 2015. Most recently, she was a VP of sales for a large team; she thrives on challenges and is determined to overcome obstacles to achieve results for her clients. Lana and her husband enjoy their three large dogs, skiing, camping and paddleboarding.
