Guides
What HMDA data tells you about a mortgage lender, and what it does notWho reports Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data, what the figures on each profile mean, and why an approval share is not your odds of approval.How to compare mortgage offers with the Loan EstimateWhen lenders must give you a Loan Estimate, what counts as an application, which fees can change, and how to compare offers line by line.Banks, credit unions and mortgage companies: checking a lender on NMLSHow the three kinds of mortgage lender differ, who regulates them, and how to look up a lender and its loan officer on NMLS Consumer Access.Conventional, FHA, VA and USDA loans: what the loan-type figures meanThe four loan types in HMDA data, who each one is for, and how to use a lender's loan-type mix to build a shortlist.