The Redesigned URLA Is Coming Jan. 1. Are You Ready?
This article relates to the Uniform Mortgage Data Program®, an effort undertaken jointly by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae at the direction of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. This article was submitted to MBA NewsLink by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the GSEs) will ring in the New Year by starting to accept the redesigned Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA) and updated automated underwriting system (AUS) loan application submission files based on MISMO v3.4. Beginning January 1, 2021, all lenders, aggregators and third-party originators who are ready to send and accept the redesigned URLA may participate in the two-month Open Production Period (OPP), which allows for a gradual transition prior to the March 1, 2021 mandate.
This final implementation phase is the culmination of a multi-year collaborative effort among lenders, technology solution providers, government agencies, mortgage insurance companies, document preparation companies and other industry stakeholders. The product of this industry-wide initiative is a completely modernized URLA that is clearer, easier to use and captures more relevant data to support underwriting decisions.
To help you prepare, the GSEs have identified some tasks you should be wrapping up as you head into the OPP.
- Make sure your technology is ready.
You should be working closely with your technology solution providers to plan testing and implementation of your updated loan origination systems (LOS). To see whether your software partner has completed validation with the GSEs, visit the Fannie Mae-approved software partners page and Freddie Mac-approved software partners page. If you don’t see your vendor listed, reach out to them to find out when you can expect to implement their updated LOS.
2. Update your internal operations.
Have you familiarized yourself with the updated interactive URLA components available on each GSE’s URLA web page? Be sure to identify any data on the redesigned URLA that your organization does not currently collect and make a plan to capture that data.
Work with your document preparation provider or web-based development teams to determine what your updated form will look like by reviewing updated rendering design guidance available on each GSE’s website. Update any internal policies, procedures and workflows as needed to support these changes.
3. Prepare your people.
Who in your organization works with the URLA regularly? Review updated URLA instructions with those staff to be sure they understand the intention of each form field. Update any internal trainings so they will be ready to hit the ground running when it’s time to make the transition.
4. Coordinate with your industry partners.
To make sure you’re able to share loan files when you switch over, determine the type and timeframe of testing needed with all your industry partners. Inform them of when you will be ready to produce and receive the new data interface files and the redesigned URLA so you can coordinate your implementation timing.
Need More Information? Check Out These Resources.
The GSEs are committed to helping lenders and other industry stakeholders understand and adopt the redesigned URLA and the updated AUS specifications by the March 1, 2021 mandate. We recommend that you regularly check each GSE’s URLA web page for any updates to FAQs and other resources.
The redesigned URLA, AUS specifications, and additional supporting resources for the redesigned URLA are available on the Fannie Mae URLA web page and the Freddie Mac URLA/ULAD web page.
If you have further questions, please contact your GSE representative or email ULAD@FannieMae.com or ULAD@FreddieMac.com.
(Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect policy of the Mortgage Bankers Association, nor do they connote an MBA endorsement of a specific company, product or service. MBA NewsLink welcomes your submissions. Inquiries can be sent to Mike Sorohan, editor, at msorohan@mba.org; or Michael Tucker, editorial manager, at mtucker@mba.org.)
