I just had a failed cash-out refinance with Delmar Mortgage. The LTV for this loan was 61% (56% per appraised value) and I have 800+ credit score. I was told it should be an easy case and could be closed in 4-6 weeks. I chose Delmar over the other two lenders from Bankrate.com because Delmar was the quickest to provide the initial disclosure. They locked the rate for me on 9/14 and my application was declined on 11/23. I like to share my lessons learnt; hope those would help anyone who wants to get a loan from Delmar.
1. Don't be held up by small things - Even though I never paid upfront to get a loan, I did pay $500 commitment fee to lock the rate with Delmar. Many (including the other two lenders) told me it was a warning sign. I did not think too much about it since the fee was refundable
2. Be Proactive - Delmar's initial doc request was short and sweet; they did not even ask for my current mortgage statement. I uploaded that with the initial batch of the documents. In retrospect, I probably should and could have sent other documents that past lenders needed for refinance before Delmar asked
3. Be Brave - For those of you who prefer to upload sensitive documents through a secure link, and to lock your credit reports to prevent ID theft, be brave and be flexible. For a few times, Delmar personnel could not access the submitted documents in portal and wanted me to email documents to avoid delay. It is also a Delmar's condition that applicants keep all three credit reports open during the entire process.
4. Choose Your Employer Carefully - Delmar does NOT accept employment verification through a third-party provider. For those of you whose employers do that, be ready to persuade your HR to make an exception, and to revise the wording per Delmar's liking. I did manage to get an employment letter (revised once) but HR refused to assure bonus (performance based) in the letter
5. Be Rich - If any part of your income decreased from 2019 to 2020, it could be struck out of your income calculation. I have an annual bonus (with a target ratio of my base salary) in my compensation. My actual bonus was 190% of my target in 2019 and was 140% in 2020 (mostly due to the Pandemic). Even though I submitted three-year bonus history, since I cannot prove, beyond any reasonable doubt, that the bonus will likely to continue, the underwriter rejected that as part of my income. Some lenders told me two-year bonus history was adequate, but Delmar is more stringent. I guess I should have worked harder to have a higher income
6. Facilitate Communication - In my case, there were four different Delmar personnel contacting me for information. My current lender received two payoff requests (on 10/13 and 10/22, respectively) and my insurance renewal notice had Delmar as the new lender. After I sensed that they may not talk to each other. I started to copy my replies to all so they can be aware what others were doing for my case. I should and could definitely have done this sooner
7. Be Diligent and Generous - After 6 quiet and normal weeks into my application, after two payoff requests and updated insurance renewal notice, I asked Delmar (on 10/22) whether the rate lock would soon expire. Coincidentally, the underwriter started to question my employment verification and DTI, the loan officer pushed to me new disclosures that added lock extension fee ($245 initially and raised to $982). Since I had been replying to all Delmar requests within 1 day, if not on the same day, I thought it was not fair for me to pay for the extension. Delmar eventually declined my application, citing high DTI and Fannie Mae guidelines. I guess I should and could have watched the due date more closely and earlier.
The loan officer did acknowledge that this loan had taken longer than normal. He also informed me that the $500 could not be refunded due to the cost incurred in my case. I am sure I should and could have done better with my decision. I wish this review would be helpful to any readers who are looking to get a loan from Delmar.
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