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MortgagePoint » Your Trusted Source for Mortgage Banking and Servicing News 6 June 2023 M T E C H EQUIFAX ENHANCES ITS MORTGAGE VERIFICATION PORTFOLIO E quifax is continuing its commitment to delivering mortgage verification solutions with the launch of Em- ployment Select+, supporting lenders and consumers during the critical stages of the loan closing process. Leveraging the power of The Work Number database, Employment Select+ is designed to aid originators at closing by providing an instant view into a borrower's most recent 35 days of current and prior employment. This helps lenders satisfy gov- ernment-sponsored enterprise (GSE) home loan requirements for obtaining a verifica- tion of employment within 10 business days of closing. "In today's uncertain economic environ- ment, it's critical for lenders to have access to timely verification data at each stage of the mortgage process," said Ashley Wood, VP of Mortgage Verification Services at Equifax Workforce Solutions. "By leveraging digital verification solutions such as Employment Select+, lenders are able to develop a more holistic view of an applicant's ability to pay. This can give greater confidence to lenders while helping to remove barriers to home- ownership for consumers." Available to lenders via the web or integrated channels, Employment Select+ re- turns only the most up-to-date employment data to assist in the loan closing process. Additionally, lenders can now access new ver- sions of the standard mortgage verification solutions with a PDF receipt that provides documentation at order completion, helping them better manage loan costs. Since pioneering automated verifications more than 25 years ago, Equifax has allowed credentialed lenders to tap into the indus- try-leading, centralized commercial reposito- ry of income and employment information in the United States, with more than 618 million employment records from 2.7 million employers. OPTIMAL BLUE PPE EXPANDS INVESTOR CONTENT O ptimal Blue, a division of Black Knight, has announced that the Optimal Blue product, pricing, and eligibility engine (PPE) now includes investor content from 54 state-based housing finance agencies (HFAs). HFAs provide affordable homeownership options to low- and mod- erate-income borrowers by way of down payment and closing cost assistance, as well as reduced mortgage payments. The Optimal Blue PPE's extensive network of HFA content gives lenders using the platform access to more diverse financing options for their consumers. "We are continuously looking for ways to better support both the needs of clients and the needs of the American homebuyer," said Kevin McMahon, President of Optimal Blue. "We consider it a privilege to now have 54 state-based HFAs on the Optimal Blue PPE. At the end of the day, lenders want to help homebuyers find the best option for their cir- cumstances, and this is a major step toward connecting more consumers with affordable homeownership." HFAs provide affordable homeownership options to low- and moderate-income bor- rowers within the states where they operate; assistance may include down payment and closing cost assistance, as well as reduced mortgage payments. "We appreciate the wide-reaching exposure the Optimal Blue PPE gives our fi- nancing programs," said John Laca, Business Development Supervisor, Idaho Housing & Finance Association. "This allows us to increase our visibility so more lenders and homebuyers can benefit from the unique options available to them through HFAs."