Who Should Join

For mortgage professionals who want to strengthen pre-qualification, improve file review, and prepare cleaner loans before underwriting.

This program is designed for originators, loan partners, LOAs, processors, and mortgage professionals who want to better understand what should be reviewed before a file reaches underwriting. You will learn how to look at the application, credit, income, assets, collateral, and AUS findings with more confidence so you can spot concerns earlier, ask better questions, and support a smoother path from application to approval. This is not an underwriting certification program. It is practical training and weekly mentoring to help you review files more clearly, strengthen your process, and prepare better loan submissions.

What You’ll Be Able to Do

Six core benefits that help processors understand file flow, stay organized, reduce delays, and move loans from intake to clear to close.

  • Improve File Handoffs

    Build a stronger process between originators, loan partners, LOAs, and processors.

  • Strengthen Pre-Qualification

    Review the application, borrower details, credit, income, assets, and AUS findings before the file moves forward.

  • Review Income More Clearly

    Understand wage earner income, variable income, other income types, and self-employed borrower income.

  • Communication & File Clarity

    Learn how to ask better questions, explain what is needed, and communicate more clearly with borrowers, loan officers, LOAs, processors, and other parties involved in the file.

  • Conditions & Problem Spots

    Understand how conditions are created, what they usually connect to, and how to spot concerns earlier before they become bigger issues in underwriting.

  • From Submission to Approval

    Learn how a stronger front-end review, cleaner documentation, and better file story can help support a smoother path from submission to approval.

What You’ll Learn

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  • Review the 1003, credit, and AUS findings with more purpose

  • Understand what underwriters look for before the file is submitted

  • Identify income, asset, and collateral issues earlier

  • Package the file with a clearer story and stronger handoff

Course curriculum

This program includes self-paced mortgage training plus one full year of access to weekly mentoring with Ask the Underwriter®.

    1. How to use this course

      FREE PREVIEW

    2. Clickable Agenda (Google Document) & Directions

    3. Underwriting Secrets Revealed Syllabus (Google Document)

    4. Before You Get Started: How to Use Your Note-Taker & Summary

    1. NOTE SHEET for Mindset

    2. Welcome

    3. Mindset

    4. SUMMARY (takeaway) for Mindset

    1. Mortgage Positions

    2. Mortgage Loan Originators (MLO)

    3. Set up/Opener

    4. Mortgage loan Processor (MLP)

    5. Mortgage Underwriter

    6. Closer/Funder

    7. Post Closing

    1. NOTE SHEET for Bedrock of Success

    2. NOTE TAKING COMPANION for Bedrock for Success

    3. 10 Commandments

    4. Missing items on the 1003

    5. Struggling vs. Thriving

    6. SUMMARY (takeaway) for Bedrock for Success

    1. NOTE SHEET for Qualifying the Borrower

    2. NOTE TAKING COMPANION for Qualifying the Borrower

    3. Introduction

    4. The Process

    5. Documentation

    6. Credit Detective 1

    7. Credit Detective 2

    8. Credit Detective 3

    9. Recap & Task

    10. AUS Messages 1

    11. AUS Messages 2

    12. SUMMARY (takeaway) for Qualifying the Borrower

    1. NOTES Introduction to Income

    2. NOTE TAKING COMPANION for Introduction to Income

    3. Introduction

    4. Qualifying Income

    5. Documentation - Qualifying

    6. SUMMARY (takeaway) for Introduction to Income

    7. NOTES for Wage Earners

    8. NOTE TAKING COMPANION for Wage Earners

    9. Base, Bonus, Overtime & Commission

    10. Variable Income

    11. SUMMARY (takeaway) for Wage Earners

    12. NOTES for Other Types of Income

    13. NOTE TAKING COMPANION for Other Types of Income

    14. Other Types of Income 1

    15. Other Types of Income 2a

    16. Other Types of Income 2b

    17. Other Types of Income 3a

    18. Other Types of Income 3b

    19. Other Types of Income Review

    20. SUMMARY (takeaway) for Other Types of Income

    21. NOTES for Introduction to Self-Employed Borrower Income

    22. NOTE TAKING COMPANION for Introduction to Self-employed borrower

    23. Self-Employed Borrower Introduction

    24. SUMMARY (takeaway) for Introduction to Self-Employed Borrowers

    25. NOTES for Schedule C Sole Proprietor

    26. NOTE TAKING COMPANION for Schedule C Sole Proprietor

    27. Self-Employed Borrower- Schedule C/Sole Proprietor

    28. Self-Employed Borrower - Sch C Case Study

    29. SUMMARY (takeaway) for Schedule C Sole Proprietor

    30. NOTES for Introduction to Business Returns

    31. NOTE TAKING COMPANION for Introduction to Business Returns

    32. Self=Employed Borrower - Business Returns

    33. SUMMARY (takeaway) for Introduction to Business Returns

    34. NOTES for Introduction to 1120S S- Corporation Returns

    35. Self-Employed Borrower - 1120S

    36. Self-Employed Borrower - 1120S Calculations

    37. SUMMARY (takeaway) for 1120S S-Corp

    38. NOTES for Introduction to 1065 Partnership Returns

    39. Self-Employed Borrower- Partnership 1065P

    40. Self-Employed Borrower- Partnership Calculations

    41. SUMMARY (takeaway) for 1065P Partnership

    42. Self-Employed Borrower- 1120 Corporation

    43. Self-Employed Borrower- 1120 Corp Calculations

    44. NOTES for Introduction to 1120 Corporate Tax Returns

    45. SUMMARY (takeaway) for 1120 Corporation

About this course

  • $2,497.00
  • 107 lessons
  • 13.5 hours of video content

Discover your potential, starting today

Enroll today

Instructor(s)

Dionne Bass

Founder, Consultant & Lead Instructor, Ask the Underwriter®

Dionne Bass is the founder of Ask the Underwriter® and a mortgage training consultant with over 30 years of experience in mortgage banking. As a former underwriter, speaker, and course instructor for the Florida Association of Mortgage Professionals, she helps mortgage professionals strengthen their pre-qualification process, understand documentation, review income, read credit reports, and submit cleaner files. Her training is designed to help processors, LOAs, loan partners, and originators build confidence, reduce preventable issues, and start loans right.

FAQ

  • Is this program self-paced or live?

    It is both. You get access to the self-paced training course, plus one full year of weekly mentoring group access.

  • Who is this program for?

    This program is for originators, loan partners, LOAs, processors, and mortgage professionals who want to strengthen pre-qualification, review loan files with more confidence, and prepare cleaner submissions before underwriting.

  • Does this course teach underwriting?

    No. This is not an underwriting certification program. It teaches you how to review the application, credit, income, assets, collateral, and AUS findings with more clarity so you can spot concerns earlier and prepare stronger files.

  • How long do I have access to the weekly mentoring group?

    Your enrollment includes one full year of weekly mentoring group access.

  • What happens after the first year?

    After the first year, you may continue in the weekly mentoring group for a monthly fee.

  • Can companies buy this for their team?

    Yes. Companies can purchase access for team members who need mortgage processing training, onboarding support, or a stronger foundation in file flow, documentation, and conditions.

  • Can I ask questions during mentoring?

    Yes. The weekly mentoring group is designed for questions, scenarios, file review concepts, income questions, AUS findings, documentation concerns, and practical mortgage discussions.