U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Washington, D.C. 20410-8000

January 15, 1998

OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY

FOR HOUSING-FEDERAL HOUSING COMMISSIONER

**Mortgagee Letter 98-6**

To: All Approved Mortgagees

**Subject**: Lender List on the World Wide Web

To access the Department\'s site on the World Wide Web, go to
[www.hud.gov](http://www.hud.gov/) or to get to the FHA site, go to
[www.hud.gov/fha/fhahome.html](http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/index.cfm).

Lender List on the World Wide Web

The Department has placed an electronic list of HUD/FHA approved lenders
on the HUD site on the World Wide Web. The address is
[www.hud.gov/lenders1.html](http://www.hud.gov/groups/lenders.cfm). The
List is searchable and is available to our business partners as well as
potential homebuyers. Only approved lenders will appear on the List.
Newly approved lenders will be automatically added to the List.
Conversely, lenders that have their HUD/FHA approval withdrawn will be
immediately deleted from the List.

Homebuyers may use the search function to find Title I or Title II
lenders located in the city where they live or in any city in the nation
where they may be planning to move. Homebuyers will be able to find
lenders that have recently made either Title I or Title II loans or home
rehabilitation loans under Section 203(k) or reverse mortgages under the
Home Equity Conversion Mortgage Program. Since virtually all lenders
participating in the FHA Title II pro-gram also make conventional
mortgages, homebuyers may also use the List to search for conventional
mortgagees.

Our business partners in both the Title I and II programs may use the
List in a variety of ways:

\* Create a list of all single family mortgagees located in a certain
state or making

loans in a certain HUD field office jurisdiction.

\* Create a list of all mortgagees servicing Title II loans.

\* Search for loan correspondents located in an area in which a sponsor
may wish to expand its wholesale business.

\* Check the List to determine if an application for a new tender has
been approved. Applicants for participation in the Title I or II
programs will be added to the List approximately 24 hours after
approval.

2

\* Verify that a lender\'s address and telephone number is current.

\* Verify the HUD Field Office jurisdictions in which a lender is
authorized to originate loans.

\* Verify that a lender is, in fact, HUD/FHA approved.

Electronic Mail

If any of the information on the Lender List is incorrect, lenders are
encouraged to use electronic mail to notify the Lender Approval and
Recertification of the corrections. The

Division\'s email address is <HSG-Lender_Approval@hud.gov>. Lenders are
also encouraged to provide their own email address on all paper
correspondence with the Division.

Availability of Forms, Handbooks and Mortgagee Letters

The Office of Lender Activities and Program Compliance no longer keeps a
supply of forms, handbooks and mortgagee letters to send to potential
lender applicants since these items are available through other sources
including the internet.

Forms

Lenders wishing to become approved for participation in the Title I or
II programs may order application packages by calling 1-800-767-7468 or
faxing an order to 202-708-2313. Lenders in the Washington, DC area
should call 202-708-3151. Specify Stock Item No. 4112 for the Title I
Package or 4113 for Title II. The Packages include appropriate Mortgagee
Letters and Handbooks as well as the forms. The basic application form
by itself is also available for downloading from the HUD website.

Handbooks and Mortgagee Letters

These materials are available in two ways. They may be ordered by
calling the phone numbers listed above. They may also be downloaded from
the HUD website.

Telephone Contact

Due to the high volume of calls received by the Lender Approval and
Recertification Division, an additional telephone number has been
established on which callers may leave messages. The number is
202-708-2843. Messages left on this number will be

returned within one business day. Although this number is voice mail
only, the menu options provide instructions concerning:

30-day warning letters for failure to submit the annual recertification
fee or annual audit report;

Letters withdrawing a lender\'s HUD/FHA approval for failure to submit
the annual recertification fee or annual audit report;

3

Annual Verification Reports.

Mortgagee Letters

The Department will no longer send lenders multiple copies of mortgagee
letters for distribution to each of their branch offices. Because these
letters are available from the World Wide Web, lenders will be sent only
one copy of each letter. The letters can be reproduced locally for
internal distribution if desired. Lenders should ensure that their
branch offices have access to the Mortgagee Letters appropriate to the
functions they

perform.

Sincerely,

![](media/image1.png){width="2.59375in" height="0.625in"}

Nicolas P. Retsinas

Assistant Secretary for Housing

Federal Housing Commissioner

[Quick Start Guide for the FHA
Connection](http://www.hud.gov/utilities/intercept.cfm?/offices/adm/hudclips/letters/mortgagee/98-13ml.pdf)