Assurant, Inc., a premier global provider of risk management solutions, announced the release of a series of new products and product enhancements from its Mortgage Solutions division designed to address some of the challenges surrounding the rapidly evolving mortgage valuations and title sectors. This includes new valuations, mortgage technology and title products and enhancements, all of which were previewed for current and prospective clients last week at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Annual Expo in Denver, the company announced in a release.
Partnering with top industry originators, Assurant has developed the Assurant Hybrid Appraisal, enabling customizable hybrid desktop appraisals with an interior inspection to replace traditional appraisals for lower-risk properties. This alternative appraisal is coupled with a proprietary property risk and complexity screening tool that identifies low-risk properties and utilizes trained inspectors, significantly reducing valuation turn times without compromising quality or compliance, the release said.
“Assurant partners with and really listens to our clients to understand the challenges they face so together we can adapt to market demands,” Assurant Mortgage Solutions Senior Vice President Dan Hoppes said in the release. “We are focused on innovation that enables us to meet our client’s need for a faster, streamlined appraisal process, while maintaining compliance and reliability.”
Assurant has also made significant enhancements to its Title and Mortgage Technology product lines. These enhancements are client-centric to create a better user experience while streamlining the overall appraisal management process. Assurant LenderX – an easy-to-use portal for managing appraisals, communication, invoicing, tracking and borrower delivery – now offers:
• Appraisal Fee Services: Integrates with Automated Fee Services, Inc. (AFS), the industry leader in lending and risk management solutions for financial institutions, to manage the accounting function by collecting payments from the borrower;
• CompareDoc: Compares original and revised appraisals with easily identifiable, highlighted changes; and
• Staff Appraiser Program: Assurant-endorsed appraisers are held to a higher standard and provide faster turnaround times with high-quality reporting.
In addition, American Title, Inc. (ATI), an Assurant Company, has introduced eSigning to enhance the borrower’s experience and reduce time and paperwork for everyone involved. ATI is also set to roll out a new product that provides originators with an alternative to traditional title that saves time and better aligns risk with cost.