At SunTrust Mortgage, we give loan originators more opportunities for loan approval by providing access to automated underwriting through several avenues: Fannie Mae's Desktop Underwriter, Freddie Mac's Loan Prospector, and (for offices located in Virginia) the Virginia Housing Development Authority's FasTrak system.

To assist SunTrust retail salespeople in using these systems, the AUS Help Desk is available via a toll-free phone line. Loan officers who have come from competitive mortgage companies typically consider our Help Desk to be a valuable point of difference that translates into less paperwork, faster processing, and quicker closings. Among the Help Desk's responsibilities:

• Answering questions about AUS data input, connection problems, and underwriting scenarios (including Calyx variations).
• Handling ID and password requests for DU (Desktop Underwriting), LP (Laptop Processing), and VHDA.

Our AUS Support Department also assists Retail loan officers in several other ways:

• Monthly AUS teleconferences with updates on automated underwriting issues, news of upcoming events, and a forum to ask questions and share ideas and problems.
• Ongoing training by teleconference on AUS-eligible products and other related topics, such as Expanded Approval.
• Communicating information through online or faxed "AUS Flashes" that cover such topics as product updates and underwriting issues.
• Supporting other issues by working with internal staff or with customers as requested.

Besides addressing concerns that many other lenders avoid, AUS Support assists employee career growth by providing training on automated underwriting. This focus has helped make SunTrust Mortgage one of the nation's top 10 users of desktop underwriting.