What Is Underwriter Approval?

There are so many steps of approval in the mortgage process it can get very confusing. You will often hear about underwriter approval being mentioned with baited breath. What is underwriter approval? The underwriter is the actual person approving your loan package. Much of their work has now been automated with software programs, but they still hold the sword of Damocles over your loan. When someone asks where the buck stops, the underwriter is where when it comes to mortgages.