Mortgage underwriting is the process that a lender uses to determine if the risk of offering a mortgage loan to a particular borrower is acceptable. It is a crucial part of the larger mortgage origination process, and it involves assessing the borrowers creditworthiness and the risk of lending money to them. The underwriter evaluates the borrowers credit history, income, assets, debts, and property details to determine if they are eligible for a loan. The underwriting process directly evaluates the borrowers finances and past credit decisions, and it focuses on the five Cs of underwriting: credit, capacity, cash flow, collateral, and character. The underwriter helps the mortgage lender decide whether or not to approve the loan application and works with the borrower to ensure that they submit all the necessary paperwork. Ultimately, the underwriter ensures that the borrower does not close on a mortgage that they cannot afford. The underwriting process can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on the situation.