Method and system for loan origination and underwriting

• US 7,287,008 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1999
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GE Capital US Holdings, Inc. (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Capital Corporation (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Mahoney, John F., Mohen, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil; Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US09/475,153
• Time in Patent Office: 2,854 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/4, 705/10, 705/26, 705/35, 705/21, 705/38, 707/1, 707/10, 707100-104
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate

Abstract

A system and method for use by a business entity for loan origination and underwriting in connection with real estate investment using a computer implemented application having a plurality of data input and dialog screens requiring one-time entry of data. The method includes steps to be followed in any sequence by one or more users of the business entity for using the system. The method includes inputting and storing loan origination information via data input screens, the information including financial and physical information relating to a specific real estate investment. The input loan origination information is dynamically compared with pre-determined rules and a dialog screen is displayed on a near real-time basis if any of said rules are violated. The input data is dynamically compared with other rules for determining the ongoing sequence of data input and dialog screens. Comparison with other rules results in the calculation of calculated values and automatically generated dialog text, some of which is automatically populated in word processing documents, an automated loan request and a credit application. The system includes both manual and automatic input of market data quantitatively describing the real estate market associated with the property, as well as multimedia data describing the property and the region surrounding the property. A report representing all of the stored input and calculated values are automatically produced in both paper and electronic form suitable for loan origination and underwriting.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating approval of a real estate investment in a system having a plurality of remote members of a business entity, each of said plurality of remote members entering data associated with said real estate investment, the method comprising:

periodically receiving and storing loan origination data from said plurality of remote members via a plurality of data input screens, said data including financial and physical data relating to said real estate investment;

comparing automatically the input loan origination data with first data input rules and if any of said data input rules are violated, then displaying an information screen including a text message corresponding to a respective violated rule;

comparing automatically the loan origination data with second pre-determined rules and, based on results of the comparison with said second pre-determined rules, dynamically determining a set of data input and dialog screens;

comparing automatically the loan origination data with third pre-determined rules and based on results of the comparison with said third pre-determined rules dynamically calculating at least one or more profitability values, said third pre-determined rules including at least one of a debt model and an equity financial model;

displaying at least one of said profitability values on said set of data input and dialog screens;

inputting and storing user comments from at least a second one of said plurality of remote users via at least one of said data input screens;

presenting said user comments, said stored loan origination data, and said at least one or more calculated values to at least one of said remote members for approval; and

generating at least one loan origination and underwriting report, said report including said stored loan origination data and said at least one or more profitability values.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said generated reports further include stored market data, said market data describing the real estate market associated with the real estate investment.

3. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the application is a data input application connected to a spreadsheet application.

4. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein said loan origination data includes property description values, pricing values, estimated risk values, loan terms, and cash requirements.

5. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein said loan origination data includes property cash flow values, operating expense values, and borrower description.

6. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein said loan origination data includes values representing subjective assessment of at least one of market demand, market supply, submarket demand, submarket supply, borrower business plan experience, borrower financial wherewithal, borrower behavior, and environmental issues.

7. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of dynamically calculating at least one of one or more calculated values further comprises calculating at least one value of the group of values comprising return on investment, net operating income, direct capitalization, discounted cash flow, an effective gross income, cash flow after reserves, overall risk, wherein said calculation being based on inputted estimated risk values, including asset risk, market risk, and execution risk.

8. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the steps of dynamically calculating at least one or more calculated values further comprises the steps of:

assigning respective parameters indicative of subjective risk assessment for at least one risks of a group of risks comprising environmental assessment risk, in-place rental rates relative to market risk, average lease term risk, tenant rollover risk, lease-up to stabilization risk, diversity of tenants assessment, creditworthiness of tenants assessment, stability/predictability of operating expenses assessment, redevelopment risk, repositioning risk, renovation risk, operator/management expertise required risk, capital availability assessment, investor appetite assessment, ground lease risk, and borrower experience with investment strategy assessment;

calculating an overall subjective risk value from said respective parameters; and

displaying said subjective risk value.

9. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of generating at least one loan origination and underwriting report includes the steps of calculating report values, said calculated report values being associated with text portions, and automatically generating word processing documents including said text portions, said input data and said calculated values.

10. The method set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of auto-populating fields of input screens and information screens with at least one of previously entered data and calculated values.

11. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one property attribute and at least one loan attribute is associated with at least one respective acquisition value, and the step of inputting and storing market data further comprises the step of selecting said at least one respective acquisition value, automatically linking to a web site, selecting and copying a data portion from the web site based on said at least one respective acquisition value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one respective acquisition value is a postal ZIP Code.

13. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of inputting and storing market data further comprises the steps of copying multimedia data relating to the real estate investment from one of a database or a web page, said copying step being accomplished by graphic input techniques, and storing said multimedia data, wherein said multimedia data includes at least an image.

14. The method set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically generating and storing a set of data screens formatted for transmission over one of an intranet or the Internet, said generated data screens being copies of data screens previously populated with input data and calculated values in connection with a specific real estate investment, and automatically generating and sending an email communication including a hyperlink web address of said stored set of data screens.

15. The method set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of recording in computer memory a parameter indicative of revision of said computer implemented application and respective parameters indicative of changes to stored data, said changes including at least respective parameters indicative of source of change, date, and time.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of generating a credit request said credit request including selected portions of one or more of stored loan origination data, stored market data, and stored multimedia data.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of generating a loan application, said loan application including selected portions of one or more of stored loan origination data, stored market data, and stored multimedia data.

18. A method for facilitating approval of a real estate investment using a computer implemented application connected to a spreadsheet application, said computer implemented application having a plurality of data input and information screens accessible by a plurality of remote members of a business entity, each of said plurality of remote members entering data associated with said real estate investment, the method comprising:

periodically receiving and storing loan origination data from at least one of said plurality of remote members via said data input screens, said data including financial and physical data relating to said real estate investment;

comparing automatically the input loan origination data with first data input rules and if any of said input rules are violated, then displaying an information screen including a text message corresponding to a respective violated rule;

comparing automatically the loan origination data with second pre-determined rules and based on results of the comparison with said second pre-determined rules dynamically determining a set of data input and dialog screens;

comparing automatically the input loan origination data with third pre-determined rules and based on results of the comparison with said third pre-determined rules dynamically calculating at least one of;

one or more profitability values, said third predetermined rules including at least one of a debt model and an equity financial model, at least one of said calculated values displayed on said set of data input screens;

auto-populating fields of input screens and information screens with at least one of previously entered data and calculated values;

automatically linking to a web site, selecting and copying a data portion from the web site based on a postal ZIP Code value;

inputting and storing market data, said market data describing the real estate market associated with the real estate investment;

presenting said loan origination data, said calculated values, and said market data to at least one of said members for approval; and

generating at least one loan origination and underwriting report including the stored loan origination data, the stored market data, and the profitability values.

19. A system for facilitating approval of a real estate investment comprising:

a computer implemented application connected to a spreadsheet application, said computer implemented application accessible by a plurality of members of a business entity and having a plurality of data input screens configured and arranged for input of member comments and financial data including loan origination data and physical data relating to a specific real estate investment, said computer application including information screens;

said computer application including first data rules, said computer application being configured and arranged for automatic comparison of the loan origination data periodically received from at least one of said plurality of members with said input rules for determining violation of said input rules;

said computer application including second pre-determined rules, said computer application being configured and arranged for automatic comparison of the loan origination data with said second pre-determined rules, a first result of said comparison being arranged to dynamically determine a set of data input and dialog screens;

said computer application including third pre-determined rules, said computer application being configured and arranged for automatic comparison of the loan origination data with said third pre-determined rules, a second result of said comparison being arranged to dynamically calculate at least one of one or more profitability values, said third pre-determined rules including at least one of a debt model and an equity financial model;

said computer application causing at least one of said profitability values to be displayed on said set of data input and dialog screens;

said computer application being configured and arranged to auto-populate fields of said input screens and information screens with at least one of previously entered data and profitability values;

said computer application being configured and arranged to automatically link to a web site, select and copy a data portion from the web site based on a postal ZIP Code value;

said computer application being configured and arranged to receive and store market data, said market data describing the real estate market associated with the real estate investment;

said computer application being configured and arranged to present said loan origination data, said profitability values, and said market data to at least one of said members for approval; and

said computer application being configured and arranged to generate at least one loan origination and underwriting report including the stored loan origination data, the stored market data, and the profitability values.