Tuesday, April 15, 2025

"I wish there was just some way to hide all these student loans somehow!" "That's mortgage fraud."

 

"I wish there was just some way to hide all these student loans somehow!" "That's mortgage fraud."

"I wish there was just some way to hide all these student loans somehow!" "That's mortgage fraud."

I was working on getting a home loan in the next town I was moving to after college. Adam at my bank, the loan originator, told me in a friendly tone and with a friendly facial expression, that I owed $106,000 in student loans (in 2013) so I'd need to make a minimum of $50,000 in a career related to my major to qualify.

(In 2025, I only owe $15,000 now, fortunately.) I tried to convince him that I could keep the loans in deferment indefinitely for as long as I kept taking a minimum of 6 credit-hours every semester at any college I choose. I planned to do so until a new legislation abolished student loans and made public college free, or until an apocalyptic event wiped them away, or until a new miracle technology made me earn more than ever before. (Doordash was that technology; the gig I joined in 2020.) That wasn't enough to overturn his denial decision.

When I told him "Man, I wish there was just some way to hide all these student loans somehow!," he told me "That's mortgage fraud."

That threw me off my train of thought. If I held on tighter, I would've said "You sure make this sound more serious than it feels! So how serious is this 'mortgage fraud' anyway? Like, what are the penalties and all that?"

So what would the fallout have been if anybody looking for a home loan hid (or tried to hide) their student loans?

all 10 comments

[–]anythingaustin 17 points  

Except if your last name is Trump.

[–]srkaficionada65 4 points  

Also when they pull a credit report, it shows EVERYTHING. When I say everything, I mean everything. I’m actually in the process of buying a house and totally forgot to list a new credi card I opened(because it’s basically useless since the reason I opened it no longer exists). Zero balance, 3 months open but the lender reached and was like “um xyz ran a credit report , did you open a new account”… I had to sit and think about it because I totally forgot the card but still needed to disclose that.

So you can hide whatever you want but if it’s going to show up on a report, don’t even bother. Or make those purchases in cash or debit card.

[–]Hotmessexpresso 3 points  

Well that escalated quickly 😳

[–]LWN729 5 points  

Well mortgages are backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which are government entities, so lying on a mortgage application is considered the same as lying to the government. It’s not just a civil issue with the bank or lender.

[–][deleted] -1 points  

You can't hide them and it's a serious federal offense. Some of you Redditors are super dense


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