Tracie Heard

DE/SAR Mortgage Underwriter Manager

Tracie Heard – DE/SAR Mortgage Underwriter Manager

Tracie Heard serves as the DE/SAR Mortgage Underwriter Manager at Griffin Funding, where she oversees the company’s FHA, VA, and Non-QM underwriting operations and ensures the highest levels of loan quality, compliance, and credit execution across all production channels.

As both a HUD-approved DE Underwriter and a VA SAR (Staff Appraisal Reviewer), Tracie brings advanced qualifications that allow Griffin Funding to underwrite and approve FHA and VA loans in-house—accelerating turn times, improving credit consistency, and strengthening the company’s government-loan capabilities. Her deep expertise spans complex income scenarios, credit risk analysis, collateral review, and loan manufacturing quality across both agency and non-agency programs.

At Griffin Funding, Tracie leads:

  • FHA underwriting under DE authority

  • VA underwriting and Notice of Value (NOV) issuance under SAR authority

  • Non-QM underwriting (Bank Statement, DSCR, Asset-Based, 1099, P&L, and full-doc programs)

  • Conventional and Jumbo underwriting

  • Investor guideline interpretation and credit box optimization

  • Underwriting policy development and risk mitigation

  • LOS underwriting workflow oversight

  • Underwriter training, coaching, and performance management

  • File review, QC, and audit readiness across all programs

Tracie plays a vital role in Griffin Funding’s national expansion strategy, ensuring that underwriting quality scales in lockstep with production growth. She collaborates closely with Operations, Processing, Sales Leadership, and Capital Markets to maintain consistent credit execution while supporting the company’s commitment to fast turn times and a 5-star borrower experience.

With more than 15 years of mortgage underwriting experience, including extensive work in FHA, VA, and Non-QM programs, Tracie is known for her balanced, solution-oriented approach and her ability to navigate the most complex borrower scenarios. Her leadership ensures that Griffin Funding remains compliant, competitive, and operationally efficient as the company advances toward its long-term production goals.

Outside of work, Tracie enjoys spending time with her family, singing gospel music in church, and mentoring aspiring underwriters entering the mortgage industry.