Defining A "Debt" For Mortgage Assessment

[Brian Ortiz]

I have been making monthly payments on my parents' mortgage loan to help them out (payments are made via transfers from my bank account). I am just about to close on a house and obtain a mortgage for myself, and the underwriters are asking me what this monthly payment is that they have been seeing on my bank statements. I have a signed letter from the bank manager stating that I have no obligation to pay my parents' mortgage loan in any capacity. Could the underwriters still construe this monthly payment as my own "debt." Also, the underwriters want a letter of explanation to clarify what this payment is for, so any wording that you might recommend, please let me know --