Rules regarding Escrow Payments: How to Opt out?

[Basit Siddiqi]

Hello everyone,

Again - Thanks in advance to everyone who is able to provide me with feedback/answers.

My goal is to pay for homeowners insurance/real estate taxes on my own without it being paid by a bank via monthly escrow payments. The reason for this is so my debt to income ratio can be lowered and to also provide me with more control.

So my question is how can I opt out of paying an escrow payment?

My first mortgage required me to pay in an escrow payment.(Wells Fargo via conventional mortgage)
My second mortgage is not requiring me to pay an escrow payment.(Portfolio loan with a small bank)

Are escrow requirements a requirement of the bank or is it a fannie mae/freddie mac requirement?
If I am paying an escrow payment - Am I locked in throughout the life of the mortgage?