Articles Published in: November 2012

November 6, 2012

FHA Short Refinance Program Enhancements

Earlier in 2012, the FHA announced some changes to its FHA Short Refinance program, which was originally announced in 2010 in a Mortgagee Letter titled ” FHA Refinance of Borrowers in Negative Equity Positions”. This program, also known as the FHA Short Refinance, is designed to allow “responsible homeowners with negative equity an opportunity to refinance their homes. These enhancements were designed to maintain homeownership by providing borrowers with conventional loans, who owe more on their mortgage than the value of their home, opportunities to refinance into an affordable FHA loan.” “This opportunity allows only non-FHA insured loans to qualify for an FHA refinance loan provided that the lender or investor writes off the unpaid principal balance of the original first lien mortgage by at least 10 percent.” The changes | more...

November 5, 2012

FHA Loans: What is the 203(b) Home Loan Program?

By Joe Wallace

If you go to the FHA official site to do some research on your FHA loan options, it can be a bit challenging to navigate the programs–there are a lot of different types of FHA loans to choose from including the 203(b), the 203(k), and many others. Some borrowers want to cut through all the names, acronyms, and jargon to learn about the FHA’s basic home loan program. If you’re one of those people, know that the FHA 203(b) home loan program is the one you’re looking for. In the words of the Federal Housing Administration, the purpose of the FHA 203(b) loan is to “provide mortgage insurance for a person to purchase or refinance a principal residence. The mortgage loan is funded by a lending institution, such as a | more...

November 2, 2012

FHA/HUD Announce Post-Hurricane Sandy Assistance For Connecticut

By Joe Wallace

A press release issued by the FHA/HUD announces help for FHA borrowers and others in Connecticut affected by Hurricane Sandy. According to HUDNo.12-168, “U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to the State of Connecticut and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes due to Hurricane Sandy.” The release adds that the President has announced federal disaster areas in Fairfield, Middlesex, New Haven and New London Counties, as well as Mashantucket Pequot Indian Reservation. According to the press release, “The President

November 1, 2012

What is the FHA Minimum Credit Score: A Reader Question About FHA Loans

By Joe Wallace

A reader asks, “What is the minimum credit rating score needed to be considered for an FHA loan?” This question comes up very frequently, and the answer is always a two-parter. For starters, borrowers should understand the FHA’s minimum FICO credit score requirements. These requirements are described on the FHA official site as follows: For FHA loans with case numbers “assigned on or after 10/04/10”, FHA loan rules state: When the decision credit score is: