Articles Published in: June 2017

June 6, 2017

FHA Mortgage Rates: Trending Slightly Higher After Recent Lows

Since our last report, we’ve seen mortgage rate trends push rates to lows we haven’t seen since the Christmas holiday season but the start of the new week has seen those rates creep slightly higher. Even with the minor upward movement, gone are the previously reported ranges of rates, replaced by single-digit best execution numbers some industry pros are urging borrowers to take full advantage of in situations where locking/floating is being considered. 30-year fixed rate conventional mortgages are reported, at the time of this writing, at the very bottom of the four percent range best execution. That means an extremely well-qualified conventional borrower could find rates as low as 4.0%. FHA mortgage loan rates are still below the four percent threshold, coming in at a best execution 3.75%. Best | more...

June 5, 2017

FHA Appraisal Problems: A Reader Question

By Joe Wallace

A reader asks, “I had an FHA appraisal and that came down said everything was in good working order, inspection on roof and all windows. Everything said it was old but good. Bought the house, got $5,000 off for repairs but turns out all windows need to be replaced. Roof needs to be replaced, central air unit needs to be replaced (which was done). But windows are all broken, don’t work and roof is leaking, all plywood needs to be replaced…is there anything we can do or is this all on us?” The implication of this reader question is that the reader did not pay for the optional (but critically important) home inspection. We can’t speculate on what actually happened, but all borrowers should know that it is stated FHA/HUD | more...

June 5, 2017

HUD Announces Extension of FHA 203(h) Disaster Insurance

By Joe Wallace

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced an extension of FHA 203(h) loans for qualifying residents of federally declared disaster areas in Louisiana. The FHA 203(h) program is described in the FHA Single Family Handbook HUD 4000.1. “Section 203(h) of the National Housing Act authorizes FHA to insure Mortgages to victims of a Presidentially-Declared Major Disaster Area (PDMDA) for the purchase or reconstruction of a Single Family Property.” According to the HUD official site, there is now an “additional period of eligibility for section 203(h) mortgage, as a result of the extension of Federal Assistance for victims of the March 13, 2016 and August 14, 2016 Presidentially-Declared Major Disaster Areas of Louisiana…”. FHA loan rules state that unless an extension is offered, the case numbers for FHA 203(h) | more...

June 2, 2017

HUD Kicks Off National Homeownership Month

By Bruce Reichstein

The HUD official site (www.HUD.gov) has announced that June is National Home Ownership Month. According to a HUD press release, June has been declared a time, “to reflect upon the impact owning a home has on household wealth, neighborhood stability and the nation’s broader economic health. The theme of National Homeownership Month 2017 is ‘Find Your Place in a New Era of Homeownership.'” The press release also adds that HUD Secretary Ben Carson helped begin Homeownership Month, “by hosting an academic forum on the state of homeownership in the U.S. following the housing crisis, specifically the challenges Millennials face” as the generation enters the job and housing markets. “After all we’ve been through, homeownership remains an American value and the cornerstone of our economy,” said Secretary Carson in the HUD | more...

June 1, 2017

HUD Announces Settlement In California Fair Housing Case

By Joe Wallace

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced a settlement in a California Fair Housing Act discrimination case. According to the FHA/HUD official site, HUD “reached an agreement with the owner and manager of a California apartment complex, resolving allegations they discriminated against tenants because of their national origin and familial status. Two related complaints filed with HUD alleged that the manager of the Four Palms Apartments in Mountain View, California, made discriminatory statements about Latino residents and prohibited their children from playing outside”. Such discrimination is not permitted under federal Fair Housing Act laws. “A family’s right to enjoy their home shouldn’t depend on where they are from or whether they have children,” said Bryan Greene, HUD’s General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, who | more...