November 28, 2019
Happy Thanksgiving 2019! We pause from our usual schedule of writing about FHA home loans and answering reader questions to observe the holiday. Thank you very much for reading! Our regular schedule of posts resumes on Monday. Thanks for reading!
November 27, 2019
If you want to buy a home, you will need to become well-read about credit, credit scores, and how your credit report affects your ability to apply for a mortgage loan. There are three major credit reporting agencies, Equifax, TransUnion, Experian. The fact that there are three agencies is one good reason why credit experts encourage borrowers to check their credit reports as early as possible prior to applying for an FHA mortgage or any other major line of credit. One credit report could have discrepancies another one does not reflect, etc. A borrower should always know what their lender is going to see on the report before the application is completed. FICO scores are indeed an important part of FHA loan approval, and borrowers should respect FICO scores and | more...
November 26, 2019
Are you thinking about becoming a homeowner in 2020? Some borrowers have an advantage when getting financially ready for their FHA loan application, while others may overlook important areas that need attention long before the loan paperwork is filled out. Preparing early is the key to the most seamless loan process possible. Are you ready to start exploring your options? Or are you just getting started with your credit reports, debt-to-income ratio, budgeting for the down payment and closing costs, etc.? Ask Yourself The Right Questions About Your FHA Home Loan How long have you been planning and preparing for the new loan? This is a very important question–without enough time to sort out potential problems on your credit report (identity theft, outdated information, incomplete or wrong details, etc) or | more...
November 22, 2019
FHA home loan rules for mortgage closing costs include a requirement that down payment funds come from approved sources, but there are plenty of other guidelines for the money you’ll need to pay at closing time. There are three basic categories when it comes to your home loan closing costs, some of which are subject to change. Some costs are fixed, and some can be increased by the lender depending on whether or there is a change in circumstances that affects the borrower’s credit rating, if there is a change in the down payment, or even the type of home loan (see below). When And How Closing Costs May Change There are certain rules that allow your lender to alter your closing costs. Under the right circumstances, those costs may | more...
November 21, 2019
What types of home can you purchase or build with an FHA mortgage? For the purposes of this article, we are talking about the status of the property rather than the property type. It’s true that FHA loans are available for condo units, mobile homes, and manufactured homes, and you can also use an FHA One-Time Close construction loan to build a home from the ground up on your own land. You can use an FHA mortgage to buy or build a single-unit home or you can purchase a property with as many as four living units. But FHA home loans also take into account the status of the property as an existing construction home, new construction, etc. The list of property types includes: Proposed Construction where no concrete or | more...
November 20, 2019
Do you need a construction loan to build on your own land? The FHA One-Time Close construction loan can help you do just that; this mortgage features one loan application and closing date to build your house, and you aren’t required to pay more than the usual low 3.5% down payment for qualified borrowers. When using a construction loan, the borrower will need to use an escrow account to make the payments for labor, materials, and other construction costs. But there are rules that govern how these “draws” are to be made; HUD 4000.1 contains those rules, which include the following instructions to the lender: “At closing, after funds are disbursed to cover the purchase of the land, the balance of the mortgage proceeds must be placed in an escrow | more...
November 19, 2019
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced a settlement in a housing discrimination case involving Oglethorpe Square Apartments of Savannah, Georgia, and Gene B. Glick Company, Inc., of Indianapolis, Indiana. Housing discrimination creates unfair conditions for those who need to rent or buy a home and thanks to the Fair Housing Act there is recourse for those who experience discrimination at any stage of the housing process (see below for information on how to report housing discrimination). Many times, the only people who have the power to stop further violations of federal law are the victims of the discrimination; without reporting the illegal activity, it can go on uncontested for a long time. It’s hard to believe that in the 21st century we must still read about the | more...
November 18, 2019
Are you thinking about using a construction loan to build a home from the ground up on your own land? The FHA One-Time Close construction loan features a low 3.5% down payment even for those who have never borrowed or purchased a home before. There is also a VA version of the One-Time Close construction mortgage offering 0% down to qualified veteran borrowers, those who still serve, and certain military spouses. The One-Time Close construction loan offers a single mortgage application for both the construction of the home and the mortgage itself; borrowers no longer have to apply for one loan to build and one loan for the mortgage. That means peace of mind during the entire process, but there are some rules and guidelines you’ll need to follow during | more...
November 15, 2019
Some first-time homebuyers have a dream to build a home on their own land. These borrowers may wish they had more home buying experience so that they could pursue this dream. The good news is that with an FHA One-Time Close construction loan, even a first-time home buyer can potentially qualify for the loan that features one application, one closing date, and no worries about needing to apply for a second loan for the mortgage after the construction loan has been approved. The FHA One-Time Close construction loan can be used by first-time homebuyers with better credit (many participating lenders require slightly higher FICO scores for construction loans). It’s best not to be in a hurry to get the home completed since the process of hiring and using contract laborers | more...
November 13, 2019
A construction loan to build a house on your own land is not out of reach even for a first-time homebuyer. There are multiple options for building a home from the ground up; you can apply for an FHA One-Time Close loan, a VA construction loan, and there are even USDA construction loans that allow qualified borrowers (this is a need-based loan) to build a house instead of buying an existing one. But there are some mistakes some house hunters make when pursuing a construction loan you should avoid; sidestepping these can definitely help you save time and money. Save Early For Your Down Payment Some construction loans (VA and USDA) have no down payment requirement. All others do. And even the VA and USDA equivalents of an FHA One-Time | more...