January 31, 2013
A reader asks, “Would a home that is missing just the cabinet doors in the kitchen qualify for FHA? It has the everything else, its just the doors that are missing.”
From time to time we get questions like these that reference specific conditions in a home. Will X make my home ineligible for an FHA mortgage? Does Y disqualify the property? In answering these questions there are two important aspects to consider. One is whether or not a specific condition is described in FHA minimum property standards. Some are, but many more are not.
For example, a home located in certain flood zones may not qualify for an FHA mortgage. A home with standing puddles of water in the basement or a leaky roof may require corrections or repairs before it can be approved for an FHA guaranteed home loan. But there are many more conditions a property may have that require such fixes or corrections that are not described in FHA MPRS. Instead, these issues are covered by state or local building code.
The FHA does not keep copies of all building code requirements on file. The FHA appraiser who works the local area will be familiar with the code requirements for that market and may make judgment calls accordingly.
That’s why for questions like these, the answer is invariably the same–it all depends on the building code in your housing market. We couldn’t speculate whether or not such a situation would pass the appraisal or not except to say that missing cabinet doors is not addressed in the FHA minimum property requirements. However, that does not equal a stamp of approval on the property as such–it needs to pass the required appraisal and that means the home must comply to local or state code.
The best thing to do in such cases is to ask someone knowledgeable in the local area who could say whether or not a certain condition violates code for that area or not. A real estate agent, building inspector, or custom builder may be able to help answer such questions.
Do you have questions about FHA loans or FHA refinance loans? Ask us in the comments section.
Joe Wallace has been specializing in military and personal finance topics since 1995. His work has appeared on Air Force Television News, The Pentagon Channel, ABC and a variety of print and online publications. He is a 13-year Air Force veteran and a member of the Air Force Public Affairs Alumni Association. He was Managing editor for www.valoans.com for (8) years and is currently the Associate Editor for FHANewsblog.com.
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