Articles in Category: Condominium Mortgage

March 23, 2018

FHA Home Loans For Houses, Condos, And Townhouses Part Two

In our last blog post we began examining FHA loan rules and how they differ whether you are buying a suburban house, a condo unit or townhouse, etc. When you buy a typical suburban home, the credit check/appraisal/downpayment issues are the same as for condo units and townhouses. But when you buy a home such as a condo or townhouse, you’re required to pay more attention to common areas and agree to your share of the maintenance/upkeep of the property in general. FHA loan rules recognize these issues and addresses some (not all) of them in the FHA loan handbook to avoid confusion about what the borrower is required to do and cases where FHA loans are not allowed because of restrictions on the borrower’s ability to sell the home. | more...

Conventional Loan Interest Rates Make History, FHA Loan Rates Still Incredibly Low

March 19, 2018

What You Need To Know About Identity Of Interest Transactions

By Joe Wallace

What do you need to know about FHA loan down payment rules and identity of interest transactions? We’ve been covering this topic more recently due to some reader questions about how it all works; we’ve noticed some confusion about the rules in this area and who those rules apply to. FHA identity of interest transaction rules are specifically for borrowers who have a family or business relationship with the seller. In such cases, the general rule is that a 15% down payment is required. The confusion comes in over who this applies to. FHA Loan Rules For Down Payments When The Seller Is A Family Member Or Business Associate Because identity of interest transactions require a higher down payment, naturally borrowers want to know if there are exceptions and how | more...

January 25, 2018

FHA Loan Options For Buying A Home

By Joe Wallace

FHA loan options for buying a home include choices on the housing type you need, the type of home loan you need, and sometimes even the circumstances of the purchase, in the case of people who are buying homes in federally declared disaster areas. Do you know what your new purchase FHA home loan options are? FHA Loans Available For Many Types Of Homes FHA home loans can be used to purchase property that will be owner-occupied residences, but the home can have as many as four living units. That means the borrower has the option to rent out unused living units if she chooses. Owner occupancy is a condition of loan approval, so you can’t use an FHA loan to purchase an investment property (one you intend to rent | more...

January 3, 2018

Can I Buy A Condo Unit With An FHA Home Loan?

By Joe Wallace

Can I buy a condo unit with an FHA home loan? It’s a common question, and the short answer is yes. But the FHA condo loan rules are a bit different than the rules for purchasing other types of property, so you should know what those differences are before exploring your options. FHA Condo Definition The FHA handbook, HUD 4000.1, has a specific definition of a “condo” that applies to all FHA condo loan transactions for single family home loans. According to page 150, “A Condominium Unit is a Property contained in a multi-unit project that has individually-owned Dwelling units, which may be either attached in one or more Structures or detached from each other, and is primarily residential in use”. FHA Condo Loans For Approved Condo Projects All condo | more...

Refinancing a Second Home With An FHA Mortgage Loan

September 7, 2017

Can I Buy A Condo Unit With An FHA Mortgage?

By Bruce Reichstein

Can I buy a condo unit with an FHA mortgage? Some people have a misconception about FHA mortgages, thinking they are intended for a certain income bracket, a certain type of home, or that it is possible to earn “too much income” to qualify for an FHA loan. None of those things are true. You cannot earn too much money to qualify, and you can explore options to buy a variety of property types up to and including condominium units. Yes, FHA condo loans are possible, but they have some unique requirements (see the section on the FHA “condo project approval” list) and certain property types may be listed as condos even if they are “detached dwellings”. The requirements for these units, sometimes known as “site condos” vary slightly from | more...

April 7, 2017

FHA Loan Rules: Borrowers, Co-Borrowers, Co-Signers

By Joe Wallace

Do you know what the FHA loan rules are for borrowers, co-borrowers, and/or co-signers? What are the requirements for each and how is your lender required to proceed with each? The FHA home loan rule book for single family mortgages, reverse mortgages, and refinance loans is HUD 4000.1 It instructs the lender that borrowers have an occupancy requirement-the borrower must agree to take ownership of the home and use it as her or his primary residence after loan closing. Usually the borrower will have to move in within 60 days of closing. HUD 4000.1 also tells the lender that borrowers may only purchase homes with FHA loans within the United States or its’ territories. Purchase of non-U.S. real estate is not permitted with an FHA mortgage. All parties to be | more...

November 10, 2016

FHA Condo Loans: Owner/Occupancy Requirements

By Bruce Reichstein

FHA loans include the option to fill out a loan application for condo loans. Borrowers can apply to purchase a condo unit as long as the condo project is either on the FHA approved list or is added to that list. Recently we reported on the FHA’s change in rules for occupancy requirements for approval of condo projects. According to an FHA mortgagee letter, “In accordance with the passage of the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA), the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is required to provide guidance on the percentage of owner occupied units required to obtain condominium project approval.” To be put on the approved FHA condo loan list, the project must meet specific requirements including an owner/occupier ratio. That ratio is addressed in that mortgagee letter | more...

November 9, 2016

FHA Loan Options: What You Should Know

By Joe Wallace

Are you thinking about purchasing a home? Or refinancing your current home loan? FHA mortgage loans and refinance loans offer a variety of options. For new purchases, an FHA mortgage loan allows qualified borrowers to purchase typical suburban homes, but also condo units, town homes, and manufactured homes. Any property that has a permanent foundation or will be affixed to a permanent foundation at closing time may be eligible for an FHA mortgage. (All homes considered for purchase with an FHA loan are subject to an appraisal and must meet basic FHA standards.) Heading 2 For new purchase loans, borrowers can choose a fixed interest rate mortgage or an adjustable rate loan. Borrowers who choose adjustable rate mortgages will be offered an introductory rate, and overall your FICO scores and | more...

November 1, 2016

FHA Condo Loans: New Requirements

By Joe Wallace

The FHA official site has updated owner/occupier requirements for FHA condo loans. In a press release issued in late October, the agency announced changes effective immediately; “The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) today announced that, under certain circumstances, it will lower its required owner-occupancy standard for approved condominium developments…FHA currently requires that approved condominium developments have a minimum of 50 percent of the units occupied by owners.” The press release adds that “this requirement can be lowered to 35 percent for existing condo developments provided the project meets certain conditions.” The press release states that The Housing Opportunity through Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA) included instructions to the FHA, “to issue guidance regarding the percentage of units within an approved condominium development that must be owner-occupied. While having too few owner-occupants | more...

October 4, 2016

FHA Loan Facts And Fiction: First Time Home Buyers

By Joe Wallace

First time home buyers come to the FHA loan process with many questions. There are some long-held misconceptions about FHA mortgages that borrowers should know long before they fill out a loan application. Let’s examine some of them. One myth about FHA loans, and one of the most common, is that the FHA itself lends money to loan applicants. This is not true. Instead, the borrower must find a participating FHA lender, who has been certified by the FHA to issue home loans under the FHA single-family loan program. Another misconception has to do with the nature of the FHA loan program itself, which offers affordable home loans to all qualified applicants regardless of their status as a home buyer. That means that first time home buyers and those who | more...