Articles in Category: FHA Loan Types

December 11, 2018

Making An Offer To The Seller To Buy A Home With An FHA Mortgage

When you have found the home you want to buy with an FHA mortgage, there comes a point where you will have to do the (uncomfortable for some) ritual of negotiating with the seller to arrive at the final price of the home. You may decide to offer the same amount as the seller is asking for the purchase of the home or you may wish to negotiate a lower price. When do you stand the best chance of getting a lower price than what your seller is asking? There are several different aspects to this-much depends on the nature of the housing market, how eager or stubborn the seller might be, whether the seller is willing to make other concessions if the price is firm, etc. What does all | more...

December 10, 2018

On Buying A Home With An FHA Mortgage

By Joe Wallace

An FHA mortgage is not limited to those who are house hunting for the first time. FHA mortgages (and refinance loans) are open to all who financially qualify with FICO scores and other financial considerations. FHA mortgages are not restricted to first-time home buyers. FHA Loans: Backed By The Federal Government There are several government home loan programs; VA home loans, USDA mortgages for rural areas, plus FHA mortgages. FHA loans are government-backed to help borrowers buy affordable homes with a lower down payment requirement than conventional mortgages. Search the Internet and you’ll find (best-execution) mortgage loan interest rates all over the internet for FHA, VA, and conventional loans. In general government backed loans have a lower best execution rate and while interest rates fluctuate daily, FHA mortgages traditionally offer | more...

December 5, 2018

FHA Home Loans For Families

By Bruce Reichstein

FHA home loans for families offer advantages that go beyond the comparatively lower interest rates than for conventional loans (borrower financial qualifications will help determine the actual rate the applicant is able to get from the participating FHA lender). Those advantages are important to remember when comparing FHA loans to conventional equivalents or USDA and VA mortgage loans. What kinds of advantages? They include the ability to be considered for a second FHA mortgage later down the line if job or family requirements have the borrowers thinking they might be outgrowing their home or need to relocate to be closer to a new job. FHA Mortgage Loans Allow Financing And Seller Assistance For Certain Closing Costs Borrowers who need very low out-of-pocket expenses up front will be glad to learn | more...

November 27, 2018

How Much Home Can You Afford?

By Bruce Reichstein

How much home can you afford? If you’re looking for an FHA mortgage or any other type of home loan, one important factor both you and your lender will be concerned with involves the amount of current debt you have compared to how much you would need to pay if your mortgage loan is approved. Licensed lenders and competing banks don’t have identical requirements in this area, but in general you should plan on doing two basic types of mortgage loan calculations to determine how much home you can afford to buy. FHA Home Loans And Your Debt-To-Income Ratio One type of calculation involves the percentage of your gross income that the new loan would require each month on the mortgage payments. You will need the projected amount of a | more...

November 22, 2018

Happy Thanksgiving 2018!

By Bruce Reichstein

Happy Thanksgiving 2018! Today we pause from our usual discussion of FHA home loans, refinance loans, FHA reverse mortgages and related topics to enjoy the holiday. Our regular schedule of posts resumes on Friday. Have a safe and fun Thanksgiving holiday and we’ll see you tomorrow!

November 13, 2018

FHA Home Loans For 2019

By Bruce Reichstein

What are your FHA home loan options in 2019? Those looking to start house hunting in the new year should know about FHA loan guaranty limits and how those limits can change from year to year. This is a very important detail of the home loan process you should know before starting the search for your dream home. FHA loans have limits that are set periodically and can change from year to year. For many years, the basic limit did not change, and in high or low-cost areas the limits are naturally different but the amount of those respectively higher or lower limits don’t always change. However, in 2018 FHA loan limits did change, and borrowers found they had increased limits according to FHA Mortgagee Letter 2017-16. The national limit | more...

November 12, 2018

Happy Veterans Day 2018!

By Bruce Reichstein

Happy Veterans Day! Many banks will be closed to observe this federal holiday, bond markets are closed, and we pause in our usual routine of answering questions about FHA home loans to honor our nation’s vets. Thank a veteran for her service, and remember the sacrifices all our troops have made no matter where in the world they may be stationed. To all current and former members of the U.S. military, THANK YOU for your service! Our regular posting schedule resumes tomorrow.

November 1, 2018

Get Out Of An Adjustable Rate Mortgage With An FHA Refinance Loan

By Bruce Reichstein

Are you currently paying on an Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) and concerned about your next interest rate hike? It’s possible to end the uncertainty about your mortgage payments and how the next interest rate increase will affect them by refinancing into a fixed-rate FHA mortgage loan. FHA Refinance Loans Are Available As Fixed Rate Loans You can refinance an existing FHA mortgage or a non-FHA loan such as a VA mortgage, conventional loan, etc. FHA loans are designed to help borrowers get into affordable mortgages using your current income and FICO scores to qualify. If you have an FHA adjustable rate mortgage, you can refinance to an FHA fixed-rate loan using the FHA Streamline Refinance loan program. The main feature of the FHA Streamline refi is that it generally requires | more...

October 30, 2018

What You Can And Cannot Do With An FHA Home Loan

By Joe Wallace

What are borrowers allowed to do with an FHA home loan? What is not allowed? Knowing your options before you apply is an important part of the process since all FHA home loan products are not made for the same purposes. You Can Use An FHA Mortgage To Buy A Mobile Home Or Condo There are FHA purchase loans available for mobile homes that meed FHA loan standards, and also mortgages to purchase condo units. FHA home loans allow these purchases as long as the mobile home is affixed to a permanent foundation and is transported directly to the site from the dealer or manufacturer. FHA condo loans are allowed when the condo unit is on or added to the FHA approved condo project list, the condo meets FHA minimum | more...

October 26, 2018

FHA Home Loans: Should I Buy A House Or A Condo?

By Bruce Reichstein

One of the big choices facing some FHA home loan applicants is whether to concentrate on buying a suburban-type home or a condo unit. FHA home loans for condo unit purchases are definitely available from participating lenders willing to offer them; what are the differences between an FHA home loan for a condo or other types of properties? FHA Condo Loan Rules: The FHA Approved Condo Projects List FHA loan rules in HUD 4000.1 require all condo units secured by an FHA mortgage to be on or added to an FHA approved condo project list. Your lender can help work with you on a condo project to get it added to the list, assuming the project meets FHA loan requirements. If you want to search for an already-approved condo project | more...