Articles in Category: FHA Loan Types

When Is An FHA Loan Better Than A Conventional Loan?

December 30, 2016

Property Types Eligible For FHA Mortgages in 2017

FHA mortgages for single family residences include a wide variety of eligible property types. You can purchase a typical suburban home with an FHA loan, a condo unit, manufactured home, modular home, or other approved structure meant to house a family that qualified under FHA loan rules. These properties can be single-unit homes or have up to four living units. While it’s true that not all lenders approve loans for all the possible types of housing available under the FHA program (some lenders choose not to loan money for mobile homes or new construction homes, for example) there are some general guidelines about the types of property you can purchase from a participating lender. FHA mortgages are approved for those who intend to be owner-occupiers. FHA mortgages are not available | more...

December 29, 2016

Mortgage Loan Interest Rates: Lower

By Joe Wallace

Mortgage loan interest rates clawed back some of their losses on Wednesday, dropping down to 14-day lows and creeping back from the mid four-percent zone a bit. The gains came after bond market activity favorable to mortgage loan rates. Professional market watchers say we’re likely not to see any significant, decisive movement until well after the New Year’s Eve holiday, but the improvements on Wednesday are encouraging to some. There are plenty of factors that could still put upward pressure on mortgage rates including economic uncertainty related to the American political climate. “Wait and see” is the phrase most used when contemplating this as a spoiler on mortgage rates. Borrowers unsure of whether to lock in a mortgage rate commitment with a lender or not should discuss the current rate | more...

December 28, 2016

Buying HUD Homes With FHA Loans

By Joe Wallace

On the FHA/HUD official site, there is a section covering the purchase of HUD homes, including tips on which FHA home loan might be best for these transactions. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development official site, “A HUD home is a 1-to-4 unit residential property acquired by HUD as a result of a foreclosure action on an FHA-insured mortgage. HUD becomes the property owner and offers it for sale to recover the loss on the foreclosure claim”. These homes are offered for sale via HUD. Who is qualified to buy one of these properties? According to HUD.gov, “Anyone who has the required cash or can qualify for a loan (subject to certain restrictions) may buy a HUD Home. HUD Homes are initially offered to owner-occupant purchasers (people | more...

December 27, 2016

Mortgage Rate Trends: Slightly Lower Ahead of Holidays

By Joe Wallace

Mortgage rate trends ahead of the extended weekend included some very minor improvements-welcome changes from the recent steady upward momentum we’ve seen post-election. But these changes aren’t enough to push best execution rates lower, it’s going to take either many days of sustained-but-small improvement or some more significant changes in the short term to revise rates lower. Borrowers affected by the recent incremental moves lower will likely see the changes reflected in closing costs. Just ahead of the holiday weekend, 30-year fixed rate conventional mortgages were reported in a best execution range between 4.25% and 4.5%. That’s quite a long spread, but it is important to keep in mind that the most competitive lenders (and a small number of them, too) are the ones at the lowest end of the | more...

December 22, 2016

Mortgage Rate Trends: Slightly Lower

By Joe Wallace

Since our last report on mortgage rate trends, we’ve seen a minor bit of improvement in interest rates, but the numbers still remain at highs not seen in the last couple of years. The improvements will likely be reflected in closing costs where applicable, and the range of rates is still at or near what it’s been in recent days. That means that 30-year fixed rate conventional mortgages are holding in a range between 4.375% at the very bottom end and 4.5% at the top end, best execution. FHA mortgage rates are holding in a best execution comfort zone of 4.0%, though if upward movement resumes we could see this turn into a range of rates also. Best execution rates assume ideal borrowers. Your FICO score, loan repayment history, and | more...

December 20, 2016

Deferred Obligations and FHA Loans

By Joe Wallace

A reader asks, “How do you calculate monthly payments for estimated payment to begin when schooling is complete?” With student loans, there are two types of payments, one of which may apply in this case. Ongoing payments and deferred payments have different requirements. It’s likely safe to assume that this reader question refers to how a lender is to process student loan information as part of the applicant’s debt-to-income ratio. FHA loan rules in HUD 4000.1 include instructions to the lender for processing student loan debt information both as a “deferred obligation” that has not come due yet, and as an ongoing payment where applicable. HUD 4000.1 instructs the lender to use the actual amount of the student loan payment wherever possible, but in cases where the loan is deferred | more...

December 19, 2016

Mortgage Rate Trends: Approaching Mid Four Percent Range

By Joe Wallace

Since our last report on mortgage rate trends, we’ve seen the upward trend continue into highs not seen for quite some time. Market watchers note that some seasonal market trends that affect rates are at work here, but those forces are not the only ones with the power to alter mortgage rates (based on investor reaction to things like breaking economic or political news, etc.) 30-year fixed rate conventional mortgage rates have, best execution, moved into a range of rates that are at or near the mid four percent zone. At the time of this writing, don’t be surprised to find best execution conventional rates ranging between 4.25% and 4.625%. The upper and lower ends of this range are more rare, but according to our sources certain lenders may offer | more...

December 15, 2016

FHA Loan Basics: A Reader Question

By Joe Wallace

A reader asks, “I really don’t understand why i have to pay PMI and MIP. I had credit problems a bankruptcy in 2013 , it was recorded and its been almost 4 years and my score is 709 that the middle score i have hardly no debts, 6% of income. I was told I have to pay the MIP up front of 1.75% and also 240 PMI monthly with mortgage. That’s a little too much, is there a way out of this? I also did not want taxes and insurance added, I’m putting 3.5 percent down. My loan officer said I had to pay the insurance and add taxes to my loan.” It’s not entirely clear from this reader question whether the loan is an FHA mortgage or not, but | more...

December 14, 2016

Family Leave And FHA Loans

By Joe Wallace

Family leave is an important issue for lenders trying to determine a borrower’s verifiable income, debt-to-income ratio, etc. We get many questions on this topic in the comments section, including this most recent query: “How does FHA treat income after family leave? Is an 8 month maternity leave considered a job gap?” The rules that govern gaps in employment, temporary leave, and related issues can be found in HUD 4000.1. Temporary leave such as maternity leave or disability leave is addressed, but first the FHA loan rule book defines what it considers to be “gaps in employment”: “For Borrowers with gaps in employment of six months or more (an extended absence), the Mortgagee may consider the Borrowers current income as Effective Income if it can verify and document that: -the | more...

December 13, 2016

FHA Loan Rules On Property Acceptability

By Joe Wallace

If you want to purchase a home with an FHA loan in 2017, the property you decide to buy must pass an FHA appraisal process designed to insure the property physically meets certain minimum standards. The foundation, the roof, the sewage and electrical systems must all meet FHA requirements, plus state/local building code, etc. But the FHA loan rulebook, HUD 4000.1, also spells out some basic property acceptability criteria. For example, the rule book begins by stating that FHA loans are only for properties located within the continental U.S. or its territories. “The Property must be located within the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or American Samoa”. HUD 4000.1 has restrictions on properties located in certain types of flood zones, coastal | more...