Articles in Category: FHA Refinance

December 3, 2019

FHA Loan Rules And Your Personal Information

HUD 4000.1, also known as the FHA Single-Family Lender’s Handbook, guides the lender through the entire FHA loan process including how your application data must be processed. In the same way FHA loan rules have a lot to say about where a borrower’s down payment money comes from and verifying the sources of those funds, FHA loan rules also govern how the lender can gather your financial data. For example, did you know your credit scores and other data must be given to the lender from approved sources and that the information cannot come from you even if it’s sealed and hand-delivered? Did you know that HUD 4000.1 does not permit the borrower to handle or transmit other kinds of information to the lender, too? Sourcing counts in both down | more...

November 28, 2019

Happy Thanksgiving 2019!

By Joe Wallace

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!

October 25, 2019

Important FHA Loan Options For Almost Any Mortgage

By Joe Wallace

There are important FHA loan options you should know about that apply to practically any type of mortgage. No matter if you need a single-unit loan for a typical suburban home or you want to build a house on your own lot using an FHA One-Time Close construction loan, there are options you should consider to get the most mileage out of your loan. FHA Loan Options: Energy Efficient Add-Ons The FHA Energy Efficient Mortgage is an option you can use to add funds for approved energy-saving upgrades to the property. That much is more well-known than the fact that you can use this FHA loan option even if you are applying for an FHA Rehab loan which is already intended to provide funds to repair, renovate, or upgrade a | more...

October 23, 2019

Real Estate, Millennials, And Down Payments

By Joe Wallace

What do millennials and Gen Z’ers say about buying real estate and making down payments? A home ownership-centric website called Porch.com did a survey of roughly 1300 people and the results are quite interesting–and useful to anyone in the planning stages of buying a home. The attitudes of the age groups such as Generation Z and Millennials were of particular interest for this study. “According to our findings” the Porch.com survey page for the Generational Outlook Survey says, “over 75 percent of Gen Zers said it was ‘very important’ or ‘important’ to own a home in their lifetime”, but “only 41 percent” believe it is necessary to do that in the next decade or so. But regardless of when the home is to by purchased, more than 40% of those | more...

October 17, 2019

Refinance Loans: Is It Time To Commit?

By Joe Wallace

Is now the right time to commit to a refinancing loan? Opinions may vary, but consumer trends seem to indicate that many of today’s home owners believe the answer is yes. The monthly Ellie Mae Origination Insight Report provides lenders and consumers with mortgage loan data and insights; the September 2019 report includes data suggesting that nearly half (49%) of the loans originated in the time range covered in the report were refinance loans. Interest rates have been at historic lows, home values have also been on the rise, and many want to consider their options while rate trends are still in a borrower-friendly mode. If you are ready to refinance, the first step for many is determining what kind of refinance loan you need. If you just want a | more...

October 14, 2019

Happy Columbus Day 2019

By Bruce Reichstein

Today we pause from our posts about FHA home loans, FHA refinance loans, and related topics, to enjoy the three day weekend some observe as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, traditionally observed in the United States as Columbus Day. We’ll return to our usual posting schedule tomorrow (Tuesday October 14, 2019) but in the meantime, if you too are celebrating a three-day weekend, have a safe and pleasant one and thank you for reading!

October 8, 2019

FHA Refinance Options And Low Interest Rates

By Bruce Reichstein

At the time of this writing, some market watchers are noting that mortgage rates have moved lower each week for three consecutive weeks. That puts FHA mortgage loan interest rates for purchase loans at a best-execution 3.375% for the most financially qualified borrowers. And while many fully anticipate a slowdown or correction in rates any time now, the refinance loan trends lately show many are willing to take full advantage of a time when home prices are on the rise and mortgage rates are falling. And who can blame a home owner for being tempted to cash in with a refinance loan to get into that lower rate, to pull rising value out of the home in cash, or repair and renovate a property? FHA refinance loan options are available | more...

October 3, 2019

FHA Home Loan Interest Rates Lower

By Bruce Reichstein

There is still time to take full advantage of the higher 2019 FHA home loan guaranty limits set at the start of the new year. If you are thinking about a mortgage or a refinance loan, 2019 may be the year for you. Recent headlines combining a trend in rising home values, more borrowing power, and changes to certain aspects of the home loan industry making it easier in certain sectors (including condo project sales) to buy and sell real estate for residential purposes. Add to that interest rates that are lower after two weeks of improvements at the time of this writing and you have the perfect circumstance for some borrowers interested in lower rates and more borrowing power. What do you need to know about the current FHA | more...

September 27, 2019

Can I Refinance An Inherited Home With An FHA Cash-Out Refi Loan?

By Bruce Reichstein

Home owners who inherit property have the opportunity to refinance that property with an FHA mortgage, and those refi options can include cash-out refinancing. But there are some rules you need to know before you start the refinance application process. FHA home loan rules generally state that a borrower should be prepared to live in the home they wish to refinance with an FHA cash-out refinance loan for as long as 12 months first. That is a general rule and not specific to inherited properties. HUD 4000.1, the FHA loan handbook for single-family home loans, instructs the lender that it’s required to document, “that the Borrower has made all payments for all their Mortgages within the month due for the previous 12 months or since the Borrower obtained the Mortgages, | more...

September 24, 2019

What You Need To Know About FHA Refinance Loan Options

By Joe Wallace

At the time of this writing, mortgage loan interest rates have fallen to historic lows; VA and FHA mortgage loan interest rates are at a best-execution 3.75% (offered to the most financially qualified applicants) and many homeowners may be saving thousands over the lifetime of their mortgages by refinancing into a lower interest rate. But what do you need to know about refinancing? There are several aspects to consider before you commit to a specific home loan refinance option. FHA loans offer a variety refinance loan options including the typical simple refinance (offering no cash back at closing time), cash-out refinancing, and for those who have existing FHA mortgages, the FHA-to-FHA Streamline refinance option offers a lot to a borrower with a low interest rate and a requirement that (for | more...