Articles in Category: FHA Refinance

April 2, 2024

FHA Home Equity Conversion Mortgages In 2024

As further news comes in about improving housing market conditions (however slowly the market may improve), some homeowners are again thinking about their options, including FHA refinance loans and programs that let borrowers take the equity in their homes out in cash. For those reviewing FHA loans, options can include cash-out refinancing as well as an option for those 62 or older who own their homes or have nearly paid them off. FHA Reverse Mortgage Facts The FHA reverse mortgage allows a qualified borrower to get cash at closing time on a loan that is not due until the borrower dies, sells the home, or stops using it as their home address. Borrowers do not make mortgage payments with an FHA reverse mortgage. However, there are payments to be made. | more...

March 4, 2024

Home Buying Strategy In 2024

By Joe Wallace

In the first week of March 2024, mortgage rates were hovering at near the 7% range. Some financial pundits believe this could extend into April. A housing recovery is supposed to be possible in 2024, but there has been slow progress, not overnight changes. In recent weeks (at press time) we find fixed-rate mortgages have been in the mid-to-high 6% range (30-year fixed rate conventional mortgages) and while those numbers are expected to drop “sometime” in 2024, some borrowers are unable to wait and see. What are these house hunters to do when applying for a loan with a higher mortgage loan interest rate? Buy With A Plan To Refinance Some borrowers apply for loans with an eye on a refinance loan later, and some don’t. If you apply for | more...

February 12, 2024

FHA Loan Costs: Questions Answered

By Joe Wallace

Some borrowers don’t realize they are permitted to finance certain costs into an FHA home loan. This can help save money out of pocket in the earliest stages of the loan, making it easier to afford the basic initial costs of buying property. Adding more to your home loan can make your monthly payments higher, but for some, that may sound like a good trade-off for saving money upfront on the transaction. Some borrowers feel any addition to their baseline monthly payment needs justification and want to avoid adding to the loan wherever possible. Choose any FHA loan add-ons carefully. Be sure to ask the lender about each addition to your mortgage. How will it increase your monthly payment? Can I Finance FHA Required Mortgage Insurance? Yes, but with caveats. | more...

January 9, 2024

Remodeling Options With An FHA Loan in 2024

By Joe Wallace

The FHA 203(k) rehabilitation mortgage is a type of FHA loan you can use to buy and renovate a home, or refinance an existing mortgage and improve the property at the same time. Buy Or Refi? Do you want to buy a fixer-upper home with an FHA 203(k)? Do you need to refinance your existing mortgage and renovate? These are both possible. The options for 203(k) refinancing also include the ability to refinance a non-FHA mortgage into an FHA loan, and you also have the ability to finance certain closing costs. The FHA 203(k) purchase loan offers borrowers a chance to buy a house that would normally not pass an FHA appraisal. Under the FHA rehab loan program, you can hire builders to do renovations to bring the house up | more...

January 2, 2024

FHA Refinance Options For 2024

By Joe Wallace

Many expect home loan rates to start falling in 2024. Some potential FHA loan applicants want to know what kinds of refinance opportunities wait for them as the housing market recovery gets underway, however slowly. We explore some of the options below. FHA Refinance Loan Options You have multiple choices when it comes to FHA single-family home loan refinance options. They include FHA cash-out refinancing, FHA streamlines refinance loans, and no-cash-out FHA refinances loans. You can refinance an existing property with an FHA 203(k) rehab loan that lets you refinance and renovate simultaneously as an alternative option. Streamline Refinance Loan Option In Early 2024 Mortgage loan interest rates are too high at press time to consider using an FHA streamline refinance option. FHA streamline refi loans are for those who | more...

December 26, 2023

How Much Can You Borrow In 2024?

By Joe Wallace

FHA loan limits increase in many housing markets in the United States in the new year. Higher FHA loan limits typically reflect the state of the housing market in the last year, and 2024 is no exception. We examine the finer points of FHA loan limits below. FHA Loan Limits Are Set Once Per Year Federal law dictates FHA loan limits be established annually using specific types of data to inform the new rates. The National Housing Act contains the guidelines FHA must use to establish loan limits in the new year. FHA and HUD typically announce these limits in the final weeks of the prior year, sometime between November and the end of December. FHA loan limits are set at 115 percent of the median house prices in a | more...

December 15, 2023

FHA Refinance Loans In 2024

By Bruce Reichstein

2023 was a tough year if you needed a refinance loan. Purchase loan interest rates and refinance loan rates saw the 8% range move into clear view in 2023. And that stopped some borrowers in their tracks, not wanting to refinance their home loan at a higher rate. Did it pay to hold off on a refinance in 2023? The short answer in this particular case is yes. Mortgage rates started moving lower in the final weeks of 2023, and financial pundits are hopeful that the new year will bring more recovery in mortgage rates suitable to tempt those interested in refinancing. October 2023 High Water Mark For Mortgage Rates? Rates began recovering from the October highs, recovering back down to numbers in 7% range. There are expectations of further | more...

November 13, 2023

Loan Options For Remodeling Your Home

By Joe Wallace

In the last quarter of 2023, mortgage rates and high house prices are negatively affecting the home improvement industry. That may lead to higher costs associated with remodeling your home. Bloomberg published an article in late 2023 noting that home improvement spending hit major highs during the pandemic; Lowes, Home Depot, and other brands may have earned more from these endeavors during lockdown, but the numbers may be telling a different story post-pandemic. And prices are going up. When remodeling costs rise, some borrowers only scale back their plans to the most needed repairs. But even with a less ambitious plan, funding is still needed, especially with Lowes and Home Depot prices creeping higher for raw materials and tools. Fortunately, there are FHA home loan options that can help. Home | more...

October 20, 2023

FHA Refinance Loans For Home Improvements

By Bruce Reichstein

FHA refinance loan options include the ability to apply for a refi loan to do home improvements–a very important option for those with existing FHA mortgages or non-FHA loans alike. That said, home loan interest rates are higher than they’ve been in a while at publication time and many think refinancing today isn’t a great option. But what about when interest rates and the economy in general begin to improve? You may not be considering a refinance loan today, but when mortgage rates begin to fall, the option becomes more viable for many. How can FHA refinance loans help a borrower make upgrades or improvements when the time is right? There’s more than one way to approach the refinance loan question if you want a refi AND funds to perform | more...

October 3, 2023

How FHA Loans Differ From Other Government-Backed Mortgages

By Joe Wallace

There are several government-backed mortgage loan programs including FHA mortgage loans, VA loans, and USDA mortgages. What makes FHA mortgages different than VA or USDA home loans? How FHA Home Loans Work The FHA does not lend money to borrowers. Instead, it allows third party lenders who meet FHA standards to underwrite and process FHA mortgage loans, which have a percentage of the mortgage guaranteed by the government. That makes the potential losses to the lender lower should a borrower default on the mortgage. FHA home loans have lower credit score requirements, feature lower required down payments, and have borrower-friendly rules such as a requirement that there be no financial penalty for early payoff of the mortgage. FHA loans are backed by the government, making them a better deal for | more...