Articles in Category: FHA Guidelines

February 21, 2019

FHA Home Loans And Qualifying Income: Disability Benefits

When you apply for an FHA home loan to buy real estate, your lender will need to verify your income and employment. Some borrowers may wish to submit disability income for consideration but aren’t sure if that income will qualify. FHA loan rules address these concerns; HUD 4000.1 instructs the lender how to verify disability income, and defines how disability income may qualify. According to HUD 4000.1, the lender is required to “verify and document the Borrower’s receipt of benefits from the SSA, VA, or private disability insurance provider. The Mortgagee must obtain documentation that establishes award benefits to the Borrower. “ What Disqualifies Disability Income From Consideration For An FHA Home Loan If the borrower’s disability income has an expiration date within three years from the date of the | more...

February 5, 2019

FHA Home Loan Approval For First-Time Home Buyers

By Joe Wallace

What should you know about FHA home loan approval? Buying a first home or a larger property after purchasing a starter home with an FHA mortgage can be less stressful if you remember a few important things right at the start. FHA Home Loans Require A (Lower) Down Payment FHA mortgage loans require a minimum of 3.5% down. Compare that with other mortgage loans such as a conventional mortgage, or other government backed mortgage loans such as the USDA program. Yes, when you do research on USDA loans, you will find a no-down payment option offered to some qualified borrowers. But USDA loans are need-based, and FHA home loans are not. Any financially qualified borrower can apply for an FHA loan if they intend to use the house they buy | more...

January 16, 2019

Government First-Time Home Buyer Programs

By Joe Wallace

Many first-time home buyers want to know if there are government programs for those who have never purchased a home before. FHA home loans often get included into this category and it’s true; FHA mortgages are good for those buying a first home. FHA loan limits have increased for two years in a row at the time of this writing, there are lower FHA FICO score requirements and lower down payment requirements for FHA loans that make them a good option to explore when shopping for your first home and your first real estate loan. But FHA mortgages are not specifically intended for first-time buyers. You do not have to be a new house hunter to apply. That said, FHA mortgages for a starter home, first home, or for a | more...

January 8, 2019

Buying A Home With An FHA Loan After A Short Sale

By Joe Wallace

A short sale is essentially the sale of a home that is still being paid for, where the property sells for less than the amount owed. The lienholder(s) agree to write off the remainder and forgive the deficiency. Borrowers who sell short are often taking measures to avoid foreclosure on the mortgage, but not all of the short sale transactions that happen are on mortgages that have fallen into delinquency. Short sales happen in many circumstances but one common scenario involves a homeowner who is suffering from an underwater mortgage and is trying to cut their losses. Getting An FHA Loan After A Short Sale Is it possible to buy a home with an FHA mortgage loan after a short sale? The short answer is yes. Buying a home with | more...

December 27, 2018

FHA Loans For Single Homeowners

By Joe Wallace

Data from the 2017 American Community Survey, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, suggests that single women homeowners own 22 percent of American homes compared to single men’s 13 percent. These stats may not mean much to the typical first-time home buyer, but it’s an interesting bit of data that could indicate a growing trend in home ownership. Single home owners in general-men or women-can benefit greatly from an FHA loan with the lower down payment requirement and more forgiving credit score minimums. It’s easy to assume you might not qualify for a home loan as a single person, but is that the reality? Single men and single women, as demographics, are not as simple as the labels imply. Some may be single parents, some may have roommates or cost-sharing | more...

Home Buying, FHA Loans, And Mortgage Trends

December 12, 2018

Questions To Ask About Buying A Home With An FHA Mortgage

By Joe Wallace

Thinking of buying a home with a mortgage loan? FHA mortgages have options you should think seriously about-and not just for the purposes of buying the home and moving in. What Options Do I Have To Make A Lower Down Payment On My FHA Loan? This question is best answered depending on why it’s asked; are you in need of lower out-of-pocket expenses for your mortgage or do you need to know what FICO scores will let you qualify for a lower down payment? Down payment assistance programs may be available from third-party agencies in your housing market. As long as these down payment programs meet FHA standards and state law, an FHA borrower may apply for them. The FHA itself does not offer down payment assistance. Borrowers may also | more...

November 30, 2018

Buying A Home With An FHA Loan: Should You Skip The Home Appraisal?

By Joe Wallace

When buying a home with an FHA mortgage, should you skip the home appraisal? Some buyers may wonder about this, especially in light of talk in late 2018 about whether the current real estate appraisal system should be kept or if appraisals should only be required of homes of a certain value or higher. According to data released by the National Association of Realtors, one big cause of home loan closing delays? Appraisal issues. The question remains; should borrowers skip the home appraisal? Borrowers Are Not Permitted To Skip The Appraisal Process FHA loans and other real estate lending require an appraisal as a mandatory part of the process. In spite of what you might see in headlines, borrowers and sellers cannot opt out. However, some borrowers may be thinking | more...

November 23, 2018

Buying A Home During The Holiday Season With An FHA Mortgage

By Joe Wallace

Are you interested in buying a home during the holiday season? Are you looking to weigh your options or are you seriously interested in making an offer? Many published reports on mortgage loan blogs are discussing this during the holiday season, but what do you need to know about house hunting options, hiring well-connected real estate agents, and deals during the December holiday shopping season? FHA Home Loans Aren’t Just Available For Pristine Homes You will read a lot of advice online this year about hiring a good real estate agent to help you narrow down your search, about pocket listings that sellers use to keep their homes from being flooded with window shoppers instead of serious buyers, etc. But one important thing to keep in mind about searching for | more...

November 19, 2018

FHA loans: A Mortgage For First-Time Home Buyers

By Joe Wallace

While it should be pointed out that FHA mortgage loans are not restricted to those who have never owned a home before, it’s also good to note that FHA mortgages are an excellent choice for first time buyers since they won’t be required to buy homes with 20% down. Low- and no-downpayment mortgages are obviously an advantage to the first time home buyer; how does an FHA mortgage help these borrowers? Verify Your FHA Loan Eligibility All mortgage loans have eligibility standards; FHA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, rural housing loans guaranteed by the USDA or even the 100% loans offered to qualifying veterans (VA loans) guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs all have financial eligibility requirements. And all of these loans have minimum program guidelines that may or | more...

November 9, 2018

FHA Mortgage Loan, Dropping Home Prices, And Your Appraisal

By Joe Wallace

You may read articles discussing home prices moving lower on real estate blogs or lending websites; when house prices move from one part of a cycle to another there is sometimes confusion related to the valuation of a home. Why would an FHA borrower looking at a house in a neighborhood or housing market with prices trending in one direction get back an FHA appraisal indicating that the home the buyer wants isn’t valued in the same way? Higher or lower, why does one home get valued “as expected” when another one does not? There are a set of variables at work in the appraisal process that include not only the age/condition of the home, but also how other houses stack up against the one you want to purchase with | more...