June 24, 2019
One-Time Close Construction Loans May Take Longer To Close Than A Purchase Loan For Existing Construction
You should discuss the amount of time your FHA OTC loan might take with the seller of the land if you are purchasing land and building the home.
Timelines may be very important depending on circumstances. Find out how long the loan may take to close in your area and discuss this with the seller to see if the time frame is acceptable.
Contractors For One-Time Close Construction Loans / Single-Close Construction Loans
FHA construction loans include certain lender requirements that can vary depending on the lender.
Borrowers should anticipate having to hire an outside contractor rather than trying to do the work personally. The builder and borrower will have to work together to submit plans and specs for the construction project.
FHA One-Time Close Mortgages / Single-Close Mortgages May Require Extra Processing Time
Building a home from the ground up requires time and you should not be in a hurry with an FHA construction loan. Borrowers should anticipate up to 60 days for processing but this may vary depending on a variety of factors.
Advice For Buying Land And Planning Your Construction Loan Project
For best results, consider building on land that is NOT larger than what would be considered ‘standard and customary’ in your housing market. Ignoring this advice could result in an appraisal that mentions “excessive land”. Ask your lender what the implications of that might be for your loan.
Want More Information About One-Time Close Loans?
One-Time Close Loans are available for FHA, VA and USDA Mortgages. These loans also go by the following names: 1 X Close, Single-Close Loan or OTC Loan. This type of loan allows for you to finance the purchase of the land along with the construction of the home. You can also use land that you own free and clear or has an existing mortgage.
We have done extensive research on the FHA (Federal Housing Administration), the VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) and the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) One-Time Close Construction loan programs. We have spoken directly to licensed lenders that originate these residential loan types in most states and each company has supplied us the guidelines for their products. We can connect you with mortgage loan officers who work for lenders that know the product well and have consistently provided quality service. If you are interested in being contacted to one licensed construction lender in your area, please send responses to the questions below. All information is treated confidentially.
OneTimeClose.com provides information and connects consumers to qualified One-Time Close lenders in an effort to raise awareness about this loan product and to help consumers receive higher quality service. We are not paid for endorsing or recommending the lenders or loan originators and do not otherwise benefit from doing so. Consumers should shop for mortgage services and compare their options before agreeing to proceed.
Please note that investor guidelines for the FHA, VA and USDA One-Time Close Construction Program only allows for single family dwellings (1 unit) – and NOT for multi-family units (no duplexes, triplexes or fourplexes). You CANNOT act as your own general contractor (Builder) / not available in all States.
In addition, this is a partial list of the following homes/building styles that are not allowed under these programs: Kit Homes, Barndominiums, Log Cabin or Bamboo Homes, Shipping Container Homes, Dome Homes, Bermed Earth-Sheltered Homes, Stilt Homes, Solar (only) or Wind Powered (only) Homes, Tiny Homes, Carriage Houses, Accessory Dwelling Units and A-Framed Homes.
Your email to info@onetimeclose.com authorizes Onetimeclose.com to share your personal information with a mortgage construction lender licensed in your area to contact you.
- Send your first and last name, e-mail address, and contact telephone number.
- Tell us the city and state of the proposed property.
- Tell us your and/or the Co-borrower’s credit profile: Excellent – (680+), Good – (640-679), Fair – (620-639) or Poor- (Below 620). 620 is the minimum qualifying credit score for this product.
- Are you or your spouse (Co-borrower) eligible veterans? If either of you are eligible veteran’s, down payments as low as $0 may be available up to the maximum amount your debt-to-income ratio VA will allow – there are no maximum loan amounts as per VA guidelines. Most lenders will go up to $1,000,000 and review higher loan amounts on a case by case basis. If not an eligible veteran, the FHA down payment is 3.5% up to the maximum FHA lending limit for your county.