Articles Tagged With: Down Payment

September 5, 2018

Rent Or Buy? Arguments For Purchasing A Home With An FHA Mortgage

Does it make more sense to rent a home or to purchase one and make a mortgage payment rather than a rent payment? A lot depends on the property values in your chosen housing market, the cost of renting in that area versus the cost of purchasing, and the borrower’s financial goals. Are you thinking of making the switch from being a renter to becoming a home owner? Some reports claim that rents have increased as much as 88% in certain markets over time, and some renters choose to put that money into a property they own rather than dealing with the issues of being a long-term renter. Is Buying A Home With An FHA Mortgage Instead Of Renting A Good Idea? The first thing needed to answer this question | more...

FHA Home Loan Credit Score Requirements: FICO Scores And More

August 27, 2018

Four Questions To Ask About FHA Mortgage Loans

By Joe Wallace

If you are interested in buying a home with an FHA mortgage, there are four basic questions you should ask a participating lender when you shop around for the best terms and conditions for your loan. It pays to compare lenders, and it also pays to compare the requirements and costs of your FHA mortgage with conventional equivalents to see where the FHA mortgage will be an advantage to you. #4. How Much Down Payment Is Required Based On My FICO Scores And Credit History? Ask a loan officer to give you the down payment requirements for both a conventional loan and an FHA mortgage loan on the same property or price range. If you do not have a specific sale price in hand when you ask, be prepared for | more...

August 6, 2018

Can I Make My FHA Home Loan Down Payment In Cash?

By Joe Wallace

Some borrowers want to know if they can make their FHA home loan down payment in cash. The FHA loan down payment rules that govern single family home loan down payment sources are found in HUD 4000.1. They have specific requirements for the source of all down payment funds for an FHA mortgage. It does not matter whether you are applying for an FHA rehab loan, an FHA new purchase mortgage for existing construction, or whether you want an FHA mortgage to construct a home to suit your needs; a minimum down payment is required above and beyond all other closing costs and expenses related to the mortgage. FHA loan rules state that the lender must verify all down payment funds and make sure they come from approved sources. FHA | more...

August 3, 2018

FHA Loan Down Payment Assistance Rules

By Bruce Reichstein

FHA loan rules governing down payments and down payment assistance are found in HUD 4000.1, the FHA single-family loan handbook. FHA loan rules require both a minimum down payment and also that the down payment comes from an approved source. FHA loan rules permit borrowers to get down payment assistance from third parties, but when down payment help is offered, it must meet the same types of requirements that borrower-provided down payment funds. What are the rules for down payment assistance for FHA mortgages? FHA Home Loan Down Payments Must Be Sourced Properly FHA loan down payment money can come from a borrower’s cash reserves, cashed-in investments, checking accounts, and a variety of other sources. But it cannot come from a payday loan, cash advance, or other restricted sources. The | more...

August 1, 2018

FHA Home Loan Options You Should Know About

By Joe Wallace

Do you know all your FHA home loan options? There are important choices to make that can affect your monthly payments, the amount of down payment money you bring to the transaction, and even whether your home loan is a fixed rate mortgage or an adjustable rate loan. FHA Home Loan Options: Down Payment Assistance The FHA loan program itself does not offer down payment assistance, but permits contributions of gift funds and down payment help that meets FHA loan rules. Third parties such as government agencies or charitable organizations may be able to help with your down payment if you meet the program’s requirements. Gift funds can come from a relative or other third party but all funds for down payment must be carefully documented and verified by the | more...

July 20, 2018

Can I Use Gift Money For My FHA Home Loan Down Payment?

By Bruce Reichstein

FHA home loans feature low down payment requirements; only 3.5% of the adjusted value of the home is required in many cases unless a borrower’s credit scores don’t meet FHA lender requirements and FHA single family home loan guidelines. But even these low down payments can be challenging for some FHA loan applicants, and many borrowers wonder what the allowable sources for FHA mortgage down payment funds might be. FHA mortgage loan rules state that a borrower’s minimum required investment (MRI) is completely separate from all other payments or fees for an FHA mortgage. And the source funds for the MRI must come from approved sources, which can and sometimes do include gift money. HUD 4000.1, the FHA loan handbook, states clearly that gift funds can only come from approved | more...

June 6, 2018

FHA Loan Rules For Down Payments And Cash To Close

By Bruce Reichstein

What are the FHA loan rules for down payments and the cash required to close the deal? There are many requirements in this area, but one very important detail exists that borrowers should know that will definitely help them in the early planning and budgeting stages of the mortgage. FHA loan rules require that certain expenses be kept separate from down payment requirements, and that can make a big difference in how you approach the budgeting part of home loan planning. FHA loan rules for both down payments and closing costs require that the sources of these funds be FHA-approved, which means no credit card cash advances, payday loans, or similar types of indebtedness can be a source of the closing costs or down payment. That’s important because those FHA | more...

May 9, 2018

One-Time Close Mortgages: Choices To Consider

By Bruce Reichstein

There are many options to consider when planning a One-Time Close (OTC) / Single-Close construction loan. Borrowers who want a home built for them from the ground up can choose between FHA One-Time Close, USDA One-Time Close, and VA One-Time Close construction loans. These are also known as Single-Close loans. These three programs have some basic differences. VA OTC mortgages allow qualified borrowers to apply with no money down. USDA construction loans may also permit the borrower to apply without the expectation of a down payment, but these construction loans are only for rural areas with populations of up to 35,000 according to a 2017 USDA fact sheet about the program. One-Time Close / Single- Close Construction Loans: Occupancy Required Choices between the VA, USDA, and FHA construction loan program | more...

April 24, 2018

Low-Down Payment FHA Home Loans

By Joe Wallace

Compared to some non-FHA mortgages, FHA home loans feature low down payments-as little as 3.5% of the adjusted value of the property for financially qualified borrowers. FICO scores and other credit data will play an important part in the required down payment-if your FICO score is too low the lender may require 10% down (lender standards will vary), but financially qualified borrowers should expect 3.5% down and budget for the down payment accordingly. One type of FHA home loan may not require any down payment at all, depending on circumstances, as we’ll read below. FHA Loan Down Payment Requirements: FHA Loan Assumptions FHA loan assumption rules permit the home owner to allow another person to assume the mortgage loan-the house and the debt are signed over to someone else, with | more...

April 19, 2018

FHA Loan Down Payment Sources: Retirement Funds

By Joe Wallace

We’ve been discussing FHA home loan down payment sources and the rules that govern them. FHA mortgage loan rules in HUD 4000.1 have strict requirements when it comes to the sourcing of down payments; since most FHA forward mortgages require a down payment, the rules in this area are very important to know ahead of your loan application. FHA Loan Down Payment Source Rules: Retirement Funds FHA loan rules permit the borrower to use retirement funds as a source of down payment money. According to HUD 4000.1: “The Mortgagee may include up to 60 percent of the value of assets, less any existing loans, from the Borrower’s retirement accounts, such as IRAs, thrift savings plans, 401(k) plan, and Keogh accounts, unless the Borrower provides conclusive evidence that a higher percentage | more...