Articles Tagged With: FHA 203b Mortgage

February 4, 2021

FHA And HUD Announce More COVD-19 Relief Measures

In the earliest weeks of the Biden Administration, the federal government has taken decisive steps to further address the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest of these measures is designed to reduce the need for in-person loan servicing in certain areas and also to give more time to home owners who may need to request help with their home loans. The latest waivers allow mortgage services to continue “in a manner that allows for safe social distancing to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic” according to the FHA press release. The waivers address aspects of any home loan in some cases, but are specifically aimed at certain types of loans in others. HECM borrowers will find the latest waivers help them in particular. “President Biden has made it clear | more...

February 2, 2021

On Buying Real Estate Sight Unseen With An FHA Mortgage

By Joe Wallace

Would you buy a house without having personally walked through it? In the era of COVID-19, there are increased numbers of transactions where the buyer and seller negotiate the sale of a home and close the deal without the buyer ever having physically set foot on the property. This practice is known as buying a house, “sight unseen” and the housing market website Redfin.com reports that for the year 2020, almost two thirds of those who bought real estate in 2020 had not seen the property in person. What does Redfin make of “the highest share since at least 2015″, according to a Redfin-commissioned survey in November and December”. That survey consisted of more than 1,900 homebuyers across 32 major markets, “up from 32% a year earlier, and 45% in | more...

January 29, 2021

Foreclosure Relief Advice From The FDIC

By Joe Wallace

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or FDIC is the federal agency that is responsible for insuring public confidence in the American financial system. The agency issues advice and warnings to consumers (among many other things) to help them avoid scams and fraud associated with lending and banking. HUD recently announced extended foreclosure relief for borrowers affected by the global coronavirus pandemic. It’s a sad fact, but true, anytime home owners need mortgage relief the scammers begin coming out of the woodwork. And that has definitely been true in the past year with COVID-19-related scams, fraud, identity theft, etc. It is true that the lowest of the low prey upon families in need during times of national crisis, but you can avoid getting scammed. Follow the FDIC’s advice on how to | more...

January 28, 2021

Low FHA Mortgage Rates In 2021

By Joe Wallace

January of 2021 brought some anticipation about what might happen with home loan interest rates. Would conditions become less volatile and more stable? Would rates start to rise along with investor certainty in the markets that influence mortgage rates? Does fear and uncertainty persist in the new year? Some professional market watchers wrote (in the early days of January 2021) that mortgage rates got started this year minus volatility (at least early)…FHA loan rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages are reported in January 2021 below the three percent range–so far, fairly “typical” of what people have come to expect during the pandemic. At the time of this writing, you’ll find FHA mortgage loan interest rates are reported at 2.25% for “best execution” loans which have ideal conditions including a well-qualified borrower. | more...

January 26, 2021

FHA Loans And DACA

By Joe Wallace

The FHA and HUD have made a major announcement; FHA home loans are now available for those who are not U.S. citizens but who are living in the country under the protection of a program called Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA). In 2012, President Barack Obama issued an executive order that basically replaced DACA legislation which had failed to pass in Congress. President Donald Trump attempted to overturn DACA protections but was rebuffed by the Supreme Court. Now, those living in the USA and protected under DACA laws have the ability to apply for an FHA home loan–something that wasn’t permitted in the past. Effective January 19, 2021, the FHA, “…is permitting individuals classified under the “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” program (DACA) with the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration | more...

January 25, 2021

HUD Announces Extension Of FHA Loan Foreclosure / Eviction Moratorium

By Bruce Reichstein

A press release at the official site for the Department of Housing and Urban Development announces that the Biden Administration has “requested the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and other Federal Agencies” extend the current COVID-related foreclosure and eviction moratorium for single family mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration. This request also affects loans guaranteed by the Office of Native American Programs’ Section 184 and 184A loan guarantee programs. At press time, and according to the press release, the moratorium is extended through March 31, 2021. The press release on the HUD official site states that this extension is, “one of the first Administration actions” that addresses the need for “meaningful support” to homeowners struggling with financial difficulty during the pandemic. “As President Biden promised, his new | more...

January 20, 2021

FHA Loan Interest Rates: January 2021

By Joe Wallace

The previous year was historic in many ways and the performance of home loan mortgage rates was no exception. They moved decisively below the three percent range and stayed there, moving higher occasionally but stubbornly resisting certain norms however temporarily. In 2021, people who write about mortgage loan interest rates note that while not directly tied to the performance of U.S.Treasuries, mortgage rates do trend together with Treasuries (typically speaking). In the opening month of the new year mortgage rates have not moved directly in tandem with the ups and downs of Treasuries, but that a correction of sorts has been predicted even before New Year’s Eve. That correction is coming–it’s safe to assume higher rates are in the future. What we don’t know is how long it will take | more...

January 19, 2021

Home Loans And Your Credit Score: The Cost Of Your Mortgage

By Joe Wallace

Did you know that credit scores affect more than the simple approval or denial of your mortgage? Your overall costs for the mortgage over the long term will depend in part on your FICO scores, as we’ll explore below. FICO Scores And Your Down Payment You have not one, but TWO FICO score standards to meet when you want to apply for a large loan such as a mortgage. The first standard is from the FHA itself (these are the FHA minimum requirements for the Single Family home loan program) and the second is your lender’s standards. Naturally these will vary from lender to lender. And your lender’s standards may or may not be higher than the FHA minimum. FHA FICO score minimums begin at 580 or better for maximum | more...

January 18, 2021

Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

By Bruce Reichstein

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2021! Banks and markets are closed today to observe the holiday and we too feel it’s very important to remember this important day. America owes a great deal to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and we are proud to observe this day dedicated to him and his accomplishments. Today, we pause our regular coverage of FHA news and FHA loan topics to observe the holiday. We resume our usual schedule of posts tomorrow. Thanks for reading!

Buy or Build a House On Your Own Lot in 2020

January 14, 2021

What Are FHA Energy Efficient Mortgages?

By Joe Wallace

What is an FHA Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM)? Whether you want to buy existing construction or choose to build a house on your own lot using an FHA One-Time Close mortgage, the FHA EEM can add funds to your loan. You read that correctly–these funds are added only after the loan amount has been calculated–this is an add-on to your loan and not a higher loan amount to qualify for (see below) Are you a first-time home buyer? Don’t mistake an Energy-Efficient Mortgage as a type of home loan option like an FHA Construction Mortgage or FHA Rehabilitation Mortgage. As mentioned above, an EEM is quite different. Why EEM Funds Are Added After Your Loan Amount Is Calculated The Energy Efficient Mortgage is an add-for purchase loans including FHA Rehab | more...