Articles Tagged With: FHA Appraisals

July 13, 2012

HUD Charges Minnesota Condo Association and Management Company With Fair Housing Act Violations

In spite of federal laws, conventional, VA, and FHA loan applicants sometimes experience discrimination when house hunting. While the most obvious types of discrimination involve bias against race, religion, sexual orientation, or national origin, there’s another type of discrimination that’s just as illegal and unfair–discrimination based on family status. According to a press release issued by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a Minnesota condominium association and its management company, Gassen Company, Inc., have been charged by HUD with violating the Fair Housing Act, “by discriminating against families with children under the age of 18”. The press release says, “According to HUD

July 12, 2012

FHA Loans: Can My Loan Costs Be Considered Part of the Down Payment?

By Joe Wallace

FHA home loans require a minimum down payment. The amount of an individual borrower’s down payment varies for several reasons. One reason is that the borrower must pay a percentage of the overall loan amount. Rather than requiring X amount of dollars as a standardized down payment, the borrower pays this percentage based on how much financing he or she qualifies for. For “new purchase” FHA home loans, the FHA has set a maximum Loan-To-Value ratio of 96.5%. “Loan-To-Value” simply means the amount of the FHA guaranteed home loan compared to the value of the home. 96.5%, being the maximum FHA loan available for a new purchase, means the FHA requires a 3.5% down payment of the loan amount. From the FHA loan rules found in HUD 4155.1 Chapter Two: | more...

July 11, 2012

FHA Loan Reader Question: Appraisals and “Comparables”

By Joe Wallace

A reader asks, “I am interested in purchasing a log cabin home with 44 acres and I am being told by a lender that FHA requires the comparables must be within a 12 month sale time frame. As you know log cabin homes are not sold that often. Do the comparables have to be within a 12 month time frame like I am being told?” “Comparables” refers to a benchmark FHA appraisers use to help arrive at the fair market value of the appraised property. The appraiser compares the property to be purchased with an FHA home loan to similar homes in the same market to see what current market values might be for those properties. In Issue 30 of the official FHA Appraiser Roster Newsletter, comparables are discussed as | more...

July 10, 2012

FHA Announces Disaster Assistance For Minnesota Storm Victims

By Joe Wallace

The FHA and HUD have announced disaster relief for victims of severe storms and flooding in parts of Minnesota. According to an FHA press release dated July 9, 2012, “Last week, President Obama issued a disaster declaration for Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Crow Wing, Dakota, Goodhue, Kandiyohi, Lake, Meeker, Pine, Rice, Saint Louis, and Sibley Counties. The declaration also includes Fond du Lac, Grand Portage and Mille Lacs Indian Reservations. The President

July 4, 2012

FHA Appraisal Expiration Dates: Questions and Answers

By Joe Wallace

When buying a home with an FHA guaranteed mortgage loan, one of the most important steps in the process is the appraisal. An FHA appraiser reviews the home to make sure it lives up to minimum property requirements and assigns a fair market value to the property. There are many common questions about FHA appraisals; here are some of them along with the answers. How Long Is An FHA Appraisal Valid? Buyers who purchased property prior to January 1, 2010 may have experienced a different set of standards, but currently, FHA appraisals are considered valid for 120 days. After that time they expire. According to FHA.gov, “Effective for all case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2010 the validity period for all appraisals on existing, proposed, and under construction | more...

July 4, 2012

FHA Loan Questions: What are the Rules for a Non-Occupying Co-Borrower?

By Joe Wallace

FHA loans require the primary borrower to certify he or she will live on the property, using it as the “primary residence”. But FHA loans allow the option for a non-occupying co-borrower–someone who will be financially obligated on the loan but does not live on the property. FHA loan rules, as spelled out in HUD 4155.1 Chapter Two Section B, say of these types of FHA loan transactions: “When there are two or more borrowers, but one or more will not occupy the property as his/her principal residence, the maximum mortgage is limited to 75% loan-to-value (LTV). However, maximum financing, as described in HUD 4155.1 2.A.2, is available for

June 27, 2012

FHA 203(H) Home Loans For Disaster Victims

By Joe Wallace

There is much in the news about wildfires, tropical storms and hurricanes. Tropical Storm Debbie has brought large volumes of rain and flooding risks to Florida residents, and Colorado home owners are currently threatened by spreading fires. In presidentially-declared disaster areas, the FHA offers a program to help victims recover. The FHA 203(h) home loan for disaster victims is described on the FHA official site as

June 20, 2012

FHA Loan Reader Question: Unpaid Debts and FHA Loan Applications

By Joe Wallace

A reader asks, “Can a I obtain an FHA loan with an unpaid charge-off reported on my credit report for over $10,000? I tried to pay/settle the debt, but the bank refuses to accept any payment because the account is in transition. The statute of limits has expired for the the bank to pursue debt collection; however, it has not been seven years for the account to be completely removed from my credit. I

June 15, 2012

Important New HUD Rules For LGBT Home Buyers Seeking FHA Home Loans

By Joe Wallace

There are federal laws in place to prevent housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, and any number of other factors which have nothing to do with a borrower’s financial qualifications for credit. The Fair Housing Act is one such law, but many other rules apply. No matter if a borrower is applying for a conventional home loan, a VA guaranteed mortgage or an FHA mortgage loan, lenders, brokers, agents, landlords and other parties cannot discriminate in any aspect of the housing process. That said, one important set of protections has been, until recently, missing from the rulebooks for those in need of FHA/HUD services and programs. But in recent times, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has finalized a new set of rules | more...

June 13, 2012

FHA Loan Reader Questions: Can I Buy Another Home With An FHA Mortgage Loan?

By Joe Wallace

A reader asks, “We purchased our first home using an FHA loan – 5% down. We have outgrown our home due to an expanded family and we are looking to purchase another home that is bigger – is it possible to qualify for another FHA loan – we have at most 10% to put down towards a new home. Our plan would be to rent out this current home we have as it is in a good rental area. Any advice on how we can achieve this?” FHA loan rules, according to the official site at FHA.gov, include a restriction on issuing single-family mortgage loans to investors. Due to this restriction, the official site says, “FHA generally will not insure more than one mortgage for any borrower (transactions in which | more...