Articles Tagged With: FHA Loan Application

March 29, 2018

What You Should Know About FHA Home Loan Appraisals

What you should know about FHA home loan appraisals includes understanding the difference between one and a home inspection. You should also know that the appraisal serves as a tool for the lender to establish the fair market value of the home compared to similar ones like it in the area. The FHA appraisal is affected by state and local laws, building code, and more. FHA Appraisal Requirements For Safety And Habitability FHA loan rules for the appraisal process in HUD 4000.1 state, “As the on-site representative for the Mortgagee, the Appraiser provides preliminary verification that a Property meets the Property Acceptability Criteria, which includes HUD’s Minimum Property Requirements (MPR) and Minimum Property Standards (MPS). Minimum Property Requirements refer to general requirements that all homes insured by FHA be safe, | more...

March 20, 2018

Property Flipping And FHA Home Loan Rules

By Joe Wallace

What do you need to know about property flipping and FHA home loan rules? The first thing to know is that flipping is addressed in the FHA loan handbook, HUD 4000.1 and there are measures in place to discourage the practice. That said, the rules which prevent flipping usually apply to the buyer’s side of the transaction. FHA loan rules don’t forbid a borrower from selling the home purchased with an FHA mortgage at any time. But the rules do have something to say about FHA mortgage approval for “flipped” homes. How FHA Defines Flipping Not all homes that are purchased and end up back in the housing market fairly quickly will meet the FHA definition of a flipped house. HUD 4000.1 defines flipping on page 145, stating: “Property Flipping | more...

Home Buying, FHA Loans, And Mortgage Trends

March 15, 2018

What You Can Buy With An FHA Mortgage

By Joe Wallace

Do you know what you can buy with an FHA mortgage? The answer may surprise you if there’s an assumption that only typical suburban houses are available for purchase with an FHA loan. Know your options long before you start the planning stages of your new loan-you will be glad you did. What You Can Buy With An FHA Home Loan In essence, the FHA loan program is strictly designed for home buying, for properties with as many as four living units. You cannot use an FHA loan as a personal loan, to purchase a home without (or that will not be affixed to) a permanent foundation. You can use an FHA loan to buy a home, but not a vacation home or other property that will not serve as | more...

February 15, 2018

The Truth About FHA Appraisals

By Joe Wallace

There are some borrowers who don’t know the truth about FHA appraisals. They mistake the appraisal process for something it is not and make the wrong assumptions about the home they are purchasing based on the outcome of the FHA appraisal. This has the potential to create major problems down the line, because relying on the appraisal alone (instead of paying for the optional but critically important home inspection) doesn’t give the borrower all the information she or he needs to make an informed decision about purchasing a property. There’s an old maxim about appraisals; basically that they are a tool for the lender, not the borrower. The FHA appraisal process is not intended to be a stamp of approval on the home implying that it is fully defect-free. Borrowers | more...

February 14, 2018

Can I Get A Second FHA Appraisal If I Don’t Agree With The First One?

By Joe Wallace

A common question some newcomers to the home buying process ask; “Can I get a second FHA appraisal if I don’t agree with the first one?” FHA loan rules anticipate situations like these. Some borrowers or sellers don’t share the opinion of the appraiser for a variety of reasons; some may simply wish to have the home appraised again to see if the results are more advantageous. But FHA loan rules don’t allow a second appraisal simply for the purpose of getting a different result. HUD 4000.1, the FHA loan handbook, instructs the lender on how she may proceed with a second FHA appraisal request. For example, page 128 of HUD 4000.1 states clearly, “The Mortgagee is prohibited from ordering an additional appraisal to achieve an increase in value for | more...

January 9, 2018

FHA Home Loan Rules For Buying Investment Properties

By Joe Wallace

What are the FHA home loan rules for buying investment properties? Regular readers of this blog may be confused by this question since our posts emphasize time and again that FHA single family home loans are for owner/occupiers and not for investment properties. So how can the FHA loan Handbook, HUD 4000.1, have rules that govern the purchase of an investment property with an FHA mortgage? The answer is actually fairly simple; FHA loan rules make an exception in certain cases. The FHA home loan policy in this area is explained on page 142 of HUD 4000.1, starting with a definition of the term “investment property”. According to the FHA, “An Investment Property refers to a Property that is not occupied by the Borrower as a Principal or Secondary Residence”. | more...

January 4, 2018

What Do I Need To Know About Applying For An FHA Mortgage?

By Bruce Reichstein

What do I need to know about applying for an FHA mortgage? The answers to this question can help any potential home loan applicant go into the process better prepared and ready to begin the journey toward home ownership. Preparing For An FHA Mortgage Loan Takes Time The average preparation time for an FHA loan can be up to a year or more, depending on the borrower. Why does it take so long to plan for an FHA loan? Part of the prep time involves saving up for the fees and expenses of the loan including appraisals, compliance inspection fees, and the required minimum down payment. Borrowers should expect to pay a minimum of 3.5% of the adjusted value of the home as a down payment; this is required above | more...

December 5, 2017

FHA Loans And Charge-Off Accounts

By Joe Wallace

Do you ever wonder about applying for an FHA Loan while having charge-off accounts in your credit history? Is it possible to get approved for an FHA home loan even though you have some negative credit information in your background? This is a question many ask, and the answer can be complicated depending on how old that negative credit data is, and whether or not it indicates an overall pattern of credit behavior. When you fill out an FHA loan application, your loan officer will need to examine your credit history, FICO scores, and other areas to determine your credit worthiness. Some borrowers come to the loan process with outstanding credit, others may have old issues or even currently disputed items on their credit reports that make them worry about | more...

December 4, 2017

FHA Home Loan Rules For Salary, Hourly, Part-Time Income

By Joe Wallace

Not every home loan applicant has the same type of employment, compensation, or schedule of compensation. That’s why FHA home loan rules in HUD 4000.1, the FHA single family home loan handbook, include different instructions to the lender for a diverse range of income sources. FHA Loan Rules For “Primary Income” HUD 4000.1 has sections for hourly income, salary, and part-time income. The section that includes these guidelines states that the lender is responsible for examining earnings from the home loan applicant’s “primary employment” and defines it as follows: “Primary Employment is the Borrowers principal employment, unless the income falls within a specific category identified below. Primary employment is generally full-time employment and may be either salaried or hourly.” “Current Pay” Versus “Projected Pay” According to HUD 4000.1, FHA loan | more...

Five FHA Home Loan Questions To Ask Your Lender

November 1, 2017

What Do I Need To Get FHA Loan Approval?

By Bruce Reichstein

What do I need to get FHA loan approval? There are several areas that will factor into the lender’s decision to approve the loan, including credit history, time spent working overall, and the dependability of your income. In addition to your credit, employment, and other issues, the property itself must meet FHA loan standards. As you can tell, the issue of FHA loan approval is one that requires some planning and research for you as well as the lender. FHA Loan Approval Is Based On Financial Qualifications Where the borrower herself is concerned, getting an FHA loan approval hinges on three basic things. One is your current ability to afford the loan. Another is your past credit activity and your record as a good credit risk. And the third area | more...