Articles Tagged With: FHA Loan Questions

What You Need To Know About Your FHA Home Loan

December 1, 2016

FHA Loan Applications in 2017: Are You Ready?

For potential borrowers thinking of filling out FHA loan applications in 2017, there are a number of areas to think about as you prepare. Some potential borrowers are ahead of the curve when it comes to getting financially ready for a major loan application, while others may overlook important areas that need attention long before the loan paperwork is filled out. Do you know how ready you are to fill out that mortgage loan application? One question to ask yourself before the new year arrives is how long youve been planning and preparing for the new loan. Many financial experts advise taking at least a full year to save, budget and research the new loan. Why is research needed? In several ways, doing some research can help you decide what | more...

December 1, 2016

2017 FHA Appraisal: When Do You Need One?

By Joe Wallace

If you aren’t sure whether you need a 2017 FHA appraisal, there may be a very simple answer depending on what kind of home loan or refinance loan you are seeking. For all “forward mortgages” including new construction, proposed construction, or existing construction loans, an FHA appraisal will be required. New purchase loans or forward mortgages require the lender to establish the fair market value of the property to be purchased. That’s where the appraisal comes in. An FHA appraisal establishes the fair market value and insures the home meets basic, minimum standards. The lender will calculate the loan amount based on either the fair market value of the home established in the 2017 FHA appraisal or the asking price of the home, whichever is lower. For new purchase loans, | more...

Will My Home Loan Application Be Approved?

November 30, 2016

2017 Home Loans: Is Your Holiday Spending A Factor For An FHA Loan?

By Joe Wallace

Holiday credit card use tends to spike, and those considering 2017 home loans should take this into account when planning for a new mortgage loan application. Your credit card debt affects your debt-to-income ratio, which the lender will calculate at application time. That ratio, called DTI for short, is a very important factor in home loan approval. For some borrowers, the amount of credit card debt, even holiday spending, isnt as much of a problem as timely payments. Some consumers are tempted at holiday time to skip payments in order to free up some much-needed cash, but a missed payment within 12 months of your FHA mortgage or refinance loan application is not a good thing. Financial experts recommend borrowers maintain on-time payments with no late or missed payments for | more...

November 23, 2016

FHA 203(k) Loan Rules: A Reader Question

By Joe Wallace

A reader asks, “I’m attempting to buy a mixed use residential/commercial property through an FHA 203(k) loan, and the building meets the size requirements. The commercial section is drywalled and spackled with plywood flooring. The residential section is in compliance, but the FHA appraiser listed a bunch of things needed in the commercial section, like a washroom, finished flooring, and baseboard.” “Where did they come up with this list? Is this a requirement for getting the loan? Ill have to make the seller do these things before the sale since I cant do any 203k work on the commercial section, so how do I know what is expected in the commercial section? The HUD doc says nothing on this.” FHA 203(k) loans are also known as “fixer-upper” loans, but even | more...

FHA One-Time Close Construction Loans In 2019

November 17, 2016

FHA Loan Rules: Deed-In-Lieu Of Foreclosure

By Joe Wallace

What are the FHA loan requirements for getting a new FHA loan after a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure? One reader got in touch with us recently to ask: “I completed a deed in lieu about three months ago. According to the government guidelines, how long do I have to wait before I can refinance or purchase a home?” The rules that govern FHA deed-in-lieu of foreclosure policy are found in HUD 4000.1, which state: “A Borrower is generally not eligible for a new FHA-insured Mortgage if the Borrower had a foreclosure or a DIL of foreclosure in the three-year period prior to the date of case number assignment. This three-year period begins on the date of the DIL or the date that the Borrower transferred ownership of the Property to the | more...

November 2, 2016

Down Payment Rules: An FHA Loan Question

By Joe Wallace

A reader asks, “I’m buying a home for 160,000 and the seller is paying up to 4000 in closing costs and pre-paids (which the closing cost ended up only being 3,525 because the lender required me to pay for the appraisal outside of closing POC) I also put 500 earnest money down.” “They are telling me that I have to bring 5,100 to closing instead of 4,625 because they said that I have to bring a total of 3.5% (5600) and the 475 that I already prepaid can not go towards my total 3.5% down. I thought that because I put 500 earnest money deposit and paid for the appraisal outside of closing and the seller is paying for all my closing costs, that I would be able to use | more...

November 1, 2016

Employment: FHA Loan Rules

By Joe Wallace

A reader asks, “I am planning to apply for a home loan, in the next couple months. I am a recent college graduate that has been employed at my current job since May 2016 (just about 6 months). I am planning to buy a house for no more than $110,000, with a $8000 down payment. Will my lack of experience stop me from getting a home loan?” It’s true that in addition to FICO scores and credit history, there are also FHA guidelines for employment and income. In general, FHA loan rules require the lender to either verify two years of employment history or provide alternate documentation of either school enrollment or military service. According to HUD 4000.1, “The Mortgagee must obtain the most recent pay stub and one of | more...

October 31, 2016

FHA Loan Rules: Commuting Distance

By Joe Wallace

A reader asks, “We are trying to get a loan and the lender is claiming that the requirements say she cant commute for two hours one way to work..My wife is the qualifying buyer and I have never heard of such a thing.. Is this discrimination cause she is a woman? They want verification from transfer store that wife will get same pay when transferred too. This would cause grief at current employment because they would not want to see her go. We do not want to do anything like that, transfer, until loan is finalized.. this all came up the day we were supposed to close…seems like discrimination, time to call a lawyer?” Let’s work backwards on this reader question from the last issue to the first; FHA loan | more...

October 25, 2016

FHA Loan Assumptions: A Reader Question

By Joe Wallace

A reader got in touch with us recently via our comments section, with a question about FHA loan assumptions. She asked, “Are FHA refinance mortgages assumable?” This is an interesting take on the loan assumption question, since many of our prior questions in the comments section are asking if FHA loan assumptions are possible in a general sense. The specific query about refinanced loans is one we haven’t seen in recent months, but FHA loan rules in HUD 4000.1 are quite specific: “All FHA-insured Mortgages are assumable.” That is found on page 691 of HUD 4000.1, which also adds, “The Mortgagee must not impose, agree to, or enforce legal restrictions on conveyances or assumptions after closing except when: -specifically permitted by HUD regulations; or -the restriction had been specified in | more...

October 10, 2016

Adding To The FHA Loan Amount

By Joe Wallace

When preparing to fill out an FHA loan application, many borrowers wonder how much FHA loan they will be permitted to get, and whether they can increase that amount. The basic FHA loan rules in HUD 4000.1 state that the loan amount is determined by either the appraised value of the property or the asking price, whichever is lower. Some want to know if they can get cash back on an FHA new purchase single family home loan, but the rules prevent a borrower from receiving cash back on new purchase loans except in the form of a legitimate refund. There are ways to increase the loan amount, however, that do not result in cash back to the borrower. For example, the borrower who chooses to finance the Up Front | more...