Articles Tagged With: FHA One-Time Close Construction Loan

December 6, 2017

FHA Construction To Permanent Loan 2018 / One-Time Close (Single-Close)

FHA construction To Permanent loans in 2018 are a great option for those who want to buy a home but aren’t interested in purchasing existing construction properties. If having a home built for you sounds better than buying one that already exists, the FHA Construction-To-Permanent loan, also known as an FHA One-Time-Close loan / Single-Close loan, might be right for you. FHA Construction To Permanent Loan Requirements The basic credit qualifying guidelines for FHA One-Time Close mortgages may vary more among participating FHA lenders. You may find a minimum FICO score requirement of 620 or higher depending on the lender, and in some cases you may learn that a lender has a minimum FICO score benchmark of 660 or better and that two FICO scores may be required. Credit requirements | more...

FHA One-Time Close Construction Mortgage Basics

November 22, 2017

How Do You Get A One-Time Close FHA Construction Loan?

By Bruce Reichstein

How do you get an FHA construction loan? If you want to have a new home built from the ground up (as opposed to buying an “existing construction” home that already exists), an FHA new construction loan is possible. The FHA One-Time Close / Single-Close construction loan makes it much easier with a single application and closing for the entire project. Other types of construction loans feature TWO closing dates and a more complex process. FHA One-Time Close mortgages simplify the construction loan by wrapping the entire loan process up with a single application and loan approval. Not all FHA lenders offer construction loans, so you’ll need to shop around to find the right lender for your needs. There are two basic types of FHA construction loans-a “traditional” construction loan, | more...

Is U.S. Citizenship Required For An FHA One-Time Close Construction Loan?

November 13, 2017

FHA One-Time Close Construction Loan Rules: Utilities

By Joe Wallace

FHA loan rules for One-Time Close / Single-Close construction loans include a set of requirements the finished property, which must meet both state/local building code and FHA loan minimum property standards. Those FHA standards include a set of requirements for access, utilities, and water quality which must be met as a condition of loan approval. It’s surprising to some FHA loan applicants that certain features of a new construction home are A) regulated and/or B) allow things like septic tanks or wells. But not all properties are the same, and some construction issues are present in some housing markets that aren’t a consideration elsewhere. Well water is a great example. When a resident of a large metropolitan areas thinks of a new construction home, it’s likely that issues surrounding wells | more...

Coronavirus And Home Loan Appraisals: What You Need To Know Now

October 30, 2017

FHA One-Time Close Construction Loans

By Bruce Reichstein

There is still time to consider an FHA construction loan in 2017. Those who are more interested in having a brand-new home built especially for them rather than purchasing an existing construction home with an FHA mortgage will be pleasantly surprised at the options available to them. FHA construction loans are different than other types of FHA mortgages and can be a bit more complex, but thanks to the FHA One-Time Close construction loan this process isn’t as complicated as other types of construction loans. Why? A Single Application and Closing Date For FHA One-Time Close Construction Loans The FHA One-Time Close construction loan is referred to in the FHA loan handbook, HUD 4000.1, as a “construction-to-permanent” mortgage. Some construction loans require the borrower to qualify twice; once to pay | more...

FHA One Time Close Construction Loan Option

October 23, 2017

FHA One-Time Close Construction Loan Requirements

By Bruce Reichstein

FHA One Time Close / Single Close construction loan requirements include different FICO score, escrow, and closing requirements than standard new purchase mortgages. Do you know how FHA One Time Close construction loans work? A Single Loan For The Entire Process Construction loans typically require two loans-one to purchase, and one to pay for the construction. Under the FHA One Time Close construction loan program, also known as an FHA construction-to-permanent mortgage, there is a single loan. This prevents the need for a borrower to be credit-qualified twice during the lending process. The procedure for an FHA One Time Close loan has the loan closing first, in order to pay for the land, followed by the construction phase. That means an escrow account is required in order to disburse funds | more...

September 19, 2017

FHA One-Time Close Construction Loans: How They Work

By Bruce Reichstein

How do FHA One-Time Close / Single-Close construction loans work? These FHA mortgages are for borrowers who want to have a home built for them from the ground up rather than looking for an existing home to purchase and move into right away. Many participating FHA lenders offer these loans for “stick built” homes, which are homes built on-site (as opposed to a manufactured home which is delivered pre-built in sections and assembled). What are the rules for this type of FHA construction loan? From the FHA/HUD official site, we learn that a One-Time Close loan is also known as a “construction to permanent” loan. “A construction to permanent mortgage combines the features of a construction loan (a short-term interim loan for financing the cost of construction) and the traditional | more...

September 18, 2017

Can I Add Energy-Efficient Upgrades To An FHA One-Time Close Construction Loan?

By Joe Wallace

Can I add energy-efficient upgrades to an FHA One-Time Close Construction Loan? FHA loan rules governing the FHA Energy Efficient Mortgage add-on to other loans such as an FHA One-Time Close new construction loan are found in HUD 4000.1. There we learn the following on page 400: “The Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM) program allows the Mortgagee to offer financing for cost-effective energy efficient improvements to an existing Property at the time of purchase or refinancing, or for upgrades above the established residential building code for New Construction.” We know from that reading of FHA loan rules that new construction loans (including One-Time Close mortgages) do qualify for FHA EEMs, which allow the borrower additional funds for an “energy package” defined as: “…the set of improvements agreed to by the Borrower | more...

September 18, 2017

What Is A New One-Time Close Construction FHA Home Loan Compared To Existing Construction Loans?

By Bruce Reichstein

What is an FHA new construction loan compared to existing construction loans? Essentially the difference involves whether the home has been occupied or not since the time it was completed. FHA loan rules governing how such properties are classified can be found in HUD 4000.1, the FHA Loan Handbook. Existing Construction Existing construction loans are for structures that have been occupied at least once since the time they were completed. Such properties may be very new, others may be very old. “Existing Construction” loan procedures are less complex than for New Construction loans because the permits, escrows, inspections and other aspects of building a home have already been satisfied before the borrower comes along to buy the property. New Construction This type of property has never been occupied by an | more...

What if my home was damaged in a natural disaster?

July 27, 2017

Where Do You Get A One-Time Close FHA Construction Loan?

By Bruce Reichstein

Where do you get an FHA / Single-Close construction loan? Borrowers who don’t want to purchase an existing construction property (one that has been previously owned) or a new construction home (one that is brand new and has not been owned or occupied previously) will definitely be interested in learning where to get an FHA construction loan to buy a single family home. The short answer is that an FHA construction loan is definitely possible under FHA loan program guidelines, but you will need to find a participating FHA lender willing to issue you the loan. Not all FHA lenders offer construction loans so you’ll have to shop around if your first choice in a financial institution doesn’t offer this type of FHA mortgage. There are two kinds of FHA | more...

July 17, 2017

What Is A One-Time Close FHA Construction Loan?

By Joe Wallace

The FHA single family loan handbook tells us that FHA home loans are for a variety of different types of purchases including existing construction, “new construction” which means a home recently built but never occupied by an owner, and “proposed construction” loans which allows the buyer to apply for a loan to fund both the construction phase and the “permanent” phase of the mortgage. How do FHA construction loans differ from new purchase loans? Aside from the obvious (new purchase loans for existing construction move faster than construction loans do thanks to the lack of a construction phase for the existing construction loan) there are some important considerations to think about when contemplating your construction loan options. Is An FHA Construction Loan Right For Me? If you need to get into | more...