Articles Tagged With: FHA One-Time Close Construction Loan

December 17, 2022

FHA One-Time Close Construction Loans: Five Facts You Should Know

You don’t have to purchase someone else’s house–you can use an FHA construction loan to build your dream home to your specifications using plans you approve. The FHA One-Time Close construction loan makes it easier by eliminating the two-loan process, consolidating the construction loan into a single application, a single approval process, and a single closing date. Construction Loan Fact One: Multiple Options FHA One-Time Close mortgages are not the only option; there are several different types of One-Time Close loans, also known as single-close construction loans. There’s the FHA version, but also a USDA construction loan for those who demonstrate financial need, and a VA construction loan version for those with qualifying military service. And these construction loans are available for any financially qualified borrower who meets program standards. | more...

August 5, 2022

FHA 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgages Compared To FHA One-Time Close Mortgages

By Joe Wallace

Some borrowers want to know if there are any differences between a one-time close construction loan and an FHA 203(k) Rehabilitation Loan. While both of these loans have some features in common, the short answer is that they are not interchangeable and each loan has a specific purpose. Both types have one loan application and a sinlge loan closing date. Rehab loans and construction loans both use escrow to facilitate the payment of loan funds to contractors, and participating lenders may require the borrower to typically credit-qualify with FICO scores typically in the mid-600s for either type of mortgage. FHA 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgages are offered as either a refinance or a purchase loan. An FHA One-Time Close construction loan is a forward mortgage. You would want to use an FHA | more...

July 29, 2022

FHA Home Loans And Occupancy: What You Can And Cannot Do

By Joe Wallace

If you are buying an existing construction home with an FHA mortgage, or having one built for you using an FHA One-Time Close construction loan, you will notice some common requirements for these mortgages; one such requirement involves the borrower’s use of the property once the loan has closed. FHA new purchase mortgages, also known as forward mortgages, are intended for those who wish to occupy the home as their main address, or “primary residence”. Some borrowers may be confused by this requirement because they assume you can buy and rent out a home using an FHA mortgage without intending to occupy it. But the reality is that FHA mortgages actually require occupancy by at least one person obligated on the home loan, so how is it possible to purchase | more...

July 6, 2022

VA One-Time Close Construction Loan Options for Military Veterans Expanded

By Bruce Reichstein

Some house hunters get fed up with looking for just the right home, while others start out their home loan journey knowing in advance they want a house built for them. What options do these borrowers have? There is an FHA home loan known as the FHA One-Time Close / Single-Close construction loan that lets borrowers apply for a single loan that covers both construction costs and the mortgage itself. The FHA version of this type of construction loan requires the borrower and lender to work together to establish a plan for the project including estimated completion times, interest rates, budgets, and more. Some borrowers aren’t interested in FHA home loans since they have other options; do qualifying military veterans have a VA loan version of the FHA One Time | more...

June 24, 2022

Planning Your Home Loan

By Joe Wallace

The planning stage of your home loan is extremely important. This is where you will determine what kind of home you might want, the price range you can afford, and how much down payment you need to save up to make. One big choice you face in the planning process? Decisions about issues related to long-term occupancy of the home, whether you plan to sell within a short or long amount of time and how you should arrange your financing to accommodate those needs. What kind of arrangements? Some borrowers don’t apply for a fixed-rate mortgage. They know they are not keeping the home for the long term and choose to take advantage of lower interest rates offered in the introductory period of an FHA Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) instead | more...

One Time Close Mortgage Loans: The Base Home Sales Price

June 23, 2022

Why Choose An FHA Construction Loan?

By Bruce Reichstein

If you want to build a home on your own lot or on land you buy in conjunction with the project, you have two basic options to choose from. There is a type of construction loan that features two applications and two closing dates. One is a loan to pay for the labor and materials in the construction of the property itself. Once the construction phase is over, the borrower applies for a second loan that pays off the construction loan and serves as the mortgage. It is important to remember that the loan for building your house is not a 30-year mortgage. If you want to build a custom home this way, the first loan is sometimes called an interim loan with the second being referred to in the | more...

One-Time Close Construction Loan Options For Veterans

June 9, 2022

Questions To Ask About FHA Construction Loans And 203(k) Rehabilitation Loans

By Joe Wallace

There are FHA mortgages that let you build a home from the ground up on land you already own or purchase in conjunction with the mortgage. These are called FHA One-Time-Close mortgages. There are also FHA loans that can help you buy and renovate a home. These are called FHA 203(k) Rehabilitation loans and they are also available as an FHA refinance option. Both types of loans will require you to use escrow, hire builders, and have custom work done. And if you have never done this before, there are a few things to know going into the process. Did you know that not all builders are suitable for construction loans? Not every licensed contractor has experience with a large project such as a home renovation, and you will want | more...

Home Loans For Building On Your Own Land

May 24, 2022

Building Your Home Instead Of Buying Someone Else’s House

By Bruce Reichstein

If you want to build your home from the ground up on your own lot, you have plenty of options, starting with a choice between a construction loan with two applications, two loans, and two closing dates and a loan that only has a single application, one loan, and one closing date. The loans that require only one application and closing date are known as One-Time Close construction mortgages. They are also known as construction-to-permanent mortgages. The loans that require two of everything are simply known as construction-only loans and you must apply for the mortgage loan separately from the construction loan. What are the basic benefits of choosing a One-Time Close loan aside from the obvious? Your ability to have single loan approval and one closing date are important. | more...

FHA Construction Loan Rule Changes In 2021

May 10, 2022

FHA One-Time Close Construction Loans: Buying And Owning Land

By Bruce Reichstein

With an FHA One-Time Close construction loan, you have the ability to build a home on your own land instead of purchasing someone else’s house. There are two kinds of borrowers for these construction loans, those who already own land and those who do not. Some might wonder if they are left out of the FHA construction loan option simply because they don’t own a parcel of land yet. The good news is that FHA One-Time Close loans allow you to apply for a loan to buy the land as well as build the home. You’ll find that it may be easier to qualify for an FHA One-Time Close loan than a conventional equivalent, but keep in mind that you may have certain closing costs that aren’t applied with certain | more...

Five FHA Home Loan Questions To Ask Your Lender

February 24, 2022

FHA Home Loan Issues For Veterans

By Joe Wallace

Veterans interested in buying a home have many choices including a VA home loan, but also FHA loans that function in much the same way as their VA counterparts. While it is true that VA loans require no down payment in most cases but FHA home loans always require one in most cases, some veterans explore their FHA loan options just the same. Some want existing construction loans, others want a One Time Close mortgage to build a suitable home from the ground up. One Time Close mortgages are available in both VA and FHA versions, so military and veteran borrowers have options with either type of mortgage. But some military members and veterans may enter the service after already having purchased a home, or after having assumed an FHA | more...