Articles Tagged With: Fixed Rate Mortgage

January 29, 2023

FHA Loans: New Construction Vs. Existing Construction?

What is the difference between new construction and existing construction? For the purpose of an FHA home loan, the distinction can be important, even if it’s just on a procedural level. The FHA loan handbook (HUD 4000.1) makes important distinctions between new construction and existing construction loans. FHA Home Loans For Existing Construction Properties The FHA defines existing construction properties in a very specific way: “Existing Construction refers to a Property that has been 100 percent complete for over one year or has been completed for less than one year and was previously occupied.” The appraisal requirements for existing construction are not quite the same (in terms of timing, paperwork and required forms) but the issue that will most affect a typical borrower is in how the appraisal is to | more...

June 16, 2022

Factors That Affect Your FHA Mortgage Interest Rate

By Joe Wallace

When the Fed meets to set monetary policy, it has the option to raise or lower the nation’s interest rates. That is a move that can directly affect some areas of the finance sector such as credit cards, but it indirectly affects mortgage loan interest rates. The Fed’s actions don’t actually change mortgage rates. Investor behavior in reaction to the Fed’s announcements, on the other hand, do have the potential to affect mortgage rates. The rate you are offered by the lender tomorrow may be affected by news and developments in the markets today. But that’s not the only factor that can affect the interest rate you are offered. At this stage for many mortgage-focused blogs, a conversation about FICO scores goes right here. It’s true that your credit scores | more...

March 10, 2022

FHA Mortgage Loan Planning: Fixed Or Adjustable-Rate Mortgage?

By Joe Wallace

When you are in the planning stages of an FHA mortgage there are some considerations you’ll want to make about which upfront costs to pay out of pocket and when it is smart to consider financing certain costs. What do you need to know about these decisions? We’ll explore below. Planning your home loan means deciding a number of things including how long you plan to stay in the home. That factor will play an important part in choices like whether to apply for a fixed-rate mortgage (better for long-term owners who don’t plan to sell at some point) or an adjustable-rate mortgage (better for those who know they won’t own the home for a very long time). An adjustable-rate loan typically features an introductory rate that changes at the | more...

July 6, 2021

Buy A Fixer-Upper With An FHA Rehab Loan

By Joe Wallace

Do you know what an FHA 203(k) rehab mortgage loan is? This is the loan to ask for from a participating FHA lender if you want to buy a home to renovate instead of purchasing a “like new” home. What You Can Do With An FHA Rehab Loan Borrowers are allowed to apply for a new purchase loan or an FHA refinance loan under the 203(k) program, which the FHA loan handbook says may be used to buy and rehabilitate an existing one- to four-unit Structure, which will be used primarily for residential purposes. It can also be used to rehabilitate / refinance outstanding indebtedness “on the Structure and the Real Property on which the Structure is located” or to purchase and rehabilitate “a Structure and purchase the Real Property | more...

June 23, 2021

FHA Loan Rates: Three Tips

By Joe Wallace

What do you need to know about FHA loan rates? The interest rate on your mortgage is an important variable you’ll want to think about early in your planning stages. If you don’t run the numbers on how much your mortgage will cost over the lifetime of the loan, you’re at a serious disadvantage when it comes to planning. Calculating the cost of the loan itself is not the same as calculating your monthly mortgage payment. You’ll want to know the fees and expenses you need to pay up front, but you’ll also want to know how much your loan costs you when the interest rate is applied. How much does your loan cost you each year? Each decade? What is the total cost of the loan once it has | more...

June 15, 2021

FHA Mortgage Loan Facts

By Joe Wallace

What do you need to know about FHA home loans? Aside from dispelling the common myth that FHA mortgages are only for first-time home buyers or economically disadvantaged house hunters, there are many things you should know about the FHA loan program before you apply. FHA loans differ from other mortgages with their lower credit score requirements, low down payments, and zero penalty for early payoff of the loan. FHA home loans are for any borrower who can financially qualify and you do not need to worry about income limits or other need-based restrictions. There are some things you should know about FHA loans that are universal to all home buying experiences in America. One of those? No matter what your lender, real estate agent, or anyone else says or | more...

May 26, 2021

FHA Home Loan Mortgage Rates

By Bruce Reichstein

First-time borrowers sometimes ask, what is an FHA home loan mortgage rate? The FHA loan rate is the interest rate you’ll negotiate with the lender on a 15-year or 30-year FHA mortgage. There are some facts you should know about FHA loan rates that will make understanding them much easier. FHA Loan Rates: They Vary By Lender Technically speaking, the mortgage loan interest rate on your loan is something determined by the loan officer, based on current market rates and other factors. Who gets the most competitive FHA loan rates? Those who meet FICO score standards and the lender’s other financial qualifications. But rates, being negotiable, can be bought down using discount points–an option you and the participating FHA lender should discuss as early as possible. Buying discount points makes | more...

January 21, 2021

Why You Should Consider A Limited 203(k) Rehab Loan

By Bruce Reichstein

Do you want to buy or refinance a fixer-upper home? The FHA 203(k) Rehabilitation loan and the FHA 203(k) Rehabilitation Refinance loan can help if you would rather buy a fixer-upper or renovate an existing home you’re living in as your primary residence. You don’t have to buy a property to use the FHA 203(k) rehab loan; you can use it to refinance your current home and get money to accomplish FHA and lender-approved improvements or other projects associated with remodeling or renovation. That said, not every borrower needs to fully refinance a home to repair or improve it. Are you thinking of smaller projects that don’t require a huge sum of money? The Limited 203(k) Rehab loan lets you accomplish smaller projects without committing to a full refinance or | more...

October 19, 2020

Do You Know What Kind Of FHA Home Loan You Need?

By Joe Wallace

Do you know what type of FHA home loan you need? There are many options with an FHA mortgage and not all of them involve purchasing a new home; you can apply for FHA rehab loans, FHA refinance loans, even an FHA reverse mortgage for qualified borrowers aged 62 or older. FHA One-Time Close Construction Loans For Building A New Home FHA loans do not require you to purchase property that has already been built; did you know there’s an FHA construction loan option that features only one loan application and closing date? Many participating lenders offer FHA One-Time Close construction loans; for those who financially qualify this allows you to have a house built for you from the ground up. You may find some lenders willing (or unwilling) to | more...

October 12, 2020

Applying For Your Home Loan With Other Credit Applications Recent or Pending

By Bruce Reichstein

Here is a variation on a common question asked about applying for an FHA home loan. “I recently applied for financing for a vehicle. Do I still qualify for an FHA mortgage?” In general, borrowers should avoid opening new lines of credit ahead of a mortgage loan application. FHA mortgages, like other home loans, require the lender to justify the loan as a good credit risk. If a borrower is opening new lines of credit at or near the time the home loan application is turned in, it may make the lender think twice about approving the mortgage. One reason for this is that entering into other types of debt while applying for a home loan may give the impression (right or wrong) that the borrower isn’t disciplined with credit | more...