Articles Tagged With: LTV (Loan to Value)

June 11, 2018

FHA Loan-To-Value Limits: More Rules You Should Know

In a previous blog post, we discussed some of the basic loan-to-value ratio rules (LTV) for FHA loans. Your loan-to-value ratio is calculated based on the amount of the required down payment a borrower has to make as part of the FHA mortgage loan transaction. When you buy a home using an FHA mortgage, the loan-to-value ratio can be affected by your FICO scores. A higher down payment requirement means a different LTV than for those who make the lowest possible downpayment on an FHA mortgage loan of 3.5% of the adjusted value of the property. But credit score issues aren’t the only things that can affect a borrower’s LTV on an FHA mortgage to buy a new home. Some FHA loan transactions, under FHA loan policy, require as much | more...

June 11, 2018

FHA Home Loans and Loan-To-Value Limits: Rules You Should Know

By Joe Wallace

FHA home loans have limits on the amount of the loan, how much of the loan the FHA will guarantee, and the loan-to-value ratio or LTV. The LTV of your home loan is basically the percentage of the mortgage compared to the value of the property. There’s an loan-to-value calculation required in part because the borrower is required in most cases to make a minimum down payment for “forward mortgages”. These down payments are not required by FHA loan rules for FHA rehab loans to fix or replace qualifying homes in federally-declared disaster areas, but for all other new purchase FHA loans, the borrower will be required to make a minimum down payment. FHA loan rules in HUD 4000.1 spell out the requirements for this down payment and calculating the | more...

September 20, 2017

How Do FHA Mortgage Loan-To-Value Limits Work?

By Bruce Reichstein

How do FHA mortgage loan-to-value limits work? The loan-to-value (LTV) limit is an indicator of how much of a down payment you’ll be required to make on the FHA mortgage loan. There’s no such thing as a no-money-down FHA mortgage for new purchases, so the LTV is an important detail in your loan transaction. The rules covering FHA LTV ratios are found in HUD 4000.1, the FHA loan handbook. There we learn the following by way of introduction to the FHA requirements in this area: “The determination of the maximum LTV percentage available is influenced by…the particular mortgage insurance program (See Programs and Products); and the transaction type. The Mortgagee must apply the lowest applicable LTV percentage as determined under the requirements in this section.” Your LTV limits are determined, | more...

April 3, 2017

FHA Loan Amounts: A Reader Question

By Joe Wallace

What are the minimum FHA loan amounts? A reader asked us a question in the comments section along those lines recently: “Is there a minimum amount for FHA Loans? Someone told me you have to borrow at least $90,000. Does the loan depend on your annual income?” FHA mortgages are not approved or denied based on the dollar amount of your annual income, but rather on your ability to afford the loan based on your financial obligations (including an estimate of your monthly mortgage payment) compared to your monthly income. Your debt-to-income ratio is more important in the loan approval equation. When it comes to FHA loan amounts, the minimum loan is based on the appraised value of the property or the asking price, whichever is lower. The FHA loan | more...

February 3, 2017

Non-Occupying Co-Borrowers: A Reader Question

By Bruce Reichstein

FHA loan rules state that in cases where there are non-occupying co-borrowers, different down payment requirements may apply. According to FHA loan rules, “A Non-Occupying Borrower Transaction refers to a transaction involving two or more Borrowers in which one or more of the Borrower(s) will not occupy the Property as their Principal Residence.” A reader got in touch recently to ask a question about the FHA loan down payment requirement in situations that feature non-occupying co-borrowers. “I see below under 4155.1 (page 78 of 413) that unrelated individuals that can document evidence of a longstanding, substantial family type relationship would qualify for maximum financing. So since a cousin is classified as unrelated yet they’ve know each other since birth and have been living as family since then would then qualify | more...

October 26, 2016

FHA Mortgage Maximum Loan Amounts

By Joe Wallace

FHA home loans feature a maximum loan amount that varies depending on the housing market and other factors. There’s no single set dollar amount that establishes a limit for how much loan the FHA will guarantee, though many housing markets do feature the same general FHA loan limit based on calculations made on a yearly basis. The reason a specific loan limit dollar amount cannot be given is because FHA loan limits are also affected by the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio which may vary in each transaction. This ratio is basically a calculation of the percentage of the loan satisfied by the down payment. With a typical FHA single family forward mortgage, the LTV is 96.5% based on a minimum down payment of 3.5%. HUD 4000.1 discusses maximum mortgage loan amounts | more...

When Is An FHA Loan Better Than A Conventional Loan?

August 11, 2015

FHA Loans And More Situations That Affect Loan-To-Value: Building On Own Land

By Joe Wallace

We’ve been discussing factors that can require an FHA borrower to make a large payment. Such factors can include loans where there is a non-occupying co-borrower, loans where there is an “identity of interest”, and situations where a parent is both the seller and the co-borrower on an FHA single family home loan. What other factors can require a larger down payment on your FHA home loan? In certain instances where an FHA borrower is building a home on his/her own land, the down payment requirement may change depending on specific details of the loan. HUD 4155.1 Chapter Two Section B states of these transactions: “A borrower is eligible for maximum financing if he/she acts as a licensed general contractor and is building a home on land that he/she already | more...

January 28, 2014

FHA Loan Rules: Non-Occupying Co-Borrower Requirements

By Joe Wallace

In a recent blog post we discussed the rules for FHA loans where a non-occupying co-borrower was involved. The scenario we discussed specifically was a parent buying a home with a child (FHA loan rules permit this under the right circumstances), but in general there are FHA mortgage loan rules that apply whenever a non-occupying co-borrower is present. In general, unless the non-occupying co-borrower is a family member, FHA loan rules in HUD 4155.1 say, “When there are two or more borrowers, but one or more will not occupy the property as his/her principal residence, the maximum mortgage is limited to 75% loan-to-value (LTV).” The rules provide an exception to that restriction when the co-borrower is: “related by blood, marriage, or law, such as − spouses − parents-children − siblings | more...

June 6, 2011

FHA Loans: What Does LTV Mean?

By Joe Wallace

If you’re buying a home with an FHA mortgage, one term you’ll become used to seeing in your FHA loan documents is the phrase loan-to-value. LTV is especially important for calculating FHA mortgage insurance premiums and the length of time you’ll be required to pay those premiums. For example, on a new home loan with a term greater than 15 years, annual mortgage insurance premiums are cancelled when the LTV ratio hits 78% (as long as the borrower has paid the premiums for at least five years.) But what IS the loan-to-value ratio? How is it calculated? The property’s loan to value ratio is basically the percentage of the property value that is mortgaged. The FHA official site states, “If you divide the mortgage amount by the lesser of the | more...