FHA One-Time Close Construction Loan Rules For Maximum Mortgage, Down Payment

FHA One-Time Close Construction Loan rules for maximum mortgage amounts and down payments are found in the FHA loan handbook, HUD 4000.1.

The FHA One-Time Close mortgage, also known as a construction-to-permanent loan, lets borrowers apply for a loan to have a home built for them using only a single application, loan approval, and closing date. HUD 4000.1 describes it as follows:

“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 long- term permanent residential Mortgage with a single mortgage closing prior to the start of construction”.

FHA One-Time Close Construction Loan Maximum Loan Amount Rules

Maximum mortgage amounts for FHA One Time Close loans are determined “by using the appropriate purchase Loan-to- Value (LTV) percentage of the lesser of the appraised value or the documented Acquisition Cost” according to HUD 4000.1. The documented Acquisition Cost of the Property includes the following:

-Builder’s price to build;

-Borrower-paid extras over and above the contract specifications and/or out-of- pocket expenses not included in the builder’s price to build;

-Cost of the land if already owned, or with an acceptable gift documentation, the appraised value of the land may be used instead of the cost;

and

-closing costs associated with any interim financing of the land.

HUD 4000.1 includes other requirements in this area; if the land is being purchased from the builder, that expense is included in the builder’s price to build.

In cases where the work is being done with manufactured housing, FHA loan rules say the price to build must include the price of the unit(s) purchased with the FHA loan plus all on-site installation costs.

FHA One-Time Construction Loan Rules For Down Payments

Typical down payment rules apply for One-Time Close mortgages; the lender is required to verify the sources of all funds for the borrower’s Minimum Required Investment (MRI) also known as the down payment. But for One-Time Close loans, there is an additional rule:

“The Borrower may utilize any cash investment in the Acquisition Cost of the Property to satisfy the Minimum Required Investment (MRI).”

That is an important aspect of these construction loans to consider-discuss this with your loan officer if you aren’t sure how this may affect your loan transaction.

When it comes to verifying the source of MRI funds associated with the cost of acquiring the land, HUD 4000.1 instructs the lender to document that the “cash investment was from an acceptable source of funds in accordance with TOTAL or manual underwriting requirements as applicable”.

The lender is required to document the date of purchase, cost of the land, and other details by obtaining a copy of the closing disclosure.

Furthermore, “The Mortgagee must document any Borrower-paid extras over and above the contract specifications and any out-of- pocket expenses not included in the builder’s price to build by obtaining evidence funds were derived from an acceptable source. The Mortgagee must obtain an itemization of the extras and expenses and the cost of each item.”

We have done extensive research on FHA, VA and USDA One-Time Close mortgages and spoke directly to the licensed lenders for most states. These are qualified mortgage loan officers who work for lenders that know the product well.

Each company has supplied us the guidelines for their product. If you are interested in being contacted by one licensed lender in your area, please respond to the below questions to save time. All information is treated confidentially.

Your response to onetimeclose@fhanewsblog.com authorizes us to share your personal information with a licensed mortgage lender in your area to contact you.Please note that the One-Time Close Construction Program only allows for single family dwellings (1 unit) – and NOT for multifamily units (no duplexes, triplexes or fourplexes).

Send your first and last name, e-mail address, and contact telephone number.
Tell us the city and state of the proposed property.
Tell us your credit score and /or the co-borrower’s credit score, (if you know it). 620 is the Minimum qualifying credit score for this product.
Are you or your spouse (co-borrower) eligible Veterans? If either of you are eligible Veteran’s, the down payment is $0 up to the maximum VA lending limit for your county. If not, the FHA down payment is 3.5% up to the maximum FHA lending limit for your county.