Articles by: Bruce Reichstein

January 23, 2020

FHA Loan Rules You Need To Know Before House Hunting

There are several things you should know about FHA home loans before you go looking for real estate to buy. You can save a LOT of time and even some money by taking extra time to consider the following issues. You Don’t Have To Buy An Existing Home FHA home loans have an option called the One-Time Close construction loan. It lets you build a home from the ground up on your own land. Don’t want to purchase existing real estate? There is an FHA home loan for that and it is offered even to first-time home buyers. The same low 3.5% minimum down payment is available to those who qualify with credit scores and other financials. You Don’t Have To Buy A Suburban Home With An FHA Mortgage Don’t | more...

January 20, 2020

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

By Bruce Reichstein

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2020! Banks and markets are closed today to observe the holiday and we too feel it’s very important to remember this important day. America owes a great deal to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We are proud to observe this day dedicated to him and pause our regular coverage of FHA news and FHA loan topics to observe the holiday. We resume our usual schedule of posts tomorrow. Thanks for reading!

January 17, 2020

Home Loan Approval And Your Income

By Bruce Reichstein

Home loan approval means submitting your employment and income information to the lender, who must verify the information for accuracy. There are things you can do to help the process work in your favor if you know about certain nuances of the home loan approval process. Important Takeaways From This Article: Know how the lender checks your income data; Study the FHA home loan rules for employment and income, especially if you are self-employed, a commission earner, or a contractor; Know how frequent job changes may affect your loan; Shop around for a loan even if you think you’ve found a good bank; Know How The Lender Operates Some people mistakenly assume that income and employment verification are formalities; they are not. Your lender is required by law to carry | more...

The FHA One-Time Close Construction Loan: An Option In 2020

January 15, 2020

FHA Construction Loans Versus USDA Construction Loans

By Bruce Reichstein

Why would borrowers choose to build a home on their own land using an FHA One-Time Close construction loan (which requires a down payment of 3.5%, minimum) instead of a no-money-down USDA home loan? There are several reasons why an FHA mortgage might be the better choice depending on circumstances, even with a required minimum down payment. That down payment is far less than some conventional loans require. USDA Mortgage or FHA Home Loan? USDA construction loans offer an advantage to eligible borrowers thanks to their zero down payment requirement. But a USDA mortgage is need-based, and these loans (even construction loans) have a household income cap. USDA loan rules state that in some cases, borrowers who have assets higher than the USDA limit “…may be required to use a | more...

January 13, 2020

Buying A Home With A Lower Credit Score

By Bruce Reichstein

Some of our most popular blog posts and articles have to do with buying a home with a low credit score. What can you do if you know your credit isn’t perfect but need to buy a home with an FHA mortgage? Actively Work On Your Credit The most effective way to change your credit rating and improve it is also the simplest. Make all payments on time for at least one year leading up to your home loan application. This is the first step toward getting yourself ready to actually be approved for a mortgage loan. Review Your Credit Report If you don’t know what your credit report says, you are not ready for a home loan. It really is as simple as that. Learn How To Understand Your | more...

Types Of Homes You Can Buy Or Build With An FHA Mortgage

January 9, 2020

FHA Home Loan Options For 2020

By Bruce Reichstein

What kind of home loan do you need in 2020? You can build on your own lot with an FHA One-Time Close construction loan, you can apply for an FHA mortgage to purchase a mobile home or manufactured house, and you can even find an FHA mortgage for a fixer-upper property. These loans are not need-based, have no income caps, and feature a low down payment requirement. What kind of home loan do you need? Houses You Can Buy And Occupy Right Away Referred to in the real estate industry as an existing construction home, these properties are sold assuming they meet current appraisal and building code regulations or can be brought into compliance without a great deal of difficulty. Existing construction homes have been built for at least one | more...

January 7, 2020

FHA Rehab Loans Versus FHA 203(b) Loans

By Bruce Reichstein

When shopping for real estate, most borrowers are thinking of the kind of mortgage such as the one known as an FHA 203(b). That’s the loan you want when shopping for a house you want to buy as-is; one that meets FHA appraisal standards and requires little to no work on the property to make it eligible for a 203(b) forward mortgage. Then there is another type of home loan option available to FHA borrowers; the FHA 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage, which allows you to buy a fixer-upper and have it brought up to FHA appraisal standards and local code requirements. The FHA 203(k) Rehab Loan is good for both new purchase and refinance applications. Regardless of whether you buy or refinance with an FHA Rehab Loan, you are permitted to | more...

January 3, 2020

FHA Cash-Out Refinance Loans: Common Questions

By Bruce Reichstein

Do you know what to expect when you want to refinance your mortgage in order to convert part of your home’s value into cash? Is there a difference between cash-out refinance loans in Illinois and California? How much money will you get in cash? These and other questions are important to answer in advance. Are FHA Cash-Out Refinance Loans The Same In All Housing Markets? No. All housing markets differ. And that’s a theme you’ll see repeated in this article; if you are applying for an FHA cash-out refi loan in an area with rapidly increasing property values, you may discover your home is worth far more than in a housing market that has experienced a plateau in those rising values. Why Does My Lender Require An Appraisal? Property values | more...

January 1, 2020

Happy New Year 2020

By Bruce Reichstein

Happy New Year 2020! We hope your holiday season has been safe and fun. We pause from our usual posts about FHA home loans to enjoy New Year’s Day 2020, and our regular posting schedule resumes on Thursday. Thanks for reading and have a great holiday.

FHA Loan Pre-Approval versus Home Loan Approval

December 31, 2019

FHA Home Loan Pre-Approval And Mortgage Loan Approval

By Bruce Reichstein

We encourage potential FHA borrowers to get pre-approved for a home loan before house hunting. If you are new to the home loan process, you might not be sure what the difference is between FHA loan approval and getting pre-approved for an FHA mortgage. What is that difference? Getting through the initial pre-approval application does not mean you’ve been fully approved for the mortgage. But it IS an important tool for soon-to-be homeowners. Home loan pre-approval is a tool for both borrower and lender to determine if you’re ready to buy based on your income, debt to income ratio levels, the amount of down payment you have saved, etc. Think of pre-approval as the start of the loan process, but it is not a guarantee that you have an FHA | more...