Timely news, information and advice concentrating on FHA, VA and USDA residential mortgage lending.

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Articles by: Bruce Reichstein

Bruce Reichstein - FHA News Author

By Bruce Reichstein

Bruce Reichstein has spent over three decades as an experienced FHA and VA home loan mortgage banker and underwriter where he was responsible for funding “Billions” in government backed mortgage loans. He is the Managing Editor for FHANewsblog.com where he educates homeowners on the specific guidelines for obtaining FHA guaranteed home loans.

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FHA loans

FHA Rehab Loans Versus FHA 203(b) Loans

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 suitable for both new purchase and refinance applications. Regardless of whether you buy or refinance with an FHA Rehab Loan, you are permitted to | more...

 
FHA Mortgage Loan

Which FHA Loan Is Right For You?

There are some home loan options some won’t consider. A shorter loan term is one. In an era where lower monthly payments seem to be the priority for some borrowers more than saving money over the entire course of the loan, a longer loan term makes sense. But for some, these are essential aspects of the loan to consider. If you can afford to pay more each month on your mortgage, would you do so to shorten your loan term? FHA Condo Loans, FHA Manufactured Homes Are you surprised there are separate FHA loans for each property type listed above? These different loans are needed simply because each property type’s considerations differ. Manufactured homes can’t be older than regulations allow, but existing construction homes don’t have the same rule. Condo | more...

 
FHA Loan Approval and Late or Missed Housing Payments

FHA Loan Approval and Late or Missed Housing Payments

What is the connection between FHA loan approval and late or missed housing payments? The simplest formula given to most borrowers is that you should come to the home loan application process with nothing but on-time payments on all financial obligations for the last 12 months leading up to the day you apply. Not all borrowers take that advice, and many want to know what the consequences of having a late or missed payment might be; in some cases the issue may be more problematic than others. This is true of having late or missed housing payments on your record. The lender will review your record of housing payments as one of the indications that a borrower is a satisfactory credit risk. But what do the FHA loan rules tell | more...

 

Can An Eligible Veteran Build on Their Own Lot or Buy Land with a VA loan? 

If you are interested in purchasing a piece of land and financing it through a VA-approved lender, there are several loan options available for you. While a standalone VA land loan is not offered, the VA loan program does allow for the purchase of land when combined with the construction costs to build a new home. This loan product is known as a VA One-Time Close construction to permanent loan. It is a convenient loan option that includes the cost of the land plus the cost of the construction and even allows any VA funding fee to be financed into the loan. This Zero out-of-pocket financing allows eligible Veterans to have a true $0 down loan.   To utilize the VA loan for buying land and constructing a new home, | more...

 
Do You Need Down Payment Help?

FHA Home Loan Pre-Approval And Mortgage Loan Approval

If you are considering an FHA home loan it is a smart idea to get pre-approved for a home loan before you start 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 | more...

 
FHA loans

FHA Loans and Your Credit

Lots of people want to know what credit issues will affect the approval of FHA loans. The shortest answer is that it’s a combination of FICO scores, your repayment habits on all financial obligations (not just credit cards or revolving debt), and the amount of debt you pay on each month versus how much income you have. But there are some hard numbers to look at, too. FHA minimum requirements for credit include FICO score requirements for maximum financing. If your FICO scores are 580 or above, you technically qualify for maximum financing, which means only a 3.5% down payment. But FHA FICO minimums are not the only FICO score requirements you’ll need to meet. Credit requirements at your chosen lender can be, and often are, higher. You may find | more...

 
FHA Rehab Loans

FHA 203(k) Rehab Loan Standards

FHA 203(k) rehab loan standards include a list of things that can be done with a 203(k) rehab loan and a list of ineligible projects. Borrowers should know what is allowed and what is not with these FHA rehab loans. FHA Loan Rules For Renovation, Improvements, Add-Ons In general, FHA home loan programs such as the Energy Efficient Mortgage (which can be used in conjunction with an FHA 203(k) loan) and the FHA 203(k) and FHA 203(h) rehab loan feature a list of approved uses for loan proceeds. There’s a prohibition against cash back to the borrower on these transactions except where it is needed to pay for materials and labor; even then a borrower cannot “profit” from the loan by taking excess funds in cash. FHA loan rules require | more...

 
Build on your own lot. Construction loan basics

Build A House On Your Own Land With An FHA Mortgage

Some house hunters decide to stop looking at existing construction homes and start thinking about building a house for themselves from the ground up. Other people know from the start of their homeownership journey that they want to build and not buy an existing home. FHA home loan rules in HUD 4000.1 include guidelines for lenders who want to help these borrowers. The section of the rulebook titled “Building on Own Land” tells lenders how to proceed with a construction loan including maximum loan amounts, who can act as the general contractor on the project, and more. Are you interested in having a house built for you on your own lot? Not interested in having to choose from existing construction housing? Building on your own land may be the right | more...

 
What Is An FHA Loan Limit?

FHA Loan Pre-Approval

What is the difference between FHA loan approval and pre-approval for an FHA mortgage? Some borrowers get confused during the initial process because it’s easy to assume that getting through pre-approval means you’ve been fully approved for the mortgage. The reality is that pre-approval is a tool for the borrower and the 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. It’s the start of the loan process, but it is not a guarantee that you have an FHA mortgage loan yet. Getting pre-approved for an FHA mortgage means using an online mortgage loan calculator or other tool to add up your income, debts, interest rate, etc. The price of the home or an estimated | more...

 
FHA Home Loan

Understanding Your FHA Home Loan Options

Understanding your FHA home loan options going into the house hunting season of 2023 means knowing the different choices available to you for a mortgage. Did you know that FHA home loans are available for mobile homes, condos, and manufactured housing? There are many options for property size and type. You can buy a property up to four units large using an FHA mortgage. What Kind Of Home Do You Need? Choices matter when reviewing your home loan options. Choices that include how many units you want in your home (one to four-unit homes can be purchased with FHA mortgages) and the type of property you want; condo units, townhouses, mobile homes, manufactured housing, and even the ability to build instead of buy can be part of your decision-making process. | more...