Articles in Category: FHA Guidelines

July 15, 2019

FHA Home Loans And Flood Hazard Areas

FHA home loans have rules for loan approval that include determining if a house is suitable for the mortgage. In some cases a home might not be approved for a mortgage because of its’ condition, but in others the location of the home may be a problem. This is true in cases where a home is located too near a high pressure gas pipeline, high voltage lines, or mining operations. But there is another aspect of this you should know-the FHA loan rules for homes located in certain areas prone to flooding. FHA loan rules in HUD 4000.1 state that the lender is responsible for making sure the property to be purchased with an FHA mortgage is not located in certain government-designated flood zones. From HUD 4000.1: “The Mortgagee must | more...

Will FHA Mortgage Loan Interest Rates Drop Even More?

June 24, 2019

FHA Appraisal Standards: What You Need To Know

By Bruce Reichstein

A recent press release by HUD applauds new lead paint hazard requirements issued by the Environmental Protection Agency. Those standards include a more strict requirement for lead levels in certain homes and “child-occupied facilities”. According to a press release on the HUD official site, “Since the 1970s, the United States has made tremendous progress in lowering children’s blood lead levels. In 2001, EPA set standards for lead in dust for floors and windowsills in housing, however since that time, the best available science has evolved to indicate human health effects at lower blood lead levels than previously analyzed.” The new rules don’t necessarily affect FHA appraisal guidelines with specific changes-FHA loan rules address lead paint issues, generally requiring abatement of lead-based paint in homes older than 1978 where there is | more...

June 1, 2019

FHA Home Loan Tips

By Joe Wallace

FHA Mortgages: Lower Down Payment Requirements And Not Just For First-Time Home Buyers FHA loans require 3.5% of the adjusted value of the home as a down payment unless your credit does not meet the loan program requirements or lender standards. Borrowers with FICO scores of 580 or higher technically qualify for the lowest possible down payment but you will need to check lender requirements since they are not the same from one financial institution to another. FHA Mortgages: Down Payment Assistance IS Permitted You can get help from family, friends, employers, or other third parties-they can provide gift funds for the down payment. FHA loan rules say you can only get down payment help from those with no financial stake in the outcome of the transaction. ALL down payment | more...

May 23, 2019

Home Values Dropping: FHA Loan Rules You Should Know

By Joe Wallace

Real estate values could be entering a new phase, if some real estate blogs are to be belived; a Zillow.com report notes that median home values declined a bit in the spring of 2019. A different online real estate publication notes, “Though values didn’t drop year-over-year, their growth rate to (sic) lag behind 2018’s number.” That information does not necessarily help or hurt a house hunter looking for an FHA mortgage and a home to buy at the moment, but there are some important FHA loan rules to remember that WILL help you in cases where property values or house prices are in a state of decline. Where are values going lower according to Zillow? How about San Francisco? Pittsburgh? Others named include Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Diego. You | more...

May 17, 2019

FHA Loan Appraisal Questions: Why Is Peeling Paint A Problem?

By Joe Wallace

One common question about FHA appraisals involves the issue of peeling paint. This can be a problem for some homes, especially those built on or before the year 1978. Borrowers want to know why the appraiser reviewed the home (the appraisal is not a property inspection) and required a correction of a peeling paint issue as a condition of loan approval. The borrower’s question in these cases is normally a variation on, “It’s just a cosmetic issue, why is the appraiser making a big deal out of peeling paint?” Unfortunately, for homes (including condo units) built on or before 1978, peeling paint is not just a cosmetic problem due to the use of lead paint in those construction projects before it was recognized as a safety hazard. FHA home loan | more...

May 15, 2019

Things That Keep You From Getting An FHA Mortgage

By Joe Wallace

What keeps some borrowers from getting an FHA home loan or refinance loan? In some cases the answers are easy, in others they are more complicated. Learn what some of the red flags are for lenders and prepare yourself to get the FHA home loan you need. Automatic Denial Of FHA Home Loans: When Does It Happen? FHA home loans are automatically denied for a variety of reasons. Borrowers with FICO scores lower than 500 are automatically denied, as are borrowers who have applied for a mortgage while they are in a bankruptcy that has not been discharged yet. U.S. citizenship is not required for an FHA home loan, but those who apply without legal standing of some kind (anyone in the country illegally) is automatically turned down for the | more...

April 30, 2019

What You Need To Know About FHA Home Loan Interest Rates

By Bruce Reichstein

What does a new borrower need to know about home loan interest rates? There are many home loan blogs that discuss the fluctuations of mortgage rates and talk about those moves higher and lower. Some discuss the rates as though the ones mentioned could be offered to all applicants. Why isn’t this true? The rates you see advertised on the internet are usually posted as “best execution” interest rates which means that “ideal conditions” are assumed. What are those ideal conditions? An incredibly well-qualified borrower with high FICO scores, low debt ratios, and no credit issues. That means that the actual interest rate you are offered will vary from what you see posted online, and that the rate will depend on your FICO scores and other financial qualifications. But what | more...

April 29, 2019

Can I Use An FHA Loan To Buy A Single Family Rental Home?

By Joe Wallace

Some FHA borrowers want to purchase a first home, while others are looking for real estate they can purchase in addition to an existing property. But still others are wondering if they can use an FHA mortgage loan to become a landlord by purchasing real estate they intend to rent out to others. Does the FHA home loan program allow a borrower to apply for a mortgage loan to buy a home intended as a rental? The short answer is that it depends greatly on two factors-the size of the home and whether the borrower intends to live in that property full-time. Borrowers applying for FHA mortgages are allowed to purchase real estate with one to four units. The borrower is free to rent out the unused units in the | more...

HUD Charges Maine Apartment Owners With Fair Housing Act Violations

April 28, 2019

HUD Announces Changes To Down Payment Assistance Rules

By Bruce Reichstein

The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the FHA have issued a Mortgagee Letter announcing changes to the rules for down payment assistance. FHA loan program rules permit the borrower to get assistance with the minimum required down payment-this assistance can come in the form of gift funds from family or friends, money from employers, or even down payment assistance programs. Government entities are permitted to provide such down payment help, too. In all cases, the down payment assistance must meet FHA loan requirements. Gifts cannot be loans in disguise; there must be no expectation of repayment of a gift of down payment funds. And now, thanks to revisions to the rules governing these issues in HUD 4000.1, government entities must meet certain requirements when providing down payment funds. | more...

April 5, 2019

FHA Loan Facts

By Bruce Reichstein

When you start doing research on home loans and want to learn what it takes to qualify for an FHA mortgage loan as either a first-time home buyer or as a return borrower, you will find websites with lists of loan approval requirements. Some of those FHA home loan approval requirement lists look like this: A credit score of 580 or higher for the lowest down payment A debt-to-income ratio of 43% or less 3.5% down payment 1-2 years of consistent employment history A property that meets FHA standards OR A home eligible for FHA 203k rehab loan financing You may find a caveat on lists like these stating that they are “general guidelines” and that is true. What isn’t always included in those caveats is that additional lender standards | more...