Articles Tagged With: FHA 203k Mortgage

January 22, 2021

Do You Need To Refinance Your Home Loan?

2021 may be a very good time for some home owners to consider their refinance options. At the time of this writing, FHA mortgage loan interest rates are reported at a best-execution (ideal qualifications assumed) 2.34% by multiple sources, and FHA loan limits are higher in 2021 too making this a very good year to consider an FHA loan (even if it’s not a refi). Should you refinance with an FHA mortgage? You can refinance an existing FHA loan or a non-FHA mortgage; do you want a more competitive interest rate? Perhaps you want to get out of an adjustable-rate loan and into a lower mortgage rate than a conventional loan? Here are some scenarios you should think about when considering the options. Refinancing To Get A Better Interest Rate | more...

January 21, 2021

Why You Should Consider A Limited 203(k) Rehab Loan

By Joe Wallace

Do you want to buy or refinance a fixer-upper home? The FHA 203(k) Rehabilitation loan and the FHA 203(k) Rehabilitation Refinance loan can help if you would rather buy a fixer-upper or renovate an existing home you’re living in as your primary residence. You don’t have to buy a property to use the FHA 203(k) rehab loan; you can use it to refinance your current home and get money to accomplish FHA and lender-approved improvements or other projects associated with remodeling or renovation. That said, not every borrower needs to fully refinance a home to repair or improve it. Are you thinking of smaller projects that don’t require a huge sum of money? The Limited 203(k) Rehab loan lets you accomplish smaller projects without committing to a full refinance or | more...

January 19, 2021

Home Loans And Your Credit Score: The Cost Of Your Mortgage

By Joe Wallace

Did you know that credit scores affect more than the simple approval or denial of your mortgage? Your overall costs for the mortgage over the long term will depend in part on your FICO scores, as we’ll explore below. FICO Scores And Your Down Payment You have not one, but TWO FICO score standards to meet when you want to apply for a large loan such as a mortgage. The first standard is from the FHA itself (these are the FHA minimum requirements for the Single Family home loan program) and the second is your lender’s standards. Naturally these will vary from lender to lender. And your lender’s standards may or may not be higher than the FHA minimum. FHA FICO score minimums begin at 580 or better for maximum | more...

Buy or Build a House On Your Own Lot in 2020

January 14, 2021

What Are FHA Energy Efficient Mortgages?

By Joe Wallace

What is an FHA Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM)? Whether you want to buy existing construction or choose to build a house on your own lot using an FHA One-Time Close mortgage, the FHA EEM can add funds to your loan. You read that correctly–these funds are added only after the loan amount has been calculated–this is an add-on to your loan and not a higher loan amount to qualify for (see below) Are you a first-time home buyer? Don’t mistake an Energy-Efficient Mortgage as a type of home loan option like an FHA Construction Mortgage or FHA Rehabilitation Mortgage. As mentioned above, an EEM is quite different. Why EEM Funds Are Added After Your Loan Amount Is Calculated The Energy Efficient Mortgage is an add-for purchase loans including FHA Rehab | more...

Credit Requirements For Your FHA Home Loan In 2020

January 11, 2021

FHA Mortgage Rates In Early 2021

By Joe Wallace

All eyes are on 2021 and what the new year could bring for housing markets, including what might happen with mortgage loan interest rates. FHA loans and other government-backed home loans saw sub-three-percent mortgage loan interest rates in 2020, and the earliest days of 2021 those rates did not rise above three percent. Mortgage rates for FHA home loans including FHA One-Time Close construction loans, FHA Rehab loans, and others remain below the three percent line (assuming ideal conditions including a well-qualified borrower) where they sat, more or less, for a significant amount of time in years past. American political chaos, the coronavirus pandemic, economic uncertainty, nervous investors, and other variables have all worked together to keep mortgage loan interest rates below three percent for the time being. Did the | more...

Don't Make These Mistakes With Your One-Time Close Construction Loan

January 8, 2021

Monitoring Your Credit Ahead Of Your Rehab Loan Or One-Time Close Loan

By Bruce Reichstein

Credit monitoring is important for any consumer but borrowers interested in building a home on their own lot using a One-Time Close (OTC) construction loan or even an FHA 203(k) Rehab loan should give serious thought about investing in credit monitoring as early as possible in the planning stages. This can be a big advantage for those seeking rehab or construction loans; participating FHA lenders may require higher FICO scores for construction loans and you’ll want every advantage in that department including knowing the contents of your credit report and the changes to it as they happen. FHA Rehab Loans allow borrowers to buy fixer-upper loans and have work done to bring them up to code and FHA standards; FHA One-Time Close (OTC) mortgage loans allow borrowers to build a | more...

January 7, 2021

How Escrow Works

By Joe Wallace

When you buy a home with an FHA loan your lender may require you to use an escrow account. This is especially relevant for those who seek One-Time Close construction mortgages, FHA 203(k) Rehabilitation loans, and any other home loan that may require an account to pay for contractors, materials, etc. FHA Reverse Mortgages also require escrow for the payment of property taxes–all Reverse Mortgage borrowers are required to stay current on property taxes as a condition of loan approval. But what is escrow and how does it work? An escrow account is basically a bank account used to hold the money you need to make a good faith deposit, property tax money, etc. The cash is deposited and held on account until the time comes to make the payments. | more...

What Credit Score Is Needed For An FHA Mortgage?

January 4, 2021

What Are FHA Home Loan Discount Points?

By Joe Wallace

If you don’t know what discount points are, you should definitely get an education while you are still in the planning and saving stages of your FHA mortgage. For new purchase loans including FHA One-Time Close construction mortgages, FHA Condo loans, or FHA Mobile Home loans, discount points may help you save money upfront on your mortgage over the lifetime of the loan. Discount points aren’t for everyone–some borrowers have a priority of reducing their up front costs and these FHA loan applicants won’t be interested in points as they represent a larger up front and out-of-pocket expense. But for those who want to pay more up front so they can save money down the line should consider points. What are these home loan discount points? The financial website Investopedia.com | more...

December 29, 2020

FHA Home Loan Resources For New Borrowers

By Joe Wallace

Are you thinking about your first home loan for 2021? Are you considering your options for your very first refinance loan? There are some important resources you should know about that can help you in the planning stages. Know Your FHA Loan Limits If you don’t know what the FHA loan limits are for your county for 2021, you can look at the FHA.gov official site, but you can also look at home loan websites to view both the rundown of 2021 home loan guaranty limits but also get information in getting pre-qualified, etc. When exploring your area FHA loan limits, don’t forget that the limits increase if you purchase a multi-unit property. The single-unit FHA loan limit is lower than the four-unit FHA loan limit and borrowers are permitted | more...

December 10, 2020

Important Questions To Ask About Your Home Loan

By Joe Wallace

If you are considering a home loan, the Federal Trade Commission has some advice for you. The FTC, a government agency charged with providing consumer protection, advice, and free credit reports (among many other things), advises house hunters that there are some important questions you should be asking when it’s time to commit to a mortgage loan. Some issues the FTC warns about are not problems for those who apply for FHA home loans to buy or refinance a home. For example, the FTC advises borrowers to ask about any applicable penalties for early payoff of the mortgage loan. And don’t forget, the early payoff of your mortgage doesn’t just happen when you pay off the note before the loan term ends. It can also happen when you refinance your | more...