Articles Tagged With: FHA Appraisals

Buying a First or Second Home With An FHA Mortgage

January 14, 2019

Buying A First Home Or Second Home With An FHA Mortgage

What should borrowers, especially first-time home buyers, know about buying a home with an FHA mortgage? First time home buyers and second-time home buyers alike have options for an FHA mortgage. The program is not restricted to those who have never owned a home before. FHA loans are also more forgiving in the credit department-FICO score requirements set by the FHA are lower than you may expect. But lower FICO scores may still feel like a big liability for the first time home buyer. You should know that your repayment history is an important factor. If you make 12 months of on-time payments on all financial obligations, you may find the lender more willing to work with a lower FICO score. That’s because it’s easy to get a lower credit | more...

January 9, 2019

FHA Home Loans In 2019: Are Home Price Increases Slowing Down?

By Bruce Reichstein

A CoreLogic Home Price Insights report indicates that home prices increased by more than five percent between November 2017 to November 2018, but the same agency indicates that home prices may slow down in 2019. Could that be beneficial to a house hunter looking to purchase a new home with a mortgage loan? FHA home loan limits have increased in 2019 for the second year in a row, making for an interesting borrowing environment for the first-time home buyer or any other financially qualified loan applicant who seeks an FHA mortgage. The higher home loan limits combined with slowing home prices, with predictions of more houses available in 2019 could offer house hunters more to work with in the new year. FHA home loans are not just available for typical | more...

January 2, 2019

FHA Loans Are Available In 2019

By Joe Wallace

Why do we announce that FHA loans are available in 2019? At the time of this writing, the government shutdown is still in effect, and many government websites including FHA.gov and HUD.gov (FHA.gov redirects to HUD.gov) have an announcement stating that the sites themselves are not open for business. Consider the quote from HUD.gov: “Due to the lapse in Congressional Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2019, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is closed. HUD websites will not be updated until further notice. For more information, see HUD Contingency Plan for Possible Lapse in Appropriations. “ But that DOES NOT MEAN that FHA home loans are unavailable. FHA Forward Mortgage Purchase Loans Are Available In Spite Of The Government Shutdown FHA mortgages are generally processed and serviced by | more...

December 7, 2018

How FHA Home Loan Appraisals Differ From Home Inspections

By Bruce Reichstein

If you are serious about buying a particular home with an FHA mortgage loan, one of the big steps in the process heading toward loan approval is the FHA appraisal. The appraisal process and the home inspection are not the same thing, do not address the same concerns, and are intended for different users. What are these differences and why should you as the house hunter care about them? FHA Appraisals Are A Lender’s Tool The home that is appraised by an FHA fee appraiser does so in service of the lender, not the borrower. The lender is interested in knowing that the home meets minimum FHA standards and applicable building codes. The lender is also interested in setting a fair market value for the home; that is done by | more...

November 9, 2018

FHA Mortgage Loan, Dropping Home Prices, And Your Appraisal

By Joe Wallace

You may read articles discussing home prices moving lower on real estate blogs or lending websites; when house prices move from one part of a cycle to another there is sometimes confusion related to the valuation of a home. Why would an FHA borrower looking at a house in a neighborhood or housing market with prices trending in one direction get back an FHA appraisal indicating that the home the buyer wants isn’t valued in the same way? Higher or lower, why does one home get valued “as expected” when another one does not? There are a set of variables at work in the appraisal process that include not only the age/condition of the home, but also how other houses stack up against the one you want to purchase with | more...

October 10, 2018

Four Reasons You Need A Home Inspection After The FHA Appraisal

By Joe Wallace

There are four good reasons why you need a home inspection as well as an FHA appraisal on the home you want to buy with an FHA mortgage. Some FHA loan applicants are tempted to sign on the dotted line based on the results of the FHA appraisal alone. Is this a good idea? No. Why not? If it’s good enough for the FHA, why isn’t it good enough for the borrower to accept the appraisal results and take it on faith that the home is exactly as it appears? #4: Get A Home Inspection Because The Appraisal Is Not Intended For The Borrower, It’s A Tool For The Lender The appraisal process is meant only to establish the home’s fair market value and determine that the home meets minimum | more...

August 24, 2018

Five Things To Know About FHA Mobile Home Loans

By Bruce Reichstein

There are five important things you should know about FHA mobile home loans. If you are interested in buying a mobile home or manufactured home using an FHA mortgage, knowing these five things will help you to make the right choices for your loan and your new home. 5. FHA Mobile Homes Are Possible For A Variety Of Property Types The FHA loan program allows the purchase of a mobile home, a modular home, or a manufactured home. The differences in these types of properties may not seem so important in terms of loan approval but can mean a lot to the FHA borrower depending on what’s involved. For example, the stereotypical mobile home may be delivered to the site where it will be put onto a permanent foundation as | more...

July 24, 2018

How Much Will My FHA Appraisal Cost?

By Bruce Reichstein

How much does an FHA appraisal cost? This is a common question, most often asked in conjunction with whether or not the FHA regulates this expense as part of the FHA home loan process. The Cost Of FHA Appraisals And Home Inspections The first thing to remember when you are budgeting for an FHA appraisal is that you will also need to set aside money for a home inspection. You should never rely on the appraisal alone to determine whether the home, condo unit, or mobile home or modular home is suitable to purchase. The FHA appraisal costs money, and the home inspection costs money too. Borrowers who balk at the idea of paying “twice” for a service that is mistakenly viewed as nearly identical (appraisals are NOT identical to | more...

July 6, 2018

Home Buying Tips For The First Time FHA Borrower

By Bruce Reichstein

Do you need house buying tips as a first time home buyer? If you are ready to stop using rental units and are interested in becoming a home owner, there are some very important steps to take before you apply for an FHA home loan. Consider Home Prices In Your Area: How Good Or Bad Is Your Real Estate Market? Are prices in your area reasonable? Within your budget? It’s a very good idea to become literate in the average prices for a home in your area so that you can tell if a seller is asking a reasonable price for the property you want to buy. It is just as important to know how much home you can afford. A two-bedroom property may be within your financial reach, but | more...

Getting A Mortgage With A Low Credit Score

June 15, 2018

When Is An Appraisal Required For My FHA Mortgage Loan?

By Joe Wallace

When is an appraisal required for an FHA home loan? This important question often comes up when borrowers want to refinance a home using an FHA refinance loan such as cash-out refinance, FHA Streamline Refinance, or even when the borrower wants to apply for an FHA Reverse Mortgage. Appraisals are required for most FHA loan transactions-you will always have to pay for an appraisal for an FHA forward mortgage, which is the kind of loan you will apply for when purchasing a new home. Appraisals are required for both existing construction loans and FHA One-Time Close construction loans, though the process will vary for construction loans due to the nature of the transaction. Appraisals will also be required for FHA Rehab loans. The appraisal is intended to establish the fair | more...