Articles Tagged With: FHA FICO Requirements

April 6, 2020

Did The FHA Raise FICO Score Requirements For Single-Family Home Loans?

Did the FHA and HUD increase the minimum FICO score standards for Single-Family home loans, refinance loans, and reverse mortgages? At the time of this writing, the coronavirus pandemic is still affecting most industries across America including the real estate and mortgage loan sectors. You may read news stories about higher credit requirements making it tougher to qualify for a mortgage in the era of coronavirus; these stories may be accurate in their reporting of higher FICO score requirements at the time of this writing, but who is responsible for those requirements? The lowest FICO score technically possible according to the FHA to qualify for a loan (one with more expensive terms) is 500. That is the lowest FICO score possible to still qualify for a mortgage, on paper. Your | more...

December 12, 2019

5 Home Loan Interest Rate Facts You Should Know

By Joe Wallace

The Federal Reserve announced interest rates would not change; the week of December 9 was one investors would pay a great deal of attention to. The interest rate was left untouched on December 11, 2019; there were three adjustments in 2019. FHA Home Loan Interest Rate Facts: The Fed Does Not Directly Set Mortgage Loan Rates The interest rate cut by the Fed this week did not directly adjust mortgage loan rates, but investor reaction to the announcement definitely plays a part in the daily ebb and flow of rates. But what the Fed has done in 2019 does not “fix” home loan rates at their current low levels. What rules the daily rate changes is investor activity based on current events, economic data, and things like the Fed rate | more...

November 27, 2019

Home Loan Approval: Why FICO Scores Matter

By Joe Wallace

If you want to buy a home, you will need to become well-read about credit, credit scores, and how your credit report affects your ability to apply for a mortgage loan. There are three major credit reporting agencies, Equifax, TransUnion, Experian. The fact that there are three agencies is one good reason why credit experts encourage borrowers to check their credit reports as early as possible prior to applying for an FHA mortgage or any other major line of credit. One credit report could have discrepancies another one does not reflect, etc. A borrower should always know what their lender is going to see on the report before the application is completed. FICO scores are indeed an important part of FHA loan approval, and borrowers should respect FICO scores and | more...

November 12, 2018

Build Your Dream Home: FHA One-Time Close Construction Mortgages

By Joe Wallace

FHA One-Time Close construction loans, also known as construction-to-permanent mortgages, are a way that borrowers who need a lower down payment and more flexible loan approval guidelines can apply for a home loan that allows the property to be built from scratch. One-Time Close loans, which are sometimes referred to as FHA OTC mortgages, require the borrower to qualify only once for both the construction portion and the mortgage loan. This type of FHA mortgage may vary more among participating lenders because of certain features of the loan including the type of property that can be built, and the loan approval process as it relates to getting construction permits for the project. Some Options Are Available With Some Lenders But Not Others: Shop Around! Your participating lender may not offer | more...

November 16, 2017

What Should I Know About FHA Loan Requirements?

By Joe Wallace

What should I know about FHA loan requirements? The first thing to keep in mind is that no single factor determines your ability to borrow. Your FICO score is an important part of the loan approval process, but it’s not the only thing you will need to pay attention to in the 12 months leading up to your loan application. FHA Loan Approval Requirements FHA loan standards include a review of your FICO scores to determine whether you are eligible for maximum financing with a 3.5% minimum down payment. Those with FICO scores at 580 or higher are technically eligible for maximum financing. However, this is the FHA loan program minimum standard and your lender may have higher FICO score requirements. FICO scores affect your down payment, interest rate offerings, | more...

October 24, 2017

How Do You Qualify For An FHA Loan?

By Bruce Reichstein

How do you qualify for an FHA loan? Many want to know what it takes to get approved for an FHA mortgage, and you may be surprised to find out that FHA mortgage loans have more forgiving minimum requirements than other types of home loans. Lender standards will apply above and beyond FHA minimums depending on the financial institution and other factors, but in general FHA mortgages are designed to be more affordable and more forgiving where credit qualifications are concerned. Qualifying For An FHA Mortgage To begin, only owner-occupiers are allowed to get FHA loans. You can’t buy an investment property with an FHA mortgage unless you are a non-profit or a government agency (generally speaking). If you intend to purchase property you will live in as your home | more...

Credit Scores For An FHA Home Loan: When Low Credit Is Not Bad Credit

June 22, 2017

Who Qualifies For An FHA Loan? Part Two

By Joe Wallace

Who qualifies for an FHA home loan? Many borrowers want to know if they can get approved for an FHA mortgage even with low FICO scores, past mistakes on their credit history, or other issues. What does your lender have to see in your financial details in order to approve your home loan? FHA Borrower Credit Scores The main confusion over FHA home loan FICO score requirements comes when a potential borrower reads FHA loan program standards but doesn’t understand that lender standards may also apply. FHA home loan rules state that a borrower with a FICO score between 500 and 579 is technically eligible for an FHA home loan provided a larger down payment of 10% is made. But a borrower with a 500 FICO score may discover that | more...

September 29, 2015

FHA Loan FICO Scores And Payment History

By Joe Wallace

When the FHA loan rule book (HUD 4000.1) lists its minimum FICO score requirements, some people forget that these requirements are minimums and that participating lenders are free to require higher FICO scores, and often do. We get plenty of reader questions about FHA FICO score requirements–here’s a recent example: “I have my 3 FICO scores they are 633,601, and TransUnion is 565…I have credit but some late payments the last being December 2014…My question is do you think I could get a FICO loan for the mortgage or would I need to bring my FICO up?” The answer to the reader’s question is complex for two reasons–lender standards apply and while based on what’s listed here the reader technically qualifies for an FHA mortgage loan, the lender’s FICO score | more...

September 17, 2015

FHA Loan Credit Requirements Versus Lender Credit Requirements

By Joe Wallace

We get many questions about the difference between FHA loan minimum FICO score and credit requirements and the lender requirements for same. Here’s one of the latest examples: “Seems like there is a lot of contradiction between what is on the FHA site and what the FHA Reps. are answering the consumers the questions. Why have FHA guidelines if the lenders dont have to follow them and can overrule them with their own? I have a credit score of 580 and a one time 30 day late mortgage payment in the past 12 months…” There were other details in the reader question, but the information above was the most pertinent. And the answer to the first part of the question is fairly simple. FHA loan FICO score requirements and other | more...

August 29, 2015

FHA Mortgage Loan Interest Rate Trends

By Joe Wallace

After three solid days of upward movement on interest rates for mortgage loans in general, Friday’s market activity was such that there was no general shift in rates either way–much of the differences seen in Friday’s interest rates would depend on the lender. According to our sources, some were slightly higher, others slightly lower. Some will notice higher or lower actual rates; others will notice the changes in the form of altered closing costs, depending on the lender. 30-year fixed-rate conventional mortgage loans remained in a best-execution range of rates between 3.875% ad 4.0% depending on the lender. FHA mortgage rates continued in their long-held best execution comfort zone of 3.75%. FHA rates tend to vary more among lenders than 30-year fixed rate conventional equivalents, so do some comparison shopping | more...