Articles Tagged With: Home Equity Conversion Mortgages

December 31, 2019

Apply For An FHA Loan

If you are considering any type of home loan, be sure to explore your options with FHA mortgages, refinancing, or reverse mortgages. FHA loans offer a variety of advantages over conventional mortgages including lower interest rates (based on your financial qualifications), built-in protections for the buyer, and more. FHA New Purchase Loans There are many options with an FHA mortgage for single-family homes. New purchase loans include the option to add extra funds to the loan for energy-efficient upgrades or improvements. You can also consider purchasing a fixer-upper using an FHA rehab loan where funds are made available to repair/upgrade the property to FHA minimum standards. The loans mentioned above are intended for owner-occupied residences and would be not be available for investment properties. An FHA new purchase loan or | more...

July 21, 2016

FHA Revises HECM Policy To Include Third Party Tax Verification Fee

By Joe Wallace

FHA loan rules for Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM) have been modified by the agency to include approval of third party fees for property tax verification. According to FHA Mortgagee Letter 2016-10, the third party fees will be added to the list of approved charges associated with FHA HECM loans, but the verification fees must meet FHA requirements. “A Third Party Property Tax Verification Fee is a fee charged to the mortgagee by a third party to verify the mortgagors property tax payment history and the annual amount of property taxes due for a specific property” states the FHA Mortgagee letter. “FHA is adding the Third Party Property Tax Verification Fee to the list of allowable charges and fees that may be paid by the mortgagor.” According to the mortgagee | more...

May 19, 2016

What is an FHA Reverse Mortgage?

By Joe Wallace

In a recent blog post we wrote about the steps the FHA and HUD are taking to further improve the FHA Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) loan program. The FHA HECM, also known as a reverse mortgage or FHA reverse mortgage, is a different type of home loan than a typical “forward mortgage” for a new purchase or refinance on a previous mortgage. The FHA reverse mortgage or HECM is for qualified borrowers age 62 or older who either own their property outright (with the mortgage paid off in full and documentation of that paid-in-full status) or are very close to paying off the current loan. According to the FHA official site, HECM loans are a “…special type of home loan that lets you convert a portion of the equity | more...

May 19, 2016

FHA Proposes New Rule To Strengthen Reverse Mortgage Program

By Joe Wallace

The FHA has announced a new proposed rule intended to strengthen the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) loan program. According to the FHA official site, the proposal would “codify several significant changes to FHAs Home Equity Conversion Mortgage program that were previously issued under the authority granted to HUD in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 and the Reverse Mortgage Stabilization Act of 2013, and to make additional regulatory changes”. A press release at FHA.com states the new rule would, once approved, “make certain FHA-insured reverse mortgages remain a viable and sustainable resource for senior homeowners hoping to remain in their homes and age in place.” The agency has spent the last two years working on reforms intended to improve the FHA HECM program. “We’ve gone to great | more...

December 14, 2015

FHA HECM Loan Limits For 2016

By Joe Wallace

The FHA has published the new mortgage loan guaranty limits for FHA Home Equity Conversion Mortgages for 2016. According to FHA Mortgagee Letter 2015-29, the new limits take effect for all FHA HECM loans with FHA case numbers assigned on or after 1 January 2016. According to the Mortgagee Letter, the 2016 limits are as follows: “For the period January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016, the maximum claim amount for FHA-insured HECMs will remain $625,500 (150 percent of Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporations (Freddie Mac) national conforming limit of $417,000). This maximum claim amount of $625,500 is also applicable to Freddie Macs special exception areas: Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.” FHA publishes new loan guaranty limits every year, making adjustments where necessary for housing market changes and | more...

June 22, 2015

FHA HECM Loan Changes To Non-Borrowing Spouse Policies

By Bruce Reichstein

Last week we discussed some recent changes to FHA HECM loan policies. There have been a number of updates and changes to FHA HECM loan policy, especially in the areas that affect non-borrowing spouses. If an FHA borrower applies for a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage and has a spouse that is not a fellow FHA borrower, can that spouse remain in the home after the FHA borrower dies? There may be good news for these non-borrowing spouses depending on circumstances and the lender. According to an FHA Mortgagee Letter, HUDNo.15-0753, “Under FHAs revised policy, lenders will be allowed to proceed with submitting claims on HECMs with Eligible Surviving Non-Borrowing Spouses and Case Numbers assigned before August 4, 2014 in accordance with the terms of the mortgagee letter by: –Electing to | more...

May 27, 2015

FHA HECM Loan Rules: When Can A HECM Loan Be Declared Due In Full?

By Joe Wallace

There have been many changes to the FHA HECM (Home Equity Conversion Mortgage) program in recent months. If you are a qualified HECM loan applicant exploring your options now after having researched them a year or two ago, it’s likely you will need to re-familiarize yourself with the FHA HECM rules and regulations as many have had important changes made. HECM loans still feature the usual conditions–failing to use the home as the primary residence, for example, can still result in the HECM loan being declared due in full. That hasn’t changed, but some other conditions that trigger a due-in-full demand have. One such change involves when a HECM loan can be declared due in full because of failure to meet HECM loan “property charge” requirements. Did you know that | more...

May 13, 2015

FHA Loan Rules, Reverse Mortgages and Seasoning Periods

By Joe Wallace

A reader asks, “I had a foreclosure in 9/12/2012. I have applied for a reverse mortgage several months ago. The loan officer told me that I would have to wail until sept 2015 to re-apply. Is there any way I can overcome this dead line.” There are some vagaries with this reader question that require addressing, but we’ll answer the basic query first. FHA loan rules state that exceptions are possible to the minimum “seasoning period” or mandatory waiting time to apply for an FHA loan, but this requires the borrower to meet certain criteria. It would also require the willingness of the lender, which in the case of this particular reader question, does not sound possible with that particular financial institution based on what was shared above. In order | more...

February 9, 2015

FHA HECM Loans and Appraisals: A Reader Question

By Joe Wallace

A reader asks, “I am in the process of getting a reverse mortgage loan based on the approximate value of my home. If the Appraised value is considerably less than initially expected and/or extensive repairs are required to comply, do I have the option to back out of the loan process?” Without more information, this question is difficult to answer. How far along is the HECM loan process? Has the reader signed any legally binding paperwork that commits him or her to closing the deal? These are important questions to ask and borrowers in these cases should approach the lender directly for assistance. If the borrower feels that he or she has not signed a contract or other legally binding document that commits the HECM loan to close, yet feels | more...

September 5, 2014

Property Taxes and Reverse Mortgages: A Reader Question

By Joe Wallace

A reader got in touch with us recently with a lengthy question about reverse mortgages. We won’t reprint the entire message, but here are the relevant parts: “The Reverse Mortgage Company….(Lender name deleted) changed to (Lender name deleted) told us in Feb 2014 they would pay our property taxes for 2013 because we were struggling. As of today and 35 calls later they still have not paid them.Today for the first time I heard the words ‘redemption period’ She assured me we would be notified AGAIN as soon as they are paid and we can make arrangements to pay it back.” “We are close to the end of the year and id not paid by Dec. we are in trouble with our local tax bureau. I don’t understand what is | more...