Articles Tagged With: FHA Handbook

May 30, 2013

FHA Loan Reader Questions: Credit Scores

A reader asks, “My credit score is in the ‘poor’ range (low score 475. Hi score 585) and I will need assistance with down payment. However, I have an excellent income and have been on the job over 15 yrs. I have recently been approved for an auto loan which I am using to I prove my credit scores. Might I qualify for FHA, and what assistance is available for the down?” The FHA has rules about minimum credit scores needed for FHA loan approval. According to the FHA official site: “When a credit score is available, it must be used to determine eligibility for FHA insured financing. The score that is used to determine eligibility is called the ‘decision credit score’. When the credit report reflects: • 3 credit | more...

May 23, 2013

FHA Announces Assistance For Homeowners in Oklahoma

By Joe Wallace

The FHA and HUD have announced disaster relief for victims of the recent tornado in Oklahoma. According to HUDNo.13-078, “HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to the State of Oklahoma in addition to resources being provided by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other federal partners. HUD will provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes due to tornadoes and severe storms.” U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan has also reiterated current Federal Housing Administration policy, “that mortgage lenders should release insurance payments to homeowners rather than applying these funds toward outstanding mortgage debt” according to the press release. On Tuesday May 21, 2013, the President made a federal disaster declaration for Oklahoma counties including Cleveland, Lincoln, McClain, Oklahoma and Pottawatomi. A federal declaration allows | more...

May 10, 2013

Distressed FHA Mortgages Up For Auction In June

By Joe Wallace

A press release issued by the FHA and HUD announces an auction of delinquent FHA mortgage loans in June of 2013. According to HUDNo.13-066, the move is intended as a form of relief in distressed areas and as a part of, “a broader effort to address the housing market’s shadow inventory and to target relief to areas experiencing high foreclosure activity” according to the release. The press release also adds, “This summer, HUD will sell approximately 20,000 distressed loans through its expanded Distressed Asset Stabilization Program (DASP) to increase recoveries to FHA’s Mutual Mortgage Insurance (MMI) Fund from non-performing FHA-insured loans, while contributing to stabilization and recovery in some of the nation’s communities hit hardest by the housing crisis.” The auction will proceed in a manner similar to past note | more...

April 26, 2013

FHA Loan Reader Questions: Can My Spouse Apply Alone For An FHA Loan?

By Joe Wallace

A reader asks, “I am married and I have an extremely high debt to income ratio. On the other hand my husband has less credit but double my income and very low debt to income ratio. Is it possible that an he qualify using only his income and credit to qualify for an FHA loan?” There are several factors which may apply in a situation like this. Borrowers should know that when applying for FHA home loans, credit scores, employment history, verifiable income and other factors will figure into loan approval. That said, assuming all the above requirements are met, the basic question is whether a borrower can apply for an FHA loan independently of the spouse. This depends on community property laws which may apply in the state where | more...

April 5, 2013

Can A Family Have More Than One FHA Loan?

By Joe Wallace

A reader asks, “Is it true that married couple can only have one FHA loan?” The answer to this question depends on several different factors. What do the FHA loan rules say about having more than one FHA mortgage? If the married couple are obligated together on an FHA loan, there is generally no way to apply for a new FHA loan because of the residency requirement for the home purchased with an FHA mortgage. The rules in this area can be found in HUD 4155.1 Chapter Four, which says “To prevent circumvention of the restrictions on making FHA-insured mortgages to investors, FHA generally will not insure more than one principal residence mortgage for any borrower. FHA will not insure a mortgage if it is determined that the transaction was | more...

March 25, 2013

FHA Loan Reader Questions: 401Ks in the Debt To Income Ratio?

By Joe Wallace

A reader asks, “My sister in law borrows some fund from her 401(k) to refinance her home. She certainly has to back the fund back to her 401(k). The lender says this monthly payment shall be counted when computing her Debt to Income Ratio. According to the FHA, the following list of financial obligations should not be used to calculate the debt to income ratio: Other retirement contributions, such as 401(k) accounts (including repayment of debt secured by these funds). I notice that this blog was written in year 2011. Do these rules still apply at present or have there been any changes so far? It’s true that the FHA has guidelines about how to view a 401K when it comes to calculating the debt-to-income ratio. According to HUD 4155.1: | more...

March 22, 2013

Your FHA Loan Down Payment

By Joe Wallace

One of the most commonly asked questions about FHA loans is “How much will my down payment be?” The answer to that question depends on how much your home loan is and whether you’re paying the minimum 3.5% down payment or a larger amount. Regardless of how much you pay, the FHA has rules about HOW the downpayment is made. Did you know there are “acceptable sources” for down payment funds as well as “unacceptable sources”? For example, a borrower is free to use money saved in a checking, savings, or investment account. But the borrower cannot use cash advance loans or payday loans to make the down payment. In fact, any “non-collateralized” loan is not an acceptable source of down payment funds. The FHA rules in these circumstances extends | more...

March 18, 2013

FHA Loan Reader Questions: Upcoming PMI Changes

By Joe Wallace

A reader asks, “My expected closing date is March 31, 2013. I see that there will be some new guidelines regarding PMI effective this year. Would I be required to pay private mortgage insurance until I have 20% equity and have paid PMI for five years or would I be required to pay PMI for the life of the loan?” The FHA has issued guidance about its coming changes to the PMI structure and payments. This information is found in FHA Mortgagee Letter 2031-04. It says in part: “FHA will increase its annual mortgage insurance premium (MIP) for most new mortgages by 10 basis points or by 0.10 percent. FHA will increase premiums on jumbo mortgages ($625,500 or larger) by 5 basis points or 0.05 percent, to the maximum authorized | more...

March 11, 2013

FHA Loan Reader Questions: Closing The Deal

By Joe Wallace

A reader asks, “My mom applied for a FHA loan, went through the loan application and was approved. She signed with a builder and they built the house on her property. Two days before closing, the mortgage lending company informs her that she cannot close on her finished house, due to her not having a credit score when they re-ran her credit file.” “When she was approved she had a credit score. What can be done, her house is built on her property and yet to move in, meanwhile the builder has chose another lending company, and she to repeat whole process over, can the first lending company do this?” There’s no way to judge what has happened in a situation like this–there isn’t enough information AND there may be | more...

March 5, 2013

FHA Loans and Refinance Loans: Interest Rates and Fees

By Joe Wallace

What do you, the borrower, need to know about FHA loan fees for new purchase mortgage loans and home loan refinances? It’s a big issue, but there are some basics to understand as you’re planning your next move in the search for a new home or a refinance loan rate. First, the FHA does not set interest rates on refinance loans or mortgage loans. It does require them to be appropriate, reasonable and customary for the market, but the job of negotiating interest rates is one the borrower and lender work on together. The FHA loan rulebook says as much in Chapter One of HUD 4155.1: “Under all currently active FHA single family mortgage insurance programs, the borrower and the lender negotiate the interest rate and any discount points.” Another | more...