Articles Tagged With: FHA Loan Application

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...

October 16, 2019

Build On Your Own Land: The FHA One-Time Close Construction Loan

By Bruce Reichstein

The FHA One-Time Close construction loan allows a borrower to build a home from the ground up, including loan applicants who want to build on their own land with an FHA construction loan. What do borrowers need to know about the FHA One-Time Close loan? To begin, this type of FHA home loan is available to all qualified borrowers who want to build approved properties; the first-time home buyer is just as welcome to apply for an FHA construction loan as an experienced borrower. For this type of loan, the time you would spend house hunting will be spent contracting with a builder (who must be a licensed general contractor), working with floor plans, and planning the construction of the home rather than going out to search for an existing | more...

June 27, 2019

You Are Not Ready For An FHA Home Loan If…

By Joe Wallace

How do you know you are truly ready for a home loan? There are many things to consider, including your finances, credit, and employment history. But there are other factors, too. You Are Not Ready For An FHA Mortgage If You Don’t Know How Much You Can Afford To Pay Each Month Do you know how much you can afford in a monthly mortgage payment? Don’t forget that calculating your payment isn’t as simple as doing the math on the sale price of the home compared to the length of the mortgage plus interest. You will also have to figure in property taxes, any applicable homeowners or condo owners association fees, mortgage insurance premiums, and other factors. Do not overlook these expenses when doing the mortgage math! You Are Not | more...

June 23, 2019

Can I Buy Investment Real Estate With An FHA Mortgage?

By Joe Wallace

This is a question on the minds of many and the issue definitely has some nuances. The FHA lender’s handbook HUD 4000.1 states “Investment Properties are not eligible for FHA insurance.” But what is the FHA definition of an investment property and how flexible are these guidelines? To understand what constitutes an investment property, we have to examine what the FHA considers as an acceptable purchase and what is considered an investment property. FHA mortgages are intended for owner-occupiers. At least one borrower obligated on the mortgage must live in the home as the principal residence. FHA loan rules require this to happen “within a reasonable time” after the loan closes and that time is often considered 60 days unless other arrangements are made. FHA loan rules do permit, if | more...

October 12, 2018

Protect Yourself When Shopping For A New Home

By Joe Wallace

A recently published report about home loans and credit checks advises, “Do not allow a credit pull by a lender you don’t know, especially if the offer is unsolicited”. This advice leads to a few other questions about the home loan process; how do you protect yourself against identity theft, fraud, scams, and unscrupulous vendors when you are trying to buy a home with an FHA mortgage? Consider Your Recent Activities When Shopping For A Home Loan What does this mean? When you want to buy a home with an FHA mortgage or any other kind of loan, consider that you may be signing up for accounts on real estate sites or other online resources and that you don’t always know what might become of your personal data with third | more...

August 23, 2018

Why Do People Choose FHA Mortgages Instead Of USDA Home Loans?

By Joe Wallace

Why do some borrowers choose FHA home loans instead of the no-money-down USDA home loan? There are several reasons why an FHA mortgage might be the better choice depending on circumstances. USDA Mortgages Versus FHA Home Loans: Down Payment Requirements USDA loans do offer an advantage to eligible borrowers with a zero down payment requirement. USDA loan rules state that in some cases, borrowers who have assets higher than the USDA limit “…may be required to use a portion of those assets”. FHA home loans require a minimum down payment of 3.5% of the adjusted value of the home. The down payment requirement may be higher if there are other factors to consider including a non-occupying co-borrower (depending on circumstances), FICO scores that are lower than the limit for maximum | more...

July 24, 2018

How To Prepare For An FHA Mortgage: Check Your Spending

By Joe Wallace

Do you know how to prepare for an FHA mortgage? If you aren’t currently doing a check on your spending as part of your mortgage loan preparation stage, you may need to run some numbers on your personal finances before you commit to house hunting and an FHA mortgage application. How To Take A Realistic Look At Your Monthly Spending Habits To Prepare For An FHA Home Loan Consider pulling your bank statements for the last year to review your spending habits, and pay close attention to the habits you notice over the most recent three to six months. Your financial institution may have a spending tracker for personal accounts that may help, or you may wish to invest in a personal finance app or tracking software to help you | more...

July 18, 2018

Things To Ask About Buying Condos And Other Homes

By Joe Wallace

If you are in the market for a condo that you want to buy with an FHA home loan, there are some important questions to ask before you commit. Some of these questions apply to any property type, but some more specifically apply for condo loans or FHA home loans for properties that come with a requirement to join a Homeowners Association (HOA) or agree to its’ rules. What should an FHA borrower ask a seller about a condo unit or a home governed by a condo association agreement or homeowner association agreement? First, ask if any applicable agreements include a Right of First Refusal, which requires the borrower to submit any sale or transfer of the home to the association for approval. FHA loans cannot be approved for properties | more...

July 11, 2018

What You Need To Know About FHA Loan Applications And Loan Approval

By Joe Wallace

What should you know about FHA home loan applications and FHA loan approval? Before your home loan gets final approval from the underwriter, it will go through a series of processes including the credit check, appraisal, employment verification, and much more. But FHA home loan approval depends on more than one set of standards, which makes these check and approval processes more complex. To approve your loan, the lender must answer a variety of questions about the borrower’s ability to afford the loan. FHA Loan Approval Questions Your Lender Must Answer There are several areas the lender must have answers in to give you final loan approval: What is the borrower’s current or expected income? What kind of assets does the FHA loan applicant have? What is the FHA borrower’s | more...

June 21, 2018

FHA Home Loan House Hunting Checklist

By Joe Wallace

Do you want to buy a new home? An FHA home loan, with its’ low down payment requirements for qualified borrowers is definitely an option to consider. With a low 3.5% down payment for qualified borrowers AND the ability to use approved down payment assistance and/or gift funds for potentially no money out of pocket for a down payment, FHA mortgages can have a lot of appeal. The house hunting process is an important part of any loan. When you are in the planning stages for your FHA mortgage, there are some big issues to consider before you launch into your search for the perfect home. Those issues can be covered by a checklist you can make and plan with, even house hunt with; when making your house hunting checklist, | more...