Articles Tagged With: First-time Home Buyer

April 18, 2019

Home Flipping And FHA Mortage Loans: The Rules

A 2019 CoreLogic report states that home flipping, the process of purchasing, renovating, and putting a house back on the market in a short period of time and often at a substantial markup, is at it’s highest levels in about eight years. The CoreLogic report states, “…since the Great Recession, flippers have been increasingly good at acquiring properties at a discount, either because the properties were legally, financially or physically distressed”. Some borrowers may be tempted to flip homes, and others may wish to purchase a flipped home. What does the FHA home loan program’s rulebook say about this practice? HUD 4000.1 states that “eligibility of a Property for a Mortgage insured by FHA is determined by the time that has elapsed between the date the seller has acquired title | more...

April 16, 2019

FHA Mortgage Loan Interest Rates

By Bruce Reichstein

What do you need to know about FHA home loan interest rates? You may find certain finance blogs discussing home loan rates in general, or those that make blanket statements about mortgage rates. What’s the reality? One personal finance blog attempts to discuss what controls home loan interest rates and what does not; the publication discusses the fact that things like the 10-year Treasury not doesn’t control interest rates. Which is true. There is no **control**. But these publications forget to mention that investor activity in the Treasury market can INFLUENCE rates depending on circumstances. The same publication states very boldly that the Fed does not control mortgage loan interest rates either. And it’s true that the Fed does not have any day-to-day control over mortgage loan rates. But Fed | more...

April 15, 2019

FHA Mortgage Insurance Refunds

By Joe Wallace

FHA home loans do not, as conventional mortgages often do (based on LTV), require third-party private mortgage insurance, sometimes known as PMI. Instead, FHA mortgages require mortgage insurance premiums paid as part of your monthly mortgage payment. There is an Up-Front Mortgage Insurance Premium (UFMIP) that is due at closing time in cash, which may also be financed in its’ entirety should the borrower wish to do so. Then the Mortgage Insurance Premiums (MIP) are included in the monthly payment. FHA home loan rules address mortgage insurance issues in HUD 4000.1, which states, “Most FHA mortgage insurance programs require the payment of UFMIP, which may be financed into the Mortgage. The UFMIP is not considered when calculating the area-based Nationwide Mortgage Limits and LTV limits.” That means your loan limit | more...

April 14, 2019

HUD Announces Findings In Illinois Housing Fraud Investigation

By Bruce Reichstein

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced its’ findings related to the investigation of allegations of housing fraud by a Cook County couple. According to a press release by HUD, “… a Cook County, Illinois couple committed fraud by accepting housing assistance they were not qualified to receive in order to rent a property they jointly owned.” HUD had conducted an investigation into a married couple’s attempts to get rental assistance for a property they own in Matteson, Illinois. HUD alleges that in 2006 the couple, Korey Sloan and Christie Caldwell, and their four children “sought rental assistance from the Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC) to lease the home from Sloan, who posed as an unrelated landlord”. HUD further states that Caldwell “denied any relationship” with Sloan | more...

April 11, 2019

First-Time Refinance Advice

By Bruce Reichstein

Buying your first home with an FHA loan means, for some borrowers, the need to think about a first-time refinance later down the line. What do first-time home owners need to know about refinance loans and their FHA loan options? Decide Ahead Of Time On Your Goals For The Refinance Loan FHA refinance loans can help you do a number of things depending on the need for the loan. For example, you may wish to do repairs or upgrades in the home, and for that purpose an FHA 203(k) rehabilitation loan is an excellent option to pursue. Rehab loans allow you to simultaneously refinance and repair or upgrade the house with approved projects, but if you are looking for cash back to use in any way you see fit, the | more...

April 10, 2019

FHA Loans After Bankruptcy

By Joe Wallace

Yes, it is possible to get a home loan following a bankruptcy with an FHA mortgage loan. Some borrowers, including first-time home buyers, assume that after a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy filing that it is impossible to get a new home loan. Others assume you must wait seven years or longer to apply for a new home loan. What’s the reality? Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy The most important thing about getting a new loan after bankruptcy is when you apply, and following that the most important issues include whether or not your bankruptcy has been discharged or not. FHA home loans are possible but only after the bankruptcy has been discharged, not after they have been initially filed. The FHA Home Loan Seasoning Period After a | more...

April 9, 2019

Different Types Of FHA Home Loans For First-Time Buyers

By Bruce Reichstein

There are many different choices for home loans, and first-time home buyers should know their options before they decide on which loan to apply for. Do you know the difference between a rehab loan and a construction mortgage? Or a condo loan versus a mobile home loan? FHA One-Time Close Construction Mortgages These loans, also known as FHA Construction-to-Permanent loans, offer a single loan and closing date for borrowers who want to have a house built for them rather than buying an existing property. FHA construction loans can be more complex that loans for existing real estate but for many the additional effort is worth it to have a home that is built especially for them. First time home buyers can apply for these loans the same as any other | more...

April 5, 2019

FHA Loan Facts

By Bruce Reichstein

When you start doing research on home loans and want to learn what it takes to qualify for an FHA mortgage loan as either a first-time home buyer or as a return borrower, you will find websites with lists of loan approval requirements. Some of those FHA home loan approval requirement lists look like this: A credit score of 580 or higher for the lowest down payment A debt-to-income ratio of 43% or less 3.5% down payment 1-2 years of consistent employment history A property that meets FHA standards OR A home eligible for FHA 203k rehab loan financing You may find a caveat on lists like these stating that they are “general guidelines” and that is true. What isn’t always included in those caveats is that additional lender standards | more...

April 4, 2019

What You Need To Know About FHA Home Loan Credit Checks

By Joe Wallace

What do first-time home buyers need to understand about the credit check process for getting an FHA mortgage? What you don’t know can hurt you in the journey toward buying that first piece of real estate. Before you begin working with a realtor, you should know several things about the credit check process. FHA Home Loan Credit Check Rules Your lender is required to pull your credit reports in order to approve or deny the mortgage. Your lender will review the following: Payment history Credit limits and how close the borrower is to those limits Overall patterns of credit use Date of the last late or missed payments where applicable FICO scores What Else The Lender Is Looking For Credit scores are not the only thing the lender is interest | more...

April 3, 2019

FHA Home Loan Appraisal Issues

By Bruce Reichstein

We are contacted frequently with questions related to FHA appraisals. Many first-time borrowers and experienced house hunters alike have trouble understanding the nature of the appraisal process and how it works. We are often asked if a certain appraisal condition is grounds for having the loan denied, and whether FHA home loan appraisal rules fit a unique circumstance. But whatever the question, the variable in the equation is the fact that FHA appraisal rules, which are basically minimum requirements, are not the only rules that will affect the transaction. So even if FHA appraisal requirements say that a home that has lead-based paint may be acceptable under certain conditions, state or local building code may have additional requirements. And the building code requirement in that area would have to be | more...