Articles Tagged With: Property Taxes

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...

December 15, 2016

FHA Loan Basics: A Reader Question

By Joe Wallace

A reader asks, “I really don’t understand why i have to pay PMI and MIP. I had credit problems a bankruptcy in 2013 , it was recorded and its been almost 4 years and my score is 709 that the middle score i have hardly no debts, 6% of income. I was told I have to pay the MIP up front of 1.75% and also 240 PMI monthly with mortgage. That’s a little too much, is there a way out of this? I also did not want taxes and insurance added, I’m putting 3.5 percent down. My loan officer said I had to pay the insurance and add taxes to my loan.” It’s not entirely clear from this reader question whether the loan is an FHA mortgage or not, but | more...

What You Need To Know About Your FHA Home Loan

December 1, 2016

FHA Loan Applications in 2017: Are You Ready?

By Joe Wallace

For potential borrowers thinking of filling out FHA loan applications in 2017, there are a number of areas to think about as you prepare. Some potential borrowers are ahead of the curve when it comes to getting financially ready for a major loan application, while others may overlook important areas that need attention long before the loan paperwork is filled out. Do you know how ready you are to fill out that mortgage loan application? One question to ask yourself before the new year arrives is how long youve been planning and preparing for the new loan. Many financial experts advise taking at least a full year to save, budget and research the new loan. Why is research needed? In several ways, doing some research can help you decide what | 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...

July 21, 2016

More About FHA Loans For Home With PACE Assessments

By Joe Wallace

Recently we wrote a blog post about FHA plans to allow qualifying homes with PACE assessments to be purchased with FHA mortgages. The FHA announced this recently in order to help promote energy efficiency (PACE stands for Property Assessed Clean Energy and may be assessed in a manner similar to property taxes.) The FHA issued a mortgagee letter explaining how and why a property with a PACE assessment may be eligible for an FHA mortgage. Past issues with PACE include being considered a “first lien” on the property. FHA loan rules explain how new guidelines can permit a home with PACE to be purchased with an FHA mortgage: “Properties which will remain encumbered with a PACE obligation may be eligible for FHA-insured mortgage financing, provided that the mortgagee determines that | more...

July 20, 2016

FHA Loans For Properties With PACE Assessments

By Joe Wallace

The FHA has announced it will insure mortgages on qualifying homes that have PACE assessments. According to a press release on the FHA/HUD official site, the move was initiated to help encourage the use of clean energy. “In order to enable homeowners seeking clean energy technologies in their homes to leverage a range of financing options, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) today announced guidance that makes clear the circumstances under which it will insure mortgages on properties that include Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) assessments. FHA will now approve purchase and refinance mortgage applications in states that treat PACE obligations as special assessments similar to property taxes.” That’s according to the July 19, 2016 press release, which explains that the reason PACE assessments have been troublesome in the past is | more...

What happens to my FHA loan in a natural disaster?

May 25, 2016

FHA Reverse Mortgages: Payout Options

By Joe Wallace

Recently we wrote about proposed changes to strengthen the FHA Reverse Mortgage loan program and about basics of the FHA Reverse Mortgage program. We left off with a promise to discuss how the reverse mortgage, also known as an FHA Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM), pays out once the loan has closed. A HECM borrower’s payout (also known as a disbursement) depends on the nature of the HECM loan. The rules for cash back to the borrower differ based on whether the borrower has a fixed interest rate HECM loan or an adjustable rate HECM. The FHA/HUD official site states that borrowers who have adjustable rate HECM loans are eligible for the following payment options: Tenure-equal monthly payments as long as at least one borrower lives and continues to occupy | 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...

April 15, 2016

FHA Loan Rules In HUD 4000.1: Escrow

By Joe Wallace

FHA loan rules in HUD 4000.1 have several things to say about escrow accounts. FHA loan rules don’t require escrow for every single home loan or refinance loan, but there are cases where escrow is a must and there are also lender standards which may require setting up an escrow account to pay certain expenses associated with the transaction. FHA loan transactions may require escrow for payments to builders in association with construction loans, rehab loans or reverse mortgages. The standards and circumstances vary from loan to loan, so if you aren’t sure whether an escrow account is needed for your FHA loan transaction, discuss your situation with the loan officer. In some cases escrow is used to pay property taxes, in others it may be used to disburse funds | more...

April 5, 2016

New Guidelines For FHA HECM Loans

By Joe Wallace

The FHA and HUD have issued new, more permissive HECM guidelines for lenders, with an optional extension to submitting a Due and Payable request where borrowers are behind on the payment of their property taxes and/or hazard insurance premium” according to Mortgagee Letter HUDNo.16-07. That Mortgagee Letter states, “For HECM loans that were in foreclosure proceedings prior to the issuance of Mortgagee Letter 2015-11, mortgagees may assess those borrowers for a Repayment Plan in accordance with Mortgagee Letter 2015 – 11. For HECM loans that exceed 98% of the Maximum Claim Amount (MCA) or would exceed 98% of the MCA if they were provided a Repayment Plan, mortgagees may elect to assess and provide such borrowers a Repayment Plan in accordance with Mortgagee Letter 2015-11.” HECM borrowers are required to | more...