FHA Loans

FHA officials recently expressed new reasons to be optimistic. The FHA home loans made in 2009 tended to go to borrowers with higher credit scores than in previous years. These borrowers turned to the FHA when the mortgage market collapsed and other lending sources dried up. By then, reputable lenders doing business with the agency were already imposing tougher restrictions on FHA borrowers, further boosting the credit profile of those FHA loans. The average credit score of an FHA borrower is now 690, up from 630 only two years ago, agency officials said.  Are credit repair efforts working or are loan officers doing a better job qualifying loan applicants? Nonetheless, these higher fico mortgages are expected to result in lower losses, so FHA should make money on mortgage loans issued this year and over the next few years, according to an independent audit designed to gauge the agency’s health.

The November audit, found that the cash the FHA set aside to pay for unexpected losses had dipped to historic lows, well below the level required by law. As of Sept. 30, those reserves were estimated at $3.6 billion, down from nearly $13 billion a year earlier. The most recent figure represents 0.53% of the value of all FHA 1-family home loans far lower than the 2% required by Congress.   But Ann Schnare, a former Freddie Mac official, said the situation could be even worse. She said the audit underestimates future losses because it does not take into account all loans that are now overdue, only those that the FHA has paid claims on.  Stevens said his agency has pored over its data to analyze risk and is taking steps to shore up its financial health. “You have a limited set of options under these circumstances: Raise fees [for borrowers] or make policy changes,” Stevens said in an interview. “We’ve done both.”

The agency banned 268 FHA lenders from making FHA mortgage loans last year, more than double the total terminated in the previous eight years. The FHA suspended six other firms. Among them were some of the largest FHA mortgage lenders –Taylor, Bean & Whitaker and Lend America, both of which shut their doors soon thereafter.   The agency also proposed a rule that would require banks to hold up to $2.5 million in capital that they can use to repay the agency for losses if they were involved in fraud. Banks are now required to hold only $250,000.

Borrowers are also facing tougher scrutiny from the agency. People taking out FHA mortgage loans will have to pay higher upfront fees, perhaps as early as this spring. Those with especially weak credit scores will also have to put down at least 10% instead of the usual 3.5% down-payment. The amount of money sellers can kick in toward closing costs and other fees will also be limited.

FHA Credit, FHA Guidelines, FHA Loan Articles, FHA Loan Updates, FHA News, Mortgage News

It’s about to get more difficult to qualify for a FHA home loan, often considered the replacement loan for the collapsed subprime market.  Moving to head off the financial impact of defaulting borrowers, the FHA is adding more-stringent lending requirements and higher fees borrowers must pay to get the federally-insured loans.  The announcement comes on the heels of an investigation into 15 FHA lenders with high incidences of FHA mortgage insurance claims. The same companies have reached out for government assistance money from taxpayers.

Mortgage insurance is paid by borrowers, typically when the down payment is lower than 20%. FHA Borrowers pay, but the coverage protects lenders with cash benefits should the borrower default. When lenders foreclose against homeowners with the coverage, it triggers mortgage insurance benefits for lenders to help pay off the mortgage.

Rick Sharga Vice President of ReatyTrac says foreclosures were up 21 % from a year ago and 120 % from two years ago and it could get worse.  The FHA is more exposed to defaults than ever. By some estimates, as much as 50 % of all purchase loans in some areas are FHA insured. Before the housing collapse, FHA wrote only 3 % of all home loans. After notice and comment periods, but beginning this spring, the FHA will raise mortgage insurance fees that borrowers must pay, cap the amount of cash that sellers can contribute for closing costs and require higher down payments for the borrowers with poor credit scores.

• The new upfront FHA loan premium will cost borrowers 2.25 % of the loan amount, up from the current 1.75 % and the second increase in the past two years. The upfront premium can be rolled into the loan. Later, some of the cost increase could be added to a borrower’s additional annual mortgage insurance premium which is paid monthly.  “Increasing the insurance premium on FHA loans is simply a reflection of the substantial risk the administration has taken on in recent years,” says Nancy Osborne, chief operating officer of Erate.com, a Santa Clara, CA-based financial information publisher and interest rate tracker.

• New borrowers must have a minimum FICO credit score of 580 to qualify for FHA’s 3.5 % down payment loan, otherwise the borrower must put 10 % down. Most lenders require a minimum credit score of about 620. A credit score is a numerical rendition of a borrower’s creditworthiness. The higher the score, the better the credit and the better likelihood of qualifying for the least expensive loan.   “The absence of equity in their home has become a key predictor of a borrower defaulting on their mortgage payment in this distressed market. Requiring a greater down payment should be the first step towards more prudent underwriting and lending practices,” Osborne added.

• Sellers will only be able to contribute closing costs that amount to 3 % of the sale price, half the current 6 %. Experts say the higher maximum encouraged borrowers to mark up the price to compensate for their concession.

The value of the FHA’s reserves, $3.6 billion is down from 3 % a year ago and an amount that’s far below the amount required by Congress.  Late last year FHA proposed stiffer rules for lenders to also reduce its risk — that lenders to have a net worth of at least $1 million in the first year and $2.5 million within three years, up from the original requirement of $250,000. The federal agency also wants tighter approval requirements and greater liability for lenders and mortgage brokers who want to originate, underwrite or service FHA.  Even with the higher fees, tougher underwriting, and lender crackdown, it’s not going to be easy rebuilding reserves in a hung over housing market.  The FHA’s move could further exacerbate conditions for the housing market, by removing some low-down payment loans that were allowing new buyers to buy and others to refinance their way out of foreclosure.

FHA Loan Articles, FHA Loan Product Promo, FHA Loan Updates

Americans have grown accustomed to FHA loans for purchasing and mortgage refinancing.  A recent Bloomberg article highlighted new obstacles for Homebuyers seeking mortgage refinancing to take advantage of FHA loan program.   Borrowers will now have to put down additional funds in some cases as officials look for ways to shore up finances at the Federal Housing Administration.  FHA loan defaults have sky-rocketed over the last few years because of the economy and lack of mortgage loan products.

HUD secretary Shaun Donovan told reporters “Down payment is one of the elements we’re looking at.” Donovan continued, “A second is the upcoming mortgage insurance premium and then additional money that needs to be brought to the table.”

The FHA is also considering cutting the amount of home seller concessions a buyer can receive by half to 3% of the purchase price to combat inflated appraised home values.  The minimum credit scores required for borrowers may also be raised, and the guarantee fees charged to lenders may increase, Donovan said.   “We have made the decision to exercise our authority to increase the up-front cash that a borrower has to bring to the table in an FHA-backed loan, to make sure that FHA borrowers have more ‘skin in the game,’” Donovan told the committee.

HUD, which oversees FHA, will provide details in January, he said. Some FHA guideline changes may take affect in the first quarter while others, like raising annual insurance premiums, need congressional approval and will take more time, he said.

The National Association of Realtors said FHA must be careful not to raise costs too high for borrowers and constrict access to credit. “Requiring a larger down payment will make homeownership out of reach for many families and for others could deplete their cash reserves for home and other emergencies,” said Vicki Cox Golder, an Arizona Realtor and president of the National Association of Realtors, which represents the industry from Washington.

The FHA mortgage lending continues to struggle as mortgage insurance reserves fell to the lowest level in history last fiscal year and the government said more steps are needed to shore up the agency that guarantees one of every 5 single-family loans. The insurance fund tripled in size last year and has taken on more risk as private industry sources for lenders to finance and insure home loans dried up and mortgage default rates rose to record highs.

FHA’s net capital ratio, or reserves after accounting for projected losses, fell to its lowest level on record, 0.53%, in the year ended in September, from 3% in fiscal 2008 and 6.4 % in 2007, according to an annual review released last month.

FHA, along with federally controlled mortgage-finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, accounted for more than 90% of all U.S. mortgage loans in the first half of this year.

The agency may raise the up-front insurance premiums of 1.75% that it charges FHA lenders to guarantee the loans, Donovan said. The agency is seeking permission from Congress to increase its annual insurance rates as well, which will raise FHA home loan costs for consumers, Donovan said.

FHA Loan Articles, FHA Loan Updates, Mortgage News

You would think that the housing sector rebounding would be good news for FHA loan programs, but think again. Yesterday HUD reported that the FHA reserve fund is dangerously low and today Zillow is reported that home prices seem to be stabilizing. “The percent of American single-family homes with home mortgages in negative equity fell to 21% in the third quarter, down from 23% in the second, as home values stabilized in the short term and more underwater homeowners lost their homes to foreclosure, according to the third quarter Zillow Real Estate Market Reports.  “Year-over-year home values in the United States declined for the 11th consecutive quarter, falling 6.9 percent to a Zillow Home Value Index of $190,400,” says the company. “However, the rate of year-over-year decline shrank for the third quarter in a row, meaning home values did not decline as dramatically year-over-year in the third quarter as they did in the second or the first.”

In addition to Zillow, the S&P/Case-Shiller report reaches the same conclusion:  Data through August 2009, says S&P/Case-Shiller, shows that “approximately seven months of improved readings in these statistics, beginning in early 2009.”  “While many of the markets remain down versus this time last year, the relative rate of decline has shown some real improvement,” says David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at Standard & Poor’s. “California, in particular, has seen some real positive prints in recent months. We see this general trend whether you look at the as-reported data or the seasonally adjusted figures.”

For FHA mortgage products and FHA lenders the ideal scenario would be for FHA loan defaults to decrease. FHA loan guidelines will tighten significantly if the FHA loan defaults continue.  For the FHA, more equity translates into lower claims against its reserves. Foreclosure is not actually a problem for insurance programs if the value of the home is greater than the outstanding mortgage lien and the default costs. Thus, for the FHA, the more equity the better.  Read the original article.

FHA Loan Updates, FHA News

The existing mortgage loan limits for FHA loans have been extended through the end of 2010. This move is expected to help ailing US housing markets by extending the availability of FHA home loans to homebuyers and homeowners in higher priced markets. FHA home loan limits are based on 125% of local median home value, and vary by location. With the crash of subprime mortgage lending, FHA plays a significant role in providing home loans for borrowers who cannot meet conventional mortgage lending requirements. Challenges can include:

          Bad credit: FHA guidelines allow borrowers to carry more debt than conventional lenders, and also qualify borrowers with bankruptcy filings a minimum of two years prior to applying for an FHA loan and foreclosure occurring a minimum of three years prior to applying. FHA does not require a minimum credit scores, but instead focuses on borrowers’ demonstrated ability to make mortgage payments.

          Low down payment: FHA loans require as little as 3.5 percent down for home purchases, and down payment funds can be provided by family members, employers and housing assistance programs. The source of down payment funds is subject to verification, but FHA loan requirements are “friendly” toward first time buyers and others with low cash reserves. FHA guidelines allow for closing costs and the up-front mortgage insurance premium to be added to the home loan amount; borrowers may also elect to pay higher mortgage rates and have their lenders pay closing costs.

          FHA 203k Loans – These Rehabilitation mortgages available to qualified borrowers: FHA can provide mortgage loans based on a home’s potential value after it has been refurbished; this provides up front funding for renovation expenses. Ask FHA lenders for details and review the updated FHA guidelines for this program.

When getting quotes for home loans, consider the APR and closing costs, in addition to FHA mortgage rates. This can help you find savings on closing costs. The APR includes the mortgage rate and closing costs, so if you have two quotes offering the same mortgage rate, the lower APR indicates lower closing costs.

FHA Loan Updates, FHA News, Mortgage News

The head of the Federal Housing Administration warned that raising down payment requirements or taking similar steps to limit the pool of bad credit home loans that lead to increased loan defaults and foreclosures.

Rep. Scott Garrett (R., N.J.) introduced a measure in Congress earlier this month that would require minimum down payments of 5%, up from 3.5%, on loans backed by the FHA. But Mr. Stevens warned against “jumping to conclusions” and making credit standards tighter just as some signs show that housing is beginning to stabilize in certain housing markets. “When I see members of Congress move a bill out that says raise it to 5%…I get very concerned,” he said. “It isn’t the down payment on its own that causes a default.”  Mr. Stevens’ strong defense of the FHA’s current role in the marketplace drew applause from the otherwise muted audience of mortgage bankers, brokers and other industry personnel during the trade association’s annual meeting.

The FHA has seen its market share balloon since the subprime mortgage market collapsed more than two years ago and led most private investors to exit the mortgage market. The New Deal-era agency’s standards were seen as too strict during the heyday of subprime lending because it required borrowers to document their incomes and pay minimum down payments, but today it remains one of the last sources of low down-payment loans.  FHA home loans continue to gain market-share in the absence of alternative home financing programs. 

Concerns over the agency’s risk to taxpayers has grown in recent months after the FHA said that its estimated capital reserves would drop below federally mandated levels in recent weeks. Mr. Stevens says that there’s no immediate risk of a taxpayer bailout, but critics suggest that a prolonged slump in housing prices could require the agency to ask Congress for money for the first time in its 75-year history.

Mortgage-industry executives also exhorted industry colleagues not to back off of efforts to modify loans given early “glimmers of hope” that housing is reaching a bottom. “It is an awesome task that is in front of us,” said Charles “Ed” Haldeman Jr., the chief executive of Freddie Mac. He warned that there could be “increasing softness” in housing in the coming months. “It would be a real mistake to be too confident about a return to normalcy,” he said

FHA Loan Updates, FHA News, Mortgage News, Published Loan Articles

FHA loan programs continue to soar in popularity. HUD reported that the FHA loans during the first part of August were receiving about 10,000 applications per day.  According to HUD officials, “The Federal Housing Administration was hit by increasing mortgage losses, is in jeopardy of seeing its reserves fall below the level demanded by Congress, in a development that could raise concerns about whether the agency needs a taxpayer bailout.”  Read the original article, FHA Home Loan Programs Driving Mortgage Economy online.

FHA Loan Updates, FHA News, Published Loan Articles

According to FHA Loan Pros, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act without the legislation would be reverted FHA loan limits back to $417,000. That would have eliminated millions of FHA borrowers, but fortunately Congress was able to include the higher FHA loan limits into their 2010 budget. FHA lending would have been scarce in many of the high-income, high-cost metro areas.  Certainly prohibiting a portion of the country to utilize FHA home financing is the last thing a struggling residential real estate market needs for recovery.

If this Congressional budget is approved, the single-family loan limit will remain $729,750 for high-cost areas in the lower 48 states and as much as $1,094,625 in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Virgin Islands.

FHA Loan Updates, FHA News, Mortgage News

According to a report released yesterday by the Government Accountability Office, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has left senior homeowners vulnerable to abusive FHA lending practices because of shortcomings in programs that offer reverse mortgage loans.  Reverse mortgages, which are usually backed by HUD’s Federal Housing Administration, enable seniors to withdraw equity from their homes. The senior home loan and the accumulated interest do not have to be paid back until the owner dies or sells the home. But the upfront costs are substantial.  While these specialty FHA home loans have become more attractive to seniors as the economy has soured and housing values have dropped, reverse home loans are complex. That is why the FHA has long required that the seniors take part in HUD-approved counseling sessions before these cash out refinance loans are processed. Yesterday’s report concluded that HUD “lacks effective controls” over the counseling programs.

Based on undercover participation in 15 counseling sessions, the GAO found that the counselors conveyed accurate information but none covered all of the mandatory topics and some exaggerated the length of the counseling sessions, which can be conducted by telephone or face-to-face. The report also said that seven of the 15 did not discuss alternatives to reverse mortgages, as required.   The report, requested by Sen. Claire McCaskill, also said that a limited review of reverse mortgage marketing materials found some misleading claims. Federal agencies responsible for protecting borrowers had reported few complaints. Some of the states that the GAO contacted also reported cross-selling, the practice of enticing borrowers to use their mortgage funds to buy insurance or other products that are not suitable for them. Recently enacted federal law aims to curb such practices as do some state laws.  

HUD spokesman Brian Sullivan said the reverse mortgage program has more safeguards, such as required counseling, than do private mortgage loan programs. “These existing consumer protections have contributed greatly to the success of the [reverse mortgage] program, which has provided financial security to several hundred thousand seniors,” he said.  According to the trade publication Inside Mortgage Finance in the first quarter, the FHA backed about $7.8 billion worth of reverse home mortgages, the largest amount in any quarter since the agency launched the program in 1988.

Nearly two months ago, the FHA mortgage lending announced its plans to ask Congress for nearly $800 million in taxpayer money to cover projected losses on reverse mortgages in fiscal 2010.  The losses are not related to fraud but to falling home values, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said at the time. That’s because by the time a reverse mortgage needs to be repaid, the value of the house could have dropped and the FHA-insured lender is left with no choice but to recoup less money than it loaned out.  Donovan said the Obama administration is requesting a subsidy instead of raising charges for seniors.

FHA Loan Product Promo, FHA Loan Updates, FHA News, Mortgage News FHA, FHA loans, FHA mortgage, reverse mortgage, reverse mortgages

Mortgage industry groups lowered their forecast for 2009 home loan originations by more than 25% as higher FHA mortgage rates stifle mortgage refinancing activity.  MBA estimated that FHA lenders will make $2.03 trillion in new home loans this year, down by more than $700 billion from its forecast in March.  The Washington-based group attributed $84 billion to reduce mortgage lending on home purchases.  The rest of the decline would be from fewer FHA refinance loans and “very low” volumes on an affordability loan program overseen by mortgage agencies FHA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, MBA said in a statement.

FHA mortgage rates have risen from record lows since the MBA’s prior forecast as have Treasury yields, which spiked amid a flood of debt issuance needed to fund federal rescue programs.  Read the original article online > FHA Mortgage Rates Rise

FHA Loan Updates, FHA News, Mortgage News FHA lenders, FHA loan, FHA Mortgage Rates, fha refinance loans, mortgage lending

The House of Representatives passed a bill containing the long awaited rehabilitation to the FHA Hope for Homeowners loan program late last week and the Senate will likely deliberate early shortly. The mortgage relief measure are attached to H.R. 1106, a controversial home financing bill that would grant bankruptcy judges the authority to cram down borrowers’ mortgage loan balances when they file for a Chapter 13 bankruptcy. 

FHA Loan Product Promo, FHA Loan Updates, FHA News, Mortgage News FHA Hope for Homeowners loan, Mortgage Relief

Until recently, FHA has allowed cash out refinancing for homeowners up 95% loan to value if the borrowers have made their mortgage payments on time for at the prior least twelve months.  The seasonally adjusted percentage of FHA home mortgages that are 90 days or more delinquent increased to 4.11%.  The Washington Post recently that these instant defaults nearly tripled in the past year alone and more than quadrupled among FHA home refinancing.

FHA refinance loans now make up two-fifths of all the agency’s instant defaults, according to the Washington Post article, some lenders have singled out cash out refinance loans as especially risky. With conventional loans, many FHA lenders now offer cash out mortgage only to borrowers with high credit scores and significant equity in their homes.  Read the complete FHA article > FHA Rumored to Tighten Cash Out Refinancing Guidelines

FHA Loan Updates, FHA News 95% loan to value, cash out refinance loans, FHA, FHA lenders

The government-sponsored mortgage giants released revisions in their loan work-outs last week.  Many mortgage servicers could be pushing as much as $200 billion of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac home loans through new standard mortgage loan modification procedures.   However, these foreclosure prevention plans designed by the Obama administration continue to miss a large portion of distressed homeowners who are unable to qualify for traditional or FHA mortgage refinancing.  

Many of these borrowers are beginning to panic, because it’s starting to sink in, that the government is not going to finance these non-traditional bail-outs as foreclosure rates are continuing to rise among the groups of homeowners who carry the burdens of jumbo mortgage loans and bad credit scores.

FHA Loan Product Promo, FHA Loan Updates, FHA News, Mortgage News bad credit, FHA mortgage refinancing, mortgage loan modification

FHA Mortgage Leads – Watch Lead Planet Video

Lead generation specialist, Bryan Dornan discusses the opportunity for mortgage brokers and lending companies to purchase quality real-time leads. FHA Lead buyers can select from exclusive internet leads to live transfer leads that connect applicants directly with the loan officer or negotiator. Visit us online for FHA mortgage leads and complete a quick request form and one of their account executives will follow up with you shortly.

FHA Loan Product Promo, FHA Loan Updates, FHA Marketing FHA Lead buyers, FHA mortgage leads

When it was passed last year as part of the FHA reform package, the Hope for Homeowners program was a federal mortgage refinancing plan designed to help some 400,000 people who now have toxic loans. In fact, the program has been a complete bust. As of January 31st, HUD figures show that there have been 465 Hope for Homeowners applications — and not one approval from the government.  Hope for Homeowners has gone nowhere because it’s complex. It requires FHA mortgage lenders to take a loss and borrowers to share profits and make big payments to Uncle Sam. While the intention is good, the program is just too complex to succeed.

Now we find an effort to revamp the Hope for Homeowners program and the betting here is that few FHA loans will result.

Under H.R. 1106: The Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009, the program will become MORE restrictive if the legislation passes as it is now written. Huh? How can that help anyone?

Once again, the intention is good but the result is doomed to failure. For instance, the legislation requires that a borrower does not “intentionally defaulted on the existing FHA mortgage loans.”   Translation: If you’re stuck in an over-priced house you can’t buy a replacement home and then default on house #1. This seems logical, except that when someone applies to buy that second home they have not yet defaulted on the first house. If default comes at all, it will come later.

Get more Jason Cardiff Tips online>  Read more of the  article >  Is the FHA Planning to Penalize Borrowers?

FHA Loan Updates, FHA News, Published Loan Articles

In a recent article, FHA Loan Pro’s weighed in on the HUD counseling mess as homeowners with FHA loans now have new counseling choices to consider. If you are a homeowner in default HUD counselors are not supposed to charge you. It seems that recent reports suggest something else is going on. 

In a letter to FHA mortgage lenders dated February 19th, HUD says:  “HUD had previously sent guidance to HUD approved counseling agencies indicating that fees may not be charged for clients needing homeless counseling or default counseling.   “It has come to HUD’s attention that some Housing Counseling agencies have been asking the real estate broker or agent on a short sale to provide their agency a part of the Real Estate Brokers sales commission to pay for the clients foreclosure counseling session.   “Please be advised that splitting the Real Estate Brokers fee is not a permissible funding source for foreclosure counseling, and may be a violation of RESPA as well as the conflict of interest provisions of 24 CFR Part 214. It may also be grounds for termination from HUD’s Housing Counseling program.  “HUD approved Housing Counseling agencies, their affiliates, and branches that are collecting fees from real estate agents for the referral of clients and to assist with the costs of foreclosure counseling must terminate this practice immediately.”

In 2007 HUD, under the Bush Administration, announced that “funding for housing counseling is a major concern among participating agencies. In a change in this final rule, HUD is clarifying that it will allow for participating agencies to accept funding from lenders, as long as the relationship does not create a conflict of interest and that the relationship is disclosed to the client.”

FHA Loan Pros complained about this rule loud and often and in the summer of 2008 Congress banned lender-paid counseling. In October of 2008, HUD complied with the new law and announced that “lenders can no longer pay HUD-approved counseling agencies, directly or indirectly, for counseling services through either a lump-sum payment or on a case-by-case basis.”  Read the complete article at FHA Mortgage Programs

FHA Loan Updates, FHA News, Published Loan Articles FHA loan, FHA mortgage lenders

The government anticipates only 20,000 troubled borrowers will apply to refinance into more affordable home loans by next fall under a new mortgage relief program passed by lawmakers over the summer. The $300 billion ‘Hope for Homeowners’ program was launched October 1^st 2008.

FHA rolled out the new loan program, Hope for Homeowners loan that was designed by lawmakers eager to respond to the mortgage crisis, the Congressional Budget Office had projected it would let 400,000 troubled homeowners swap risky home mortgages for conventional 30-year fixed rate loans with lower rates. 

But according to the Federal Housing Administration, the early results are discouraging: the government received only 42 applications in the program’s first two weeks. The low turnout was first reported by the industry newsletter Housing Wire. Since the FHA loan applications take about 60 days to process, no home loans have been approved yet.  The FHA Loan Blog believes that the mortgage lenders are holding up the program with their guideline tweaks, like higher credit scores.

FHA Loan Product Promo, FHA Loan Updates, FHA News, Mortgage News Federal Housing Administration, FHA, FHA loan, foreclosure, Hope for Homeowners, Mortgage Relief

Nancy West, a marketing and outreach specialist at HUD’s Santa Ana, Calif.-based office, said there are companies making solicitations with the claim that non-approved originators can do FHA mortgage loans and get paid for them. “I’m here to tell you [that] you cannot,” she said, adding it creates unfair competition with originators who do things properly.

Among the features of the FHA mortgage program is that no credit score is required and that manual underwriting is permissible. However, Ms. West said, there are FHA mortgage lenders who are imposing stricter guidelines. FHA cannot control that, she said. There are those that do not have stricter requirements. If a correspondent only works with a mortgage lender who only uses automated underwriting, they need to be aware there are FHA loans that the system will never approve. Ms. West suggested having an alternative sponsor who manually underwrites.

While the qualifying ratios for FHA loan programs are normally 31% and 43%, Ms. West said there have been loans approved with a backend ratio as high as 68%. It is important that the originator know what program is best for the customer, not only among the FHA offering but the programs at other federal agencies as well, she said. Among the bogus information being given out by lenders is that the borrower must take the property out o a living trust. That is not true, Ms. West said, noting that taking the property out of trust could trigger legal issues.

FHA loans can also be used on manufactured housing as long as it meets agency requirements. “We are the game in town for manufactured housing,” she said. HUD needs mortgage brokers’ help to get the word out about changes in the program to Realtors, who are not aware of items no longer required to be fixed, such as missing handrails, cracked window glass, minor plumbing leaks, poor workmanship and defective floor coverings.

The temporary loan limit increase expired on Dec. 31. Ms. West suggested that mortgage brokers and loan officers keep on top of sponsors to ensure their loans are approved by the deadline. As for the Hope For Homeowners program, while Ms. West said the parameters make certain that only a small number of borrowers are eligible for, there are some benefits. “It is a tool and we will be able to help some folks with it, but it is not a cure all.” The borrower gets to keep a home he or she can no longer keep. They are not paying to make FHA money, only what they owe. Most of the originators of these loans are servicers. The originator is allowed to charge one point only; no administrative or add-on fees allowed. “I’m not saying don’t do it, but don’t make it your meal ticket,” said Ms. West.  Article Written By Brad Finkelstein.

FHA Loan Product Promo, FHA Loan Updates, FHA News, Mortgage News FHA loan, FHA mortgage, FHA mortgage lenders, FHA mortgage loans

Yes credit is tight and potential home buyers might think they need a significant of cash or a superlative credit score to wade into the devastated housing market. FHA eliminates some of the lender risks to provide mortgages because it will pay a claim to the lender in the event that a homeowner defaults on their loan. 

Until 2008, FHA loan programs were capped so low that the program was out of step with the real price of a house. But in February 2008, the FHA loan limits in the high cost housing markets rose from $362,750 to $729,750.  But in 2009 the FHA mortgage limits are being down-sized again.  FHA announced the new ceiling in the high cost markets will be $625,500. FHA loans in 2009 will cap out at 115% of the median home price in a county or metropolitan area. Still, huge swaths of the housing market will remain, as never before, eligible for an FHA home mortgage.

Watch This FHA Home Loan Video >

o    FHA home loans can only be originated from a FHA-approved mortgage lender.

o    Down payment requirements are minimal. Buyers need only 3.5% of the house’s price tag.

o    The down-payment can be a gift from a family member, employer, local charity, or local government program.

o    FHA loan programs enable all ranges of credit scores with compensating factors.

o    You must have a 2-year employment record. The new FHA loan payment must be less than 31% of your income, and debt to income ratio is usually less than 43% of your income.  Read the complete article at >

FHA Loan Updates, FHA News, Mortgage News FHA Home Loan Video, FHA home mortgage, FHA loan limits, FHA loan programs, FHA mortgage limits

In most cases, FHA home loans are more flexible than conforming mortgage lenders regarding credit qualifications and home equity requirements for purchasing or refinancing. In fact, FHA loan guidelines enable borrowers with bad credit scores to re-establish their credit:

• Must be at least 2 years since the bankruptcy was discharged 
• All judgments must have already been paid
• Tax liens must been satisfied or appropriate arrangements
• Must be at least 3 years foreclosure or a deed-in-lieu has been resolved

FHA Loan Product Promo, FHA Loan Updates bad credit, FHA loan, home equity