The Pros and Cons of First Time Home Buyer Loans: Are They Right For You?
If you are looking to buy your first home in the near future (or at least the first one in the last three years) you may be considering a first time home buyer loan. For many individuals, a first time home buyer loan may be the only way they’re able to secure the financing needed to own their own home. While the specifics may vary from program to program, these types of loans offer a number of benefits by subsidizing interest, offering grants, allowing for a zero or low down payment, and imposing restrictions on the fees lenders are able to charge their borrowers. Loans can also be forgiven in some situations. Sounds good so far, right? But as with most good things, there are some strings attached which you may not be aware of.
First of all, first time home buyer loans place a cap on the purchase price of your home. As such, if you are looking to buy a more expensive property, these loans are not right for you. Instead, you will find yourself limited to more inexpensive, lower end options. Next, the home must also meet certain physical requirements. It must be in good condition and free of safety hazards. Another requirement is that you must physical live in the home you purchase (i.e. the home must be your “primary residence”). You can’t buy the home with explicit intention of renting it out. Moreover, if you sell your home too quickly, you may lose some of the benefits that the program offers and be required to pay a “recapture” tax on the benefits you received.
Given some of the restrictions imposed by first time home buyer loans, they are not right for everyone. Experts note that it is only with a FICO score below 680 that you will see any benefits to subsidized first time home buyer loans. If you feel that these loans are not a fit for you, you may be better off with a more traditional mortgage or FHA loan. As with anything, you need to do your due diligence by doing some comparison shopping and evaluate subsidized first time home buyer loans against what traditional lenders are offering. Once you’ve done some number crunching, go only with the option that is the best all round fit your needs. Good luck and all the best!
For more tips on buying your first home including grants, loans, and other programs you may be able to take advantage of, be sure to visit our first time home buyer guide. Go ahead and log on now: http://firsttimehomebuyerstimulus.net
The federal FHA mortgage insurer’s reserve fund has slipped below its mandated minimum. Now the FHA and some lawmakers want to raise the minimum requirements-
FHA loan Advantages Include:
Minimal Down Payment and Closing Costs.
Down payment less than 3.5% of Sales Price Gift for down payment and closing costs allowed. No reserves or required. FHA regulated closing costs. Seller can credit up to 6% of sales price towards buyers costs.
Easier Credit Qualifying Guidelines such as:
Minimum FICO credit score of 540. FHA will allow a home purchase 2 years after a Bankruptcy. FHA will allow a home purchase 3years after a Foreclosure.
Easier Debt Ratio & Job Requirement Guidelines such as:
Higher Debt Ratio’s than other home loan programs. Less than two years on the job is allowed. Self-Employed individuals o.k.
Should it be more expensive to get a FHA mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration?
That is the question the House Financial Services Committee examined on Wednesday afternoon.
Currently, FHA home loans comprise more than 30% of the entire mortgage loan market. But as some of those FHA insured loans have defaulted, the FHA mortgage loan-guarantee fund has slipped below the Congressionally mandated 2% level. As a result, some lawmakers are suggesting that FHA mortgages need to be more expensive to obtain.
In fact, a House bill, the FHA Taxpayer Protection Act of 2009, would increase the FHA loan minimum down payment required to obtain an FHA loan to 5% from 3.5%. That, sponsor Rep. Scott Garrett, R, N.J., believes, would make FHA mortgage applicants more committed to maintaining their FHA home loans.
Almost 90% of FHA mortgage loans issued between January and August 2009 had FHA Home loan-to-value (LTV) ratios of 96 or higher, according to written testimony from Robert Story, chairman of the FHA Mortgage Bankers Association. That amounts to a very small commitment on the parts of FHA mortgage applicants.
Housing and Urban Development secretary Shaun Donovan’s testimony said he is committed to raising the expense of utilizing FHA mortgage loans, though the agency and is still exploring the best options and doesn’t necessarily support raising the FHA down payment requirement.
“We have made the decision to exercise our authority to increase FHA’s up-front cash requirement that a borrower has to bring to the table in an FHA insured home loan — to make sure that FHA mortgage applicants have more ‘skin in the game’ and a stronger equity position in their FHA home loan,” he said.
Still, he added, “FHA is not ‘the next subprime’ as some have suggested.”
He disputed Garrett’s statistics that tried to make the case for increasing down payments. Garrett said that FHA home loans with loan-to-value ratios of 100 were twice as likely to fail as those with LTVs of 95.
Donovan responded that many of those failed 100 LTV loans involved seller-supported down payment programs, which contributed disproportionately to delinquencies. Last year Congress prohibited those FHA mortgage programs.
Donovan outlined three options for raising FHA borrowers’ skin in the game:
Increase the down payment requirement, currently at a minimum of 3.5%; Raise the up front premium insurance premium from 1.75% to as much as 3%, which the FHA already has the authority to do; and Decrease the allowable seller concessions for closing costs, which are now 6%, to 3%.
Critics of increasing the up front borrowing costs claim it’s both unnecessary and could imperil the weak housing market recovery.
“While the FHA mortgage program is experiencing shortfalls in its excess reserves due to our economic crisis, The FHA mortgage remains financially strong and a critical part of our nation’s economic recovery,” said Vicki Cox Colder, president of the National Association of Realtors, in her written testimony before the committee.
Besides, she added, “It is important to recognize that this is not FHA’s only reserve fund. FHA also has a Financing Account separate from the Capital Reserve. FHA’s actual total reserves are higher than they have ever been with combined assets of .4 billion. This is an increase of 13% over the previous year.”
Donovan acknowledged problems at FHA, including antiquated systems and equipment and inadequate personnel numbers.
“Little of this may have been obvious when FHA’s mortgage market share was 3% as recently as 2006,” he said in his statement. “But when our mortgage markets collapsed last fall, and homebuyers increasingly turned to the FHA home loans for help, the potential consequences of these lapses in risk management became very clear.”
The agency has acted to lower risk over the past several months. It hired a chief risk officer to improve risk assessment; increased enforcement efforts that resulted in suspending some FHA mortgage lenders and withdrawing FHA-approval for many others; and strengthened underwriting, including instituting FHA loan procedures that should improve appraisal accuracy.
“Charging more [for those with lower FICO scores] is not necessarily the answer,” said the HUD secretary. “It could even work against it by making it harder for FHA mortgage applicants to pay off their FHA home loans.”
Besides that, Donovan expressed a real reluctance for the idea of FHA mortgage loans becoming an even bigger player in the FHA mortgage market than it is now. Raising prices for borrowers with low FICO scores and lowering them for those with high scores could put the FHA in direct competition with private FHA mortgage lenders for the lower risk borrowers.
FHA -loan risk has also declined, some industry analysts believe, thanks to the drastic improvement in the quality of borrowers it services. According to Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage industry information, their average credit score has jumped to 693 from the low 600s two years ago.
Janis Bowdler, a director for the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic civil rights organization, said, “According to the FHA, had loans not been made using seller down payment assistance programs, known for being a haven for fraud and abuse, its capital reserve ratio would still be at the recommended 2%.”
She emphasized how important affordable FHA loans are to the minority community, which accounts for a much larger share of these mortgages than the greater mortgage market.
Ann Schnare, a partner with Empiris, an economic consulting firm and a veteran mortgage industry figure, said she thinks the agency could take a few small steps, like increasing the down payment requirement, to ensure the account’s viability.
“While FHA mortgage are required to put 3.5% down, they are also allowed to finance the up-front premium and a portion of their closing costs,” she said. “The net result is that many FHA borrowers are in a zero or even negative equity position the moment they move into their homes. This dramatically increases the risk of foreclosure, particularly in a bad economic environment and a weak or declining housing market.”
She also recommends an slight increase in monthly insurance premiums to build up the reserve fund.
Donovan said stepped up enforcement itself could help restore the Capital Reserve Account. Most of the projected losses over the next five years, 71%, will come from loans already on the books. Many of those loans were of poor quality due to negligence on the part of lenders.
He wants to go after those lenders to make them responsible for the losses the FHA suffered.
The federal FHA mortgage insurer’s reserve fund has slipped below its mandated minimum. Now the FHA and some lawmakers want to raise the minimum requirements-
FHA loan Advantages Include:
Minimal Down Payment and Closing Costs.
Down payment less than 3.5% of Sales Price Gift for down payment and closing costs allowed. No reserves or required. FHA regulated closing costs. Seller can credit up to 6% of sales price towards buyers costs.
Easier Credit Qualifying Guidelines such as:
Minimum FICO credit score of 540. FHA will allow a home purchase 2 years after a Bankruptcy. FHA will allow a home purchase 3years after a Foreclosure.
Easier Debt Ratio & Job Requirement Guidelines such as:
Higher Debt Ratio’s than other home loan programs. Less than two years on the job is allowed. Self-Employed individuals o.k.
Should it be more expensive to get a FHA mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration?
That is the question the House Financial Services Committee examined on Wednesday afternoon.
Currently, FHA home loans comprise more than 30% of the entire mortgage loan market. But as some of those FHA insured loans have defaulted, the FHA mortgage loan-guarantee fund has slipped below the Congressionally mandated 2% level. As a result, some lawmakers are suggesting that FHA mortgages need to be more expensive to obtain.
In fact, a House bill, the FHA Taxpayer Protection Act of 2009, would increase the FHA loan minimum down payment required to obtain an FHA loan to 5% from 3.5%. That, sponsor Rep. Scott Garrett, R, N.J., believes, would make FHA mortgage applicants more committed to maintaining their FHA home loans.
Almost 90% of FHA mortgage loans issued between January and August 2009 had FHA Home loan-to-value (LTV) ratios of 96 or higher, according to written testimony from Robert Story, chairman of the FHA Mortgage Bankers Association. That amounts to a very small commitment on the parts of FHA mortgage applicants.
Housing and Urban Development secretary Shaun Donovan’s testimony said he is committed to raising the expense of utilizing FHA mortgage loans, though the agency and is still exploring the best options and doesn’t necessarily support raising the FHA down payment requirement.
“We have made the decision to exercise our authority to increase FHA’s up-front cash requirement that a borrower has to bring to the table in an FHA insured home loan — to make sure that FHA mortgage applicants have more ‘skin in the game’ and a stronger equity position in their FHA home loan,” he said.
Still, he added, “FHA is not ‘the next subprime’ as some have suggested.”
He disputed Garrett’s statistics that tried to make the case for increasing down payments. Garrett said that FHA home loans with loan-to-value ratios of 100 were twice as likely to fail as those with LTVs of 95.
Donovan responded that many of those failed 100 LTV loans involved seller-supported down payment programs, which contributed disproportionately to delinquencies. Last year Congress prohibited those FHA mortgage programs.
Donovan outlined three options for raising FHA borrowers’ skin in the game:
Increase the down payment requirement, currently at a minimum of 3.5%; Raise the up front premium insurance premium from 1.75% to as much as 3%, which the FHA already has the authority to do; and Decrease the allowable seller concessions for closing costs, which are now 6%, to 3%.
Critics of increasing the up front borrowing costs claim it’s both unnecessary and could imperil the weak housing market recovery.
“While the FHA mortgage program is experiencing shortfalls in its excess reserves due to our economic crisis, The FHA mortgage remains financially strong and a critical part of our nation’s economic recovery,” said Vicki Cox Colder, president of the National Association of Realtors, in her written testimony before the committee.
Besides, she added, “It is important to recognize that this is not FHA’s only reserve fund. FHA also has a Financing Account separate from the Capital Reserve. FHA’s actual total reserves are higher than they have ever been with combined assets of .4 billion. This is an increase of 13% over the previous year.”
Donovan acknowledged problems at FHA, including antiquated systems and equipment and inadequate personnel numbers.
“Little of this may have been obvious when FHA’s mortgage market share was 3% as recently as 2006,” he said in his statement. “But when our mortgage markets collapsed last fall, and homebuyers increasingly turned to the FHA home loans for help, the potential consequences of these lapses in risk management became very clear.”
The agency has acted to lower risk over the past several months. It hired a chief risk officer to improve risk assessment; increased enforcement efforts that resulted in suspending some FHA mortgage lenders and withdrawing FHA-approval for many others; and strengthened underwriting, including instituting FHA loan procedures that should improve appraisal accuracy.
“Charging more [for those with lower FICO scores] is not necessarily the answer,” said the HUD secretary. “It could even work against it by making it harder for FHA mortgage applicants to pay off their FHA home loans.”
Besides that, Donovan expressed a real reluctance for the idea of FHA mortgage loans becoming an even bigger player in the FHA mortgage market than it is now. Raising prices for borrowers with low FICO scores and lowering them for those with high scores could put the FHA in direct competition with private FHA mortgage lenders for the lower risk borrowers.
FHA -loan risk has also declined, some industry analysts believe, thanks to the drastic improvement in the quality of borrowers it services. According to Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage industry information, their average credit score has jumped to 693 from the low 600s two years ago.
Janis Bowdler, a director for the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic civil rights organization, said, “According to the FHA, had loans not been made using seller down payment assistance programs, known for being a haven for fraud and abuse, its capital reserve ratio would still be at the recommended 2%.”
She emphasized how important affordable FHA loans are to the minority community, which accounts for a much larger share of these mortgages than the greater mortgage market.
Ann Schnare, a partner with Empiris, an economic consulting firm and a veteran mortgage industry figure, said she thinks the agency could take a few small steps, like increasing the down payment requirement, to ensure the account’s viability.
“While FHA mortgage are required to put 3.5% down, they are also allowed to finance the up-front premium and a portion of their closing costs,” she said. “The net result is that many FHA borrowers are in a zero or even negative equity position the moment they move into their homes. This dramatically increases the risk of foreclosure, particularly in a bad economic environment and a weak or declining housing market.”
She also recommends an slight increase in monthly insurance premiums to build up the reserve fund.
Donovan said stepped up enforcement itself could help restore the Capital Reserve Account. Most of the projected losses over the next five years, 71%, will come from loans already on the books. Many of those loans were of poor quality due to negligence on the part of lenders.
He wants to go after those lenders to make them responsible for the losses the FHA suffered.
www.lansingmimortgage.com To read more information about Cornerstone Home Loans, a broker of Michigan home mortgages, please visit our website. First Time Home Buyer Programs
FHA loans for Florida home buyers, 97% Financing down to a
FHA loans for Florida home buyers, 97% Financing down to a <530 FICO SCORE> The FHA loan program is a mortgage Florida loan program designed to assist every qualified and eligible Florida homebuyer with having the opportunity to own their own Florida home. Insured by FHA/HUD the FHA loan program provides prospective Florida mortgage applicants with a tremendous opportunity to own a Florida home. FHA loans offer the best Florida mortgage rates and are traditionally lower than conventional Freddie/Fannie home loan programs, the FHA program is fast becoming the Florida mortgage loan of choice for many Florida Home Buyers.
Purchases (Min 530 score)
12 months cancelled checks or Management VOR Must have 3 open and active tradelines for last 12 mths Payment shock limited to 1.5 times 35/45 Max DTI No late’s or collection in last 12 months NO late’s after BK
No Score Borrowers
3 Alt tradelines 0x30 with 12 month history Management VOR or 12 months cancelled checks Max ratio 31/43
Using the FHA loan program to attain a Florida mortgage just makes good sense.
Welcome to our FHA home loan financing section. We’re very excited that you’ve elected to give the FHA home loan consideration. The benefits of an FHA loan far outweigh any other Florida mortgage program. Did you know, that the FHA loan program provides more security to Florida homeowners than ANY other Florida home loan mortgage? When Florida homeowners face financial difficulty they have a higher probability of NOT losing their home if you have an FHA mortgage Vs. those Floridians that choice who have a conventional or risky Sub-Prime Florida home loan. Plus, all Florida FHA home loans are FULLY assumable — adding one more layer of protection for Florida homeowners and their families The fact is, For Florida homebuyers there are a wide range of FHA home loans available to qualified mortgage applicants. And the real truth is, FHA loan programs do not consider your credit score. Many Florida homebuyers people find this very difficult to believe, but it is in fact dictated by under FHA guidelines that credit scores cannot be considered.. This gives Florida homebuyers who might not otherwise have the ability to secure a low fixed interest rate FHA mortgage Did you know the FHA Mortgage program typically only requires a 3.5% down payment and allows 6% seller-paid Closing cost. You wont find these benefits with any other mortgage progrm. Florida FHA mortgage programs vary; to learn more, Here is a just a few FHA loan products to help Florida homeowners achieve their goals. Using the FHA home loan to purchase a Florida home is really no different than obtaining a conventional loan. Only difference is that FHA home loan some additional documentation, but these are actually blown out of proportion by other Florida mortgage lenders who cannot originate the FHA mortgage loans and want to push you into a conventional or subprime Florida l mortgage loan. Refinancing an existing Florida FHA home loan is actually called an FHA streamline refinance. However, streamline only applies to Florida homes for which you are refinancing to change your rate and term only. If taking cash out, or refinancing with an FHA home loan, you will have to go through the traditional FHA refinance process. Amazingly enough, you can finance Florida mobile home and land with the FHA home loan. In some instances, you can even get up to 96.5% of the purchase price, and much lower rates than you will get through any other Florida mortgage loan program available today! The FHA reverse mortgage program is designed for Florida Seniors wishing to cash-out their equity in their home or create a monthly income stream to supplement their income. In both cases, you make NO monthly payments and it’s backed by the Federal Government! The FHA 203K Mortgage program is perfect to purchase a Florida Fixer home– the one that’s perfect for you, in the perfect location, but just needs a little rehabilitation. For those Florida homebuyers can’t qualify for the traditional FHA home loans, in some areas, we can help with an FHA Credit Flex mortgage . This FHA program was developed to help qualified Florida mortgage applicants in qualified communities to buy today. If your credit has taken a turn for the worse, this FHA mortgage loan program could be the perfect alternative to renting. As you can see, the FHA Home loan program unique in many ways. We serve a broad range of Florida mortgage applicants across Florida, whether you have outstanding credit or Bad Credit, the FHA home loan program offers Florida homeowners and home buyers alike unmatched benefits with exceptionally competitive mortgage rates. Not every Florida mortgage lender can originate the FHA mortgage loan. FHA/HUD maintains strict guidelines which limit which Florida mortgage lenders can assist Florida home buyers and home owners like you, with FHA financing. With such strict quality FHA guidelines for Florida mortgage companies, you can know with confidence, if the Florida mortgage company you are working with originates the FHA mortgage loan, then you are dealing with a strong and reputable mortgage company.., Just some of the tremendous benefits of applying for a Florida FHA mortgage are: FHA mortgage Interest Rates much Lower than Bad Credit Loans FHA home loans are assumable You don’t have to have a Florida bank account to qualify for an FHA mortgage Loan FHA loans down to a 500+ FICO? you might still be eligible for the FHA Loan program! Underwriting is done using both Automated and Manual review – This means if an FHA Mortgage loan makes sense, it doesn’t matter what the computer says. Collections do NOT disqualify you from being eligible for a FHA mortgage Prior Foreclosures and Bankruptcies do not automatically disqualify you, or if you qualify, mean you have to pay a higher interest rate as a “Penalty” FHA loans have NO INCOME RESTRICTIONS – This means EVERYONE Florida mortgage applicant is eligible for the FHA loan program regardless of whether you’re wealthy or poor, have owned a Florida home before or are a First Time Buyer. Higher Ratios are allowed for eligible Florida mortgage applicants than through Traditional Mortgage programs Typically, there are NO Cash Reserve requirements. for a FHA mortgage loan. Overtime, Bonuses and Part Time Income can typically be used for qualifying for your FHA mortgage loan. Non-Occupant Co-Borrowers can help you qualify for the FHA Loan program – You can have a parent co-sign for you and help you qualify if you can’t qualify on your own. Underwriting Flexibility that is based upon your credit not your credit score – Credit score is not even a consideration when applying for FHA financing. No credit history is required to qualify for an FHA mortgage Works with Grant and Charity organizations – You don’t even have to have a down payment.. FHA Home Buyers – Seller paid closing costs up to 6% are allowed. Florida Home Owners – A cash out Florida Refinance with the FHA program is OK! Down Payment assistance from Family and Family Friends is OK! You don’t have to have a bank account to qualify for an FHA mortgage Loan Collections do NOT disqualify you from being eligible for an FHA mortgage Prior Bankruptcy does not automatically disqualify you for an FHA mortgage, or if you qualify, mean you have to pay a higher interest rate as a “Penalty” NO INCOME RESTRICTIONS or REQUIRMENTS- This means EVERY Florida mortgage applicant is eligible for the FHA loan program regardless of whether you’re wealthy or poor, have owned a Florida home or had a Florida mortgage in the past. Higher Ratios are allowed for eligible Florida FHA mortgage applicants than other Traditional Mortgage programs Typically, there are NO Cash Reserve requirements for an FHA mortgage. Overtime, Bonuses and Part Time Income can typically be used for qualifying for your FHA mortgage loan. Non-Occupant Co-Borrowers are just fine with the FHA mortgage Loan – You can have a parent co-sign for you and help you qualify if you can’t qualify on your own. The fact is, there are many good reasons for all Florida home buyers and Florida home owners to consider the FHA mortgage loan. Beyond FHA having the best interest rates and benefits, most flexible qualifying and greatest terms, the FHA mortgage loan gives Florida homebuyers piece of mind. The loan program is administered in such a way that it is actually designed to Florida homebuyers and homeowners. How, you ask??? Unlike traditional home loan financing and Sub-Prime Bad Credit home Loans, the FHA mortgage Loan program offers three different Foreclosure prevention programs that actually help tens of thousands of Florida home owners keep their homes -every year. To have these Foreclosure prevention options available should you have a financial roadblock, you have to have a FHA/HUD on your side working hand and hand to help you avoid a Foreclosure. Just one more reason why Florida homebuyers should consider getting an FHA Mortgage.
Apply for a Florida FHA home loan Now at:
http://www.fhamortgageprograms.com/florida/
http://www.fhamortgageprograms.com/florida/Palm-Beach-County/
http://www.fhamortgageprograms.com/florida/Broward-County/
http://www.fhamortgageprograms.com/florida/Dade-County/
http://www.fhamortgagefhaloan.com/
http://www.fhamortgageprograms.com/faq/fha.shtml
The federal FHA mortgage insurer’s reserve fund has slipped below its mandated minimum. Now the FHA and some lawmakers want to raise the minimum requirements-
FHA loan Advantages Include:
Minimal Down Payment and Closing Costs.
Down payment less than 3.5% of Sales Price Gift for down payment and closing costs allowed. No reserves or required. FHA regulated closing costs. Seller can credit up to 6% of sales price towards buyers costs.
Easier Credit Qualifying Guidelines such as:
Minimum FICO credit score of 540. FHA will allow a home purchase 2 years after a Bankruptcy. FHA will allow a home purchase 3years after a Foreclosure.
Easier Debt Ratio & Job Requirement Guidelines such as:
Higher Debt Ratio’s than other home loan programs. Less than two years on the job is allowed. Self-Employed individuals o.k.
Should it be more expensive to get a FHA mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration?
That is the question the House Financial Services Committee examined on Wednesday afternoon.
Currently, FHA home loans comprise more than 30% of the entire mortgage loan market. But as some of those FHA insured loans have defaulted, the FHA mortgage loan-guarantee fund has slipped below the Congressionally mandated 2% level. As a result, some lawmakers are suggesting that FHA mortgages need to be more expensive to obtain.
In fact, a House bill, the FHA Taxpayer Protection Act of 2009, would increase the FHA loan minimum down payment required to obtain an FHA loan to 5% from 3.5%. That, sponsor Rep. Scott Garrett, R, N.J., believes, would make FHA mortgage applicants more committed to maintaining their FHA home loans.
Almost 90% of FHA mortgage loans issued between January and August 2009 had FHA Home loan-to-value (LTV) ratios of 96 or higher, according to written testimony from Robert Story, chairman of the FHA Mortgage Bankers Association. That amounts to a very small commitment on the parts of FHA mortgage applicants.
Housing and Urban Development secretary Shaun Donovan’s testimony said he is committed to raising the expense of utilizing FHA mortgage loans, though the agency and is still exploring the best options and doesn’t necessarily support raising the FHA down payment requirement.
“We have made the decision to exercise our authority to increase FHA’s up-front cash requirement that a borrower has to bring to the table in an FHA insured home loan — to make sure that FHA mortgage applicants have more ‘skin in the game’ and a stronger equity position in their FHA home loan,” he said.
Still, he added, “FHA is not ‘the next subprime’ as some have suggested.”
He disputed Garrett’s statistics that tried to make the case for increasing down payments. Garrett said that FHA home loans with loan-to-value ratios of 100 were twice as likely to fail as those with LTVs of 95.
Donovan responded that many of those failed 100 LTV loans involved seller-supported down payment programs, which contributed disproportionately to delinquencies. Last year Congress prohibited those FHA mortgage programs.
Donovan outlined three options for raising FHA borrowers’ skin in the game:
Increase the down payment requirement, currently at a minimum of 3.5%; Raise the up front premium insurance premium from 1.75% to as much as 3%, which the FHA already has the authority to do; and Decrease the allowable seller concessions for closing costs, which are now 6%, to 3%.
Critics of increasing the up front borrowing costs claim it’s both unnecessary and could imperil the weak housing market recovery.
“While the FHA mortgage program is experiencing shortfalls in its excess reserves due to our economic crisis, The FHA mortgage remains financially strong and a critical part of our nation’s economic recovery,” said Vicki Cox Colder, president of the National Association of Realtors, in her written testimony before the committee.
Besides, she added, “It is important to recognize that this is not FHA’s only reserve fund. FHA also has a Financing Account separate from the Capital Reserve. FHA’s actual total reserves are higher than they have ever been with combined assets of .4 billion. This is an increase of 13% over the previous year.”
Donovan acknowledged problems at FHA, including antiquated systems and equipment and inadequate personnel numbers.
“Little of this may have been obvious when FHA’s mortgage market share was 3% as recently as 2006,” he said in his statement. “But when our mortgage markets collapsed last fall, and homebuyers increasingly turned to the FHA home loans for help, the potential consequences of these lapses in risk management became very clear.”
The agency has acted to lower risk over the past several months. It hired a chief risk officer to improve risk assessment; increased enforcement efforts that resulted in suspending some FHA mortgage lenders and withdrawing FHA-approval for many others; and strengthened underwriting, including instituting FHA loan procedures that should improve appraisal accuracy.
“Charging more [for those with lower FICO scores] is not necessarily the answer,” said the HUD secretary. “It could even work against it by making it harder for FHA mortgage applicants to pay off their FHA home loans.”
Besides that, Donovan expressed a real reluctance for the idea of FHA mortgage loans becoming an even bigger player in the FHA mortgage market than it is now. Raising prices for borrowers with low FICO scores and lowering them for those with high scores could put the FHA in direct competition with private FHA mortgage lenders for the lower risk borrowers.
FHA -loan risk has also declined, some industry analysts believe, thanks to the drastic improvement in the quality of borrowers it services. According to Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage industry information, their average credit score has jumped to 693 from the low 600s two years ago.
Janis Bowdler, a director for the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic civil rights organization, said, “According to the FHA, had loans not been made using seller down payment assistance programs, known for being a haven for fraud and abuse, its capital reserve ratio would still be at the recommended 2%.”
She emphasized how important affordable FHA loans are to the minority community, which accounts for a much larger share of these mortgages than the greater mortgage market.
Ann Schnare, a partner with Empiris, an economic consulting firm and a veteran mortgage industry figure, said she thinks the agency could take a few small steps, like increasing the down payment requirement, to ensure the account’s viability.
“While FHA mortgage are required to put 3.5% down, they are also allowed to finance the up-front premium and a portion of their closing costs,” she said. “The net result is that many FHA borrowers are in a zero or even negative equity position the moment they move into their homes. This dramatically increases the risk of foreclosure, particularly in a bad economic environment and a weak or declining housing market.”
She also recommends an slight increase in monthly insurance premiums to build up the reserve fund.
Donovan said stepped up enforcement itself could help restore the Capital Reserve Account. Most of the projected losses over the next five years, 71%, will come from loans already on the books. Many of those loans were of poor quality due to negligence on the part of lenders.
He wants to go after those lenders to make them responsible for the losses the FHA suffered.
The federal FHA mortgage insurer’s reserve fund has slipped below its mandated minimum. Now the FHA and some lawmakers want to raise the minimum requirements-
FHA loan Advantages Include:
Minimal Down Payment and Closing Costs.
Down payment less than 3.5% of Sales Price Gift for down payment and closing costs allowed. No reserves or required. FHA regulated closing costs. Seller can credit up to 6% of sales price towards buyers costs.
Easier Credit Qualifying Guidelines such as:
Minimum FICO credit score of 540. FHA will allow a home purchase 2 years after a Bankruptcy. FHA will allow a home purchase 3years after a Foreclosure.
Easier Debt Ratio & Job Requirement Guidelines such as:
Higher Debt Ratio’s than other home loan programs. Less than two years on the job is allowed. Self-Employed individuals o.k.
Should it be more expensive to get a FHA mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration?
That is the question the House Financial Services Committee examined on Wednesday afternoon.
Currently, FHA home loans comprise more than 30% of the entire mortgage loan market. But as some of those FHA insured loans have defaulted, the FHA mortgage loan-guarantee fund has slipped below the Congressionally mandated 2% level. As a result, some lawmakers are suggesting that FHA mortgages need to be more expensive to obtain.
In fact, a House bill, the FHA Taxpayer Protection Act of 2009, would increase the FHA loan minimum down payment required to obtain an FHA loan to 5% from 3.5%. That, sponsor Rep. Scott Garrett, R, N.J., believes, would make FHA mortgage applicants more committed to maintaining their FHA home loans.
Almost 90% of FHA mortgage loans issued between January and August 2009 had FHA Home loan-to-value (LTV) ratios of 96 or higher, according to written testimony from Robert Story, chairman of the FHA Mortgage Bankers Association. That amounts to a very small commitment on the parts of FHA mortgage applicants.
Housing and Urban Development secretary Shaun Donovan’s testimony said he is committed to raising the expense of utilizing FHA mortgage loans, though the agency and is still exploring the best options and doesn’t necessarily support raising the FHA down payment requirement.
“We have made the decision to exercise our authority to increase FHA’s up-front cash requirement that a borrower has to bring to the table in an FHA insured home loan — to make sure that FHA mortgage applicants have more ‘skin in the game’ and a stronger equity position in their FHA home loan,” he said.
Still, he added, “FHA is not ‘the next subprime’ as some have suggested.”
He disputed Garrett’s statistics that tried to make the case for increasing down payments. Garrett said that FHA home loans with loan-to-value ratios of 100 were twice as likely to fail as those with LTVs of 95.
Donovan responded that many of those failed 100 LTV loans involved seller-supported down payment programs, which contributed disproportionately to delinquencies. Last year Congress prohibited those FHA mortgage programs.
Donovan outlined three options for raising FHA borrowers’ skin in the game:
Increase the down payment requirement, currently at a minimum of 3.5%; Raise the up front premium insurance premium from 1.75% to as much as 3%, which the FHA already has the authority to do; and Decrease the allowable seller concessions for closing costs, which are now 6%, to 3%.
Critics of increasing the up front borrowing costs claim it’s both unnecessary and could imperil the weak housing market recovery.
“While the FHA mortgage program is experiencing shortfalls in its excess reserves due to our economic crisis, The FHA mortgage remains financially strong and a critical part of our nation’s economic recovery,” said Vicki Cox Colder, president of the National Association of Realtors, in her written testimony before the committee.
Besides, she added, “It is important to recognize that this is not FHA’s only reserve fund. FHA also has a Financing Account separate from the Capital Reserve. FHA’s actual total reserves are higher than they have ever been with combined assets of .4 billion. This is an increase of 13% over the previous year.”
Donovan acknowledged problems at FHA, including antiquated systems and equipment and inadequate personnel numbers.
“Little of this may have been obvious when FHA’s mortgage market share was 3% as recently as 2006,” he said in his statement. “But when our mortgage markets collapsed last fall, and homebuyers increasingly turned to the FHA home loans for help, the potential consequences of these lapses in risk management became very clear.”
The agency has acted to lower risk over the past several months. It hired a chief risk officer to improve risk assessment; increased enforcement efforts that resulted in suspending some FHA mortgage lenders and withdrawing FHA-approval for many others; and strengthened underwriting, including instituting FHA loan procedures that should improve appraisal accuracy.
“Charging more [for those with lower FICO scores] is not necessarily the answer,” said the HUD secretary. “It could even work against it by making it harder for FHA mortgage applicants to pay off their FHA home loans.”
Besides that, Donovan expressed a real reluctance for the idea of FHA mortgage loans becoming an even bigger player in the FHA mortgage market than it is now. Raising prices for borrowers with low FICO scores and lowering them for those with high scores could put the FHA in direct competition with private FHA mortgage lenders for the lower risk borrowers.
FHA -loan risk has also declined, some industry analysts believe, thanks to the drastic improvement in the quality of borrowers it services. According to Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage industry information, their average credit score has jumped to 693 from the low 600s two years ago.
Janis Bowdler, a director for the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic civil rights organization, said, “According to the FHA, had loans not been made using seller down payment assistance programs, known for being a haven for fraud and abuse, its capital reserve ratio would still be at the recommended 2%.”
She emphasized how important affordable FHA loans are to the minority community, which accounts for a much larger share of these mortgages than the greater mortgage market.
Ann Schnare, a partner with Empiris, an economic consulting firm and a veteran mortgage industry figure, said she thinks the agency could take a few small steps, like increasing the down payment requirement, to ensure the account’s viability.
“While FHA mortgage are required to put 3.5% down, they are also allowed to finance the up-front premium and a portion of their closing costs,” she said. “The net result is that many FHA borrowers are in a zero or even negative equity position the moment they move into their homes. This dramatically increases the risk of foreclosure, particularly in a bad economic environment and a weak or declining housing market.”
She also recommends an slight increase in monthly insurance premiums to build up the reserve fund.
Donovan said stepped up enforcement itself could help restore the Capital Reserve Account. Most of the projected losses over the next five years, 71%, will come from loans already on the books. Many of those loans were of poor quality due to negligence on the part of lenders.
He wants to go after those lenders to make them responsible for the losses the FHA suffered.
Since the 1930s, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has been helping Florida families become homeowners with a set of loan programs commonly known as FHA mortgage loans. Despite the longevity and popularity of these FHA loan programs, many would-be Florida homeowners really don’t understand the advantages to the FHA home loan.
The FHA is an agency of the Federal government that insures private FHA mortgage lenders against loss. FHA was Formed by congress in 1934. and FHA became part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Housing (HUD) in 1965. Today FHA acts as a buffer between FHA mortgage lenders by reducing their risk in issuing FHA loans as well as helping Florida mortgage applicants get FHA loan amounts they wouldn’t qualify for with traditional financing terms.
FHA loans are not just for Florida first time buyers and are available to everyone in Florida looking to purchase or refinance a Florida home. If refinancing a Florida home the current FHA loan Does NOT have to be an FHA loan.
The most popular FHA mortgage loan program nationwide is the FHA 203(b). The FHA home loan that only requires Florida homebuyers come up with a minimum of 3.5% down payment from the Florida buyer and permits 100% of their money needed to close to be a gift from a relative, non-profit organization, or government agency.
Today, FHA home loans play a critical role in financing for Florida minority mortgage applicants and Florida first time home buyers, borrowers who have troubled credit history, and Florida first time homebuyers who have little money to put down on a home. Other advantages to FHA home loans include:
Florida FHA Mortgage Loan Providing mortgage solutions for those looking for an FHA loan in Florida!
Florida home buyers should know the many advantages of the FHA mortgage loan programs. FHA loans were created to help increase home ownership. For the Florida home buyer the FHA program can simplify the purchase of a home, making financing easier and less expensive than a conventional mortgage loan product. Some highlights of the Florida FHA loan program include:
Minimal Down Payment and Closing costs.
Down payment less than 3% of Sales Price Gifts are allowed Seller can credit up to 6% of sales price towards closing and prepaid costs. 100% Financing available No reserves required. FHA regulated closing costs.
Easier Credit Qualifying Guidelines such as:
No minimum FICO score or credit score requirements. FHA will allow a home purchase 1 year after a Bankruptcy. FHA will allow a home purchase2 years after a Foreclosure.
www.ScottChristiansen.com 949-887-6672 Specializing in California Home Loans and Home Loans in California Refinance and Mortgage Loans Home Loans CA Loans California Mortgage Home Loans http First Time Home Buyer Programs Video Rating: 0 / 5
Since the 1930s, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has been helping Florida families become homeowners with a set of loan programs commonly known as FHA mortgage loans. Despite the longevity and popularity of these FHA loan programs, many would-be Florida homeowners really don’t understand the advantages to the FHA home loan.
The FHA is an agency of the Federal government that insures private FHA mortgage lenders against loss. FHA was Formed by congress in 1934. and FHA became part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Housing (HUD) in 1965. Today FHA acts as a buffer between FHA mortgage lenders by reducing their risk in issuing FHA loans as well as helping Florida mortgage applicants get FHA loan amounts they wouldn’t qualify for with traditional financing terms.
FHA loans are not just for Florida first time buyers and are available to everyone in Florida looking to purchase or refinance a Florida home. If refinancing a Florida home the current FHA loan Does NOT have to be an FHA loan.
The most popular FHA mortgage loan program nationwide is the FHA 203(b). The FHA home loan that only requires Florida homebuyers come up with a minimum of 3.5% down payment from the Florida buyer and permits 100% of their money needed to close to be a gift from a relative, non-profit organization, or government agency.
Today, FHA home loans play a critical role in financing for Florida minority mortgage applicants and Florida first time home buyers, borrowers who have troubled credit history, and Florida first time homebuyers who have little money to put down on a home. Other advantages to FHA home loans include:
Florida FHA Mortgage Loan Providing mortgage solutions for those looking for an FHA loan in Florida!
Florida home buyers should know the many advantages of the FHA mortgage loan programs. FHA loans were created to help increase home ownership. For the Florida home buyer the FHA program can simplify the purchase of a home, making financing easier and less expensive than a conventional mortgage loan product. Some highlights of the Florida FHA loan program include:
Minimal Down Payment and Closing costs.
Down payment less than 3% of Sales Price Gifts are allowed Seller can credit up to 6% of sales price towards closing and prepaid costs. 100% Financing available No reserves required. FHA regulated closing costs.
Easier Credit Qualifying Guidelines such as:
No minimum FICO score or credit score requirements. FHA will allow a home purchase 1 year after a Bankruptcy. FHA will allow a home purchase2 years after a Foreclosure.
The federal FHA mortgage insurer’s reserve fund has slipped below its mandated minimum. Now the FHA and some lawmakers want to raise the minimum requirements-
FHA loan Advantages Include:
Minimal Down Payment and Closing Costs.
Down payment less than 3.5% of Sales Price Gift for down payment and closing costs allowed. No reserves or required. FHA regulated closing costs. Seller can credit up to 6% of sales price towards buyers costs.
Easier Credit Qualifying Guidelines such as:
Minimum FICO credit score of 540. FHA will allow a home purchase 2 years after a Bankruptcy. FHA will allow a home purchase 3years after a Foreclosure.
Easier Debt Ratio & Job Requirement Guidelines such as:
Higher Debt Ratio’s than other home loan programs. Less than two years on the job is allowed. Self-Employed individuals o.k.
Should it be more expensive to get a FHA mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration?
That is the question the House Financial Services Committee examined on Wednesday afternoon.
Currently, FHA home loans comprise more than 30% of the entire mortgage loan market. But as some of those FHA insured loans have defaulted, the FHA mortgage loan-guarantee fund has slipped below the Congressionally mandated 2% level. As a result, some lawmakers are suggesting that FHA mortgages need to be more expensive to obtain.
In fact, a House bill, the FHA Taxpayer Protection Act of 2009, would increase the FHA loan minimum down payment required to obtain an FHA loan to 5% from 3.5%. That, sponsor Rep. Scott Garrett, R, N.J., believes, would make FHA mortgage applicants more committed to maintaining their FHA home loans.
Almost 90% of FHA mortgage loans issued between January and August 2009 had FHA Home loan-to-value (LTV) ratios of 96 or higher, according to written testimony from Robert Story, chairman of the FHA Mortgage Bankers Association. That amounts to a very small commitment on the parts of FHA mortgage applicants.
Housing and Urban Development secretary Shaun Donovan’s testimony said he is committed to raising the expense of utilizing FHA mortgage loans, though the agency and is still exploring the best options and doesn’t necessarily support raising the FHA down payment requirement.
“We have made the decision to exercise our authority to increase FHA’s up-front cash requirement that a borrower has to bring to the table in an FHA insured home loan — to make sure that FHA mortgage applicants have more ‘skin in the game’ and a stronger equity position in their FHA home loan,” he said.
Still, he added, “FHA is not ‘the next subprime’ as some have suggested.”
He disputed Garrett’s statistics that tried to make the case for increasing down payments. Garrett said that FHA home loans with loan-to-value ratios of 100 were twice as likely to fail as those with LTVs of 95.
Donovan responded that many of those failed 100 LTV loans involved seller-supported down payment programs, which contributed disproportionately to delinquencies. Last year Congress prohibited those FHA mortgage programs.
Donovan outlined three options for raising FHA borrowers’ skin in the game:
Increase the down payment requirement, currently at a minimum of 3.5%; Raise the up front premium insurance premium from 1.75% to as much as 3%, which the FHA already has the authority to do; and Decrease the allowable seller concessions for closing costs, which are now 6%, to 3%.
Critics of increasing the up front borrowing costs claim it’s both unnecessary and could imperil the weak housing market recovery.
“While the FHA mortgage program is experiencing shortfalls in its excess reserves due to our economic crisis, The FHA mortgage remains financially strong and a critical part of our nation’s economic recovery,” said Vicki Cox Colder, president of the National Association of Realtors, in her written testimony before the committee.
Besides, she added, “It is important to recognize that this is not FHA’s only reserve fund. FHA also has a Financing Account separate from the Capital Reserve. FHA’s actual total reserves are higher than they have ever been with combined assets of .4 billion. This is an increase of 13% over the previous year.”
Donovan acknowledged problems at FHA, including antiquated systems and equipment and inadequate personnel numbers.
“Little of this may have been obvious when FHA’s mortgage market share was 3% as recently as 2006,” he said in his statement. “But when our mortgage markets collapsed last fall, and homebuyers increasingly turned to the FHA home loans for help, the potential consequences of these lapses in risk management became very clear.”
The agency has acted to lower risk over the past several months. It hired a chief risk officer to improve risk assessment; increased enforcement efforts that resulted in suspending some FHA mortgage lenders and withdrawing FHA-approval for many others; and strengthened underwriting, including instituting FHA loan procedures that should improve appraisal accuracy.
“Charging more [for those with lower FICO scores] is not necessarily the answer,” said the HUD secretary. “It could even work against it by making it harder for FHA mortgage applicants to pay off their FHA home loans.”
Besides that, Donovan expressed a real reluctance for the idea of FHA mortgage loans becoming an even bigger player in the FHA mortgage market than it is now. Raising prices for borrowers with low FICO scores and lowering them for those with high scores could put the FHA in direct competition with private FHA mortgage lenders for the lower risk borrowers.
FHA -loan risk has also declined, some industry analysts believe, thanks to the drastic improvement in the quality of borrowers it services. According to Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage industry information, their average credit score has jumped to 693 from the low 600s two years ago.
Janis Bowdler, a director for the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic civil rights organization, said, “According to the FHA, had loans not been made using seller down payment assistance programs, known for being a haven for fraud and abuse, its capital reserve ratio would still be at the recommended 2%.”
She emphasized how important affordable FHA loans are to the minority community, which accounts for a much larger share of these mortgages than the greater mortgage market.
Ann Schnare, a partner with Empiris, an economic consulting firm and a veteran mortgage industry figure, said she thinks the agency could take a few small steps, like increasing the down payment requirement, to ensure the account’s viability.
“While FHA mortgage are required to put 3.5% down, they are also allowed to finance the up-front premium and a portion of their closing costs,” she said. “The net result is that many FHA borrowers are in a zero or even negative equity position the moment they move into their homes. This dramatically increases the risk of foreclosure, particularly in a bad economic environment and a weak or declining housing market.”
She also recommends an slight increase in monthly insurance premiums to build up the reserve fund.
Donovan said stepped up enforcement itself could help restore the Capital Reserve Account. Most of the projected losses over the next five years, 71%, will come from loans already on the books. Many of those loans were of poor quality due to negligence on the part of lenders.
He wants to go after those lenders to make them responsible for the losses the FHA suffered.
