FHA Mortgages
FHA requires a mortgage insurance premium (MIP) for its home buying programs. An up-front premium of 1.50% of the loan amount is paid at closing and can be financed into the mortgage amount. In addition, there is a monthly MIP amount included in the PITI of .50%. Condos do not require up front MIP - only monthly MIP.
The mortgage insurance premium paid on an FHA loan is always significantly higher than on a conventional program. On an FHA loan the borrower will be charged a mortgage insurance premium equal to 1.50% of the purchase price of the property and a renewal premium of .500% in subsequent years. By contrast the mortgage insurance premium charged at closing on a conventional program is as low as .500% (with 10% down payment) with renewal rate in subsequent years as low as .300%.
Streamline Refinancing for FHA Mortgages
FHA has permitted streamline refinances on insured mortgages since the early 1980's. The streamline refers only to the amount of documentation and underwriting that needs to be performed by the mortgage company, and does not mean that there are no costs involved in the transaction.
The basic requirements of a streamline refinance are:
- The mortgage to be refinanced must already be FHA insured.
- The mortgage to be refinanced should be current (not delinquent).
- The refinance is to result in a lowering of the borrower's monthly principal and interest payments.
- No cash may be taken out on mortgages refinanced using the streamline refinance process.
Companies may offer streamline refinances in several ways. Some companies offer "no cost" refinances (actually, no out-of-pocket expenses to the borrower) by charging a higher rate of interest on the new loan than if the borrower financed or paid the closing costs in cash. From this premium, the company pays any closing costs that are incurred on the transaction.
Companies may offer streamline refinances and include the closing costs into the new mortgage amount. This can only be done if there is sufficient equity in the property, as determined by an appraisal. Streamline refinances can also be done without appraisals, but the new loan amount cannot exceed what is currently owed, i.e., closing costs may not be added to the new mortgage with those costs either paid in cash or through the premium rate as described above. Investment properties (properties in which the borrower does not reside as his or her principal residence) may only be refinanced without an appraisal, and thus closing costs may not be included in the new mortgage amount.
FHA Loan Limits
FHA has maximum loan amounts, which vary from one county to another. It is critical that the borrower's loan amount, including financed closing costs, not exceed the maximum set by FHA for the county in which the subject property is located. There are no income limits on FHA loans.
FHA Mortgage Insurance
FHA's mortgage insurance programs help low- and moderate-income families become homeowners by lowering some of the costs of their mortgage loans. FHA mortgage insurance also encourages mortgage companies to make loans to otherwise creditworthy borrowers and projects that might not be able to meet conventional underwriting requirements, by protecting the mortgage company against loan default on mortgages for properties that meet certain minimum requirements--including manufactured homes, single-family and multifamily properties, and some health-related facilities.
Section 203(b) is the centerpiece of FHA's single-family insurance programs. It is the successor of the program that helped save homeowners from default in the 1930s, that helped open the suburbs for returning veterans in the 1940s and 1950s, and that helped shape the modern mortgage finance system. Today, FHA One- to Four-Family Mortgage Insurance is still an important tool through which the Federal Government expands home ownership opportunities for first-time homebuyers and other borrowers who would not otherwise qualify for conventional loans on affordable terms, as well as for those who live in underserved areas where mortgages may be harder to get. In FY 1997, FHA insured more than 790,000 homes, valued at almost $60 billion, under this program. FHA currently insures a total of about 7 million loans valued at nearly $400 billion. These obligations are protected by FHA's Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund, which is sustained entirely by borrower premiums.
Section 203(b) has several important features:
- Down Payment Requirements Can Be Low
- In contrast to conventional mortgage products, which frequently require down payments of 10 percent or more of the purchase price of the home, single-family mortgages insured by FHA under Section 203(b) make it possible to reduce down payments to as little as 3 percent. This is because FHA insurance allows borrowers to finance approximately 97 percent of the value of their home purchase through their mortgage, in some cases.
- Many Closing Costs Can Be Financed
- With most conventional loans, the borrower must pay, at the time of purchase, closing costs (the many fees and charges associated with buying a home) equivalent to 2-3 percent of the price of the home. This program allows the borrower to finance many of these charges, thus reducing the up-front cost of buying a home. FHA mortgage insurance is not free: borrowers pay an up-front insurance premium (which may be financed) at the time of purchase, as well as monthly premiums that are not financed, but instead are added to the regular mortgage payment.
- Some Fees are Limited
- FHA rules impose limits on some of the fees that mortgage companies may charge in making a loan. For example, the loan origination fee charged by the mortgage company for the administrative cost of processing the loan may not exceed one percent of the amount of the mortgage.
- HUD Sets Limits on the Amount That May Be Insured
- To make sure that its programs serve low- and moderate-income people, FHA sets limits on the dollar value of the mortgage loan.
FHA ARM Mortgages
- What is the purpose of this program?
- Provides mortgage insurance for a person to purchase or refinance a principal residence at a lower initial interest rate. The mortgage loan is funded by a lending institution, such as a mortgage company, bank, savings and loan association and the mortgage is insured by HUD.
- What are the eligibility requirements?
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- Borrower must meet standard FHA credit qualifications.
- Borrower is eligible for approximately 97% financing. Borrower is able to finance closing costs and the uppermost mortgage insurance premium into the mortgage. The borrower will also be responsible for paying an annual premium.
- ARMS can only be used in conjunction with Sections 203(b), 234(c), and 203(k).
- The index used to determine the interest rate is the U.S. Treasury Security adjusted to a constant maturity of one year.
- Eligible properties are one-to-four unit structures.