A mortgage issued by federally qualified lenders and insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). FHA loans are designed for low to moderate income borrowers who are unable to make a large down payment. FHA loans allow the borrower to borrow up to 96.5% of the value of the home. The 3.5% down payment requirement can come from a gift or a grant, which makes FHA loans popular with first-time buyers.
What Is An FHA Streamline Refinance?
If you already have an FHA mortgage then you might qualify for a FHA Streamline Refinance. An FHA Streamline Refinance is a great way for a borrower with an existing FHA backed mortgage to reduce their interest rate, reduce their payment or possibly both.
Here are some really cool facts about an FHA Streamline Refinance:
The Refinance Must Have A "Purpose"
Streamline Refinance applicants must demonstrate that there's a Net Tangible Benefit in the refinance or in other words a legitimate reason for refinancing. For Example:
Your Loan Balance May Not Increase To Cover The New Loan Costs
The FHA prohibits increasing a Streamline Refinance's loan balance to cover associated loan charges. The new loan balance may increase but only by the cost of the Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premium. All other costs -- origination charges, title charges, escrow -- must either be paid by the borrower as cash at closing, or credited by the loan officer in full.
These materials are not from HUD or FHA and were not approved by HUD or a government agency.
When shopping for a home, you may come across properties that aren’t quite what you’re looking for but have the potential to be your dream home with some repairs or renovations. With a renovation loan, you can roll the cost of financing or refinancing a home and repairs into one loan – saving you time and money.
Limited 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage
In addition to funding your new home, an FHA Limited 203(k) can provide up to $35,000 (including a contingency reserve) in additional funds to help make a few non-structural repairs or renovations such as updating a kitchen or bathroom, adding new flooring, purchasing new appliances, or repairing the roof.
Standard 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage
If your potential dream home needs more than $35,000 in renovations or the repairs are structural, the Standard FHA 203(k) might be the right solution. This program removes the restrictions of the limited option to allow for major home remodeling. A Standard FHA 203(k) can provide additional funds* to help with eligible repairs including moving or removing walls, minor pool repairs, and landscaping.
*Final disbursement of funds is subject to final inspection.
In 1991 the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) started offering rural development loans to encourage homebuyers to live in rural and suburban areas. The USDA did this to promote growth and boost the local economies of these areas by making land and property more affordable.
A USDA Loan is a mortgage loan that is insured by the US Department of Agriculture and available for qualified individuals who are purchasing or refinancing their home loan in an area that is not considered a major metropolitan area by USDA.
For borrowers that meet USDA loan requirements, they offer many benefits paired with relatively lenient approval requirements. Government backed and insured they offer:
So if you want to live in a suburban or rural area – generally with a population of 20,000 or less then a USDA loan may be your answer to owning your new home.
Generally these loans are available to anyone who meets minimum credit guidelines and local area income requirements and is purchasing a home or refinancing their home in an area that is not considered a major metropolitan area by USDA.
A mortgage loan program established by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to help veterans and their families obtain home financing. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not directly originate VA loans; instead, they establish the rules for those who may qualify, dictate the terms of the mortgages offered and insure VA loans against default. VA loans offer up to 100% financing on the value of a home. To apply for a VA loan, borrowers must present a certificate of eligibility, which establishes their record of military service, to the lender.
Mortgages that are not government-backed are known as conventional home loans.
They include:
Conforming loans conform to guidelines established by government-sponsored enterprises (GSE) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. They buy mortgages from lenders and sell them to investors to make mortgages more available.
Non-conforming loans are loans that do not conform to the GSE guidelines.
Jumbo loans are loans that are larger than the loan limits set by the GSEs.
Portfolio loans are loans that are held by mortgage lenders on their own books. These types of loans may have features that other loans do not because lenders can set their own guidelines.
Conventional Fixed Rate loan have interest rates that don’t change for the life of the loan.
Benefits of a Fixed Rate loan include:
Adjustable Rate Loans
With an adjustable rate loan, the interest rate changes periodically, usually in relation to an index and payments may go up or down accordingly.
Benefits of an Adjustable Rate loan include:
Considerations of an Adjustable Rate loan include:
Homeowners looking to decrease their interest rate, change their loan term, or take cash out may consider refinancing. A refinance calls for the homeowner to obtain another mortgage loan. Those funds are then used to pay off the original mortgage loan and the homeowner is then bound by the terms of the new mortgage. Depending on your situation a refinance loan could be a great option.
Along with decreasing your interest rate, refinance loans can also help you switch from an ARM to a FRM, and in some cases reduce your loan term.
Jumbo Loans are loans that exceed the conforming loan limits set by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), and is not eligible to be purchased, securitized, or guarenteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. A Jumbo Loan is for mortgages more than $484,350. It also offers 30 and 15 year fixed rate mortgage and competitive ARM products with full document, alternate documentation and limited documentation.
For Purchase transactions Jumbo Loans require the home-buyer to put down at least 20% of the purchase price of the home. Cash out and No cash out refinance are allowable.
Most Jumbo loan programs allow you to purchase single family detached, Condo's, PUD's and single-family second homes can be financed with no prepayment penalty.
If you are a first time home buyer and are limited with the amount of money you have to work with there are programs available with zero down (VA and USDA), or as little as 1% to 3% down (FHA and Conventional). The interest rates and closing costs vary on these programs. Once your personal situation is assessed the right program can be determined. Mortgage insurance is required when you have less than a 20% equity in your home. This fee is added to your payment and varies depending on the loan amount, the loan to value and your credit score. The fee can be eliminated in some instances by increasing the interest rate.