Mar 9, 2012 | Mortgage Guidelines
The FHA is making more changes to its flagship FHA Streamline Refinance program.
Beginning mid-June 2012, certain current, FHA-backed homeowners will be able to refinance their existing FHA mortgage into a new one, without having to pay the government-backed group’s new, costly mortgage insurance premium schedule.
Earlier this week, the FHA rolled out its new MIP schedule.
Beginning April 9, 2012, new FHA mortgages are subject to a 1.75% upfront mortgage insurance premium (UFMIP) and an annual mortgage insurance premium of up to 1.25% for loan sizes up to, and including, $625,500; or 1.60% for loan sizes exceeding $625,500.
Upfront MIP is typically added to the loan size as a lump sum. Annual MIP is paid via 12 monthly (more…)
Mar 2, 2012 | Mortgage Guidelines
Beginning April 1, 2012, the FHA is once again raising mortgage insurance premiums (MIP) on its newly-insured borrowers throughout Worcester County area and the country.
It’s the FHA’s fourth such increase in the last two years.
Beginning April 1, 2012, upfront mortgage insurance premiums will be higher by 75 basis points, or 0.75%; and annual mortgage insurance premiums will be higher by 10 basis points per year, or 0.10%.
For borrowers with a loan size of $200,000, the new MIP will add $1,500 in one-time loan costs, plus an on-going, annual $200 increase in total mortgage insurance premiums paid.
All new FHA loans are subject to the increase — purchases and refinances.
The FHA is increasing its (more…)
Feb 10, 2012 | Mortgage Guidelines
The government’s new, revamped HARP program is 6 weeks from release. Homeowners in Massachusetts and nationwide are gearing up to refinance.
HARP is an acronym. It stands for Home Affordable Refinance Program. HARP is the government’s loan product for “underwater homeowners”. HARP makes current mortgage rates available to households which would otherwise be unable to refinance because the home lacks equity.
This is a big deal — especially today. Mortgage rates are at an all-time low and millions of U.S. homeowners have been unable to take advantage. HARP aims to change that.
HARP originally launched in 2009. Its first iteration failed to reach a meaningful percentage of U.S. homeowners, however, because costs were high and loans were high-risk. With its re-release, the government has removed the hurdles to HARP, putting refinancing within reach for millions of U.S. households.
To qualify for HARP, homeowners must first meet 3 qualifying criteria.
First, their current mortgage must be backed Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. FHA- and VA-backed loans are HARP-ineligible, as are jumbo loans and loans backed by portfolio lenders.
- To check if your loan if Fannie Mae-backed, click here.
- To check if your loan if Freddie Mac-backed, click here.
Second, the existing mortgage must have been securitized by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac prior on, or before, May 31, 2009. If you bought your home or refinanced it after that date, you are HARP-ineligible.
There are no exceptions to this rule.
And, third, the existing mortgage must be accompanied by a strong repayment history. Mortgage payment must have been paid on-time for the last 6 months, at least, and there may not be more than one 30-day late payment in the last 12 months.
If these 3 qualifiers are met, HARP applicants should find the approval process straight-forward :
- Fixed rate mortgages allow unlimited loan-to-value
- The standard 7-year “waiting period” after a foreclosure is waived in full
- Except in rare cases, home appraisals aren’t required
Furthermore, HARP mortgage rates are expected to be on par with non-HARP rates, meaning that HARP homeowners in Worcester County area will get the same rates and pay the same fees as everyone else. There’s no “penalty” for using HARP.
The revamped HARP is expected to be generally available beginning Monday, March 19, 2012.
To get a head-start on HARP, check with your loan officer for the complete list of HARP eligibility requirements.
Feb 3, 2012 | Mortgage Guidelines
After a half-decade of tightening mortgage guidelines, banks are starting to “loosen up”.
The Federal Reserve conducts a quarterly survey of its member banks and, last quarter, not a single responding bank reported having tightened its mortgage guidelines for prime borrowers.
A “prime borrower” is defined as one with a well-documented credit history, high credit scores, and a low debt-to-income ratio.
53 banks responded to the Fed’s survey and none said that mortgage guidelines “tightened considerably” or “tightened somewhat” between September and December 2011; 50 said that guidelines remained “basicaly unchanged”; 3 said that guidelines “eased somewhat”.
Mortgage applicants sometimes remark that the mortgage approval process can be challenging. Last quarter’s Fed survey hints that looser standards are coming.
Not since before the recession have banks lowered mortgage approval standards like this and it bodes well for this year’s Worcester County area housing market. Real estate agents report that 1 in 3 home sale contracts fail with “declined mortgage applications” as a leading cause.
Looser mortgage lending standards should mean more home loan approvals for buyers, and fewer contract cancellations. This can spur the housing market forward.
Make note, though. “Looser standards” should not (more…)
Nov 25, 2011 | Mortgage Guidelines
A conforming mortgage is one that, literally, conforms to the mortgage guidelines as set forth by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Conforming mortgage guidelines are Fannie’s and Freddie’s eligibility standards; an underwriter’s series of check-boxes to determine whether a given loan should be approved.
Among the many traits of a conforming mortgage is “loan size”.
Each year, the government re-assesses its maximum allowable loan size based on “typical” housing costs nationwide. Loans that fall at, or below, this amount meet conforming mortgage guidelines. Loans in excess of this limit are known as “jumbo” loans. (more…)
Nov 22, 2011 | Mortgage Guidelines
After a brief return to lower, pre-2009 levels, FHA loan limits have been restored. As signed into law last Friday, maximum FHA loan limits are — once again — as high as $729,750.
The move creates additional mortgage financing possibilities in more than 650 U.S. counties, and promises to increase the FHA’s mortgage market share, which has grown from 6% in 2007 to roughly 30% today.
The change in FHA loan limits also marks the first time that FHA loan limits exceed those of conventional mortgage-backers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Conventional loans remain capped at a maximum of $625,500. (more…)
