As most of you already know President Obama has already initiated a 10 basis point increase on all loans administered by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the FHA. As far as FHA loans are concerned this change will be implemented by an increase of 10 basis points to the annual MIP Premium. In addition to this increase, HUD will be adding an additional 25 basis points to FHA loans that exceed the 625k loan amount for a total of a 35 basis point increase. HUD also discussed the high likely hood of adding another, yet to be determined, sum top of all of this to help shore up the depleted FHA MIP fund.

What does this mean to you?

What this all means is there will be a material increase to FHA financing, especially for loan amounts that exceed $625k (do not worry, Butte County’s FHA Loan limits remain at $400,000) and will go into effect in April of 2012. There will be a mortgagee letter released within the next couple weeks to cover all of these details.

**If you have buyers that are planning to utilize FHA financing to acquire a new home, it would be a good idea to get these fence sitter’s to consider acting on their financing needs before these changes are implemented in April 2012.**

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This past Valentine’s Day, HUD announced a new change for the real estate market. For FHA Loan case numbers on or after April 18, 2011 there will be an annual Mortgage Insurance Premium increase of 25 basis points. The upfront MIP will remain the same at 1%. Any case number that is uninsured by this date will also be cancelled by FHA, with some exceptions.

What This Means

Mortgage Insurance is accumulated contingent upon loans defaulting causing loss. 15 and 30 year loans for single family mortgages will have an insurance increase of a quarter of a percent (.25).  The higher the monthly costs, the lower the loan amounts and offers for buyers. However, this means a higher income is needed for buyers and it also means less for sellers.  As of right now, FHA mortgages are low down payments and therefore a prime option for families of low income, this increase is a strategy for the economy due to the National Housing Act’s MMIF. Here is a reason for the increase given 4 days after:

“We determined it was necessary to increase the annual mortgage insurance premium at this time in order to bolster our capital reserves and to help private capital return to the housing market…Raising the annual premium will enable FHA to increase revenues and have a positive effect on the ongoing stability of the MMI fund, which had capital reserves of approximately $3.6 billion at the end of FY 2010…This quarter point increase in the annual MIP is a responsible step towards meeting the two percent threshold, while allowing FHA to remain the most cost effective mortgage insurance option for borrowers with lower incomes and lower down payments.” – David H. Stevens, Assistant Secretary for Housing/Federal Housing Commissioner

→ At the same time, this move is expected to help FHA and therefore keep it from having intervention, which in a market full of tight guidelines is a good thing.

Check Your Pre Approvals

• 1.15 - 0.9 – = .25 point
• Per $100,000 x .25% = $250 divided by 12 months = $20.83 per month
• $20.83 a month using a 5% interest rate equals 3,880.87  per $100,000 less buying power on your loan amount.

 Illustrations of the Increase

Information From HUD

http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/hudclips/letters/mortgagee/files/11-10ml.pdf
http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=fromthedeskof021811.pdf

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What Are 203(k) Loans?

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insures loans that enable home buyers to finance 96.5% of acquisition costs PLUS the cost to renovate the home.  So, if you’re interested in buying a foreclosed property that has had the carpets removed, that doesn’t have a front door, or needs some nice fixing up, than this loan will enable you to do so.  And the escrow can close before any of the work starts!

Writing An Offer

You definitely want to write your offer to include the verbage, “seller is aware that buyer is obtaining an FHA 203(k) loan.”  This is important, as the seller, and Listing Agent, need to know that you understand that the property needs some rehabilitation attention, if it’s not included, than the seller may not take your offer seriously; as they know the property is dilapidated.

FHA’s 203(k) Loan Attention To Detail

You’ll definitely will want to get your ducks in a row, on this loan.  It’s not only important for you to have your documentation ready, but you’ll be working with a general contractor that needs to pay specific attention to details, as well.  One example is a general contractor’s insurance needs to be updated…almost always.  The renovation must start within 2 weeks of the escrow closing.  All of the work must be completed within six months.  So, if the general contractor’s insurance is set to expire in seven months, from your loan application date, you can see that this could be an issue.  Simple answers to these types of dilemmas, are exactly why you want to use a knowledgeable Mortgage Banker, like Access Real Estate Lending.

You Will Want To Be Very Organized

What You’ll Need

Click on this link, and it will take you to a list of everything you’ll need to gather, including what your general contractor will need to provide.

We’re ringing it in with a new radio segment. Listen why Danny Salas thinks FHA 203K Loans are a good opportunity for Buyers and Agents.

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In the past, if you had an unpermitted addition on your property we would have to remove the unpermitted area from the GLA (gross living area) square footage and also price the loan on a Standard 30 Year Fixed Rate Loan, or a government sponsored FHA Loan, with a significant additional cost.  Well, now, Access Real Estate Lending, through one of our wholesale partners, is able to leave the square footage in the GLA and also keep our best interest rate pricing!!

 Single Family Properties with unpermitted room additions are acceptable as described below.

All of the following must apply:

• The appraiser must comment that the addition or conversion was completed in a workmanlike manner and that there is not any impairment to the soundness, structural integrity or livability of the property.
• The room addition must conform to the rest of the property.
• The addition or garage conversion cannot cause the subject property to be in violation of zoning.  The appraisal must indicate that the zoning is legal and may not include any comments that the zoning of the property has been jeopardized. 

• The square footage of the addition may be included in the appraised value.  A garage or porch conversion may be appraised as originally intended or as currently used, depending on the comparable sales.  Example:  If garage conversions are typical for the area as evidenced by comps, the conversion may be appraised as it is currently used.  If garage conversions are not typical for the area the conversion should be appraised as a garage.
• The hazard insurance policy must clearly show that the entire square footage of the subject property, including the unpermitted addition, is included in the policy. 

Examples

Room Addition Example:  If the property was a 3 bedroom property and another bedroom has been added and the property is being appraised as a 4 bedroom property, the hazard insurance policy must clearly insure the total square footage of all living space, including the addition.

Garage Conversion Examples:  If the property is being appraised with the garage conversion being valued as a bedroom, the hazard insurance policy must clearly insure the total square footage of all living space. 

If the garage conversion is being valued as a garage, then the hazard insurance policy need only insure the area as a garage.

NOTE:  The hazard insurance policy does not need to indicate that there is an unpermitted addition or garage conversion, but the square footage that we are lending on must be covered by the policy.

 NOTES FOR GARAGE CONVERSIONS: 

Zoning:  Local ordinances and/or municipality requirements may obligate a property to have covered garage storage.  This is more common in PUDs and gated communities.  It is the responsibility of the appraiser to check for this type of requirement; however, it is the underwriter’s responsibility to thoroughly review the appraisal to ensure the property’s zoning is compliant. 

 Ineligible Scenarios

The following scenarios are not eligible under any circumstance:

• Room additions are not eligible on 2-4 unit properties.  All properties must be single family properties and the addition may not result in the property converting to a multi-unit property, etc.
• Additions that result in extra living units, also known as accessory units or granny flats, etc. are not eligible.   

Related Must Reads

FHA-Why It’s King

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Beginning October 4, 2010, FHA is requiring FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums on all loans with case numbers assigned on or after this date, per HUD Mortgagee Letter 2010-28.

The Changes

FHA will decrease the Up Front Mortgage Insurance Premium (UFMIP) from 2.25 to 1.00 percent while ALSO increasing the monthly Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP) from .55 up to .90 percent.

What This Means

For the most refinancing FHA homeowners and home buyers, this MIP change is neutral— just different.  To carry each month, loans will COST MORE; However, procuring will be LESS COSTLY. It is a compromise that should help steady and recapitalize the government group.

Contact Access Real Estate Lending today to see if a FHA Streamline Refinance will work for you!

*Change to FHA MORTGAGE Insurance Premiums was originally to change September 7, 2010.

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Greece's Financial Problems Benefiting US Treasuries...AGAIN

Treasury Auctions “Bid” Well

The Treasury Department conducted its $21 Billion 10-Year Note Auction, yesterday, and the results were surprisingly positive.  Just like your credit risk score, think of it this way; the world is looking at the United States’ “credit risk score,” (FICO Score) and if the world thinks that the US FICO Score is below 740, than interest rates will be higher…So, that’s why it’s so surprising that the auctions have gone well this week. What’s helped?  Greece!  As the market prepares for Greece’s financial woes, again, money pours out of Stocks and back into safe-havens, like U.S. Treasuries.  I’ll take it!

Uncle Sam’s FICO Score

So, why would you expect the United States to have such a low FICO Score?  Think of this:  The US is borrowing and spending like never before.  And there is no exit strategy, or plan, to reduce this spending, or huge deficit.  So, that’s why it’s so curious, as to why the world is interested in our notes.  We’re a big risk…however, when looking at Europe, they seem more of a risk, at times…so, makes sense that money would pour into the safe-haven of U.S. Treasuries.

FHA Apps On The Rise

The Mortgage Bankers of America released the mortgage application index for the week ended April 2, 2010, earlier this morning. They said demand for home purchases squirmed out a 0.2% gain for the period while refinance applications plummeted 16.9%. According to the MBA nearly half of all applications to buy homes were for government loans – the highest share since February 1990.

Fed Minutes Results

Inflation seems to be less of a concern, recently.  According to the Federal Open Market Committee’s Minutes, from their latest meeting, “at the current juncture, the risks to an early start to policy tightening exceed those associated with a later start.”  So, keeping rates low, for the time being, is where the Fed wants to stay.  That’s great news for our current interest rate status, however, managing that risk is, well…risky…as inflation is out there somewhere…and rates will have to increase to manage those inflationary risks…when to pull that trigger, is the position that I’m glad Good ‘Ole Ben Bernanke holds, as opposed to me!

Alan Greenspan Speaks

Our former Fearless Fed Policy Chairman, Alan Greenspan, spoke with The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission on Capital Hill, indicating that the latest credit crisis is, “the most virulent global financial crisis, ever,” and he’s suggesting that more regulation be in place, in the future, so that nothing like this ever happens again.  Smart!  Always liked Greenspan!

Jobless Claims Increase

The weekly Jobless Claims numbers rose 18,000 to 460,000.  435,000 claims were expected.  This brings me to the fact the Fed indicated, in their minutes, that, “Activity in the Housing Sector appears to have flattened out in recent months…”  My point, here, is that housing will continue to suffer, until the job sector gets better.  Continuing Claims moved lower to 4.6 Million, however, keep in mind that the Emergency Unemployment Benefactors are increasing to a current number of 5.6 Million.  So, 10.2 Million people are receiving some sort of unemployment compensation.  So, lower interest rates isn’t exactly the best solution to moving property…the employment situation is!

Up, Up and Away In My Beautiful U.S. Treasury Security

Locking Advice

Floating into the day makes total sense.  The gettin’s good, again.  While Greece and Europe suffer, our interest rates benefit.  So, we’ll float, for now.

Related Must Reads

Greece’s Financial Woes…When It Started
Type “Greece” into the “Search Site” Engine Above…to Follow What’s Been Happening in Greece

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St. John discussed the reason banks are having more difficulty closing loans, these days.  He also talked about reasons why banks are slowly releasing their foreclosure inventory, as opposed to releasing it all at once.  Another key subject he talked about was where the lending and real estate industry is expected to go, through the remainder of 2010 and even into 2011.

Some of the positive points, brought up by St. John, were that even though the United States Government would stop buying Mortgage-Backed Securities, at the end of March, Freddie Mac felt as though there were many investors, sitting on the sideline, waiting to get into the market, and purchase these investments.  Therefore, even though rates are expected to move upwardly, resulting from this buying halt, it shouldn’t be too worrisome; as these investors haven’t been on the sidelines for years, and now we’re seeing them start to sit on the sidelines.  Another positive point was that Mortgage Insurance Companies are starting to become more flexible with their underwriting guidelines, and even have relaxed their loan amounts, compared to real estate prices, in Santa Cruz County.  This could just be a precursor to the rest of California.  ”It’s been difficult to obtain conventional financing with less than 10% Down (excluding FHA loans), until this recent development, in Santa Cruz.  It’s quite promising,” stated Salas.

St. John noted the lending industry saw about $3.5 Billion in loans, in 2009, while the industry expects anywhere from $1.3 – $1.6 Billion for 2010.  Eighty percent of these loans will be first-time home buyers.  ”What’s interesting about the eighty percent figure,” stated Salas, “is that seventy percent, of that eighty percent, is categorized as ‘first-time home buyers,’ because the industry’s definition of ‘first-time’ is somebody who hasn’t owned a home in the last three years.  So, people who owned a home, then lost it during the mortgage credit crisis, will be eligible to purchase another home, with only 3.5% down (FHA).  It’s an interesting situation, as these buyers were of the old-style qualification standards, and they’ll have to be ready to understand that loan qualifications have changed.  But, we’re ready to educate them.”

Scott St. John indicated, “financing a home, using FHA, will become more difficult, unless using a HUD Approved FHA Direct Lender, like Access Real Estate Lending.”  As one of the areas premier mortgage bankers, Access has financed over $665 Million in loans, in just ten short years.  ”We’re excited about the future, about the Chico Market, and that Scott St. John would come to our wonderful community, enjoy Sierra Nevada Brewing Company’s Big Room, and say such wonderful compliments about Access Real Estate Lending.  We’re quite honored.”

1.75% Financed Premuim Is Going Away

Per HUD Mortgagee Letter 2010-02, the upfront mortgage insurance premium for FHA loans will increase to 2.25% on all loans for which the case number is assigned on or after April 5, 2010.