Home buyers are typically advised to put at least 20% down for a mortgage. Coming up with that amount can seem almost impossible if you have little to no money left over after paying bills each month.

Fortunately, if you want to buy a house but are worried about coming up with the 20 percent down needed for a downpayment, you still have plenty of options. There are still plenty of programs that allow you to buy a home with a low down payment or even no money down in 2018. 

Here are some of the best programs that designed for homebuyers who don’t have a massive chunk of cash to put down at closing. Maybe one of these options will be the perfect solution to make your dreams come true. 

#1 VA Home Loans 

If you are a veteran, in the National Guard and Reserves or an active-duty service member, then you may qualify for a VA home loan. The VA offers 100 percent financing. So, you don’t need any money down. The VA does not require mortgage insurance. There is a funding fee, which must be paid by the borrower. However, the lender can roll the fee into the loan amount. The funding fee is typically 2.15 percent of the loan amount. 

#2 USDA Loans

The U.S.Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers a zero-down mortgage for low to moderate-income families. This program was created to help rural development. The loans are only available in towns that have populations of 10,000 or less. However, this is quite a large area. In fact, the USDA program covers more than 97 percent of the United States. Many eligible smaller towns are located right outside major cities.

The USDA program was designed for first-time home buyers although there are some exceptions to this rule. USDA loans do not require mortgage insurance. There is an upfront guarantee fee of one percent. The lender can roll this fee into the loan amount. 

#3 FHA Home Loans

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) provides one of the most popular low down payment mortgage options in the country.  Normally this loan product requires a minimum 3.5% down payment.  However, 100 percent of the down payment money can be a financial gift from a relative or a non-profit organization.  This allows a borrower to get into their home with no money down.

If you want, you can click here to watch a full recorded webinar about “Low Money Down Fixer Upper Loans” using the FHA203k program.

Owning a home is important to military veterans just like the majority of other consumers.  The Veteran’s Administration has provided an exceptional benefit for those who have served (or are currently serving) in any of the armed forces. And this VA Loan Program is helping thousands of service members achieve the goal of home ownership.

There are a number of questions that come up regarding the fees and qualifications of the VA Loan Program.  

What Are The Specific VA Fees?

Many veterans and active military personnel like the fact that VA loans don’t require private mortgage insurance (PMI). PMI has served as a thorn in the side countless home buyers who couldn’t manage a 20 percent down payment. The good news is that VA loans don’t requre mortgage insurance, even with no down payment at all.

To compensate for the absence of mortgage insurance, the government charges most borrowers a VA Funding Fee. Depending on individual circumstances and the type of funding you need (first-time home purchase versus refinance, for example), this fee can range from.5 percent to 3.3 percent of your mortgage amount.

Fortunately, applicants on disability and surviving spouses may be exempt from this requirement. 

Are There Any Administrative Concerns Regarding VA Home Loans?

VA loans are generally as easy to attain as any other government or conventional mortgage loan products, but they do have some unique qualifications to consider. These issues just need to be known and addressed appropriately throughout the transaction to ensure it goes smoothly.

For instance, if you and your spouse both serve in the military and you want to buy a home together, each of your VA entitlements must go through separate processing and approval procedures.

A VA loan also calls for a specific type of home appraisal called a Minimum Property Requirements (MPR) inspection. This should not be confused with the traditional home inspection. The MPR is the required appraisal by an independent VA appraiser. These appraisers typically dig into the home’s tiniest details, which can also be helpful by uncovering potential issues with the home.

Any home improvement or construction work currently under way may delay the approval process. You can minimize these issues by making sure that both your lender and your REALTOR have extensive experience in working with VA loans.

How Can A VA Loan Save Me Money?

Properly finessed, a VA loan for the right amount, and at the right interest rate, can edge out conventional loans. For instance, that VA Funding Fee, unwelcome as it might seem, could cost substantially less than the down payment you might otherwise put down on a conventional loan — without the need to pay mortgage insurance premiums for the first several years of your home ownership.

While the monthly mortgage payments might not look dramatically different on paper, even a savings of $100 a month can make an enormous difference to your financial health over the life of your mortgage loan.

VA loans can indeed provide some important benefits and buying power for our nation’s past and present military service professionals. Take the time to examine all your options so you can obtain the mortgage loan package that best serves your specific needs and goals.

Ultimately, however, you should probably sit down with a skilled mortgage professional who can run these numbers for you in detail and advise you on your wisest course of action.

U.S. military veterans have opportunities to enjoy some richly-deserved benefits in other aspects of their lives, including some special options for financing their homes. VA loans may give active military personnel, retired veterans, and sometimes surviving family members of veterans the ability to purchase homes that might not prove available to them through more conventional mortgage loans.

But the mere fact that you can do a thing doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. In some circumstances, military home seekers may find other types of loan options more amenable to their specific needs.

If you’ve decided to pursue a mortgage loan during or following your military career, you may want to examine these considerations before leaping into a VA loan application.

Loan Qualifications and Limits

A VA loan can open the door to home ownership for cash-strapped or credit-challenged military personnel who might otherwise struggle to get a conventional mortgage loan. This type of loan offers tremendous flexibility in qualifying factors such as credit scores and debt-to-income ratios; in fact, VA loans may come with no maximum debt ratio at all.

Potential For Zero Down Payment

Additionally, VA loans do not require the down payment typically needed for a more conventional or FHA loan. (The only other loan with no down payment requirement, the USDA loan, applies to rural areas and comes with some prohibitive income restrictions.)

The elimination of a mandatory down payment, coupled with the relaxed financial qualifications, can make a VA loan the most sensible choice for individuals who suffer from limited resources, “upside-down” credit and short credit histories.

Additional Qualifications To Consider

That said, VA loans usually impose some qualifications of their own — qualifications which may not appeal to some buyers. For one thing, a VA loan can only go toward the primary place of residence, not a summer cottage or second home. Military personnel who already own a home may therefore find this restriction a deal-breaker for their specific needs.

VA Loan Limits

VA loan amounts may also impose varying guaranty limits depending on where you live. The guaranty limit refers to your VA entitlement, the portion of your loan that escapes the down payment requirement.

In most counties, that limit currently levels off at 435,100, although in several major metropolitan markets it can range as high as 679,650. If you want to buy a more expensive home, you may end up making a down payment — potentially making your VA loan competitive against other loan options.

As always, your best move is to call your trusted mortgage professional to discuss the VA home loan option and find out if it’s the best option for you.

Are you current or former member of the US military service who is looking to buy a new home? If so, you will be pleased to know that there are some special mortgage programs that are open to you. Let’s take a look at five reasons why a mortgage backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs is an excellent choice when buying your new home.

You Can Borrow Up To 100% Of The Home’s Value

You read that correctly! VA-backed mortgages are available to you even if you choose to put no money towards your down payment. This can be a huge benefit for those individuals and families who are looking to buy a new home but don’t have a large chunk of cash on hand to fund the down payment. Instead, you can work with your VA mortgage advisor to get financing for the entire purchase price of your home.

You Can Qualify For A ‘Jumbo’ Loan

Depending on the real estate market in your city, the size of home you need and how luxurious you want it, you may need a larger mortgage. The great news is that there are ‘jumbo’ options available with VA-backed home loans. In some cases, you may qualify for over $1 million in mortgage financing, which is likely to put most homes in your area within reach.

You Can Avoid Mortgage Insurance Fees

Home buyers using a conventional mortgage with less than 20 percent down are typically required to buy private mortgage insurance or “PMI.” However, this is not a requirement with VA-backed mortgages. If you qualify for a VA home loan, this can save you a significant amount of money over the loan’s term.

You Can Accelerate Your Payments At No Cost

If you decide that you want to pay your VA mortgage off a bit faster by accelerating your payments, you can do so without incurring fees or penalties. For example, if you are gifted a large sum of money or have a significant income tax return, you can contribute that amount directly against your mortgage.

These are just a few of the many great reasons to explore using a VA-backed mortgage to fund your next home purchase. For more information about VA home loans and to see if you qualify, contact your trusted mortgage professionals today.

Home buyers are typically advised to put at least 20% down for a mortgage. Coming up with that amount can seem almost impossible if you have little to no money left over after paying bills each month.

Fortunately, if you want to buy a house but are worried about coming up with the 20 percent down needed for a downpayment, you still have plenty of options. There are still plenty of programs that allow you to buy a home with a low down payment or even no money down in 2018. 

Here are some of the best programs that designed for homebuyers who don’t have a massive chunk of cash to put down at closing. Maybe one of these options will be the perfect solution to make your dreams come true. 

#1 VA Home Loans 

If you are a veteran, in the National Guard and Reserves or an active-duty service member, then you may qualify for a VA home loan. The VA offers 100 percent financing. So, you don’t need any money down. The VA does not require mortgage insurance. There is a funding fee, which must be paid by the borrower. However, the lender can roll the fee into the loan amount. The funding fee is typically 2.15 percent of the loan amount. 

#2 USDA Loans

The U.S.Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers a zero-down mortgage for low to moderate-income families. This program was created to help rural development. The loans are only available in towns that have populations of 10,000 or less. However, this is quite a large area. In fact, the USDA program covers more than 97 percent of the United States. Many eligible smaller towns are located right outside major cities.

The USDA program was designed for first-time home buyers although there are some exceptions to this rule. USDA loans do not require mortgage insurance. There is an upfront guarantee fee of one percent. The lender can roll this fee into the loan amount. 

#3 FHA Home Loans

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) provides one of the most popular low down payment mortgage options in the country.  Normally this loan product requires a minimum 3.5% down payment.  However, 100 percent of the down payment money can be a financial gift from a relative or a non-profit organization.  This allows a borrower to get into their home with no money down.

If you want, you can click here to watch a full recorded webinar about “Low Money Down Fixer Upper Loans” using the FHA203k program.

Before an owner can market a property to buyers that want to use a FHA loan, he will want to familiarize himself with the FHA’s standards. FHA won’t insure loans on just any property.

While their standards aren’t as stringent as they used to be, a home needs to be in relatively good condition to qualify for FHA financing.

Location and Lot

To qualify for FHA financing, the property has to be located on a road or easement that lets the owner freely enter and exit. The access also has to be paved with a surface that will work all year — a long dirt driveway that washes out in spring won’t qualify.

The FHA also wants the lot to be safe and free of pollution, radiation and other hazards. For that matter, it also needs to provide adequate drainage to keep water away from the house.

Property Exterior

The FHA’s requirements for making a loan start with the home’s roof. To pass muster, the house must have a watertight roof with some future life left. In addition, if the roof has three or more layers of old shingles, they must all be torn off as part of the replacement process.

The property’s exterior has to be free of chipped or damaged paint if the home has any risk of having lead paint. Its foundation should also be free of signs of exterior (and interior) damage. It also needs full exterior walls.

Property Interior

The property’s interior also needs to be inspected. FHA standards require that the home’s major systems be in good working order. Bedrooms should have egress routes for fire safety and the attic and basement should be free of signs of water or mold damage.

The bottom line is that the FHA wants to make loans on homes that borrowers can occupy. This doesn’t mean that a home has to be in perfect condition to be sold to an FHA mortgage-using borrower. 

Contact your trusted mortgage professional to discuss these issues as well as any other questions regarding the sale of your home.

 

The FNMA HomeReady Program

Those who are involved in the mortgage industry must keep updated on changes to FHA, and Fannie Mae (FNMA) loans. Since loan limits and other changes are often made annually, keeping up with these changes helps make sure consumers get the right information at the time of their application.

Many of the changes for 2018 are modest, but still impact existing, and new homeowners.

Changes To Loan Limit Amounts

FHA loan limits change on an annual basis as per the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. Using this, the FHA is required to base the insured mortgage amounts on 115 percent of median housing prices by county.  While many counties in the United States did not see changes this year, 3,011 counties saw a change for loan applications submitted after January 1, 2018. These changes mean the upper loan limits in higher-priced markets increases to $679,650 and the lower limits are $294,515. These limits are for new home purchases and for refinancing existing FHA loans.

Another significant change which must be considered is what FHA or FNMA considers a conforming loan. In prior years, this amount was $424,100, it has now been increased to $453,100. This is important because for many homeowners, jumbo mortgages seem out of reach.

Changes To Down Payment Requirements

While FNMA did have a minimum requirement for down payment at five percent, FNMA and Freddie Mac are both offering three percent down payment programs in 2018. It is important to be aware that FNMA limits this program to those borrowers who intend to use the home as their primary residence. The following conditions must be met to qualify for the 97 percent loan to value program:

• The mortgage securing the property must be at a fixed rate
• The property must be a co-op, PUD, condo or other one-unit home.
• The property cannot be a manufactured home
• The borrower must intend to occupy the property as their primary residence
• One of the buyers cannot have owned a home in the last three years
• Loans must be equal to or less than $453,100
• Borrower’s credit score should be 620 or higher

FHA loans do require borrower to put down a minimum of 3.5 percent of their new mortgage. However, the also offer greater flexibility with credit requiring borrowers have a credit score of 580 and further allows the entire down payment to be gifted to the buyer. Borrowers with credit scores between 500 and 579 who can put down 10 percent are eligible for FHA mortgages.

Another important program FNMA offers is for first-time buyers. Specifically, the idea was to make owning a home easier for a larger market of buyers. This program offers some flexibility that standard FNMA loans do not offer including:

• Lower private mortgage insurance (PMI) rates
• 100 percent gifted down payments and closing costs
• 97 percent loan to value
• Co-borrower income may be used to qualify for a loan
• Household member income may be included, even if not a borrower
• Rental income and/or boarder income may help a borrower qualify
• Borrowers must complete a home buyer’s education course

These changes are significant for many borrowers and include some flexibility with income limits. Borrowers living in low-income areas face no maximum income limits. Borrowers in other areas cannot exceed 100 percent of the median income for the area.

Do Not Overlook FHA Streamline Refinance

Borrowers who have an existing FHA loan can take advantage of this program. Borrowers who changed jobs, have faced credit issues, or who have homes who lost some value may be able to refinance their home into a lower interest rate, or eliminate mortgage insurance premiums. To qualify, borrowers must be current on their mortgage payments, cannot have been late on their mortgage payments more than 30 days in 12 months, and have had their current mortgage for a minimum of 210 days. Because of this seasoning requirement, borrowers must have made six mortgage payments at the time of the refinancing.

Thanks to the flexibility of this program, borrowers need not worry about income verification, appraisals, or credit score. The refinance terms must benefit the borrower in a tangible way. For example, a borrower who currently has a six percent adjustable mortgage and now qualifies for a six percent fixed rate mortgage can demonstrate a tangible gain. Therefore, assuming they meet the other requirements, their mortgage would qualify for the streamline finance. For many borrowers, this could help significantly, particularly if their home has lost value, or they have suffered a temporary decrease in their income.

Mortgage programs change frequently making it imperative to verify all program requirements before presenting them to borrowers. Fortunately, FNMA and FHA are making home ownership attainable for more borrowers than ever before thanks to more flexible down payment options, credit scoring changes and increased loan limits.

FHA loans are becoming increasingly popular these days as potential homeowners may not able to qualify as easily for conventional mortgages.

The FHA insures some higher-risk loans, in turn allowing borrowers with low down payments and less than perfect credit to purchase homes and bolster the housing market.

However, while getting through the loan process with an FHA mortgage loan is not necessarily more difficult than with a conventional or conforming loan, there are some issues that you will want to be aware of.

Property Condition

You can’t buy just any property with a FHA loan, or any other loan for that matter. All lenders are concerned with the condition of a property, especially as it relates to livability and safety. 

Major deficiencies in a home will almost always be noted when the home is seen by the FHA appraiser. The appraiser must deem it to be livable, without any conditions that could jeopardize health or safety. 

Sometimes you can get the seller to make the needed repairs to pass the lender requirements. In other cases, you may want go an alternate route. The FHA 203K streamline loan allows you to borrow up to $35,000 for home repairs to bring the house up to code.

Low Appraisal

The primary role of the appraiser is to estimate it’s market value. These estimates are based on the property’s features and a comparison to similar properties that have sold recently. If the appraisal is low, the loan funding could fall through because the FHA underwriting guidelines (along with almost all conventional guidelines) will not let you borrow more than the home’s appraised value. You can, however, add to the amount you bring in to closing if you prefer to compensate for a low appraised value.

Rather than trying to scrape together a bigger down payment, you may want to take the information to the seller to renegotiate the purchase price. The seller will likely recognize that other buyers would be in the same boat, leading the seller to agree to a lower purchase price.

High Debt-to-Income Ratio

Debt to income ratios are a concern with virtually every type of mortgage loan on the market today. Your FHA loan may encounter a snag in the underwriting process if your total debt payments, including your new mortgage, would be a high percentage of your income.

FHA has an automated underwriting program called TOTAL Scorecard which uses an algorithm to determine a borrower’s qualification. The process is quick, and often you can make up for a high debt-to-income ratio with other compensating factors, like a larger down payment or a cash reserve of several months of mortgage payments.

If you have any questions regarding FHA loans or any other home financing questions, please give us a call!