How mortgages practice social distancing

 Loan Guidelines  Comments Off on How mortgages practice social distancing
Mar 272020
 

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

The realities of social distancing and shelter-in-place orders are impacting the real estate industry.  For those who are trying to buy or refinance a home, those realities could impact your ability to close your loan.  The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has taken notice and in response has instructed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to ease some of its loan guidelines in two areas.

With respect to appraisals, the FHFA recognized that a standard appraisal in which the appraiser visits and inspects the home is not consistent with virus containment measures.  Instead, Fannie and Freddie have agreed to accept appraisal alternatives with some conditions. For most purchase transactions, if the lender uses what’s called a desktop appraisal – for which the appraiser relies on public records, multiple listing service information, and other third-party data sources to identify the property characteristics – and the estimated value is within limits established by Fannie and Freddie, the lender won’t be held accountable for the value, which means the lender should be willing to close your loan.

With respect to employment, the FHFA recognized that many employers are either shut down or their employees are working remotely.  The traditional verification of employment the lender performs before closing may not be possible. The new guidance allows lenders to accept an email from the borrower’s employer or evidence the employee is still on payroll – such as a recent pay stub or bank statement showing direct deposit of a payroll check.

While these accommodations are great, it’s up to individual lenders to agree to use them.  As lenders still bear some responsibility for loans that default, and given the current economic situation, you may find that your lender isn’t willing to take the risk.

FHA loan limit tops $400,000 in Austin, DFW

 Loan Guidelines, Residential Mortgage  Comments Off on FHA loan limit tops $400,000 in Austin, DFW
Dec 142019
 

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

Just before Thanksgiving, we found out the 2020 conforming loan limit increased to $510,400. Late last week, FHA released its 2020 loan limits. By statute, the minimum FHA loan limit is 65% of the conforming limit, or $331,760 for a single-family home.

However, FHA allows higher limits in areas where 115% of the median home price exceeds the minimum. In TX, higher limits apply once again in the Austin, San Antonio, Dallas-Ft. Worth, and Midland metros. Higher limits no longer apply for the Houston metro and Gillespie Co (city of Fredericksburg).

The San Antonio metro took the prize for the greatest increase this year both in dollar amount and percentage rise. The limit rose more than $33,000, or 9.3%, to $393,300.

The Midland area limit also rose significantly, by $23,000 or 7.2%, to $341,550.

The limit in the Austin and DFW metros both rose to $404,800, the highest in the state. The Austin limit was 3.8% higher than last year. The DFW limit was only 2.3% higher.

Remember that these limits apply to all the counties in the metro, not just the cities themselves. Also, these limits apply to single-family homes. Higher limits apply for two- to four-unit properties.

Congress eliminates VA loan limits

 Loan Guidelines, Residential Mortgage  Comments Off on Congress eliminates VA loan limits
Dec 072019
 

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

Starting Jan 1st, Veterans and servicemembers who are entitled to VA loan benefits are eligible for 100% financing regardless of the home’s price. The Blue Water Navy Act, passed by Congress earlier this year, has removed the loan limit for a VA loan.

Previously, federal law tied the maximum guaranty amount for a VA loan to the Freddie Mac conforming loan limit. This meant that in 2019 if a veteran wanted to purchase a home priced greater than the loan limit (just north of $484,000), the Veteran was responsible for 25% of the amount above that limit.

With the change, Veterans with full VA loan entitlement now can borrow the full amount of the purchase price without needing to factor a down payment. However, for Veterans with diminished entitlement, either from having an active loan or a default on a previous VA loan, VA still calculates their remaining entitlement based on the Freddie Mac loan limit.

The Act also changes the VA funding fee. Starting Jan 1st, the no down payment Funding Fee will be 2.3% for first-time use for all Veterans, whether Regular Military, National Guard, or Reserves. This is a slight increase for Regular Military, but a decrease for others. For subsequent VA loans, the Funding Fee rises to 3.6% for all. Congress intended the increase to fund other benefits that are part of the Act.

The Act also provides a new Funding Fee exemption for active duty servicemembers who have been awarded a Purple Heart.

A half million dollar home loan with a low down payment

 Loan Guidelines, Residential Mortgage  Comments Off on A half million dollar home loan with a low down payment
Dec 062019
 

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

Congress tasked the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) each year to reset conforming loan limits based on the change in the average U.S. home price for that year. FHFA reported that home prices rose 5.38% last year, so accordingly, it increased the loan limit by the same amount to $510,400 for a single-family home.

A conforming loan is one eligible for purchase by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two government behemoths that control most of the home loan market. Except for government loan programs, Fannie and Freddie programs offer the best combination of low interest rates and low down payment requirements. For both the minimum down payment is 3%; thus, it’s now possible to purchase a half million dollar home with a $15,000 down payment.

Higher loan limits apply in certain “high cost” areas where 115% of the local median home price exceeds the new limit; however, FHFA hasn’t identified any of those “high cost” areas in TX. Higher limits also apply to two, three, and four unit properties.

Tracking the rising loan limit over the last few years gives a good sense of how quickly home prices have been rising. In 2017 the single-family loan limit first rose from its Congressionally-mandated value of $417,000. In three years, the limit has risen 22%.

The new limits are effective for loans that close starting Jan 1st, which means they will apply for homebuyers who are shopping for a new home now (assuming a normal 30-day closing).

FHA sets its loan limit independently of Fannie and Freddie, and I’ll report on it next week.

More info on FHA condo rules

 Loan Guidelines, Residential Mortgage  Comments Off on More info on FHA condo rules
Oct 212019
 

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

I reported last week on the new FHA rules for approving a single condo unit in an otherwise ineligible complex, FHA’s replacement for the old spot approvals. At the time, I didn’t have many specifics. Now I do, so let’s look at what it takes to get a single-unit approval.

FHA considers the following characteristics for single-unit approvals:

  • At least 50% of the units in the complex must be owner-occupied, which includes second-homes that aren’t rented the majority of the year;
  • The HOA must have a 10% reserve account;
  • No more than 10% of the units may be owned by one person or entity;
  • The complex may be comprised of no more than 35% commercial space; and
  • No more than 15% of the units may be 60 days or more past due on their HOA dues.

And the really great thing is documentation of these characteristics generally is part of the standard buyer’s package the HOA provides to prospective buyers. With a single-unit approval, it’s the lender’s responsibility to make sure the complex complies with the rules, so the HOA doesn’t have to slog through FHA’s bureaucratic approval process.

Condos that receive single-unit approval are eligible for the same low down-payment options as other FHA loans, meaning a minimum down payment of 3.5%. The only exception to this is if the buyer’s financial situation is such that the lender cannot get an automated approval, in which case the buyer must make a 10% down payment.

Single-unit approvals really shouldn’t significantly affect the amount of time needed to close an FHA loan. FHA has a special process for registering spot-approval loans that may take up to 3 days. (Registration for other FHA loans typically is instantaneous.) However, this registration process is during the time when the buyer typically is gathering financial documents. Once FHA issues the “case number,” it’s the lender’s responsibility to make sure the condo qualifies.

FHA makes it easier to buy a condo

 Loan Guidelines, Residential Mortgage  Comments Off on FHA makes it easier to buy a condo
Oct 122019
 

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

Currently, in order for a homebuyer to use an FHA loan to purchase a condo, the condominium project is subject to an approval process. The process is rather bureaucratic and takes time, AND it must be repeated every two years. Condo developers may muddle through the process to get units sold initially, but it seems few renew their approvals once the condo project is complete. If the project doesn’t have a current approval, a homebuyer may not use an FHA loan to purchase a unit in that project.

Many years ago, FHA would approve a single-unit in an otherwise illegible condo project – so called “spot approvals” – but FHA eliminated that option after the financial crisis.

I guess it’s a case of deja vu all over again because spot approvals are back. Apparently, the feds have realized that preventing FHA homebuyers from considering condos was exacerbating the housing inventory problem.

The new single-unit approval guidelines have a few limitations:

  • the condo project can’t have ineligible characteristics, like a rental desk;
  • the project must consist of at least 5 units;
  • it must be occupied or have been issued a certificate of occupancy for at least one year; and
  • no more than 10% of the units can have single-unit approvals.

The new guidelines go into effect on the 15th, so start shopping.

FHA crack down on down payment assistance

 Loan Guidelines, Residential Mortgage  Comments Off on FHA crack down on down payment assistance
Apr 292019
 

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

One of a myriad of causes of the housing collapse during the Great Recession was the absence of “skin-in-the-game.” Borrowers used no-money down loans to purchase homes, then walked away from those homes when the economy went sour. Given that they had put none of their savings into the homes, walking away was easier.

One way to achieve no-money down during that time was to use seller-provided down payment assistance with an FHA loan. The seller provided the necessary 3.5% down payment and usually boosted the home’s sale price a little to make up for it. Congress outlawed this practice in 2008, mandating that no party with a financial interest in the home sale – including the seller, the agents, and the lender – could provide the homebuyer’s down payment funds. However, the law allowed governmental programs to continue providing down payment assistance.

Well, where there’s a will, there’s a way, and an entrepreneurial fellow in UT partnered with the Paiutes tribal government to create a fund, the Chenoa Fund, that lenders could use for down payment assistance. Whereas government down payment programs target homebuyers in the governmental jurisdictions, the Chenoa Fund was available nationwide, and it made a profit on the transactions.

Borrowers in down payment assistance programs become delinquent about twice as often as those who use their own funds, and the Feds see these programs as an increasing risk to the FHA Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund, which backstops FHA mortgages.

Last week, HUD published new guidelines that clarify which entities can provide down payment assistance. The guidelines seem to target the Chenoa Fund, and it will be interesting to see how it responds.

But that still leaves the bigger issue of higher default rates for down payment assisted loans unaddressed. Many of these programs offer the assistance in exchange for higher-than-market interest rates, which stretch a homebuyer’s ability to repay the mortgage. In addition, they perpetuate the problem Congress thought it had addressed in 2008 – homeowners with no skin in the game.

FHA changes aim to deny riskier borrowers

 Loan Guidelines, Residential Mortgage  Comments Off on FHA changes aim to deny riskier borrowers
Apr 272019
 

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

Late last month, FHA made some changes to its automated underwriting system that may prevent as many as 50,000 potential borrowers from qualifying for an FHA loan. FHA said the changes are meant to limit exposure of its insurance fund from higher risk situations.

According to the agency’s annual report to Congress, it’s seeing a concentration of mortgages with high debt-to-income ratios and low credit scores. It also reported a 60% increase in cash-out refinances. (This isn’t an issue in TX as TX homeowners cannot take cash out using an FHA loan.)

An FHA official told The Wall Street Journal that the system changes will affect 40,000 to 50,000 loans each year, which is 4 to 5% of all loans FHA insures.

The changes will flag loans with a combination of higher debt-to-income ratios and lower credit scores for “manual underwriting,” which means underwriting performed by a human being. Unfortunately for borrowers, manual underwriting also means more stringent loan guidelines, and many of those who qualified before the system changes no longer will qualify.

Homebuyer beware of authorized user accounts

 Credit Scoring, Loan Guidelines  Comments Off on Homebuyer beware of authorized user accounts
Mar 142019
 

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

The authorized-user account: It’s been a trick folks with weak credit histories have used for a long time to improve their credit scores. Mortgage lenders have grown wise to this trick, and they’re finally clamping down on its use.

An authorized-user account is an account on which a consumer has signing privileges, but the consumer’s credit history wasn’t used to open it. For example, a parent might allow a child to be an authorized-user on one of the parent’s credit cards to help the child establish credit.

A few years back, credit repair companies started promoting this as a way for folks with weak credit to quickly improve their credit scores. Someone with strong credit would allow the consumer with weak credit to sign on an account, even if the two individuals had no other relationship. Unfortunately for creditors, the score improvement didn’t reflect the consumer’s true credit risk.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loan guidelines now instruct lenders to carefully review loan applications for which a borrower has an authorized-user account. The intent is to weed out potential borrowers who used an unrelated individual’s strong credit to try to improve their chances for loan approval.

According to the guidelines, it’s acceptable for a borrower to be an authorized-user on an account belonging to another borrower on the loan, with the borrower’s spouse, or an account on which the borrower makes the payments.

If these situations don’t apply, the guidelines instruct lenders to review the borrower’s credit to make sure an authorized-user account didn’t have a significant impact on the borrower’s credit scores. If the borrower otherwise has weak or little credit, it’s possible the borrower’s loan request will be denied.

Higher FHA and VA loan limits, too

 Loan Guidelines, Residential Mortgage  Comments Off on Higher FHA and VA loan limits, too
Dec 172018
 

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

We found out a couple weeks ago that the conventional loan limit increased to $484,350. Over the weekend, FHA released its 2019 loan limits. By statute, the minimum FHA loan limit is 65% of the conventional limit, or $314,827 for a single-family home in 2019.

However, FHA allows higher limits in areas where 115% of the median home price exceeds the minimum. In TX, higher limits apply once again in the Austin, San Antonio, Dallas-Ft. Worth, and Houston metros, and for the first time, higher limits also apply in the Midland area and the city of Fredericksburg (Gillespie Co).

Unlike past years, the higher metropolitan area limits did not rise much this year. The DFW limit rose the most, by more than $9000, to $395,600. Austin’s limit rose about $6000 to $389,850. The limit in Houston and San Antonio remained the same at $331,200 and $359,950, respectively. Remember that these limits apply to all the counties in the metro, not just the cities themselves.

Among the new entrants to the higher limit list, Fredericksburg took the prize rising almost $30,000 to $324,300. The Midland area limit, including Midland and Martin Counties, rose $24,000, to $318,550.

The limit for the VA program mirrors the conventional loan limit at $484,350.

USDA programs shouldn’t be affected because loan size is driven by annual income limits, not median home prices.

Finally, these limits apply to single-family homes. Higher limits apply for two- to four-unit properties.