FEMA and IRS rescue shutdown victims

 Residential Mortgage  1 Response »
Jan 112019
 

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

By G. Steven Bray

As the government shutdown lingers, let’s do a quick update on the effects it’s having on the mortgage world.

As I reported before, the mortgage products experiencing the greatest impact are those offered through the USDA. USDA will not issue commitments during the shutdown, meaning if you’re using a USDA loan, you’ll probably experience a delay.

But we have some positive developments. Under intense pressure, FEMA reversed its position on new flood insurance policies. The new guidance means insurers can sell new policies and renew existing ones during the shutdown. Given that the ban on new policies lasted only a few days and over Christmas, it’s unlikely it created any significant backlog. If the property you’re buying requires flood insurance, you shouldn’t experience any shutdown-related delay.

Note that despite the reversal, the National Flood Insurance Program still is living on life support – a temporary extension that expires in May.

Another positive announcement came from the IRS. As I reported before, lenders often verify an applicant’s income tax return with the IRS during the loan process. The IRS previously stated it would not process any verification requests during the shutdown. On Monday, however, the IRS announced it would resume processing requests. The IRS says it has a significant backlog, so if your loan requires an IRS verification, you still may experience a delay.

How the shutdown will affect your loan application

 Mortgage Process, Residential Mortgage  Comments Off on How the shutdown will affect your loan application
Dec 272018
 

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

By G. Steven Bray

If you’re in the middle of the homebuying process, you may have some concerns about the government shutdown. Even though it’s only a partial shutdown, the parts of the government that are closed are kind of important to the mortgage world. However, the potential impact on your application depends on the type of loan you’re using.

If you’re using a conventional (Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac) loan, the shutdown probably won’t affect you at all. Fannie and Freddie operate independently of the government budget.

I see mixed impacts on FHA borrowers. Most borrowers will be unaffected as most FHA systems are automated, and those system remain online. However, if your situation requires human intervention, you may experience delayed processing. Additionally, FHA will not insure any reverse mortgages during the shutdown.

The VA is fully funded, and I don’t expect any impact on most VA loans.

The USDA, on the other hand, is shut down. USDA will not issue commitments during the shutdown, which means most lenders will not fund USDA loans.

If your loan requires a new flood insurance policy, expect a delay. Even though the National Flood Insurance Program is funded through May, FEMA is disallowing the issuance of new or renewal flood insurance policies during the shutdown.

Many lenders require verifications from the IRS or Social Security Administration as part of the loan process. Neither agency will process requests during the shutdown. Check with your lender as to whether this will impact your loan. Some lenders are temporarily suspending the verifications unless there’s an issue of data integrity, such as an unconfirmed Social Security number.

Finally, if you’re a government employee, and your agency is shut down, expect a delay as your lender won’t be able to verify your employment during the shutdown.