How To Avoid Paying Double Interest On FHA Streamline. Tips On FHA Streamline Refinance.

Tips On FHA Streamline Refinance.

What Is An FHA Streamline Refinance?
The FHA Streamline Refinance is a reduced-paperwork, verification-free, appraisal-less refinance program meant to lower a homeowner's monthly mortgage payment by 5 percent or more monthly. FHA Streamline Refinance is a special refinance program available only to homeowners with FHA-insured mortgages. Homeowners must be current on their mortgage to use the FHA Streamline Refinance, and must have made at least 6 payments on their FHA-insured loan in order to be eligible. 

The FHA Streamline Refinance is available in all 50 states and allows for loan sizes of up to $729,750 in certain high-cost areas including Loudoun County, Virginia; San Jose, California; and Montgomery County, Maryland. In high-cost areas in which multi-unit homes are common, maximum FHA loan sizes are even larger. In Brooklyn, New York, for example, a 3-unit home can be financed up to $1,129,250; financing for a 4-unit home is available up to $1,403,400.

The date you set your FHA Streamline Refinance closing matters. So, when should you close your FHA Streamline Refinance? The best time to close your FHA Streamline Refinance is absolutely at the end of the month.

Time Your FHA Streamline Refinance Closing
FHA Streamline Refinance can be one of the simplest, fastest refinance programs available. According to FHA guidelines, there is no appraisal to commission; no income to verify; and no credit to review (however, some lenders may ask for tax returns as a risk precaution). 

Although there is limited paperwork, and the nature of the product is easy-breezy, you do need to keep in mind that, in order to close on a FHA Streamline Refinance it requires attention to details. Specifically, refinancing homeowners should pay special attention to their expected mortgage closing date. 

You could be paying up to 30 days of prepaid mortgage interest which may be double-paid without your knowledge. This is because of an FHA rule which gives mortgage lenders permission to collect a full month of mortgage interest, regardless of whether the loan's been paid off prior to the month's end. This differs from a conventional refinance for which a mortgage lender will only collect through the payoff date. 

For example, assume you are a homeowner in Columbus, Ohio who is using the FHA Streamline Refinance to refinance a $250,000 mortgage; and assume your new FHA loan will fund on the 15th of the month.

· 15 days of per diem interest paid to new lender, to cover the rest of the month 

· 30 days of per diem interest paid to old lender, because the FHA prescribes it 

Funding an FHA Streamline Refinance on the 15th day of the month, would have you paying 45 days of mortgage interest for a 30-day month (a waste of 15 days of extra interest). Or, in this case, $360. If you fund the loan on 30th of the month, only 1 day of mortgage interest is paid to the new lender. This would save $335. 

Below are optimal 2013 FHA Streamline Refinance closing dates. You can use this as a guide to minimize your "double interest". These dates assumes that your home is your primary residence such that the 3-day right of rescission applies. If you're closings for FHA non-owner occupied properties, rental homes, and other properties not subject to the 3-day right of rescission should be scheduled for the last business day of the month.

· May 2013 : A Friday, May 24 closing will fund May 30, 2013

· June 2013 : A Monday, June 24 closing will fund June 28, 2013

· July 2013 : A Friday, July 26 closing will fund July 31, 2013

· August 2013 : A Monday, August 25 closing will fund August 29, 2013

· September 2013 : A Wednesday, September 25 closing will fund September 30, 2013

· October 2013 : A Friday, October 25 closing will fund October 30, 2013

· November 2013 : A Monday, November 25 closing will fund November 29, 2013 

· December 2013 : A Thursday, December 26 closing will fund December 31, 2015

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What Is Refinancing? What Types Of Refinancing Are Available?

What Is Refinancing? 
What Types Of Refinancing Are Available?

What is a Refinance?
Replacing a current mortgage loan with a new mortgage loan is referred to as refinance. Common reasons to refinance include: lower mortgage rate, obtain cash out, consolidate other debt, reduce or increase term, refinance from ARM to FIXED, satisfy a divorce agreement, etc...



Qualifying Criteria
Because a refinance amounts to establishing a brand-new loan with brand-new terms, it follows that refinance applicants are subject to the same approval process as for the initial mortgage which was given at the time of purchase. A refinanced mortgage represents a brand-new debt and must be underwritten accordingly.

There are three basic areas against which a refinance applicant is evaluated :
• Credit Score and Payment History
• Income and Employment History
• Equity (home value vs amount owed on mortgage loan)

      2 Types of Mortgage Refinance

      Rate-and-term, & cash-out. The refinance type that's best for you will depend on your individual circumstance.

Rate-And-Term Refinance

In a rate-and-term refinance, the only terms of the new loan which differ from the original one are either the mortgage rate, the loan term, or both. Loan term is the length of the mortgage. For example, in a rate-and-term refinance, a homeowner may refinance from a 30-year fixed rate mortgage into a 15-year fixed rate mortgage; or, may refinance from a 30-year fixed rate mortgage at 6 percent mortgage rate to a new, 30-year fixed rate mortgage at 4 percent. With a rate-and-term refinance, a refinancing homeowner may not walk away from closing with more than $2,000 in cash. Closing costs and escrow reserves may be added to the loan balance.

Cash-Out Refinance

In a cash-out refinance, the new mortgage may have a lower mortgage rate or shorter term as compared to the original home loan. However, the defining characteristic of a cash-out mortgage is that the loan balance of the original mortgage is increased to account for cash-in-hand at closing of more than $2,000; for debt consolidation; or, to combine an existing first and second mortgage, or to add to savings, etc...

"Special" Refinance Programs For Homeowners

With respect to refinancing, there are four mortgage programs for which the mortgage approval process is different. Collectively, these programs are known as "streamline" programs because their respective underwriting requirements are grossly simplified. With a streamline refinance, lender often waive large chunks of the "typical" mortgage approval process which may include waiving appraisals, waiving income verification, and waiving credit score minimums.

Four common streamline refinance programs are :

·     • FHA Streamline Refinance: For homeowners with an existing FHA mortgage

·     • VA Interest Rate Reduction Refinancing Loan (VA IRRRL): For homeowners with an existing VA mortgage

·     • Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP): For homeowners with an existing Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac mortgage

        • USDA Streamline Refinance: For homeowners with an existing USDA mortgage

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Buying A Home Before You've Sold Your Current Home?

Buying A Home Before You've Sold Your Current Home?

So, you've found the perfect home but you haven't sold your current home yet. What are your options? In order to qualify to buy another home while keeping the one you already have, you will need to qualify based on some general guidelines pertaining to income, credit, and assets.




Below are some general guidelines to keep in mind:

Income: Your DTI (debt to income ratio) cannot exceed 56.999% if you’re utilizing a government loan such as an FHA Mortgage or a VA Mortgage. And 45% if utilizing a Conventional loan up to 417K.

Credit: For a VA loan, the minimum credit score is 580. The VA loan allows up to 100% financing, so there is no down payment requirement. For an FHA loan, the minimum credit score is 620, and the minimum down payment is 3.5%. For a conventional loan, the minimum credit score is 620 and the minimum down payment is 5%.

Assets: You will need to show proof of liquid assets to cover the amount needed for down payment and any cost involved with your purchase loan.

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How Do You Determine Your Down Payment On A Home?

What Should Your Down Payment Be?

How much you put down should depend on the purchase price of the home you are looking to buy and the loan type you'll be purchasing with. For example, VA and USDA mortgage loans require ZERO down payment. FHA loans require 3'5% down payment, and conventional loans require 5% down payment. The first step is to speak to an experienced loan officer to determine your overall qualification and pre-approval. Based on your income, assets, and overall debt, the loan officer should be able to give you proper advice on the amount of your down payment, and provide down payment options.

Ultimately, the best thing a homebuyer can do, is get advice from an experienced mortgage professional to determine down payment options that fit their needs.

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Buying Or Refinancing A Home After Bankruptcy, Short Sale Or Foreclosure

Buying or Refinancing A Home After Bankruptcy, Short Sale or Foreclosure.
The guidelines below explain the waiting periods for bankruptcy, foreclosure and short sales when obtaining a new CONVENTIONAL LOAN.

Bankruptcy (Chapter 7 or Chapter 11)

A four-year waiting period is required, measured from the discharge or dismissal date of the

bankruptcy action.

Exceptions for Extenuating Circumstances

A two-year waiting period is permitted if extenuating circumstances can be documented, and is measured from the discharge or dismissal date of the bankruptcy action

Bankruptcy (Chapter 13)

A distinction is made between Chapter 13 bankruptcies that were discharged and those that were dismissed. The waiting period required for Chapter 13 bankruptcy actions is measured as follows:

• two years from the discharge date, or

• four years from the dismissal date.

The shorter waiting period based on the discharge date recognizes that borrowers have already met a portion of the waiting period within the time needed for the successful completion of a Chapter 13 plan and subsequent discharge. A borrower who was unable to complete the Chapter 13 plan and received a dismissal will be held to a four-year waiting period.

Exceptions for Extenuating Circumstances

A two-year waiting period is permitted after a Chapter 13 dismissal, if extenuating circumstances can be documented. There are no exceptions permitted to the two-year waiting period after a Chapter 13 discharge.

Note:The purchase of second homes or investment properties and cash-out refinances

(any occupancy type) are not permitted until a seven-year waiting period has elapsed.

Deed-in-Lieu of Foreclosure and Preforeclosure Sale

These transaction types are completed as alternatives to foreclosure. A deed-in-lieu of

foreclosure is a transaction in which the deed to the real property is transferred back to the

servicer. A preforeclosure sale or short sale is the sale of a property in lieu of a foreclosure

resulting in a payoff of less than the total amount owed, which was pre-approved by the servicer.The following waiting period requirements apply:

Waiting Period Additional Requirements

Two years 80% maximum LTV ratiosa

Four years 90% maximum LTV ratiosa

Seven years LTV ratios per the Eligibility Matrix 
The maximum LTV ratios permitted are the lesser of the LTV ratios in this table or the maximum LTV ratios for the transaction per the Eligibility Matrix.

Extenuating Circumstances

Extenuating circumstances are nonrecurring events that are beyond the borrower’s control that result in a sudden, significant, and prolonged reduction in income or a catastrophic increase in financial obligations. If a borrower claims that derogatory information is the result of extenuating circumstances, the lender must substantiate the borrower’s claim. Examples of documentation that can be used to support extenuating circumstances include documents that confirm the event (such as a copy of a divorce decree, medical reports or bills, notice of job layoff, job severance papers, etc.) and documents that illustrate factors that contributed to the borrower’s inability to resolve the problems that resulted from the event (such as a copy of insurance papers or claim settlements, property listing agreements, lease agreements, tax returns (covering the periods prior to, during, and after a loss of employment), etc.).

Per Fannie Mae selling guide 2013 more info for BK and FCL. 
*(reference: https://www.fanniemae.com/content/guide/sel011713.pdf)

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Can A Person Have More Than 1 FHA Mortgage Loan?

More Than 1 FHA Mortgage Loan?

There are instances where a homeowner can have more than one FHA mortgage. Typically, FHA generally will not insure more than one mortgage for any borrower (transactions in which an existing FHA mortgage is paid off and another FHA mortgage is acquired are acceptable). Any person individually or jointly owning a home covered by a mortgage insured by FHA in which ownership is maintained may not purchase another principal residence with FHA mortgage insurance except under the situations described below. 


A. Relocations. If the borrower is relocating and re-establishing residency in another area not within reasonable commuting distance from the current principal residence, the borrower may obtain another mortgage using FHA insured financing and is not required to sell the existing property covered by a FHA-insured mortgage. The relocation need not be employer mandated to qualify for this exception. Further, if the borrower returns to an area where he or she owns a property with an FHA-insured mortgage, it is not required that the borrower re-establish primary residency in that property in order to be eligible for another FHA insured mortgage. 

B. Increase in Family Size. The borrower may be permitted to obtain another home with an FHA-insured mortgage if the number of legal dependents increases to the point that the present house no longer meets the family's needs. The borrower must provide satisfactory evidence of the increase in dependents and the property's failure to meet the family's needs. The borrower also must pay down the outstanding FHA mortgage (secondary liens do not need to be paid off or paid down) on the present property to a 75 percent or lower loan-to-value (LTV) ratio. A current residential appraisal must be used to determine LTV compliance. Tax assessments, market analyses by real estate brokers, etc., are not acceptable as proof of LTV compliance. 

C. Vacating a Jointly Owned Property. If the borrower is vacating a residence that will remain occupied by a co-borrower, the borrower is permitted to obtain another FHA-insured mortgage. Acceptable situations include instances of divorce, after which the vacating ex-spouse will purchase a new home, or one of the co-borrowers will vacate the existing property. 

D. Non-Occupying Co-Borrower. A non-occupying co-borrower on property being purchased with an FHA-insured mortgage as a principal residence by other family members may have a joint interest in that property as well as in a principal residence of their own with a FHA-insured mortgage. (See HUD Handbook 4155.1 for additional information). Under no circumstances may investors use the exceptions described above to circumvent FHA's ban on loans to private investors and acquire rental properties through purportedly purchasing "principal residences".

REFERENCE
HUD Handbook 4155.1: 4.B.2.c-d

DISCLAIMER

DISCLAIMER: All policy information contained in this post is based upon the referenced HUD policy document. Any lending or insuring decisions should adhere to the specific information contained in that underlying policy document.

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