FHA Home Mortgage Loans

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the federal agency responsible for national policy and programs that address America's housing needs. The Federal Housing Authority (FHA) which is part of the HUD plays a major role in supporting homeownership by underwriting homeownership for lower- and moderate-income families. FHA assists first-time home buyers and others who might not be able to meet down payment requirements for conventional loans by providing mortgage insurance to private lenders. Everyone, who has a satisfactory credit record, enough cash to close the loan, and sufficient steady income to make monthly mortgage payments can be approved for an FHA-insured mortgage. To get a FHA-insured loan, you need to apply to a HUD-approved lender.

FHA-insured loans are available in urban and rural areas for single family homes, for 2-unit, 3-unit, and 4-unit properties, and for condominiums. Interest rates on FHA loans are generally market rates, while down payment requirements are lower than for conventional loans. Down payments can be as low as 3 percent, and closing costs can be wrapped into the mortgage.

With an FHA-insured mortgage, you can make extra payments toward the principal when you make your regularly monthly payment. By making extra payments, you can repay the loan faster and save on interest. You can also pay off the entire balance of your FHA-insured mortgage at any time.

FHA loans cannot exceed the statutory limit .

Section 203(b) is the most frequently used FHA program. You may use this program to purchase a new or existing one- to four-family homes, including manufactured homes, in both urban and rural areas. A section 203(b) fixed mortgage may be repaid in monthly payments over 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years.

Section 234(c) provides mortgage insurance for buyers who wish to purchase a unit in a condominium project. The condominium may consist of more than one building, such as a group of row apartments, high-rise buildings, townhouses, or any combination of these structures. Any condominium project must be approved by HUD.

In some cases, HUD insures loans (section 237 loans) for people who have had credit trouble and do not meet standard credit requirements to buy low cost homes.

Check FHA Maximum Mortgage Limits

FHA mortgage insurance

Requires a fee (up to 2.25 percent of the loan amount) paid at closing to insure the loan with FHA. In addition, FHA mortgage insurance requires an annual fee of up to 0.5 percent of the current loan amount, paid in monthly installments. The lower the down payment, the more years the fee must be paid.

Streamline Refinancing For FHA Mortgage

• The mortgage to be refinanced must already be FHA insured
• The mortgage to be refinanced should be current (not delinquent).
• The refinance is to result in a lowering of the borrower's monthly principal and interest payments.
• No cash may be taken out on mortgages refinanced using the streamline refinance process.

Lenders may offer streamline refinances in several ways. Some lenders offer "no cost" refinances (actually, no out-of-pocket expenses to the borrower) by charging a higher rate of interest on the new loan than if the borrower financed or paid the closing costs in cash. From this premium, the lender pays any closing costs that are incurred on the transaction.

Lenders may offer streamline refinances and include the closing costs into the new mortgage amount. This can only be done if there is sufficient equity in the property, as determined by an appraisal. Streamline refinances can also be done without appraisals, but the new loan amount cannot exceed what is currently owed, i.e., closing costs may not be added to the new mortgage with those costs either be paid in cash or through the premium rate as described above. Investment properties (properties in which the borrower does not reside in as his or her principal residence) may only be refinanced without an appraisal and, thus, closing costs may not be included in the new mortgage amount.