This past Spring, a number
of FHA guideline changes and increased costs went into effect that has made FHA
less attractive to buyers and has pushed them to higher 5% minimum down
conforming options from Fannie and Freddie. For your convenience and quick
review I have summarized these changes below. In addition, coming this November
are additional changes, but this time, Fannie Mae is doing the tightening.
Many borrowers are now considering
non-agency portfolio residential mortgage options instead of traditional Fannie
Freddie products. Since your typical retail bank has limited mortgage
offerings, borrowers are seeking out alternatives. HomeQuest Mortgage
Corporation, offers several portfolio and non-agency lending options for
homebuyers, such as 10% down Jumbo loans to $750,000 with NO Mortgage Insurance
required. And the best part, borrowers don’t have to work an impersonal
bureaucratic bank. Borrowers can work with an experienced professional who
provides personalized service, a broad choice of mortgage lending solutions and
a support team with over 60 years combined experience to provide a stress free
residential financing experience. Call Tom Drasler today at 714-478-3153 to learn
more and experience the difference!
On November 16, Fannie Mae will implement scheduled changes to
its automated underwriting system (DU or "Desktop
Underwriter"). DU is used by lenders to approve loans, and several
of the changes will make it harder for some borrowers to qualify. These
include tougher debt calculations for Adjustable rate loans; a complete removal
of interest-only options; a maximum loan term of 30yrs (instead of 40), and
stricter requirements for down payments, increasing the minimum amount from 3%
to 5% of the loan balance.
FHA (buyers' primary low down payment financing option)
raised its monthly and upfront fees this spring, and also made borrowers'
monthly mortgage insurance premium (MIP) effective for the life of most
loans. This vastly increased lifetime costs for FHA borrowers.
After those changes, the upfront MIP added to an FHA borrowers'
loan on a $200,000 purchase is now $3,377.50 compared to no upfront
cost for conventional loans. As a result, FHA loans have
become far less desirable for borrowers who qualify for
other options.
With costs rising so much for FHA financing, the 3% down Fannie
Mae loan program has been a popular alternative. A 700 score
buyer currently pays $202.08 monthly for mortgage insurance (PMI), on
a $200,000 purchase versus $201.04 monthly MIP on an FHA loan. The cost
of PMI varies with credit scores for conforming loans (unlike FHA).
Another important difference is that the PMI cost is removed when
buyers reach 22% equity, a significant advantage over FHA loans.
Effective with loans submitted to DU after 11/16, buyers will
need 5% minimum down payment versus the current 3%. While increased down
payments could deter some buyers, there are still significant Fannie
Mae advantages over FHA: they have no upfront mortgage insurance
costs, and 5% down Fannie loans also have lower PMI costs than either FHA or
current 3% down loans ($136.17 monthly for a $200,000 purchase buyer with
700 scores). Buyers can also utilize gifts from family members for their
entire down payment on Fannie Mae loans (as with FHA).
While specific lenders have varying guidelines (some require
buyers provide their own down payments), for borrowers meeting Fannie Mae's
guidelines, 5% down loans continue to be enjoy substantial advantages over FHA
loans. Buyers wanting to utilize Fannie's 97% program will need to be
under contract by early November so their lenders can run the current version
of DU prior to the update on Nov 16.