FHA Loans Getting More Expensive – Again

FHA Loans Getting More Expensive – Again

August 10, 2010 by Katie Wethman · Leave a Comment 

Bill HR 2981 was passed by both the House and Senate, paving the way for higher charges for FHA borrowers.  The majority of FHA loans are 30 year mortgages with a loan-to-value of at least 96.5%, which will see an increase in the monthly fee from 55 bps to a whopping 90bp, but on the [...]

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Potential Extension of June 30 Settlement Deadline & FHA Loans About to Get More Expensive–AGAIN!

June 14, 2010 by Katie Wethman · Leave a Comment 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has co-authored a proposal to extend the June 30 settlement deadline for the first time buyer credit until September 30 to give lenders more time to process the incredible volume of contracts trying to close.   The surge in loan volume has created delays around home appraisals and the usual delays [...]

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FHA to cut Seller Contribution to Closing Costs to 3% of Sales Price

June 4, 2010 by Katie Wethman · Leave a Comment 

Within the next few months, it’s going to get a little tougher for FHA buyers.  Starting sometime this summer, FHA will make official its announced policy of limiting the seller contribution to buyer’s closing costs (aka “seller subsidy”) to 3% of the purchase price, down from 6%. What fees make up the buyer’s closing costs? [...]

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Financing Condos in a Mixed Use Building

Financing Condos in a Mixed Use Building

February 12, 2010 by Katie Wethman · Leave a Comment 

As if condo buyers didn’t have enough headaches trying to buy a condo with the new FHA rules in place, many are also running into troubles with “mixed use” buildings, i.e., condos that have residential units but also commercial space (usually on the ground floor or street level), as is common in urban areas like [...]

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Will the New FHA Rules Kill Arlington Condo Sales?

Will the New FHA Rules Kill Arlington Condo Sales?

February 10, 2010 by Katie Wethman · 1 Comment 

On February 1, HUD and FHA rolled out major changes to the condo approval process. Previously, buyers wishing to use FHA financing had two options: If the condo was listed in the FHA’s “Approved Project” database, you were good to go.  But if it wasn’t, buyers had the option of going through the (now in [...]

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State of the Northern Virginia & DC Real Estate Market: January 2010

January 23, 2010 by Katie Wethman · Leave a Comment 

Spring has sprung early as far as the real estate market is concerned.  Buyers are out and circling, anxiously waiting for inventory to hit.  I know I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but the lack of ‘good’ inventory continues to be the story in real estate circles. Check out our market data graphs:  [...]

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VHDA Loans Allow Financing of Down Payment

VHDA Loans Allow Financing of Down Payment

December 15, 2009 by Katie Wethman · Leave a Comment 

The Virginia Housing Development Authority has extended its Homebuyer Tax Credit Plus program to match the deadlines of the Federal First-Time Homebuyers Tax Credit. VHDA’s program lets borrowers use a second mortgage to finance up to 5% of the sales price (enough to cover FHA’s 3.5% down payment requirement) by using the $8000 first time [...]

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FAQ: High Investor (Low Owner-Occupancy) Ratio Condos: How Can I Buy or Sell?

FAQ: High Investor (Low Owner-Occupancy) Ratio Condos: How Can I Buy or Sell?

December 2, 2009 by Katie Wethman · Leave a Comment 

One of the most common issues a condo buyer or seller faces in obtaining financing is meeting the owner-occupancy ratio required by lenders or the FHA. Owner-occupants means the units are actually occupied by their owners as primary residences, rather than those owners who choose to rent out their units.  Renting units out is particularly [...]

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