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><channel><title>Thoughts on the Washington, DC, and Northern Virginia Real Estate Market &#187; financing resources</title> <atom:link href="http://blog.wethmangroup.com/category/financing-resources/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /><link>http://blog.wethmangroup.com</link> <description>Thoughts, Opinions, and Rants and Raves about the DC Area Real Estate Market</description> <lastBuildDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:06:02 +0000</lastBuildDate> <generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1</generator> <language>en</language> <sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency> <item><title>Financing Condos in a Mixed Use Building</title><link>http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/02/12/financing-condos-in-a-mixed-use-building/</link> <comments>http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/02/12/financing-condos-in-a-mixed-use-building/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:13:21 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Katie Wethman</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Buyer Resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Condos]]></category> <category><![CDATA[FHA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[financing resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[condo]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://blog.wethmangroup.com/?p=644</guid> <description><![CDATA[As if condo buyers didn&#8217;t have enough headaches trying to buy a condo with the new FHA rules in place, many are also running into troubles with &#8220;mixed use&#8221; 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 [...]Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/02/faq-high-investor-low-owner-occupancy-ratio-condos-how-can-i-buy-or-sell/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 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?</a> <small>One of the most common issues a condo buyer or...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/02/10/will-the-new-fha-rules-kill-arlington-condo-sales/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Will the New FHA Rules Kill Arlington Condo Sales?'>Will the New FHA Rules Kill Arlington Condo Sales?</a> <small>On February 1, HUD and FHA rolled out major changes...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/15/vhda-loans-allow-financing-of-down-payment/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: VHDA Loans Allow Financing of Down Payment'>VHDA Loans Allow Financing of Down Payment</a> <small>The Virginia Housing Development Authority has extended its Homebuyer Tax...</small></li></ol>Related posts brought to you by <a
href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a
href="http://blog.wethmangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/j0401039.jpg"><img
class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-645" style="margin: 5px;" title="CB025562" src="http://blog.wethmangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/j0401039-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a><a
href="http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/02/10/will-the-new-fha-rules-kill-arlington-condo-sales/" target="_blank">As if condo buyers didn&#8217;t have enough headaches trying to buy a condo with the new FHA rules in place</a>,<strong> many are also running into troubles with &#8220;mixed use&#8221; 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 ours. </strong></p><p>Examples of this commercial space may be a grocery store or restaurant on the bottom floor of the building or a convenience store as part of the lobby…all of which is very convenient, however, may create difficulties for obtaining the loan you want. <strong> Under current Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines, financing becomes an issue if the commercial space is more than 20% of the entire project.  If it&#8217;s more than 25%, you cannot do an FHA or VA loan either.</strong></p><p>After finding what seemed to be the perfect condo for one of our buyer clients in Alexandria, it was disappointing to learn a Whole Foods occupied 43,000 square feet (28.6%) of the building, taking some popular financing options off the table for our buyer.</p><p><a
href="http://www.thinkglink.com/article/2010/01/11/condo-financing-faces-strict-rules-from-fannie-mae-freddie-mac-fha" target="_blank">Ilyce Glink  has this to say on the new financing rules for condo buyers</a>:</p><blockquote><p>Developers who built multi-use properties, with commercial, retail or restaurants on the first floor and condo units above may find that their properties will not be approved for financing.</p><p><strong>Fannie Mae guidelines require that no more than 20 percent of a building&#8217;s floor area ratio (FAR) can be commercial. </strong>So if the building has 3,000 square feet, with a 1,000 square foot shop on the first floor and two 1,000 square foot condos above it, the property will likely not be &#8220;approved&#8221; and a buyer will not be able to get financing.</p><p>All this is bad news for condo buyers. Buyers who didn’t close before the end of 2009 may now find themselves rejected for financing if they are buying in a condo building that has not been approved or can’t be approved. Can you imagine the headaches this will cause?</p><p>Lenders say that buyers who need a loan to close on their purchase should ask whether a building is approved for financing before bothering to go for a showing.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>She continues&#8230;</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>While there are some waivers being granted, condo buyers all over the country will find it more difficult to finance their purchases. These days, if you can’t finance a property, the number of prospective buyers will decline, and the property value could tumble.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What does this mean for buyers?   Expect headaches, long waits, bigger down payments and higher interest rates if you&#8217;re buying a condo in a mixed use building that has too much commercial space&#8211;assuming you can get financing at all!</strong> And if you&#8217;re thinking of putting an offer in, it&#8217;s wise to do some legwork on the building and with your lender before you go through the effort.</p><p>This is all thanks to the &#8220;tightening&#8221; of the credit markets that&#8217;s been going on since the bubble burst.  Will some of these rules loosen in the future?  I hope so.  Otherwise, current owners in buildings with high percentages of commercial space need to be prepared to wait it out.</p><p><em>This information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.  Every situation is different and you should check with your agent and a lender about specific properties.</em></p><p
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class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.wethmangroup.com%2F2010%2F02%2F12%2Ffinancing-condos-in-a-mixed-use-building%2F&amp;linkname=Financing%20Condos%20in%20a%20Mixed%20Use%20Building"><img
src="http://blog.wethmangroup.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_171_16.png" width="171" height="16" alt="Share/Bookmark"/></a><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/02/faq-high-investor-low-owner-occupancy-ratio-condos-how-can-i-buy-or-sell/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 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?</a> <small>One of the most common issues a condo buyer or...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/02/10/will-the-new-fha-rules-kill-arlington-condo-sales/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Will the New FHA Rules Kill Arlington Condo Sales?'>Will the New FHA Rules Kill Arlington Condo Sales?</a> <small>On February 1, HUD and FHA rolled out major changes...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/15/vhda-loans-allow-financing-of-down-payment/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: VHDA Loans Allow Financing of Down Payment'>VHDA Loans Allow Financing of Down Payment</a> <small>The Virginia Housing Development Authority has extended its Homebuyer Tax...</small></li></ol></p><p>Related posts brought to you by <a
href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/02/12/financing-condos-in-a-mixed-use-building/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Will the New FHA Rules Kill Arlington Condo Sales?</title><link>http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/02/10/will-the-new-fha-rules-kill-arlington-condo-sales/</link> <comments>http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/02/10/will-the-new-fha-rules-kill-arlington-condo-sales/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:21:23 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Katie Wethman</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Buyer Resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[FHA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[financing resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[north arlington condos]]></category> <category><![CDATA[orange line condos]]></category> <category><![CDATA[condo]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://blog.wethmangroup.com/?p=620</guid> <description><![CDATA[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&#8217;s &#8220;Approved Project&#8221; database, you were good to go.  But if it wasn&#8217;t, buyers had the option of going through the (now in [...]Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/02/faq-high-investor-low-owner-occupancy-ratio-condos-how-can-i-buy-or-sell/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 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?</a> <small>One of the most common issues a condo buyer or...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/03/05/arlington-condo-pet-policies/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Arlington Condo Pet Policies'>Arlington Condo Pet Policies</a> <small>So you&#8217;re ready to buy a condo&#8230;But what about your...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/02/12/financing-condos-in-a-mixed-use-building/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Financing Condos in a Mixed Use Building'>Financing Condos in a Mixed Use Building</a> <small>As if condo buyers didn&#8217;t have enough headaches trying to...</small></li></ol>Related posts brought to you by <a
href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a
href="http://blog.wethmangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Money-House.jpg"><img
class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-626" style="margin: 5px;" title="CB104955" src="http://blog.wethmangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Money-House-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a><strong>On February 1, HUD and FHA rolled out major changes to the condo approval process. </strong>Previously, buyers wishing to use FHA financing had two options: If the condo was listed in the FHA&#8217;s &#8220;Approved Project&#8221; database, you were good to go.  But if it wasn&#8217;t, buyers had the <a
href="http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2008/06/22/complications-buying-condos-using-fha-financing/" target="_blank">option of going through the (now in hindsight relatively easy and straightforward) &#8220;Spot Approval&#8221; process</a>, which typically could be completed within 30 days or so at minimal cost.  Spot approvals had to be obtained on individual units for each transaction &#8212; it was an exception-based process.  Given that condos are the main option for  many first time buyers, who may lack the 10-20% down payment required in conventional financing, we saw an explosion in the use of FHA financing, which requires just 3.5% down, in the past few years, and a lot of spot approval applications.</p><p>The <a
href="https://entp.hud.gov/idapp/html/condlook.cfm" target="_blank">approved database remains in place and is the easiest option</a>, but the new rules <strong>scrap the whole Spot Approval system completely, and now require condos to go through a lengthy and expensive HRAP (HUD Review and Approval) or DELRAP (D.E. Lender Review and Approval) process. </strong> <strong>The good news is that once a community is through the HRAP or DELRAP process, their approval will potentially remain in place for several years and applies to the entire building</strong>, and future buyers can simply coast in on that approval.  You need only to check the database.</p><p>The process is much more cumbersome than the previous spot approval application, though, and these rules are all new.  As a result some lenders are deciding it&#8217;s not worth the time (4-6 weeks) or cost (several thousand dollars per review) to jump in to this arena just yet.  Some are letting other lenders &#8220;bite the bullet&#8221; on this one and will jump in later, after more condos are through the process and they can ride the coattails of lenders before them.</p><p><strong>So what effect will this new hurdle in obtaining FHA financing have on Arlington&#8217;s condo market? </strong></p><p>In the past 30 days, according to MRIS statistics, financing for sold condos (excluding retirement communities) was as follows:</p><p
style="text-align: center;"><strong><a
href="http://blog.wethmangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/condo-financing-total3.jpg"><img
class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-631" title="condo financing total" src="http://blog.wethmangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/condo-financing-total3.jpg" alt="" width="483" height="291" /></a><br
/> </strong></p><p>Surprisingly, more than HALF the sales used Conventional financing!  This would indicate that the condo market isn&#8217;t going to come to a screeching halt after all.  But is there a difference based on price point?</p><p
style="text-align: center;"><strong>Financing Used in Arlington Condo Sales by Price</strong></p><p><strong><a
href="http://blog.wethmangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Financing-by-Price-Range.jpg"><img
class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-632" title="Financing by Price Range" src="http://blog.wethmangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Financing-by-Price-Range.jpg" alt="" width="483" height="283" /></a><br
/> </strong></p><p><strong>Clearly there is heavier dependence on FHA in the under $300K and $300-500K price points</strong>, but I&#8217;m surprised it isn&#8217;t even heavier that this data indicates.   This indicates to me that the <strong>lower priced condos (under $300k) are going to be disproportionately affected</strong>, but also are unlikely to completely halt.  <strong>And look at the high percentage of all cash deals in that segment!</strong></p><p><strong>So it may take us a few weeks, or even months, to get the majority of condos through this painful new HRAP/DELRAP process, but hopefully in the long run it will be easier for everyone.  While we&#8217;re going through this initial launch phase, keep in mind that settlement times will be MUCH longer (remember that <a
href="http://www.6500homebuyercredit.com" target="_blank">June 30 $8000 credit settlement deadline?</a>) and buyers may incur thousands of dollars in extra cost if they&#8217;re the unlucky &#8220;first mover&#8221; in a building trying to do FHA. </strong></p><blockquote><p
style="text-align: center;"><strong>* If you know you are going to use FHA to buy a condo, being under contract by April 30 is NO guarantee that a currently &#8216;unapproved&#8217; condo can get through this process by June 30. *</strong></p><p
style="text-align: center;"><strong> *My advice is to get under contract EARLY if using FHA to buy a condo if you&#8217;re trying to beat the tax credit deadline.  *<br
/> </strong></p></blockquote><p>And for those who can&#8217;t or won&#8217;t do FHA, remember &#8216;cash is king&#8217; and you&#8217;ll likely need at least 10% as a down payment for a conventional loan.</p><p><em>And here&#8217;s another tip: If you&#8217;re looking at condos priced above $400,000 or so, contact me to discuss an important option that you may be completely missing in your search that would completely eliminate this issue! </em></p><p><a
href="http://tinyurl.com/contactkatie">To start your condo search, contact us</a> &#8212; we&#8217;d love to help you!</p><p>Learn More: <a
href="httP://www.newhomebuyerclass.com" target="_blank">Attend a free First Time Home Buyer Class</a></p><p><a
href="http://www.mlsfinder.com/md_mris/katiewethman/?so=a&amp;domain=katie.yourkwagent.com" target="_blank">Search Homes for Sale in the MLS</a></p><p
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src="http://blog.wethmangroup.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_171_16.png" width="171" height="16" alt="Share/Bookmark"/></a><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
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href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/03/05/arlington-condo-pet-policies/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Arlington Condo Pet Policies'>Arlington Condo Pet Policies</a> <small>So you&#8217;re ready to buy a condo&#8230;But what about your...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/02/12/financing-condos-in-a-mixed-use-building/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Financing Condos in a Mixed Use Building'>Financing Condos in a Mixed Use Building</a> <small>As if condo buyers didn&#8217;t have enough headaches trying to...</small></li></ol></p><p>Related posts brought to you by <a
href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/02/10/will-the-new-fha-rules-kill-arlington-condo-sales/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>VHDA Loans Allow Financing of Down Payment</title><link>http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/15/vhda-loans-allow-financing-of-down-payment/</link> <comments>http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/15/vhda-loans-allow-financing-of-down-payment/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:01:23 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Katie Wethman</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Buyer Resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[FHA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[financing resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[first time buyer assistance]]></category> <category><![CDATA[first time homebuyer]]></category> <category><![CDATA[tax credit]]></category> <category><![CDATA[down payment assistance]]></category> <category><![CDATA[VHDA]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://blog.wethmangroup.com/?p=540</guid> <description><![CDATA[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&#8217;s program lets borrowers use a second mortgage to finance up to 5% of the sales price (enough to cover FHA&#8217;s 3.5% down payment requirement) by using the $8000 first time home [...]Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/27/is-buying-a-home-one-of-your-2010-new-years-resolutions/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Is Buying a Home One of Your 2010 New Year&#8217;s Resolutions?'>Is Buying a Home One of Your 2010 New Year&#8217;s Resolutions?</a> <small>Get started by attending a free, no obligation first time...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/02/08/free-first-time-home-buyer-class-in-arlington-va/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Free First Time Home Buyer Class in Arlington, VA'>Free First Time Home Buyer Class in Arlington, VA</a> <small>Are you a first time buyer thinking of starting your...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/06/13/state-of-the-dc-area-real-estate-market-june-2009/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: State of the DC Area Real Estate Market: June 2009'>State of the DC Area Real Estate Market: June 2009</a> <small>The Spring market is hopping, but some recent changes are...</small></li></ol>Related posts brought to you by <a
href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img
class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-542" title="Down Payment Assistance in Virginia" src="http://blog.wethmangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Money-Key-300x278.jpg" alt="Down Payment Assistance in Virginia" width="180" height="167" />The <a
href="http://www.vhda.com/Pages/Home.aspx">Virginia Housing Development Authority</a> has extended its <strong>Homebuyer Tax Credit Plus </strong>program to match the deadlines of the Federal First-Time Homebuyers Tax Credit.</p><p>VHDA&#8217;s program lets borrowers use a second mortgage to finance up to 5% of the sales price (enough to cover FHA&#8217;s 3.5% down payment requirement) by using the <a
href="http://6500homebuyercredit.com">$8000 first time home buyer tax credit</a>&#8211;<strong>effectively allowing borrowers to &#8220;monetize&#8221; the credit.   The second mortgage helps cover the down payment and closing costs, with zero interest and no payments for the first 12 months.  Borrowers then have the option of paying it down within the first 12 months, using their $8000 credit to pay it off, or paying it off over 29 years.</strong></p><p>There are <a
href="http://www.vhda.com/Homebuyers/VHDAHomeLoans/Pages/SalesPriceIncomeRestrictions.aspx" target="_blank">restrictions on the program</a>, of course.  Purchase price is limited to $408,100, and gross household income for two or fewer persons cannot exceed $86,900 for the Washington, DC, MSA, including Northern Virginia.</p><p>The deadline for the program matches the newly extended deadlines for the tax credit, so buyers must be under contract by April 30 and settled by June 30, 2010. <a
href="http://www.vhda.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/HomebuyerTaxCreditPlus.pdf">More details are here</a>.</p><p><a
href="http://tinyurl.com/contactkatie">If you need help starting your home search, or finding a lender, please contact us</a>.</p><p
style="text-align: center;">* * * * * * * * * *</p><p>Learn More: Sign up for our free first-time home buyer class at Arlington Central Library on  Jan 26 at 7:00 pm (registration required) <a
href="http://katie.yourkwagent.com/atj/user/AdditionalGetAction.do?pageId=137475">Details and registration information can be found here</a>.</p><p><a
href="http://www.mlsfinder.com/md_mris/katiewethman/?so=a&amp;domain=katie.yourkwagent.com">Search the MLS</a></p><p>See <a
href="http://katie.yourkwagent.com/atj/user/BuyerResourceGetAction.do">more Buyer Resources</a></p><p
style="text-align: center;">* * * * * * * * * *</p><p
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href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/27/is-buying-a-home-one-of-your-2010-new-years-resolutions/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Is Buying a Home One of Your 2010 New Year&#8217;s Resolutions?'>Is Buying a Home One of Your 2010 New Year&#8217;s Resolutions?</a> <small>Get started by attending a free, no obligation first time...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/02/08/free-first-time-home-buyer-class-in-arlington-va/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Free First Time Home Buyer Class in Arlington, VA'>Free First Time Home Buyer Class in Arlington, VA</a> <small>Are you a first time buyer thinking of starting your...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/06/13/state-of-the-dc-area-real-estate-market-june-2009/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: State of the DC Area Real Estate Market: June 2009'>State of the DC Area Real Estate Market: June 2009</a> <small>The Spring market is hopping, but some recent changes are...</small></li></ol></p><p>Related posts brought to you by <a
href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/15/vhda-loans-allow-financing-of-down-payment/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>FAQ: High Investor (Low Owner-Occupancy) Ratio Condos: How Can I Buy or Sell?</title><link>http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/02/faq-high-investor-low-owner-occupancy-ratio-condos-how-can-i-buy-or-sell/</link> <comments>http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/02/faq-high-investor-low-owner-occupancy-ratio-condos-how-can-i-buy-or-sell/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:07:18 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Katie Wethman</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Buyer Resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Condos]]></category> <category><![CDATA[FAQ]]></category> <category><![CDATA[FHA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Seller Resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[financing resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[condo]]></category> <category><![CDATA[investor ratio]]></category> <category><![CDATA[owner occupancy ratio]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://blog.wethmangroup.com/?p=509</guid> <description><![CDATA[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 [...]Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/02/12/financing-condos-in-a-mixed-use-building/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Financing Condos in a Mixed Use Building'>Financing Condos in a Mixed Use Building</a> <small>As if condo buyers didn&#8217;t have enough headaches trying to...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/02/10/will-the-new-fha-rules-kill-arlington-condo-sales/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Will the New FHA Rules Kill Arlington Condo Sales?'>Will the New FHA Rules Kill Arlington Condo Sales?</a> <small>On February 1, HUD and FHA rolled out major changes...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/03/05/arlington-condo-pet-policies/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Arlington Condo Pet Policies'>Arlington Condo Pet Policies</a> <small>So you&#8217;re ready to buy a condo&#8230;But what about your...</small></li></ol>Related posts brought to you by <a
href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img
class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-511" style="margin: 5px;" title="Stratford Park Pl" src="http://blog.wethmangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Stratford-Park-Pl-300x200.jpg" alt="Stratford Park Pl" width="240" height="160" />One of the most common issues a condo buyer or seller faces in obtaining financing is<strong> meeting the owner-occupancy ratio required by lenders or the FHA. </strong> 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 popular with long-time owners, who bought a unit years ago, used the equity to buy a bigger property which they moved in to, and kept the original condo as an investment property.  A good way to build wealth, but now causing headaches for other owners in the building.</p><p>The tightening of the credit markets in the past few years has been particularly hard on condos.  Even long-standing buildings in the most popular parts of the Washington area are now facing problems with financing.  <strong>This obviously matters to buyers because it’s difficult to get financing.  Many condo owners, however, don’t realize until they go to sell that it’s an equally big problem for them—if loans aren’t available at competitive market rates, then the pool of potential buyers becomes very, very small.</strong></p><p>FHA has always been <a
href="http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2008/06/22/complications-buying-condos-using-fha-financing/" target="_blank">harsh on condo lending (see post here for more)</a>.  They <strong>currently require at least 51% of the units to be owner occupied </strong>as one of the many hoops they make condo buyers jump through.  New rules on the horizon call for this to be reduced to 50%.  That same set of new rules (which has been delayed in implementation several times) calls for the pre-sale requirements of new construction projects to be eliminated.  Currently, at least half of a project must be pre-sold before FHA will do loans in a building.</p><p>But in today’s climate, even conventional loans can be difficult to get in a low owner-occupant ratio building.  <strong>Many conventional loans (or rather, the investors who purchase those conventional loans) require the building to be 60% or even 70% owner occupied! </strong>If the loan is Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac eligible then certain requirements apply as well.  Who would have thought that conventional loans, with their larger down payments, would be stricter than FHA?!</p><p>So what can you do if you are a seller trying to sell (or refinance) your unit in a high investor ratio building or a buyer trying to buy one?</p><p>First, <strong>ask your lender whether the condo is subject only to a limited review, rather than a full review</strong>.  Many lenders aren’t aware of the limited review option.  In a limited review, the lender doesn’t even ask for the occupancy percentage.</p><p>Next, see if there are any REO (bank owned or foreclosed) units in your building.  <strong>Recent changes allow lenders to count REO as owner-occupied.</strong></p><p>While these rule changes may help, if the ratio is still too high, then as a seller you have <strong>no choice but to find a buyer who has all cash or is willing to take on a non-30-year-fixed mortgage, for example a 5/1 ARM or 7/1 ARM. </strong> Rates are low enough now that you have a shot at that, especially if you are able to offer the unit at a low enough price that a buyer is willing to take the risk.  And as a buyer, the 5/1 or 7/1 is not a bad option if you don’t plan on staying in the condo very long, or as long as you have reasonable caps on the interest rate hikes going forward.</p><p><strong>If you’re looking for a top notch lender to help you refinance or purchase in a high-investor building, please <a
href="http://tinyurl.com/contactkatie">contact me</a>.  I recently refinanced my own condo which fell in between 50% and 75% owner occupancy so faced some of these challenges.  And if you need to sell your high-investor condo, let’s talk about your options and how a marketing plan might need to be adjusted.</strong></p><p
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href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/02/10/will-the-new-fha-rules-kill-arlington-condo-sales/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Will the New FHA Rules Kill Arlington Condo Sales?'>Will the New FHA Rules Kill Arlington Condo Sales?</a> <small>On February 1, HUD and FHA rolled out major changes...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/03/05/arlington-condo-pet-policies/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Arlington Condo Pet Policies'>Arlington Condo Pet Policies</a> <small>So you&#8217;re ready to buy a condo&#8230;But what about your...</small></li></ol></p><p>Related posts brought to you by <a
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isPermaLink="false">http://blog.wethmangroup.com/?p=137</guid> <description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m getting a lot of questions lately about whether or not to refinance.  I&#8217;m looking into it myself, actually, so thought I&#8217;d share some thoughts.
First, let&#8217;s talk about rates and the elusive 4.5% that some government agencies announced, then recanted, as a &#8216;target&#8217;.  First, that rate may never get here.  Second, it [...]Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/02/faq-high-investor-low-owner-occupancy-ratio-condos-how-can-i-buy-or-sell/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 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?</a> <small>One of the most common issues a condo buyer or...</small></li></ol>Related posts brought to you by <a
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/>I&#8217;m getting a lot of questions lately about <span
style="font-weight: bold;">whether or not to refinance.</span> I&#8217;m looking into it myself, actually, so thought I&#8217;d share some thoughts.</p><p>First, let&#8217;s talk about rates and the <span
style="font-weight: bold;">elusive 4.5% that some government agencies announced, then recanted, as a &#8216;target&#8217;. </span>First, that rate may never get here.  Second, it may have restrictions around it (like only available to purchases) if it does get here.  Third, rates are bouncing really darn close to that number now.    Note that the rate also applies only to the conforming limit (currently $417K).  &#8220;Jumbo conforming&#8221; (loans between $417K and $625K) will be higher, and regular &#8220;jumbo&#8221; above $625K are higher still.  (As an aside, if your current loan balance is near one of these breakpoints, you should think about paying the difference down to get into the &#8216;better&#8217; loan category.)</p><p>So, personally, I&#8217;m right on the verge of pulling the trigger.   A bird in hand, as they say.  Best thing to do is calculate the break even number of months where your closing costs equal the savings in your monthly payment.  If you&#8217;re going to be in the new loan that number of months, then you should seriously think about locking in that savings.</p><p>Historically, <span
style="font-weight: bold;">a rule of thumb is that if rates are 1% lower than what you’re currently paying, you should at least look into it. </span> Remember rates change several times each day, so don’t be surprised if you call one day and then the next day rates are back up again.  The decision of whether refinancing makes sense for you &#8212; even with a 1% drop in rates &#8212;  can get complicated very quickly given our recent market conditions though.</p><p>First thing to think about is the <span
style="font-weight: bold;">current market value of the home and your equity in it. </span>That’s important because if you got a loan a few years ago, credit conditions have changed dramatically and <span
style="font-weight: bold;">you may not be happy with the loan options available to you right now, even if the rates are low</span>.  For example, if you have two trusts on your current home loan (popular a few years ago in order to avoid paying Private Mortgage Insurance) then that option is no longer available.  Banks are requiring private mortgage insurance for anything higher than 80% Loan-To-Value (LTV) – in other words, <span
style="font-weight: bold;">unless you have 20% equity in your home, you will be required to get one loan and pay the PMI. </span> Second trusts are no longer available in <span
style="font-style: italic;">almost </span>any situation.   In fact, it’s rare to find a bank willing to lend more than 90% of the current market value of the home, which becomes an issue if your home has depreciated in value.    So if you have two trusts it may not be as lucrative for you to refinance as you think, even with lower rates.  Similarly, if the home has depreciated at all then you may run into issues as well because your LTV has changed and you will have to pony up some big cash to make up the difference in your &#8220;underwater&#8221; home.</p><p><span
style="font-weight: bold;">Let’s take an example: </span>Let’s say you bought a home at $400K with $20K down.  Let’s say further that now it’s worth $390K.  (The bank will require you to pay for a non-refundable appraisal, which costs about $350-400, to justify the current value of the home before you refinance.  And the bank has to choose the appraiser, so don’t bother paying for one on your own and then shopping it around.)  The bank may only be willing to lend 90% of that amount (depending on your credit and other factors), or $351K.  But you only have $20K equity in the property and still owe $380K.  That means in order to finance you have to come up with the difference of $380K-$351K = $29K PLUS your closing costs (similar to costs when you first purchased, and includes county fees, lender fees, title fees, etc.)</p><p>Even if your property hasn’t depreciated at all, but the bank’s new policy could very well be to lend no more than 90%, then you still can only borrow $400K * 90% = $360K, leaving you to still come up with $20K (= $380 you owe less the $360 the new bank is willing to lend) PLUS closing costs.</p><p>Finally, even if the property hasn’t depreciated, and even if the bank is still willing to lend you 95% of the value—in this example the entire $380K you owe—then your payment still may not be as low as you expect because now you’re required to have a single loan at 95% LTV which requires PMI (rather than your current two trusts at 80% + 15%).</p><p><span
style="font-weight: bold;">Closing costs</span> can generally be rolled into the loan amount if you have enough equity to meet the LTV requirements.  But unfortunately a lot of people will have to come up with significant cash if they want to refinance.  But if your property has held it’s value, and/or you have sizable equity in it, then it’s almost definitely worth it to re-fi.  So the bottom line is that there are a lot of variables to determine whether or not it’s worth it to refinance.  It’s best to talk to a lender to figure out your specific situation. <a
href="http://tinyurl.com/contactkatie">Contact me if you want my recommendations on lenders I would (and do) personally use. </a></p><p>Closing costs, by the way, vary by lender and by settlement company, just like with a purchase.  When a lender gives you a good faith estimate, you should focus first on the 800 section “Lender Fees” to see what they’re charging you, and compare that across lenders to find the best deal.  Those fees are always negotiable.  But banks need to make money too, so don&#8217;t expect them to charge nothing.  Also look at the settlement company fees in the 1100 section, also somewhat negotiable.  You do NOT need to use the settlement company the bank recommends. <a
href="http://tinyurl.com/contactkatie">Contact me if you want a recommendation on who I personally would use. </a></p><p><span
style="font-weight: bold;">Paying Points: </span>Whether or not to pay points to get a lower rate is a judgment call, and depends on how long you’re going to stay in the property.  A point equals 1% of the loan amount.  So you might get a quote for 5.125% (no points) and 4.875% (1 point).  If you have a $380K loan then that means you pay $3800 at closing to get the 4.875%.  So you just calculate the savings in payment, divided by the $3800, and that gives you the number of months you need to keep that loan in order to make it worthwhile to pay the point.</p><p>So as you can see there are a LOT of variables in the decision of whether or not to refinance, so the best advice I can give is to (1) have a realistic idea of what your home is worth and (2) talk to a lender.  Even if you start down the re-fi road and one of these scenarios ends up being bad news for you, the worst case is that your out the $400ish for the appraisal and you keep your current loan.</p><p
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src="http://blog.wethmangroup.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_171_16.png" width="171" height="16" alt="Share/Bookmark"/></a><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/02/faq-high-investor-low-owner-occupancy-ratio-condos-how-can-i-buy-or-sell/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 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?</a> <small>One of the most common issues a condo buyer or...</small></li></ol></p><p>Related posts brought to you by <a
href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2008/12/30/should-i-refinance/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>How Much Do I Need for a Downpayment?</title><link>http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2008/11/18/how-much-do-i-need-for-a-downpayment/</link> <comments>http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2008/11/18/how-much-do-i-need-for-a-downpayment/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:12:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Katie Wethman</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Buyer Resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[FAQ]]></category> <category><![CDATA[financing resources]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://blog.wethmangroup.com/?p=130</guid> <description><![CDATA[How much do I need for a downpayment?
It depends.
(Come on, you knew I was going to say that.)
There are some rules of thumb though.  First, you can bet you need a heck of a lot more than buyers did a few years ago, or even one year ago.  There are lots of influencing [...]Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/05/14/fha-to-allow-8000-tax-credit-to-be-used-as-downpayment/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: FHA to Allow $8000 Tax Credit to be Used as Downpayment'>FHA to Allow $8000 Tax Credit to be Used as Downpayment</a> <small>Update 5/29: HUD reversed course today on its initial plan...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/02/faq-high-investor-low-owner-occupancy-ratio-condos-how-can-i-buy-or-sell/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 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?</a> <small>One of the most common issues a condo buyer or...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/15/vhda-loans-allow-financing-of-down-payment/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: VHDA Loans Allow Financing of Down Payment'>VHDA Loans Allow Financing of Down Payment</a> <small>The Virginia Housing Development Authority has extended its Homebuyer Tax...</small></li></ol>Related posts brought to you by <a
href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>How much do I need for a downpayment?</p><p>It depends.</p><p>(Come on, you knew I was going to say that.)</p><p>There are some rules of thumb though.  First, you can bet you need a heck of a lot more than buyers did a few years ago, or even one year ago.  There are lots of influencing factors:  type of financing, amount financed, type of home (condo/townhouse/detached house), and whether it’s an investment property or you intend to occupy it.</p><p>To understand downpayments, we really need to understand the Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) industry.  These are the guys who ‘insure’ the loan for the bank.  If you have less than 20% equity in the property (whether via a downpayment or appreciation), any lender will require you to buy PMI.  PMI premiums are paid by the borrower, but the beneficiary is the lender.  So in other words, if the borrower defaults, then the PMI policy will pay the lender.</p><p>Up until recently, banks would issue a “second trust (mortgage)” rather than requiring the borrower to pay for PMI.  So a borrower would have a first mortgage for 80% of the value, then a second mortgage for somewhere between 5% and 20% of the value—so the borrower needed as little as 0%.  The mortgage interest on the second trust was deductible (a win for the borrower), there was less downpayment needed (another win for the borrower), and the bank got a second loan at a higher interest rate than the first (a win for the bank, or so they thought at the time, AND they held the home as collateral, which couldn’t possibly fall below the value at which it was purchased, right??)   The only people that lost out were the mortgage insurance folks.</p><p>Fast forward to the default wave of the last two years.  Banks are now holding two bad loans instead of one, and no insurance policy to collect on.  PMI folks were just fine with that, as they had their hands full anyway with all of their own defaults.   In today’s lending world, you can’t find a bank who’s willing to do a second trust that takes the total loan-to-value (LTV) ratio above 80%.  So basically: no second trusts.  And it’s really tough to find a PMI firm who will insure a loan without meeting certain conditions.</p><p>To really know what downpayment you need, you need to talk to a lender and find a program that works for you.  But here are some rules of thumb:</p><p>- Conventional loans, count on needing 10 to 20%<br
/>- FHA – will require 3.5% (as of 01/01/09)<br
/>- VA loans – this is about the only program going where you can still get 100% financing, so if you’re a vet, look into it!<br
/>- Investment properties – 30%</p><p>There ARE special programs out there, though, like HPAP in the District and VHDA in Virginia.  So, again, talk to a lender.  I can recommend some great ones.  You also need to keep your realtor in the loop.  Often certain property types don’t work well with certain loan programs, or may trigger additional downpayment requirements.</p><p>If you’re confused about where to start your search and understanding how much you can afford, send me an email.  I’m happy to work with you to see what types of homes and program combinations will work best for you.</p><p
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src="http://blog.wethmangroup.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_171_16.png" width="171" height="16" alt="Share/Bookmark"/></a><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/05/14/fha-to-allow-8000-tax-credit-to-be-used-as-downpayment/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: FHA to Allow $8000 Tax Credit to be Used as Downpayment'>FHA to Allow $8000 Tax Credit to be Used as Downpayment</a> <small>Update 5/29: HUD reversed course today on its initial plan...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/02/faq-high-investor-low-owner-occupancy-ratio-condos-how-can-i-buy-or-sell/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 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?</a> <small>One of the most common issues a condo buyer or...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/15/vhda-loans-allow-financing-of-down-payment/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: VHDA Loans Allow Financing of Down Payment'>VHDA Loans Allow Financing of Down Payment</a> <small>The Virginia Housing Development Authority has extended its Homebuyer Tax...</small></li></ol></p><p>Related posts brought to you by <a
href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2008/11/18/how-much-do-i-need-for-a-downpayment/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>3</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Guest Post: Rehabbing Properties Using the FHA 203K Program</title><link>http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2008/11/03/guest-post-rehabbing-properties-using-the-fha-203k-program/</link> <comments>http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2008/11/03/guest-post-rehabbing-properties-using-the-fha-203k-program/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:38:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Katie Wethman</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Buyer Resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[financing resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[foreclosure]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rehabbing properties]]></category> <category><![CDATA[short sale]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://blog.wethmangroup.com/?p=128</guid> <description><![CDATA[Thanks, Cindy Fox of SunTrust, for information on this program which can really help buyers who have found their diamond in the rough!  You can find Cindy&#8217;s contact information at the bottom of this post.
Looking for a bargain in the real estate market?
Have you seen the perfect place for you and maybe your family [...]Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/15/vhda-loans-allow-financing-of-down-payment/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: VHDA Loans Allow Financing of Down Payment'>VHDA Loans Allow Financing of Down Payment</a> <small>The Virginia Housing Development Authority has extended its Homebuyer Tax...</small></li></ol>Related posts brought to you by <a
href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span
style="font-style: italic;">Thanks, Cindy Fox of SunTrust, for information on this program which can really help buyers who have found their diamond in the rough!  You can find Cindy&#8217;s contact information at the bottom of this post.</span></p><p>Looking for a bargain in the real estate market?</p><p>Have you seen the <span
style="font-weight: bold;">perfect place for you and maybe your family – but then the inside of the place has been trashed</span>?  Or is simply is older, outdated, and in need of updating and/or repair?</p><p>Sometimes you just need to see beyond to cosmetic abuse to the eye, and maybe structural deficiencies, and envision a place after tender loving care – and a lot of tear down, build up and sweat has been applied!</p><p>So – you have the vision.   Great!  Now – how to pay for putting that vision into action to bring to a reality that vision?</p><p>There is an option for you!  The FHA, which is a part of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), has a program that will help finance the purchase of such a dwelling, as well as the financing of rehabilitation of the house.</p><p><span
style="font-weight: bold;">203(k) &#8211; How It Is Different from Conventional Construction Financing</span></p><p>The 203(k) program is a section of HUD’s home   financing guidelines and its primary program for the rehabilitation and   repair of single family properties.  The program was designed to promote and facilitate the restoration and   preservation of the Nation’s existing (and aging) housing stock.  Most of the time lenders will only lend money to purchase homes that are complete.  The condition of the property must meet certain standards.  Under normal purchase transactions (or refinance transactions) properties that are complete and meet a certain property condition provide the necessary collateral for the lender to lend with confidence. Additionally, most loan programs require that if there are repairs, or renovations to be completed, this must occur before the lender will release funds to complete the purchase and close the loan.</p><p>Under conventional guidelines, when a homebuyer wants to purchase a house in need of repair or modernization, the homebuyer usually has to obtain financing first to purchase the dwelling; additional financing to do the rehabilitation construction; and a permanent mortgage when the work is completed to pay off the interim loans with a permanent mortgage. Often the interim financing (the acquisition and construction loans) involves relatively high interest rates and short amortization periods.</p><p><span
style="font-weight: bold;">The 203(k) program through HUD was designed to address this situation. The borrower can get just one mortgage loan, at a long-term fixed, to finance both the acquisition and the rehabilitation of the property. To provide funds for the rehabilitation, the mortgage amount is based on the projected value of the property with the work completed, taking into account the cost of the work.</span><br
/><span
style="font-weight: bold;"><br
/>Eligible Improvements:</span> Luxury items and improvements that do not become a permanent part of the real property are not eligible as a cost of rehabilitation. However, the homeowner can use the 203(k) program to finance such items as painting, room additions, decks and other items even if the home does not need any other improvements. All health, safety and energy conservation items must be addressed prior to completing general home improvements.<br
/><span
style="font-weight: bold;"><br
/>How the Program Works:</span> The improvements, repairs, and rehabilitation proposals must be part of the loan package and can be prepared by a builder, or a consultant and show the scope of the work to be done.  Cost estimates must include labor and materials sufficient to complete the work.</p><p>The scope of the work as presented in the proposal determines the amount of the loan.  Usually, an appraiser will evaluate the proposal in conjunction with the current value of the property and determine an “after-improved” value which will determine the amount of money available for the repairs and rehabilitation.</p><p><span
style="font-weight: bold;">For More Information: </span>For more information on eligible properties, how the program can be used, required improvements, how the program works, and the application process, <span
style="font-weight: bold;">contact Cindy Fox at SunTrust Mortgage at (703) 464-4345, or email Katie (info in right hand sidebar) for more information.</span></p><p
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src="http://blog.wethmangroup.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_171_16.png" width="171" height="16" alt="Share/Bookmark"/></a><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/15/vhda-loans-allow-financing-of-down-payment/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: VHDA Loans Allow Financing of Down Payment'>VHDA Loans Allow Financing of Down Payment</a> <small>The Virginia Housing Development Authority has extended its Homebuyer Tax...</small></li></ol></p><p>Related posts brought to you by <a
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isPermaLink="false">http://blog.wethmangroup.com/?p=111</guid> <description><![CDATA[NOTE> This post applies only to homeowners who purchased in 2008.  If you purchased in 2009, see the updated version of the credit here.
It&#8217;s official, the $7500 tax credit for first time buyers is now law.  But how will it work?
First of all, it&#8217;s not really a &#8216;credit&#8217; per se &#8212; it&#8217;s [...]Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/11/06/6500-move-up-buyer-credit-details/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: $8000 First Time Home Buyer Extension and New $6500 &#8220;Move Up&#8221; Buyer Credit Details'>$8000 First Time Home Buyer Extension and New $6500 &#8220;Move Up&#8221; Buyer Credit Details</a> <small> It&#8217;s officially passed the House and Senate, and is...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/11/15/why-is-the-6500-home-buyer-tax-credit-important/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Why is the $6500 home buyer tax credit important?'>Why is the $6500 home buyer tax credit important?</a> <small>By this time, most people are aware of the extension...</small></li></ol>Related posts brought to you by <a
href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>NOTE> This post applies only to homeowners who purchased in 2008.  If you purchased in 2009, <a
href="http://katiewethman.blogspot.com/2009/02/stimulus-bill-to-be-law-first-time.html">see the updated version of the credit here</a>.</p><p>It&#8217;s official, the <span
style="font-weight: bold;">$7500 tax credit for first time buyers</span> is now law.  But how will it work?</p><p>First of all, it&#8217;s <span
style="font-weight: bold;">not really a &#8216;credit&#8217;</span> per se &#8212; it&#8217;s an <span
style="font-weight: bold;">interest free  loan</span>.  Nonetheless, as my first time buyer clients will tell you, an interest free loan is the best kind of loan!  First time buyers &#8212; defined as buyers who have not owned a principal residence during the 3 year period prior to purchase &#8212; will claim this credit on their tax returns, and receive a <span
style="font-weight: bold;">credit of 10% of the purchase price, up to a maximum of a $7500 &#8216;credit.&#8217;</span> (Note this is NOT a deduction.  Taxpayers receive the full $7500.)  Here are the additional details:<ul><li>All homes, including condos, are eligible.</li><li>The &#8216;loan&#8217; part comes into play because it must be repaid over a 15 year period at $500/year starting in 2010.</li><li>The purchase must be on or after <span
style="font-weight: bold;">April 9, 2008 and before July 1, 2009. </span>(Note the law says BEFORE, so those of you buying next year &#8211; <span
style="font-weight: bold;">settle on or before July 1!</span>)</li><li>There&#8217;s an <span
style="font-weight: bold;">income restriction:</span> Single taxpayers can&#8217;t make more than $75,000 and married couples are limited to $150,000.  Above those limits, the credit is phased out.</li><li>Sorry, DC home buyers, you <span
style="font-weight: bold;">can&#8217;t claim both this and the <a
href="http://katiewethman.blogspot.com/2008/10/5000-credit-for-dc-first-time-home.html">DC First Time Buyer credit</a></span>.  (That one is a real credit, not a loan, so for almost everyone the DC credit is the better deal.)</li><li>There <span
style="font-weight: bold;">doesn&#8217;t appear to be any way to get the money in advance</span>, so this credit will have to be a &#8216;reimbursement&#8217; of sorts for buyers.  You can however, as with any purchase, adjust your withholding to better match your (now $7500 lower) tax bill.  The closest thing you can do to getting it sooner than later is to <span
style="font-weight: bold;">buy a home in early 2009, but then you apply the credit to your 2008 return (before April 15) since the law allows you to choose the year in which you apply the credit.<br
/></span></li></ul><p>You can learn more at <a
href="http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/">www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com</a></p><p>Update 1/29/09: President Obama&#8217;s $820B stimulus package contains a proposal to eliminate the need to repay the $7500 &#8212; it would change into a straight on credit, rather than the interest free loan it currently is.  This bill has passed the House and is currently with the Senate &#8212; the bill is NOT yet law.  Stay tuned.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p
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class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.wethmangroup.com%2F2008%2F08%2F19%2F7500-first-time-buyer-tax-credit-info%2F&amp;linkname=%247500%20First%20Time%20Buyer%20Tax%20%26quot%3BCredit%26quot%3B%20Info"><img
src="http://blog.wethmangroup.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_171_16.png" width="171" height="16" alt="Share/Bookmark"/></a><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/11/06/6500-move-up-buyer-credit-details/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: $8000 First Time Home Buyer Extension and New $6500 &#8220;Move Up&#8221; Buyer Credit Details'>$8000 First Time Home Buyer Extension and New $6500 &#8220;Move Up&#8221; Buyer Credit Details</a> <small> It&#8217;s officially passed the House and Senate, and is...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/11/15/why-is-the-6500-home-buyer-tax-credit-important/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Why is the $6500 home buyer tax credit important?'>Why is the $6500 home buyer tax credit important?</a> <small>By this time, most people are aware of the extension...</small></li></ol></p><p>Related posts brought to you by <a
href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2008/08/19/7500-first-time-buyer-tax-credit-info/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>How to Read a Good Faith Estimate or HUD-1</title><link>http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2008/06/22/how-to-read-a-good-faith-estimate-or-hud-1/</link> <comments>http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2008/06/22/how-to-read-a-good-faith-estimate-or-hud-1/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Sun, 22 Jun 2008 22:24:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Katie Wethman</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Buyer Resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[financing resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[settlement]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://blog.wethmangroup.com/?p=92</guid> <description><![CDATA[It can be difficult to compare apples-to-apples when looking at closing cost estimates from lenders.  There are lots of tricks that a lender can pull to make themselves look better, and there are so many expenses that’s it’s difficult to know which ones are “junk fees.”
Let’s review terminology first.  When you [...]No related posts.Related posts brought to you by <a
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class="MsoNormal">It can be difficult to compare apples-to-apples when looking at closing cost estimates from lenders.<span
style=""> </span>There are lots of tricks that a lender can pull to make themselves look better, and there are so many expenses that’s it’s difficult to know which ones are <a
href="http://katiewethman.blogspot.com/2007/06/junk-fees.html">“junk fees.”</a><span
style=""> </span></p><p
class="MsoNormal">Let’s review terminology first.<span
style=""> </span>When you make a loan application, a lender is required to provide you with a Good Faith Estimate (GFE).<span
style=""> </span>Most lenders provide you with this estimate even if you haven’t made a full application yet.<span
style=""> </span>The GFE contains three main parts: your rate/point combination, your monthly housing payment estimate, and an estimate of your closing costs.<span
style=""> </span>Though lenders are required to give you an estimate of closing costs—which run 2.5% to 3% in this area—they actually have <b
style="">no control over most of the fees shown</b>!<span
style=""> </span>So be warned: do NOT compare lenders based on total closing costs!<span
style=""> </span>There are too many places they can under-estimate to make themselves appear more competitive.<span
style=""> </span></p><p
class="MsoNormal">The GFE closing cost estimate is an estimate of what will ultimately be shown on the HUD-1 at closing.<span
style=""> </span>The HUD-1 is a standard government form with each line item numbered for easy comparison.<span
style=""> </span>GFEs, on the other hand, come in a variety of format, further complicating comparisons.</p><p
class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Generally the expenses on GFEs and HUD-1s will fall into these categories:</p><table
class="MsoTableGrid" style="border: medium none ; border-collapse: collapse;" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr
style=""><td
style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197"><p
class="MsoNormal">Total Sales/Broker’s Commission</p></td><td
style="border-style: solid solid solid none; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 4.1in;" valign="top" width="394"><p
class="MsoNormal">Section 700 on the HUD-1, and usually not shown on the GFE   because this section is an expense of the seller.</p><p
class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></td></tr><tr
style=""><td
style="border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197"><p
class="MsoNormal">Items Payable in Connection With the Loan aka “Lender’s   Fees”</p></td><td
style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 4.1in;" valign="top" width="394"><p
class="MsoNormal">Section 800 on the HUD-1.<span
style=""> </span>These are your lender fees, and the most important part of your GFE   because this is the part your lender actually controls, and is, at least in   part, negotiable.<span
style=""> </span>This section will   also include any <b
style="">points</b> that you   are being charged to get your loan rate.<span
style=""> </span>So you must compare this section in conjunction with comparing the   interest rate charged.</p></td></tr><tr
style=""><td
style="border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197"><p
class="MsoNormal">Items Required by Lender to Be Paid in Advance</p></td><td
style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 4.1in;" valign="top" width="394"><p
class="MsoNormal">Section 900 on the HUD-1.<span
style=""> </span>This section is primarily driven by the day of the month you   close.<span
style=""> </span>Lenders require that you   ‘pre-pay’ the interest between settlement day and the end of the month.<span
style=""> </span>So if you close on the 1<sup>st</sup>, you   owe 30 days of interest.<span
style=""> </span>If you close   on the 30<sup>th</sup>, then you owe one day.<span
style=""> </span>If you’re comparing lenders, make sure they all use the same   assumption for purposes of the GFE.<span
style=""> </span>As   long as you’re comparing apples to apples in rates and points across lenders,   you can ignore this section.</p><p
class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></td></tr><tr
style=""><td
style="border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197"><p
class="MsoNormal">Reserves Deposited by Lender aka “Total Prepaids/Reserves”</p></td><td
style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 4.1in;" valign="top" width="394"><p
class="MsoNormal">Section 1000 on the HUD-1.<span
style=""> </span>Most lenders are the same in what they require—a year of hazard   insurance, a few months of property and other local taxes, mortgage   insurance, and possibly a month of condo fees.<span
style=""> </span>The lender doesn’t actually control this   section of the estimate, so it’s safe to ignore it in your ‘shopping’ of   loans.</p></td></tr><tr
style=""><td
style="border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197"><p
class="MsoNormal">Title/Settlement Charges</p></td><td
style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 4.1in;" valign="top" width="394"><p
class="MsoNormal">Section 1100 on the HUD-1.<span
style=""> </span>The settlement company determines this section, so it’s safe to ignore   it in your comparison of lenders.  This is a big chunk of your fees because it includes <a
href="http://katiewethman.blogspot.com/2007/03/common-buyer-mistakes-title-insurance.html">title insurance</a>.</p></td></tr><tr
style=""><td
style="border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197"><p
class="MsoNormal">Government Charges</p></td><td
style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 4.1in;" valign="top" width="394"><p
class="MsoNormal">Section 1200 on the HUD-1.<span
style=""> </span>The local jurisdiction determines this section, so it’s safe to ignore   it in your comparison of lenders.<span
style=""> </span></p></td></tr><tr
style=""><td
style="border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197"><p
class="MsoNormal">Miscellaneous</p></td><td
style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 4.1in;" valign="top" width="394"><p
class="MsoNormal">Section 1300 on the HUD-1.<span
style=""> </span>Contrary to popular belief, this is not where the “junk fees”   are.<span
style=""> </span>Instead it tends to be actual   costs incurred for couriers, the survey of the property, and other fees that   don’t fit into one of the above categories.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Read more: <a
href="http://katiewethman.blogspot.com/2007/06/junk-fees.html">&#8220;Junk Fees&#8221;</a></p><p>Read more: <a
href="http://katiewethman.blogspot.com/2007/03/common-buyer-mistakes-title-insurance.html">Title Insurance</a></p><p
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isPermaLink="false">http://blog.wethmangroup.com/?p=91</guid> <description><![CDATA[FHA doesn’t play well with condos.  Which is too bad, really, since FHA is such a perfect option for first time buyers since it requires only 3% down, as opposed to the 10% most banks are demanding right now.  For a borrower to use an FHA loan to purchase a condo, it must [...]Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/02/faq-high-investor-low-owner-occupancy-ratio-condos-how-can-i-buy-or-sell/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 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?</a> <small>One of the most common issues a condo buyer or...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/11/13/why-are-condos-at-the-jefferson-in-ballston-so-cheap/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Why Are Condos at the Jefferson in Ballston So Cheap?'>Why Are Condos at the Jefferson in Ballston So Cheap?</a> <small>Two words: Retirement Community. The Jefferson is a Sunrise Senior...</small></li><li><a
href='http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2009/12/15/vhda-loans-allow-financing-of-down-payment/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: VHDA Loans Allow Financing of Down Payment'>VHDA Loans Allow Financing of Down Payment</a> <small>The Virginia Housing Development Authority has extended its Homebuyer Tax...</small></li></ol>Related posts brought to you by <a
href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p
class="MsoNormal">FHA doesn’t play well with condos.<span
style=""> </span>Which is too bad, really, since FHA is such a perfect option for first time buyers since it <b
style="">requires only 3% down, as opposed to the 10% most banks are demanding right now</b>.<span
style=""> </span>For a borrower to use an FHA loan to purchase a condo, it must be on the FHA approved list (<a
href="https://entp.hud.gov/idapp/html/condlook.cfm">click here for database</a>).<span
style=""> </span>If you take a look through this database, which is not very user-friendly by the way, since it doesn’t allow you to search by address, you’ll see it’s slim pickings.<span
style=""> </span></p><p
class="MsoNormal">That doesn’t mean that you should give up hope though.<span
style=""> </span>You can still try for a ‘spot-approval’ which means that FHA will see if the building meets certain criteria and then give a one-time exception.<span
style=""> </span>Some of the most restrictive criteria include:</p><p
class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 39pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span
style="font-family:Symbol;"><span
style="">·<span
style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:7;"  > </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Building must be at least 90% sold (so <b
style="">no new construction qualifies</b>)</p><p
class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 39pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span
style="font-family:Symbol;"><span
style="">·<span
style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:7;"  > </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Building must be <b
style="">>51% owner-occupied</b> (I’ve found this is an issue for many older buildings where units are low in price.<span
style=""> </span></p><p
class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 39pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span
style="font-family:Symbol;"><span
style="">·<span
style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:7;"  > </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->No single entity owns more than 10% of the units</p><p
class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 39pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span
style="font-family:Symbol;"><span
style="">·<span
style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:7;"  > </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Condo Association must not be currently in litigation</p><p
class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 39pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span
style="font-family:Symbol;"><span
style="">·<span
style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:7;"  > </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->No special assessments are pending</p><p
class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 39pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span
style="font-family:Symbol;"><span
style="">·<span
style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:7;"  > </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->There is an adequate reserve fund and plan</p><p
class="MsoNormal">To protect yourself as a buyer, it’s advisable to include a financing contingency period while the lender investigates whether you can get a spot approval.<span
style=""> </span>You don’t want to be locked into a contract only to find FHA won’t give you the loan.</p><p
class="MsoNormal">So, what to do if you’re interested in a condo but can’t get FHA approval?<span
style=""> </span>First, speak with your lender (or other lenders) about other programs that might be available.<span
style=""> </span>If your budget allows it, consider looking at townhouses or duplexes, which aren’t subject to the same FHA approval requirements.<span
style=""> </span>It may be even more affordable than you think, when you factor in the lack of a condo fee.<span
style=""> </span>Or concentrate your search on buildings you know to be FHA compliant.<span
style=""> </span></p><p
class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p
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