5 Things to Know about buying a house and getting a Mortgage Loan approval in Kentucky for 2023


1. Do Mortgage Rates Change Daily?

Just like the gas prices at the pump, mortgage rates can change daily or throughout the day. Typically mortgage rates are published at 10-11 am daily by most lenders and you can lock up through the close of business which is usually around 6-7 PM. Mortgage rates can change up or down throughout the day based on various financial, economics, and geopolitical news in the US Financial markets and World markets. Generally speaking, good economic news is bad for rates and vice versa, bad economic news is good for mortgage rates.

The good news is this: Once you find a home and get it under contract, you can lock your mortgage loan rate. Typically it takes about 30-45 days to close a mortgage loan in Kentucky, so the typical lock is for 30-60 days. If rates get better you may be able to negotiate a better rate with your lender, but they usually have to improve by at least 25 basis points (.25) to do that. Not all lenders offer this option. The longer you lock the loan, the greater the costs. It is usually free to lock in a loan for up to 90 days without having to pay a fee.

What a lot of lenders are experiencing now is that some loans don’t close on time for various reasons. You can always extend the lock on the loan but it will costs you usually .125 basis points to do so. If you let the lock expire on the loan, then you have to take worse case pricing on that day when you go to relock. It is usually best to extend the lock on your loan.

2. What kind of Credit Score Do I need to qualify?

When applying for a mortgage loan, lenders will pull what they call a “tri-merge” credit report which will show three different fico scores from Trans union, Equifax, and Experian. The lenders will throw out the high and low score and take the “middle score” For example, if you had a 614, 610, and 629 score from the three main credit bureaus, your qualifying score would be 614. Most lenders will want at least two scores. So if you only have one score, you may not qualify. Lenders will have to pull their own credit report and scores so if you had it ran somewhere else or saw it on a website or credit card you may own, it will not matter to the lender, because they have to use their own credit report and scores.
Most lenders will pull your credit report for free nowadays so this should not be a big deal as long as your scores are high enough.
The Secondary Market of Mortgage loans offered by FHA, VA, USDA, Fannie Mae, and KHC all have their minimum fico score requirements and lenders will create overlays in addition to what the Government agencies will accept, so even if on paper FHA says they will go down to 580 or 500 in some cases on fico scores, very few lenders will go below the 620 threshold.
If you have low fico scores it may make sense to check around with different lenders to see what their minimum fico scores are for loans.
The lenders I currently deal with have the following fico cutoffs for credit scores:
FHA–580 minimum score
VA—-580 minimum score
Fannie Mae–620 minimum score
USDA–620 minimum score
KHC with Down Payment Assistance –620 minimum score.

As you can see, 580-620 is the minimum score with most lenders for a FHA, VA, or Fannie Mae loan, is required for the no down payment programs offered by USDA for Kentucky for First Time Home Buyers wanting to go no money down.

3. What are the down payment requirements?

The most popular programs for Kentucky First Time Home Buyers usually involves one of the following housing programs outlined in bold below:
FHA:

FHA will allow a home buyer to purchase a house with as little as 3.5% down. If your credit scores are low, say 680 and below, a lot of times it makes sense to go FHA because everyone pays the same mortgage insurance premiums no matter what your score is, and the down payment can be gifted to you. Meaning you really don’t have to have any skin into the game when it comes to down payment.

They even allow down payment assistance for down payment requirements of 3.5% through eligible parties like Kentucky Housing, Welcome Home Grants and Louisville KY and Covington Kentucky Down Payment Grants.

Lastly, FHA will allow for higher debt to income ratios with sometimes getting loan pre-approvals up to 55% of your total gross monthly income. So if you have a debt to income ratio of over 50%, Fannie Mae will not do the loan and USDA usually likes their debt to income ratios no more than 45%.

Think back to the last time you financed a purchase — be it a home, automobile, or what have you… You may remember having heard the term “debt-to-income ratio.” Today I want to spend some time going over exactly what this ratio is, and to also touch on how it can effect your personal finances.

4. What is your debt-to-income ratio?

Commonly referred to as your “DTI,” your debt-to-income ratio is a personal finance benchmark that relates your monthly debt payments to your monthly gross income.
As an example… Let’s say that your gross monthly salary is $5,000 and you are spending $2,800 of it toward monthly debt payments. In that case, your DTI would be an unhealthy 56%.
This version of your DTI is sometimes referred to as your “back-end” DTI. This is often broken down further to give a front-end debt-to-income ratio, which is a component of your back-end DTI.

How to calculate your front-end DTI for a Kentucky Mortgage Loan Approval

Your front-end DTI is calculated by dividing your monthly housing costs by your monthly gross income. Front-end DTI for renters is simply the amount paid in rent, whereas for homeowners it is the sum of mortgage principal, interest, property taxes, and home insurance (i.e., your PITI) divided by gross monthly income.

From above, if that $2,800 in debt payments is attributable to $1,500 in housing costs and $1,300 in non-housing costs, then your front-end DTI is $1,500/$5,000 = 30% (and your back-end ratio is still 56%, as calculated above).
Fannie Mae:
Fannie Mae requires just 3% down with their new Home Possible Program, but if you use their traditional mortgage loan, then 5% is the Fannie Mae Standard. Fannie Mae will go down 620 score, but if your scores are below 680, I would look seriously at the FHA loan program because Fannie Mae has steep increases to the interest rate and the mortgage insurance premiums if your scores are low.
A couple of good things about Fannie Mae is that you can buy a larger priced home and have a large loan amount due to FHA only allowing most Kentucky Home Buyers a maximum mortgage loan amount of $356,000 for a max FHA loan and $545,000 for Fannie Mae Conventional loans in Kentucky for 2020.
Lastly when it comes to mortgage insurance, FHA mortgage insurance premiums are for life of loan while Fannie Mae mortgage insurance premiums drop off when you develop 80% equity position in your house.
But as a tell most people, nobody has a loan for 30 years, and the average mortgage is either refinanced or home sold within the first 5-7 years.
VA Loans-

VA loans offer eligible Veterans and Active Duty Personnel to buy a home going no money down with no monthly mortgage insurance. This is probably the best no money down loan out there since the rates are traditionally very low on comparison to other government insured mortgages and no monthly mortgage insurance. The VA loan can be used anywhere in the state of Kentucky with the maximum VA loan limit being removed for 2021
USDA Loans-

USDA loans offer people buying a home in rural areas (typically towns of $20k or less) to buy a home going zero down. You cannot currently own another home and there is household income limits of $90,200 for a household family of four, and up to $119,300 for a household of five or more. You search USDA website for eligible areas and household income limits below at the yellow highlighted link :

KHC or Kentucky Housing-
Kentucky First Time Home Buyers typically use KHC for their down payment assistance. KHC currently offers $10,000 for down payment assistance and sometimes throughout the year they will offer low mortgage rates on their mortgage revenue bond program.

The down payment assistance usually never runs out because you have to pay it back in the form of a second mortgage. It helps a lot of home buyers that want to buy in urban areas that cannot utilizer the USDA program in rural areas. Most of the time the first mortgage is a FHA loan tied with the 2nd mortgage fore down payment assistance. All KHC programs require a 620 score and rates are locked for 45 days.

5. What if I have had a bankruptcy or foreclosure in the past?

FHA and VA are the easiest on previous bankruptcies. FHA and VA both require 2 years removed from the discharge date on a Chapter 7. If you are in the middle of a Chapter 13, FHA will allow for financing with a 12 month clean history payment to the Chapter 13 courts, and with trustee permission.

VA requires 2 years removed from a foreclosure (sheriff sale date of home) and FHA requires 3 years.

USDA requires 3 years removed from both a foreclosure and bankruptcy, but on the foreclosure they do not go off the sale date. This may save you a little time if you had a previous foreclosure.

Fannie Mae (Conventional Loan)

Fannie Mae is by far the strictest. They require 4-7 years out of a foreclosure or bankruptcy

If you have questions about qualifying as first time home buyer in Kentucky, please call, text, email or fill out free prequalification below for your next mortgage loan pre-approval.

Bankruptcy Requriements for a FHA, VA, USDA, and Fannie Mae Loan Approval in Kentucky
click on link to apply for free mortgage quote

Joel Lobb
Senior Loan Officer

(NMLS#57916)

Text or call phone: (502) 905-3708

email me at kentuckyloan@gmail.com

http://www.mylouisvillekentuckymortgage.com/

The view and opinions stated on this website belong solely to the authors, and are intended for informational purposes only. The posted information does not guarantee approval, nor does it comprise full underwriting guidelines. This does not represent being part of a government agency. The views expressed on this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer. Not all products or services mentioned on this site may fit all people

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What income is acceptable for FHA, VA, USDA and Fannie Mae Mortgage Loan Approval in Kentucky?

How to qualify for a Kentucky mortgage

The type of mortgage you’re applying for determines the minimum requirements you’ll have to meet for your down payment, credit score, and debt-to-income ratio.

Find out what type of loan you might qualify for or what aspects of your finances you’ll need to improve to get a better shot at qualifying for a mortgage.

Loan Type Min. Down Payment Min. Credit Score Max DTI Property Type
Conventional 3% 620 45% Primary, secondary, investment
VA 0% none none Primary
FHA 3.5% 500 50% Primary
USDA 0% none 41% Primary

Keep in mind: The minimum down payment, minimum credit score, and maximum DTI shown in the table apply to mortgages used to purchase a primary residence. While you can use a conventional loan or a jumbo loan to purchase a home for another purpose, you might need a larger down payment, a higher credit score, more cash reserves, or all three.

Credit score needed to buy a house

Mortgage lending is risky, and lenders want a way to quantify that risk. They use your three-digit credit score to gauge the risk of loaning you money since your credit score helps predict your likelihood of paying back a loan on time. Lenders also consider other data, such as your income, employment, debts and assets to decide whether to offer you a loan.

Different lenders and loan types have different borrower requirements, loan terms and minimum credit scores. Here are the requirements for some of the most common types of mortgages.

Conventional loan

Minimum credit score: 620

A conventional loan is a mortgage that isn’t backed by a federal agency. Most mortgage lenders offer conventional loans, and many lenders sell these loans to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac — two government-sponsored enterprises. Conventional loans can have either fixed or adjustable rates, and terms ranging from 10 to 30 years.

You can get a conventional loan with a down payment as low as 3% of the home’s purchase price, so this type of loan makes sense if you don’t have enough for a traditional down payment. However, if your down payment is less than 20%, you’re required to pay for private mortgage insurance (PMI), which is an insurance policy designed to protect the lender if you stop making payments. You can ask your servicer to cancel PMI once the principal balance of your mortgage falls below 80% of the original value of your home.

FHA loan

Minimum credit score (10% down): 500

Minimum credit score (3.5% down): 580

FHA loans are backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), a part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The FHA incentivizes lenders to make mortgage loans available to borrowers who might not otherwise qualify by guaranteeing the federal government will repay the mortgage if the borrower stops making payments. This makes an FHA loan a good option if you have a lower credit score.

FHA loans come in 15- or 30-year terms with fixed interest rates. Unlike conventional mortgages, which only require PMI for borrowers with less than 20% down, all FHA borrowers must pay an up-front mortgage insurance premium (MIP) and an annual MIP, as long as the loan is outstanding.

VA loan

Minimum credit score: N/A

VA loans are mortgages backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA guarantees loans made by VA-approved lenders to qualifying veterans or service members of the U.S. armed forces, or their spouses. This type of loan is a great option for veterans and their spouses, especially if they don’t have the best credit and don’t have enough for a down payment.

VA loans are fixed-rate mortgages with 10-, 15-, 20- or 30-year terms.

Most VA loans don’t require a down payment or monthly mortgage insurance premiums. However, they do require a one-time VA funding fee, that ranges from 1.4% to 3.6% of the loan amount.

USDA loan

Minimum credit score: N/A

The U.S. Department of Agriculture guarantees loans for borrowers interested in buying homes in certain rural areas. USDA loans don’t require a minimum down payment, but you have to meet the USDA’s income eligibility limits, which vary by location.

All USDA mortgages have fixed interest rates and 30-year repayment terms.

USDA-approved lenders must pay an up-front guarantee fee of up to 3.5% of the purchase price to the USDA. That fee can be passed on to borrowers and financed into the home loan. If the home you want to buy is within an eligible rural area (defined by the USDA) and you meet the other requirements, this could be a great loan option for you.

What else do mortgage lenders consider?

Your credit score isn’t the only factor lenders consider when reviewing your loan application. Here are some of the other factors lenders use when deciding whether to give you a mortgage.

  • Debt-to-income ratio — Your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio is the amount of debt payments you make each month (including your mortgage payments) relative to your gross monthly income. For example, if your mortgage payments, car loan and credit card payments add up to $1,800 per month and you have a $6,000 monthly income, your debt-to-income ratio would be $1,800/$6,000, or 30%. Most conventional mortgages require a DTI ratio no greater than 36%. However, you may be approved with a DTI up to 45% if you meet other requirements.
  • Employment history — When you apply for a mortgage, lenders will ask for proof of employment — typically two years’ worth of W-2s and tax returns, as well as your two most recent pay stubs. Lenders prefer to work with people who have stable employment and consistent income.
  • Down payment — Putting money down to buy a home gives you immediate equity in the home and helps to ensure the lender recoups their loss if you stop making payments and they need to foreclose on the home. Most loans — other than VA and USDA loans — require a down payment of at least 3%, although a higher down payment could help you qualify for a lower interest rate or make up for other less-than-ideal aspects of your mortgage application.
  • The home’s value and condition — Lenders want to ensure the home collateralizing the loan is in good condition and worth what you’re paying for it. Typically, they’ll require an appraisal to determine the home’s value and may also require a home inspection to ensure there aren’t any unknown issues with the property.

Kentucky Mortgage Broker Offering FHA, VA, USDA, Conventional, and KHC Down Payment Assistance Home Loans's avatarLouisville Kentucky Mortgage Loans

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Debt-to-Income Ratio for Kentucky Mortgage Loans:

Check your debt-to-income ratio (DTI).
Mortgage lenders want to know how much debt you have compared to your income. It’s called your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, and the better it is, the better mortgage terms you’ll get.

Find your DTI by plugging your financial numbers into Trulia’s affordability calculator. The percentage is found by dividing your debt by your income. For example, if your total debt is $3,000 a month (including your new mortgage payment), and your gross income is $6,000 a month, your DTI would be 50%.

Lenders typically prefer DTI to be no more than 36%—although some types of mortgages allow for a DTI of 50%. To lower yours, you can pay down debt or bring in more income.

One of the main pieces of an FHA loan approval is the borrower’s debt to income calculation. It is important that home buyers understand how this number is calculated and what they can do to improve their chances of getting approved.
Payments Included in Debt Ratios
Certain payments must be considered as part of a person’s overall debt when calculating the ratios. Items such as:
  • Payments for car loans
  • Payments on credit cards
  • Payments on unsecured loans
  • Child support payments
  • Alimony
Items Excluded from Debt Ratios
There are also some items not included in the debt to income ratio for FHA loans. Common examples would be:
  • Current rent payment
  • Money spent on entertainment
  • Expenses paid for child care
How to Overcome High Debt to Income Ratios
If a borrower has a compensating factor, it is possible for people with ratios higher than the proposed guidelines to get an approval for an FHA loan. Here are some examples of compensating factors:
  • Paying more than 10% of the purchase price as a down payment
  • Using income and expense records from the past two years to demonstrate that you have the ability and discipline to pay the housing expense
  • Having a large balance in a savings, investment or retirement account
For people that have a high debt to income ratio, it is possible to reduce the numbers. Paying off debt, such as credit cards or car loans can help. Sometimes it may be necessary to sell an expensive vehicle and get a cheaper payment in order to qualify for a loan.
 

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How to qualify for a Kentucky FHA Home Loan ?

How to qualify for a Kentucky FHA Home Loan ?

Image result for fha loans ky

 

FHA stands for the Federal Housing Administration which is a government agency created to increase home-ownership across the United States all the way back in 1934. The agency itself doesn’t offer home loans but insures loan that are offered by private lenders (i.e. mortgage companies).

It’s important to understand the different types of loan programs available to you and what benefits and drawbacks there are to each type.

For example, if you’re looking to find a fixer upper this may not be the right loan program for you. But an FHA loan may be a better fit for you if you have little cash saved up for a down payment or if you don’t have a high credit score.

Kentucky FHA loan requirements:

  • At least 18 years old to apply
  • No age limit. just must be 18 years of age to apply.
  • Must occupy the home as a primary residence, no rental homes or investment property
  • An appraisal must be done by an FHA-approved appraiser.Typically FHA appraisal in Kentucky costs anywhere from low-end $325 to $525 with most FHA lenders in KY.
  • Home inspection is not required
  • Termite inspection not required
  • 2 years removed from Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and 1 year in Chapter 13 bankruptcy is possible to get a loan while in bankruptcy
  • Foreclosure or short sale on previous home mortgage requires 3 years removal from those dates.
  • Mortgage insurance (MIP) is required
  • Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premium is 1.75% and monthly mortgage insurance is .85% or .80% depending on loan term and loan to value.
  • Mortgage insurance is for life of loan.
  • No matter your credit scores, everyone pays the same mortgage insurance premiums.
  • Must have 2 years of employment history proving a reliable source of income
  • 500 FICO score requirement with at least 10% down payment
  • 580 FICO score requirement with at least 3.5% down payment
  • Gifts and down payment assistance programs are allowed to meet your down payment requirements. Cannot come from seller, but seller can contribute up to 6% of the sales price toward buyer’s closing costs and prepaids.
  • Student loan payments are factored into the debt-to-income ratio when applying. Typically if loans are deferred, or in an income=based repayment plan, the FHA underwriters will use 1% of the outstanding balance, which sometimes can make it difficult to qualify.
  • Your debt-to-income ratio must not be higher than 31% or total debt obligation cannot be higher than 43% of your current income. This is for a manual underwriter, meaning that if the AUS underwriting system by mortgage lenders will approve you for a higher debt to income ratio, that is fine.

 

 

 

Joel Lobb (NMLS#57916)
Senior  Loan Officer
American Mortgage Solutions, Inc.
10602 Timberwood Circle Suite 3
Louisville, KY 40223
Company ID #1364 | MB73346

Text/call 502-905-3708kentuckyloan@gmail.com

If you are an individual with disabilities who needs accommodation, or you are having difficulty using our website to apply for a loan, please contact us at 502-905-3708.

Disclaimer: No statement on this site is a commitment to make a loan. Loans are subject to borrower qualifications, including income, property evaluation, sufficient equity in the home to meet Loan-to-Value requirements, and final credit approval. Approvals are subject to underwriting guidelines, interest rates, and program guidelines and are subject to change without notice based on applicant’s eligibility and market conditions. Refinancing an existing loan may result in total finance charges being higher over the life of a loan. Reduction in payments may reflect a longer loan term. Terms of any loan may be subject to payment of points and fees by the applicant  Equal Opportunity Lender. NMLS#57916http://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org/

— Some products and services may not be available in all states. Credit and collateral are subject to approval. Terms and conditions apply. This is not a commitment to lend. Programs, rates, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. The content in this marketing advertisement has not been approved, reviewed, sponsored or endorsed by any department or government agency. Rates are subject to change and are subject to borrower(s) qualification.

FHA vs Conventional Infograhic

Student Loans In Collections, What Can I Do to get Approved For A Kentucky Mortgage ?

Student Loans In Collections, What Can I Do?
If you have public student loans in collections, you really have three options to resolve it so it is not a CAIVRS issue.
1.      Pay it off in full – Not typically an option because very rarely do the clients have the funds to do so.
2.      Consolidation – Only takes about 90 days to consolidate and resolve CAIVRS issues. However, you push forward the last activity dates, DLA, and also introduce a new credit trade line that dilutes the length of the credit history. So you will normally see a drop in credit score.
3.      Rehabilitation – It is the slowest of all the options, but is the best thing for the clients’ credit scores. It is a 9 month commitment and once the client makes 9 consecutive payments, they will change the collection status to a good standing status. This will typically net a 40-100 point boost in the score depending on how many other collections are on the credit report.
If your client does not know who is servicing the student loan, they can contact the Student Loan Default Resolution Team at 1-800-621-3115 or visit the website at myeddebt.ed.gov
Bonus Tip: Private student loans do not adhere to consolidation or rehabilitation rules. If the client has private student loans in collections they will need to pay them off in full, or they will need to set up a payment plan on them. They will still remain in collections with a payment, but if you can get a qualified credit score you can push forward the loan including the liability payment towards the debt to income ratio.
As always, we bring you the best content so you can do what you do best, CLOSE LOANS! If you aren’t already sending us every credit challenged borrower you have, what is stopping you?
Guidelines for KY FHA, VA, USDA and VA Mortgage loans with Student Loans on A Credit Report:
Kentucky Fannie Mae or Conventional Guidelines for Student Loans:
  • If a monthly payment is on the credit report, the lender may use that amount for qualifying purposes.
  • If a monthly payment is on the credit report is incorrect, the lender may use the monthly payment on the most recent student loan statement
  • If the monthly payment on the credit report is zero, the lender must use one of the following options to calculate the payment for qualifying purposes
  1. Document the borrower is on an income driven payment plan and the actual monthly payment is zero
  2.  Use 1% of the outstanding student loan balance as the monthly payment
  3. Calculate a fully amortized payment using documented loan repayment terms
Kentucky FHA Mortgage Loans Guidelines:
Regardless of the payment status (currently in payment or deferred), the lender must use either:
  • The greater of:
  1. 1% of the outstanding balance; or
  2. The monthly payment reported on the credit; or
  •  Calculate a fully amortized payment using documented loan repayment terms
Kentucky USDA or Rural Housing Guidelines:
 
 
Regardless of the payment amount reporting on the credit, the lender must include the payment as follows:
  • A permanent amortized, fixed payment may be used in the debt ratio when the lender retains documentation to verify the payment is fixed, the interest rate is fixed, and the repayment term is fixed.
  • Payments for deferred loans, Income Based Repayment (IBR), Graduated, Adjustable, and other types of repayment agreements which are not fixed cannot be used in the total debt ratio calculation. One percent of the loan balance reflected on the credit report must be used as the monthly payment. No additional documentation is required.
Kentucky  VA Mortgage Guidelines for Student Loan:
  • If the borrower can document the student loan will be deferred 12 months from the closing date, the monthly payment does not need to be considered
  • If a student loan is in repayment or scheduled to begin repayment within 12 months from the closing date, the threshold payment amount must be calculated by  using 5% of the loan balance divided by 12 months
  • If the payment reporting on the credit report is greater than the threshold payment calculation amount, then the credit report payment must be used for ratios.
  • If the payment reporting on the credit report is less than the threshold payment calculation and the lender is using the lower payment to qualify the borrower then:
  1. A statement from the student loan servicer reflecting the actual loan terms and payment information must be included in the file.
  2. The statement must be dated within 60 days of closing
  3. It is the underwriter’s discretion to use the lower payment

As you can see, Fannie Mae or Conventional loans is the most lenient when it comes to qualifying for a mortgage loan with someone that has a lot of student loans on their credit report.