Kentucky FHA Guidelines for 2024

FHA pros and cons

FHA loans are a good option, especially if you have low credit or a lot of debt. But they come with their own set of drawbacks too.

FHA pros

Some of the best reasons to apply for an FHA home loan include:

  • Lenient credit requirements: You can generally qualify for maximum FHA financing with a credit score of 500 to 580 versus a 620 to 640 score for a USDA loan. You might also be eligible with a credit score between 500 and 579 if you can make a 10% down payment.
  • Higher debt-to-income ratios: Your back-end DTI — that is, your total monthly debt obligations — can be as high as 56.9% for FHA loans, but only 45% for USDA loans.
  • Potentially lower interest rates: FHA interest rates can be lower than rates for USDA loans because you have the option to choose shorter repayment terms, including a 15-year fixed interest rate. The USDA only offers 30-year fixed loans, which naturally have higher rates.
  • Multi-family units can qualify: Properties with up to four units can qualify for financing with an FHA loan when one unit is your primary residence. For example, purchasing a duplex with an FHA loan is allowed as long as you live in one half of the property. Like USDA loans, however, second homes and investment properties are ineligible.

FHA cons

  • Higher down payment requirements: Depending on your credit score, you’ll need to make a 3.5% or 10% down payment. USDA loans require no down payment.
  • Higher mortgage insurance premiums: Your upfront and annual mortgage insurance premiums are higher than the USDA guarantee fee and annual fee.
  • Difficult to cancel mortgage insurance: You’ll pay an annual mortgage insurance premium for the life of the loan unless your down payment is at least 10% — in which case, you’ll only pay mortgage insurance for the first 11 years.
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Louisville Kentucky Mortgage Lender for FHA, VA, KHC, USDA and Rural  Housing Kentucky Mortgages: What is the difference between Conventional, FHA  and VA Mortgage loans in Kentucky?

Kentucky FHA Mortgage Insurance Requirements and Down Payments

FHA mortgage insurance, typically referred to as MIP, is the one closing cost that is unique to FHA mortgage programs. 

**Every FHA mortgage must have mortgage insurance regardless

of the amount of the down payment.**


There are two types of mortgage insurance for FHA insured loans – Up-front Mortgage Insurance Premiums and Monthly Mortgage Insurance Premiums.

Up-front Mortgage Insurance Premium (UFMIP)


UFMIP is calculated at 1.75% of the base loan amount on all loans, regardless of the down payment amount.  This insurance protects the lender against losses in the event that the borrower defaults on the loan. 

**The entire amount of the UFMIP can be financed into the loan amount!**


For example:

  • If the FHA loan amount is $100,000 (base loan amount)
  • The mortgage insurance premium would be $1,750 ($100,000 x 1.75%)
  • The mortgage amount including MIP would be $101,750 ($100,000 + $1,750)

What really happens during an FHA mortgage transaction is that the borrower owes FHA a lump sum mortgage insurance premium.  The lender making the FHA loan will actually lend the money for the premium to the borrower and send the money to FHA so that the mortgage will be insured. 

Monthly Mortgage Insurance Premium


In addition to the UFMIP, there may be a monthly premium due as well.  The monthly premium is .80% of the base loan amount if the loan amount is less than or equal to 95% of the value of the home.  If the loan amount is over 95% of the value of the home, the monthly premium is .85% of the base loan amount..


On a 30 year fixed loan, the monthly payment would be calculated as follows:


$100,000 x .80% = $800 / 12 months = $66.67 per month

FHA Minimum Down Payment

Effective January 1, 2009, the minimum down payment required on an FHA loan is 3.5% of the purchase price. 


Any deposit (usually called earnest money) that you are required to give to your realtor at the time of an accepted purchase contract will count towards your 3.5% down payment. The appraisal fee collected at the time of inspection will also count towards your 3.5% down payment. 

 
If, for example, you are purchasing a $100,000 house, your minimum down payment required would be $3,500.  If your seller/realtor required you to put down $500 in earnest money on top of the $300 for your appraisal, your down payment would be lowered to $2,700 ($3,500 – $500 – $300 = $2,700). 


Down Payment As A Gift


If a borrower does not have 3.5% of his or her own money to put down towards the home purchase, FHA allows that amount to be in the form of a gift to the borrower. The gift must be from a qualified source, such as a family member, employer or significant other. The source of the gift must be able to provide proof that they have the money in an account registered in their name prior to transfer to the borrower.


In some areas, this gift may also be grant money from a state or local municipality, if such funds are available.

KENTUCKY FHA MORTGAGE GUIDELINES FOR 2020

  • FHA – 620+ Min Fico Approve Eligible / NO OVERLAYS-NONE!
  • FHA – 620+ FICO for PURCH, RT, C/O including Flips & High Balance
  • FHA – 640+ REFERS OK!—no overlays -u/w directly to 4000.1
  • FHA – 640+ MANUALS up to 50% DTI (with 2 comp factors)
  • FHA – 620+ No DTI CAP – Follow AUS Findings!!! (with approved eligible)
  • FHA – 620+ NO Minimum Credit History or Trades with AUS Approval!
  • FHA – 620+ – No VOR Unless Required by DU Findings!
  • FHA – Transfer appraisals from ANY lender/AMC OK!
  • FHA – ORDER YOUR APPRAISAL FROM 20+ AMCs YOU CHOOSE!
  • FHA – Collections – HUD Guides Apply –
  • FHA – Mortgage Lates OK if AUS Approved!!!
  • FHA – ESCROW STATE – Non Purchasing Spouse derogs ignored – only affects DTI
  • FHA – Borrower w/ Work Permits, Non-Resident Alien OK!
  • FHA – 1 Day off Market for Cashout Refi! – Must be off market before date of loan application!
  • FHA – Rental Income on 2-4 units ok FTHB
  • FHA – STREAMLINE – 620 Minimum 
  • FHA – Streamline – 620 Score – No Appraisal, No Income, No AVM, No Credit Qualifying!!!
  • FHA – Streamline -Investment and 2nd Homes OK!
  • FHA – Streamline – Mtg only on subject property only!

Kentucky FHA Down Payment Requirements, Credit Scores and Mortgage Insurance

How Credit Scores Impact Kentucky  FHA Loan Down Payment Requirements


Kentucky Home Buyers credit scores are one of  the largest factors in determining the amount of a down payment for an FHA loan.   A credit score of 580 or higher, 3.5 percent is the minimum required for a down payment. Anyone with a credit score of 500 to 579 will have to save 10 percent for a down payment to obtain an FHA loan.

What Are Mortgage Insurance Requirements on Kentucky FHA Loans?

FHA loans are required to pay mortgage insurance premiums, often known as upfront mortgage insurance premiums and monthly annual premiums.

 
  • Upfront mortgage insurance premium: 1.75 percent of the loan amount and is paid when the borrower gets the loan. The premium can be rolled into the mortgage.
  • Annual mortgage insurance premium: 0.45 percent to 1.05 percent, depending on the term of the loan (15 years vs. 30 years), the loan amount and the initial loan-to-value ratio, or LTV. This premium amount is divided by 12 and paid monthly.

For a homeowner who borrows $150,000, this means the upfront mortgage insurance premium would be $2,625 and your annual premium would range from $675 ($56.25 per month) to $1,575 ($131.25 per month), depending on the length of the mortgage.

Unlike traditional mortgage insurance premiums, homeowners are required to pay FHA premiums for the entire term of the mortgage. The only time you can stop paying them is to refinance into a non-FHA loan or to sell the house.

Down Payment Gifts and Rules for Kentucky FHA Loans Kentucky borrowers choose an FHA loan can receive money as a gift to help towards the total amount of the down payment.

There are several rules that homeowners need to keep in mind. Gifts can come from friends, family members, labor unions and employers, according to data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Even non-profit organizations can provide money for a contribution toward a down payment.

In addition, each state offers various assistance programs for down payments for both FHA buyers in Kentucky lacking the down payment.

People obtaining an Kentucky FHA loan are also eligible for these programs. I.e. Kentucky Housing Dap Funds, Welcome Grants In Kentucky

 

How to Ditch FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums

Originally Posted On: https://thelindleyteam.com/how-to-ditch-fha-mortgage-insurance-premiums/ When you get a mortgage, you’re signing a million sheets of paper and agreeing to pay a lot…

Source: How to Ditch FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums

 

When you get a mortgage, you’re signing a million sheets of paper and agreeing to pay a lot of things that you may not understand at the time. Closing costs, down payments, inspections, real estate agent fees, home insurance, escrow, and so on and so forth. One of the numbers that may have gotten rolled into that list is mortgage insurance premiums.

If you got an FHA loan, you’re almost certainly paying FHA mortgage insurance premiums. Read on to learn more about what these are, how much you might be paying each month, and how you can get out from under them.

What Are FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums?

Before the Federal Housing Administration was founded, in order to qualify to buy a house, mortgage applicants had to have excellent credit and a large down payment. This made it harder for people to buy homes, so the FHA was established to make this process easier for first-time homebuyers. The FHA does not actually give loans they just insure them.

Mortgage insurance is a policy that protects your lender in case you default on your loan. It allows lenders to make higher-risk loans without worrying about losing money. You pay the premiums for that insurance policy as a part of your agreement with the loan.

Mortgage Insurance Rates

If your loan was $625,000 or less and you got a thirty-year fixed-rate mortgage and you paid less than 5 percent on a down payment, you’ll have an annual mortgage insurance premium of 0.85 percent of your loan. If you put down more than 5 but less than 10 percent, you’ll pay 0.8 percent for the life of the loan. If you put down more than 10 percent, you’ll pay 0.8 percent for the first eleven years of the loan

For loans less than $625,000 with a fifteen-year fixed-rate note where you paid less than 10 percent down, you’ll pay 0.7 percent of your loan amount every year for the life of the loan. If you paid more than 10 percent, you’ll pay 0.45 percent every year for the first eleven years.

If you have a mortgage greater than $625,000 with a thirty-year fixed-rate loan and you paid less than 10 percent down, you’ll pay 1 percent of your mortgage every year for the life of the loan. If you paid more than 10 percent down, you’ll pay a slightly higher 1.05 percent, but only for the first eleven years.

And finally, if your loan is greater than $625,000, you have a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage, and you paid less than ten percent down, you’ll pay 0.95 percent of your loan every year for the life of the loan. If you paid more than 10 percent but less than 22 percent, you’ll pay 0.7 percent for the first eleven years of the loan. And if you paid more than 22 percent, you’ll pay 0.45 percent every year for the first eleven years.

How to Get Out of Mortgage Insurance

The good news is that you aren’t stuck forever. Once you get about 20 percent equity in your house, either through improvements or paying down the loan, you can refinance your mortgage. With that 20 percent, you should be able to get a mortgage that doesn’t require FHA protection.

Even if you don’t yet have 20 percent equity in the house, you may be able to refinance into a lower mortgage insurance premium bracket. If you can get 10 percent to put down on your new mortgage, for instance, you may be able to drop to a lower monthly percentage that you’re paying.

Reappraise

Depending on where you live and what work you’ve done on the house, you may be able to get 20 percent equity without having to pay all that money in. If property values in your area are on the rise, your home may be worth more now than when you bought it. The same goes for home improvements, and that total may leave you with more than 20 percent equity in your home so you can refinance out of your mortgage insurance.

A great way to determine if this is the case for you is to have your home appraised again. A home appraisal will cost somewhere between $300 and $400. If you’re paying $520 a month for mortgage insurance premiums (1 percent on a $625,000 loan), this will pay for itself immediately.

How to Refinance

Once you get 20 percent equity in your house, no matter how you do it, you can refinance into a new mortgage. Start by shopping around and applying for a new mortgage with three or four lenders. This will give you an idea of what sort of interest rates you’re looking at and what your new monthly payment should be.

Once you find a lender you like, lock in your interest rate and start on the process of getting the loan closed. You’ll need a fair amount of paperwork for both the application and closing processes. Your last several pay stubs, tax returns, credit reports, and statements of your assets and outstanding debts are a good place to start.