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.
$6000 Down for Your Dream Home with Down Payment Assistance
An exciting new program is making it easier for you to get your dream home faster and with more money in your pocket. Geared toward homebuyers who may need help coming up with down payment or closing costs, the Mortgage Down Payment Assistance Program (DPA) can turn you into a homebuyer today!
You do not need to be a first time homebuyer
Down payment assistance programs normally require you to be a first time homebuyer; however, this new program does not have this requirement. There are also various first mortgage options this program can be tied to, including FHA and USDA loans.
KHC recognizes that down payments, closing costs, and prepaids are stumbling blocks for many potential home buyers. Here are several loan programs to help. Your KHC-approved lender can help you apply for the program that meets your need.
Regular DAP
Purchase price up to $346,644 with Secondary Market.
Assistance in the form of a loan up to $6,000 in $100 increments.
Repayable over a ten-year term at 5.50 percent.
Available to all KHC first-mortgage loan recipients.
Affordable DAP
Purchase price up to $346,644 with Secondary Market.
FICO is used by 90% of lenders, according to myFICO, and has been around
since 1989. (VantageScore only hit the scene in 2006.)
If you’re not sure which scoring model a lender will use, just ask!
FICO Scores used for mortgages
USDA loan:
Most lenders prefer at least a 620
The U.S. Department of Agriculture insures for low- to moderate-income homebuyers. The USDA does not set a minimum credit score requirement and does not require a down payment.
Conventional loan:
620 is the minimum but in reality most will need a 720 or higher for a pre-approval if you are putting down less than 20%
Conventional loans aren’t insured by a government agency either, but they are covered by mortgage loan companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The down payment amount varies.
VA loan:
Most lenders prefer at least a 580
A Veterans Affairs loan is backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and meant for military members and their spouses. These loans don’t require a minimum score or money down.
FHA loan:
500 (with 10% down payment) or 580 (with 3.5% down payment)
FHA loans, those guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration, are for higher-risk borrowers who have poor credit and little money saved for a down payment. The credit requirements can fluctuate based on how much of a down payment you can afford.Most lenders have overlays now wanting a minimum 620 credit score even for FHA loans.
Are you interested in seeing how your current credit score might affect a new mortgage?
Let’s take a look together.
Joel Lobb
Mortgage Loan Officer
Individual NMLS ID #57916
American Mortgage Solutions, Inc.
10602 Timberwood Circle
Louisville, KY 40223
Company NMLS ID #1364
What Will My Lender Use? FICO is used by 90% of lenders, according to myFICO, and has been around since 1989. (VantageScore only hit the scene in 2006.) If you’re not sure which scoring model a lender will use, just ask! USDA loan: Most lenders prefer at least a 620 The U.S. Department of Agriculture … Continue reading Credit Score Information For Kentucky Home buyers
What credit score is needed to buy a house in Kentucky?
Ultimately, there is no singular credit score that can guarantee you a mortgage approval. Each lender is free to set their own credit score requirements.
But many loan types are insured by government organizations. And lenders cannot accept borrowers with credit scores below the minimum these organizations set. The four most popular home loan types are:
Conventional: Not backed by any government agency, but must meet the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac underwriting guidelines
FHA: Loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration
VA: Loans backed by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (for military members)
USDA: Loans backed by the US Department of Agriculture (for low- to moderate-income families who buy homes in rural areas)
And here are the minimum credit score requirements for each of these loan types:
Conventional:
620 SCORE NEEDED. BUT TO GET APPROVED FOR A FANNIE MAE LOAN MOSTLY LIKE YOU WILL NEED A 720 SCORE OR HIGHER IF YOU HAVE LESS THAN 20% EQUITY POSITION OR LESS THAN 20% DOWN PAYMENT DUE TO PRIVATE MORTGAGE INSURANCE
FHA:
580 for a 3.5% down payment
500 for down payments of at least 10%
**MOST FHA LENDERS WILL WANT A 580 to 620 CREDIT SCORE NOWADAYS
VA:
No minimum BUT MOST VA LENDERS WILL WANT A 580 to 620 CREDIT SCORE
USDA:
No minimum, but with a credit score of at least 620 to 640 you could qualify for streamlined credit analysis and chances of approval goes way down if score is below 640…
You can often make a down payment as low as 3.5 percent down to a 580 credit score
You can finance a home with a 500 credit score with 10% down payment.
Kentucky FHA loans are assumable meaning that if you have a good rate on your current mortgage and the potential buyer of your home meets FHA guidelines, then he can assume your low rate mortgage
Kentucky FHA loans offer streamline refinancing without credit score minimums, verification of income, and no appraisals to refinance to a lower rate making it easier to qualify.
Kentucky FHA loans offer flexible terms when it comes to previous bankruptcy or foreclosures. 2 years removed from Chapter 7 with reestablished
credit, or if a Chapter 13, one year in the payment plan is eligible for FHA financing.
Foreclosures on a past home. FHA will finance a home 3 years removed from the sale date of your foreclosure property
30 year fixed rate mortgage with usually the best going rates on government insured loans like FHA, VA, USDA etc.
No prepayment penalty on Kentucky FHA loans.
Higher debt to income ratio requirements when compared to Conventional loans because most Fannie Mae Conventional loans cannot have a higher debt to income ratio than 45% on the back-end
You can make an FHA loan anywhere in the state of Kentucky with no geographical restrictions.
Will allow for down payment assistance and grants for borrowers minimum down payments in the State of Kentucky through the likes of KHC, Welcome Home Grant, and Kentucky Housing Down Payment Second Mortgage loans.
Kentucky FHA loans allow for unoccupied cosigner. For example, lets say you have a daughter that is getting ready to graduate college and does not have the income or credit history established yet to buy a home. FHA allows a family-member to co-sign for them to buy a home and you don’t have to occupy as primary residence. Note, FHA co-singers are not allowed to makeup for some that has bad credit, because they will take the lowest credit scores of both applicants. FHA usually allows for co-singers lack of income purposes only.
Can usually close within 30 days just like a regular conventional mortgage. No extra time to close an FHA loan in Kentucky versus other secondary market loans like VA, USDA, Fannie Mae.
You can use the FHA loan over and over. You can actually have two FHA loans open at the same time, but it gets tricky on this. Call or text me with more info if you have an FHA loan currently and would like to use FHA Financing again.
FHA loans aren’t just for first time home buyers in Kentucky.
Disadvantages of Kentucky FHA Mortgage Loans
There are loan limits in the State of Kentucky on FHA Mortgage loans. The maximum FHA loan in the state of Kentucky is $$420,680 for 2022. So if you were needing to finance a loan over this amount, you would need to look at doing a Conventional loan with the updated 2021 Kentucky State Loan Limits for a Fannie Mae loan being $647,250
Seller must have own the home for 90 days before you can make an offer on the home. This comes into play where the seller bought the home as an investor and rehabbed the property and wants to sell for a quick profit. FHA mandates seller must maintain for 90 days before you can write up an offer on it. Also called FHA Flipping Policy. Read more here
There is mortgage insurance. This is one of the biggest disadvantages for FHA loans. But as I tell most people, nobody rarely has a loan for 30 years, so if it meets your payment and your cash to close requirement, I tell people to go with it because it can be refinanced down the road and you are getting one of the lowers 30 year fixed rates out there. Both upfront and monthly mortgage insurance premiums you have to pay HUD/FHA. These premiums change whenever FHA/HUD replenish their insurance pool to pay claims from defaults, but currently the FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium is 1.75% and monthly is .85% and .80% of the loan amount. If you happen do a 15 year term or shorter, the mortgage insurance is cheaper monthly with .45 and .70 respectively each month. The upfront mortgage insurance is the same for a 30 year and 15 year at 1.75%
FHA Mortgage insurance can be on the loan for life of loan. This is a recent change made in 2016 when FHA lowered there premiums for upfront and monthly mi premiums, but made the mortgage insurance for life of loan for some FHA loans.
If you put down more than 10% on the loan, or have at least 10% equity in the home for a refinance, you only have to pay mortgage insurance for 11 years before it automatically falls off.
Obviously you can refinance out of an FHA loan at anytime, since it does not a prepayment penalty, and you can potentially get a refund of your upfront mortgage insurance if paid off within 3 years on sliding scale.
I have incorporated some charts below to illustrate the different Kentucky FHA Mortgage Insurance premiums to explain it better.
The upfront mortgage insurance is usually financed into the loan, so it will look like you are borrowing more than the standard 3.5% down payment because this is financed into the loan. Some borrowers elect to pay it out of pocket upfront, but I have never seen this done in my 20 years of doing FHA loans in the State of Kentucky
Kentucky FHA Loans Greater Than 15 Years MIP Chart
👇
Base Loan Amt.
LTV
Annual MIP
≤$625,500
≤95.00%
80 bps (0.80%)
≤$625,500
>95.00%
85 bps (0.85%)
>$625,500
≤95.00%
100 bps (1.00%)
>$625,500
>95.00%
105 bps (1.05%)
Kentucky FHA Loans Less Than or Equal to 15 Years MIP Chart👇
Base Loan Amt.
LTV
Annual MIP
≤$625,500
≤90.00%
45 bps (0.45%)
≤$625,500
>90.00%
70 bps (0.70%)
>$625,500
≤78.00%
45 bps (0.45%)
>$625,500
78.01% – 90.00%
70 bps (0.70%)
>$625,500
>90.00%
95 bps (0.95%)
When can I get the FHA mortgage insurance off my Mortgage Loan? See chart below 👇👇
Appraisals. On an FHA appraisal, the FHA appraiser has to turn on the utilities to make sure they are in worked order when he gets there. This is different that Conventional loan appraisals. A lot of realtors or buyers think that FHA loans are harder due to appraisals, but honestly, they’re really not. FHA puts these minimum HUD standards in place to make sure the home is in good working order and SAFE to live in. I.e.is there any lead based paint or chipping paint that could lead to poisoning It is all about Safety with FHA and HUD on these appraisals. The value is determined just like a regular Conventional, USDA, VA appraisals whereas they compare the house to 3 recent homes sold in the area to get a value.
Some lenders don’t offer FHA loans due to their complexity and sale on the secondary market, so if you call a local lender in Kentucky and they don’t offer FHA loans, the reason is usually they don’t have the team in place to do them or don’t want to do them due to lack of experience on the secondary government market.
Government Liens. FHA will not be an option for you usually if you have unpaid federal tax liens, delinquency on federal backed-government loans, or a claim with social security etc. FHA loans are ran through aCAVIRS alert system to check to see if you are delinquent on any federal oblation. If so, this swill stop you until you can clear the CAVIRS alert system. For example, I did a loan for a buyer that had a delinquent federal debt with his student loan that happened over 14 years old. It was off the credit report and title search, so I had to switch to a conventional loan to make the home loan work.
FHA loans are not good for second homes or investment properties. FHA loans are mainly for single family residence 1-4 unit, that are going to occupied primarily as main home.
In summary, FHA loans have few drawbacks other than the mortgage insurance in my opinion. It is a great first time home buyer program or borrowers with past credit problems to get into a house of their own with very little out of pocket, at a low 30 year fixed rate, and no prepayment penalty
Questions about qualifying for a FHA loan in Kentucky . Give me text, call or email below. Love to help you out on your next home or refinance in Kentucky
Read more below about specific FHA Loans in Kentucky.👇👇👇
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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/
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