8/7/09

Should You Use a HUD Reverse Mortgage for Your Retirement?

Do you requirement added assets for withdrawal (and who doesn't)? Are you a senior? Reverse Mortgages crapper be a enthusiastic tool for seniors wanting to utilize the justness in their home. The prizewinning thing most a HUD Reverse Mortgage is that the grownup can  tap into their home's justness without worrying most making some repayments. In order for a possessor to be suitable for a HUD Reverse Mortgage they staleness foregather the following requirements:a) The possessor has to be at small the geezerhood of 62 or older.b) The possessor staleness possess his house free and clear. Or, if it's not completely paying in full, the bag itself staleness hit sufficiency justness in it to be healthy to clear the mortgage equilibrise in full.c) The house staleness be the capital act of the homeowner.d) The concept staleness foregather individual requirements also. It has to be a single-family home, or a one-to-four organisation habitation in which the individual resides in one. It crapper also be a manufactured bag (mobile home), a condominium, or a organisation in a designed Unit Development. e) The concept module hit to also foregather certain peak concept standards.These situations module belike administer to most seniors.There are also individual facts that module watch the turn healthy to be borrowed by the homeowner. Here they are:a) The borrowers' geezerhood makes a big difference! A large turn of money crapper be borrowed against the justness in the bag the senior the applicant.b) Of instruction we every know that baritone welfare rates are desirable in some identify of mortgage. And the HUD Reverse Mortgage is no different. The lower the welfare evaluate that crapper be found, the more turn of money a possessor crapper borrow.c) The home's continuance should also be paying tending to carefully. No hornlike limits are ordered for a home's continuance to be eligible for a HUD Reverse Mortgage. But, the turn of money that the possessor crapper take is capped by the peak bureau mortgage limits for the Atlantic of the residence. For a homeowner, this effectuation that the toll of their bag doesn't make some difference. The broad priced possessor cannot take some more than the someone that resides in a bag valued at the bureau limit.

7/20/09

The FHA 203K Rehab Loan

Recently while attempting to acquire a repo bag I was introduced to the give information referred to as the bureau 203K rehab loan. At prototypal this measured same a great idea for my economise and me as we necessary a artefact to do whatever repairs on the bag we desired to purchase. We also necessary to be able  to be able to intend an bureau give because we didn't hit such of a downbound commercialism to offer. When prototypal approached by our pledgee we were told that this would be a rattling ultimate loan. We would exclusive intend an judge from a fasciculus on what the repairs would cost and accede that as the turn of money over the concern toll that we would requirement to be eligible for. After the concern winking we would then hit an statement that we would do the repairs discover of, same an escrow fund. We would entertainer discover of that statement to do the repairs and hit sextet months to complete them. No big care right? Wrong.As instance went on, the whole news of this give changed. First, these loans do not remember for the same proportionality evaluate as exemplary bureau loans. Typically they are most one to one and a half percent higher than an bureau loan. Second, we were prefabricated to conceive that we would hit a ultimate escrow statement to entertainer money from for the repairs. Not the news at all. After closing of the bag your fasciculus crapper start on the repairs. Only after whatever of the repairs are complete crapper you then intend money from your statement dispatched to your contractor. However, you staleness hit the bag reinspected by a bag investigator who you staleness clear $350 per inspection. After you beam in the new scrutiny with the updated pictures of the repairs that hit been finished then your fasciculus module obtain a analyse for those repairs. Be heedful of the fact that you module hit sextet months to complete these repairs during which instance you are exclusive allotted to do this re-inspection and money entertainer quaternary times. These quaternary nowadays you module exclusive obtain 95% of your invoice for repairs. After the repairs are full complete then you beam in for your test 5% to finish stipendiary your contractor.

7/16/09

Can You Really Buy a HUD Home for One Dollar?

The Real Skinny on Buying HUD Dollar HomesCan You Really Buy a HUD Home for One Dollar? First, what are HUD Dollar Homes? HUD Dollar Homes are homes that hit been taken backwards by the agent Housing Administration ("FHA"), which is a part of HUD, as a termination of a foreclosure. An bureau insured give essentially protects the pledgee in the event the homebuyer defaults on the mortgage. The bureau covers the mortgage for the lender, takes the bag backwards thru conveyance after conventional procedures, puts the bag on the mart ("HUD home"), and tries to delude it. If the home  doesn't delude within sextet months, it haw rattling substantially embellish a HUD Dollar Home. In the unstable, empty-house riddled real estate mart today, some cities are explosive at the seams with HUD foreclosures that hit been awaiting buyers for substantially over sextet months.HUD homes that hit been sitting for sextet months or more need to be moved, sold, gotten rid of, so they don't sit adynamic and draw vandals, vagrants and stow-aways, the newborn way of "Average Joe" environment up class in a long-standing blank foreclosure without benefit of stipendiary the mortgage. So HUD sells some homes at discounts to only advise them under several discount programs. HUD Dollar Homes is just one such program.Further, it costs money for betterment and endorsement (P&P) of these blank bureau homes, and lots of it. It does the mortgage company no good to stop onto blank properties, because they hit to protect and control them. As a result, a full newborn grassroots foreclosure lucre business has blossomed as a termination of the staggering sort of blank foreclosures on the market. These property betterment identify companies go in and lucre foreclosures, direction everything from trash-outs, to boarding windows and doors, tarping roofs and a host of another repairs. But modify with ongoing property maintenance of these blank foreclosures by foreclosure lucre companies, likewise some bureau foreclosures ease remain on the mart for substantially over sextet months, and they embellish viable candidates for the HUD Dollar Homes' program.

7/14/09

Reverse Mortgages: They Said I Can Never Owe More Than My Home Value

Here is What is True when Your Reverse Mortgage Comes DueFor years, alter mortgage originators hit been telling borrowers that alter mortgages are "non-recourse". They could never owe more than their house is worth at the time the give is paying back. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines non-recourse as being or based on an agreement in  which the pledgee has no correct of aid to the borrower's assets beyond expressed limits.HUD fresh clarified what "non-recourse" effectuation in regards to an bureau alter mortgage. If the realty of the borrower wants to ready the concept the alter mortgage staleness be paying in full.Repayment is required if all borrowers move discover of the bag permanently or fails to live in the bag for 12 months in a row.If the concept is oversubscribed to repay the alter mortgage, it haw be oversubscribed for at small the lesser of the complimentary give balance or 95% of appraised value.There are a pair of another details in the defrayal of a alter mortgage that should be noted. When the bag is sold, it staleness be an "arms-length" transaction. For happening there should be no relation between the vendee and seller, the selling toll needs to be consistent with the underway unstoppered market. Any costs paying by the vender should be customary.Repayment is required when a "Maturity" or a choice event occurs. Defaulting on a alter mortgage is rare. One abstract to ready in nous when effort a alter mortgage is the borrowers need to be able to afford to clear their concept taxes, shelter and maintain their home. If they do not they will be in choice and the give could be called due. If there is a uncertainty that this is the case, serious consideration should be condemned to either sale or attain another arrangements.A alter mortgage borrower crapper also choice on a alter mortgage by declaring bankruptcy or abandoning their home. The give haw also embellish cod if you lease your home, modify your home's title (does not allow swing it in a experience trust), modify the zoning or add some debt to the home. It is rattling essential that a consumers do their schoolwork and do business with an old alter mortgage professional.

What You Need to Know to Buy HUD Homes

With so Many Foreclosures, HUD Homes Are Great to BuyThere are over 9000 HUD homes for sale in Newmarket and 3800+ in the tri-county Atlantic of Oakland, histrion and Macomb counties. These figures and more were discussed by a representative from Michaelson, Connor, & Boul, Inc. (MCB) at a recent HUD seminar held  at Realcomp II in town Hills. Facilitated by individual local brokerages that list HUD homes in this area, the seminar further educated local Realtors on the impact of online invitation for HUD homes, asking of winning bids, the inspection process, buyer incentives and more.For those that may not undergo what a HUD bag is, basically they are foreclosures on FHA-insured loans. When a pledgee submits a verify against the bureau shelter fund, the concept is conveyed to HUD. HUD then turns the concept over to MCB who maintains and sells these properties in gift with HUD guidelines. Anyone crapper acquire a HUD bag but it must be finished finished a licensed broker qualified with HUD (agent employed with a licensed broker). All invitation in finished on-line at the MCB website. Here are some basic things to undergo about HUD homes and the impact of bidding. However, it is best to contact a Realtor with undergo in the process:

How to Find HUD Homes and Other Foreclosed Homes for Sale

There Are Tons of Sites on Which You Can Find HUD Homes and Foreclosed Homes for Sale. But One of the Best Sites to Go to is .How to Find HUD Homes and Other Foreclosed Homes for Sale: There are heaps of sites on which you crapper encounter foreclosed homes for sale. But digit of the prizewinning sites to go to is http://www.homesales.gov. These are homes for understanding by the federal government. The HomeSales.gov website holds an interactive United States map that lets you see homes by land and city and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms desired. The locate has a simple see vena providing a patron of properties  for sale. Once you utter on a property's address, you module modify up on a page containing more aggregation most the property: Address, County, Type (i.e., Residential-Single Family), List Price, As-is Value, Listing Date, Bid Period (in this area, you'll be healthy to encounter out whether or not a property has a pending contract), Property Details (number of beds/baths/year built, HOA Fees, bureau Qualification), and more. Further, in the Details section, you module be healthy to view a full property conditions report. Click here to see a distribution Property Conditions Report, which contains content on the property's electrical, structural soundness, plumbing, and so much more.Anyone crapper acquire a polity home, but to locate a effort or to accede an substance on digit of these properties, you staleness impact with a realtor, mating agent or broker. Find, specifically, a HUD factor to support you accede your substance on a HUD home. I was previously a HUD factor and to become digit I had to go finished formal upbringing to be tagged a HUD realtor. The upbringing was not difficult, but there are definitely procedures HUD realtors staleness be alive of to be categorised as such.HUD provides counseling services on everything from buying a bag to mortgage content and more to anyone seeking to acquire a bag from the government. You crapper go to the important HUD website or call the HUD housing counseling referral line at 800-569-4287 for more aggregation on their counseling services.

7/13/09

FHA HUD homes options

FHA HUD homes are those dwellings that have been acquired by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The HUD oversees the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which offers federal insurance on home mortgages. When a home owner fails to meet the payments of a HUD insured mortgage, it results in the home being foreclosed by the mortgage lender. Ownership of the house is then transferred to HUD and the mortgage lender collects the money owed. FHA HUD homes are then put for sale at the current market rate with the aim of selling it off quickly and recovering the money. It, in fact, offers an inexpensive option for those looking to buy FHA HUD homes.

If you’re thinking about buying a home, you might hear the terms manufactured homes, modular home and site built homes. Also, if you are a first time homebuyer you have to be much more careful to pick the right home at the right price. FHA HUD homes, available at about 50% of the original market value, make it a better option for potential buyer to own a house. FHA HUD homes can be considered as the economical option available for a common individual who wishes to own a house.

FHA HUD homes options vary from family residences, townhouses, condominiums and other types of residential properties. FHA HUD homes are the cheapest and most profitable option to buy HUD homes for common man as well as potential investors. For the average buyer, buying an FHA HUD home is considered as an easy way to buy the most house for the least amount of money. But for an investor it is the opportunity to tap the economic potential in re-selling an FHA HUD home at a higher price to somebody ready to buy an FHA HUD home. There are a large number of home buyers who are motivated in buying FHA HUD homes at low market value; this helps them to acquire a larger home than they could normally afford to purchase.

Any qualified purchaser can buy FHA HUD homes. But in order to buy HUD homes, the buyer should have a pre-approved mortgage or possess a verifiable amount of cash for purchase. But the price ranges are such that any low or moderately salaried American can buy HUD homes. In the race to buy HUD homes, an owner-occupant has preference over other buyers if he is deciding to buy a HUD home as his primary residence. But this privilege is valid only for a certain period, beyond which the home will be available to other qualified persons looking to buy a HUD home.

In order to buy FHA HUD homes, a customer can strike the deal only through a real estate agent approved by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Approved agents can submit bids during any day of a week, from which the highest net bid is chosen. If there is no acceptable bid to buy the HUD home, the home is put to new bidding until sold. On selecting a bid to buy the home, the real estate agent will be notified within 2 days. But it takes about 60 days to complete the settlement, during which time financing is arranged and the sale is closed. If you do not close by the settlement date, your earnest money deposit is forfeited, and you must pay for an extension of the sales contract.

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development would not provide any home loans directly to buy FHA HUD homes. But one can make use of the several insurance mortgage programs available if you wish to buy FHA HUD homes.

FHA-HUD News

$8,000 First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit - Approved by FHA/HUD 5-29-09 - But buyer BEWARE !!!

The first time homebuyers tax credit of $8,000 has been approved by HUD for all FHA loans. But don’t get too excited too quickly. If you get a chance to read the mortgagee letter, ML 2009-15, it states that you can’t use this tax credit for the required down payment of 3.5%.

HUD originally put out mortgagee letter 2009-15 on May 12th, but was rescinded the next day. Please read about that here : $8,000 tax credit rescinded by HUD. For some reason, it was prematurely placed on HUD’s web site, but apparently wasn’t finalized. Now we have a new version and if not read correctly, you could be putting misinformation out there. So what does the new mortgagee letter state?

Here is the positive part about the tax credit. You can receive the first time homebuyers tax credit upfront, but not through the IRS. This would be illegal. Please read : It’s illegal to receive your tax credit before you close on your home. Buyers - BEWARE, please read that, because too many people are saying that you can get the money directly from the IRS prior to closing. The IRS & HUD both say no!!!

So how can you receive this upfront? It can be given to you as a second or a silent second from any Federal, State, or local agencies, and any FHA mortgagee or any FHA approved non-profit organization. People, in layman’s terms, this is already acceptable by HUD’s standards, except for the lender that is now able to give the monies upfront in a form of a 2nd mortgage. Another terminology is that this can be an advance loan from any of the entities mentioned above.

Comparing Conventional and FHA Loans

Are HUD Insured Mortgages Better than Conventional Loans?

Home buyers are often faced with a lot of confusing choices when they are shopping for a loan. There are conventional loans, subprime loans, FHA loans, fixed rate loans, adjustable rate mortgages(ARM), interest only loans and more. Choosing a loan most suited to one's needs can be quite difficult if the borrower is not familiar with all the banking and mortgage lingo.

First-time home buyers are often advised to go for FHA loans. While FHA loans do have a lot of advantages over conventional loans, especially for first-time home buyers, in some instances conventional loans will work just fine. It is always a good thing to compare the advantages and disadvantages of each type of loan before choosing a particular type of loan.

Interest Rates

FHA loans are insured by HUD, which means that in the event of a foreclosure, FHA will take over the loan. Since the loans are insured and hence carry less risk, lenders are often willing to negotiate better interest rates. FHA loan rates are often comparable with that of conventional loans and generally costs no more than one-eighth of a percentage point more than a conventional loan.

Credit Score

Conventional loans depend heavily on the credit score of a person for credit qualification and for determining the interest rates. Lenders of FHA loans are more concerned about the ability of a person to repay his/her loan. For FHA loans credit qualifying criteria for a borrower are not as strict as conventional financing. A person without a credit history or a less than perfect credit history can still qualify for a FHA loan. Borrowers can qualify for a FHA loan two years after a bankruptcy and three years after a foreclosure.

Down Payment

Conventional mortgages require a down payment of at least 5% while a FHA loan requires a minimum down payment of 3.5%. Even that 3.5% can be gifted by a parent, employee or a non-profit organization, which means that you can buy a buy a home with as little as 0% for down payment.

Mortgage Insurance

For conventional loans with less than 20% down payment require private mortgage insurance which must be paid monthly. FHA loan borrowers have to pay an upfront insurance premium which is 1.5% of the loan amount, which is due at closing. There is an additional 0.5% renewal premium paid annually.

The upfront insurance premium (for a $200,000 loan the insurance premium will be $3000) is one of the biggest disadvantages of an FHA loan. Although it is possible to add the premium amount to the loan amount, it is still a considerable amount. Also unlike private mortgage insurance the annual mortgage insurance premium isn't canceled when the home owner's equity reaches 22% of the principal amount.

Prepayment Penalty

Most conventional loans carry a prepayment penalty but FHA loans do not have any prepayment penalty. This feature is especially useful when the home owner needs to sell his home or refinance.

Assumable or Not?

FHA loans are assumable, meaning that the loan can be transferred to the new owner in case the borrower sells his house. If the new owner satisfies the credit standards for the loan he can take over the FHA loan without the additional cost of obtaining a new loan.

Loan Limits

Another disadvantage of FHA loans is that there is a cap on the maximum loan amount. This FHA loan cap is adjusted annually and will vary from region to region. Conventional loans do not carry such loan limits. This was one of the major reasons why FHA loans lost their popularity during the years from 2000 to 2006 when FHA loan limits could not keep up with the soaring home prices. The recent recession and the subsequent slump in the real estate market has once again made FHA loans an attractive option. The current FHA loan limits can be viewed at the HUD site.

For borrowers with excellent credit report and a stable job who also saved enough for down payment, conventional loans are much better than FHA loans but for home buyers who do not have a significant amount for down payment FHA loans may be a better option.