I still do not have the right answer on the question I have been asking what is an FHA case number. Why is it mortgage lenders make a big deal about transferring an FHA case number from one lender to another.

The link below is for our Basic Credit Bootcamp. This is a short, very basic overview of credit. It is a great refresher and has some great tips included throughout the video. ENJOY and we hope you find something of value! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out

http://www.thecreditcouple.net/bootcamp

thecreditcouple.net

Basic Credit Bootcamp

Basic Credit Bootcamp

HUD, the parent of FHA, does not allow credit disputes on the following:

1. Outstanding collection accounts that are not medical collections.

2. Charged off accounts

3. Late Payments in the past 24 months

4. Derogatory public records such as bankruptcy, foreclosure, deed-in-lieu of foreclosure, short sale, child support, federal and state tax liens, judgments, delinquent student loans, and other derogatory credit tradelines.

EXEMPT FROM CREDIT DISPUTES

1. Medical collections

2. Non-medical credit disputes that are on-time payments and good standings.

3. Non-medical disputes with zero balance.

4. Non-medical credit disputes with total credit tradelines with under $1,000 Outstanding Balance.

5. Collections and charge off accounts, late payments, older than 24 months.

VA, USDA, NON-QM, FANNIE MAE and FREDDIE MAC are normally EXEMPT from credit disputes. We have a YouTube live video aired today September 25th, 2023 at 10 am hosted from GCA Mortgage Group which we will post on this thread. Contact Gustan Cho Associates if you have any questions.

What are the lending options for homebuyers on community property states.

I am currently in chapter 13 in WA state, I have 12 months on time payments and my low credit score is 667. Can i refinance my home to pay the balance of my chapter 13?

I live in Texas in community property state . I need to qualify for $240,000 FHA LOAN. However, my wife has a $10,000 judgment . How will this affect me in getting approved for a FHA Loan without going through a legal divorce.

Veterans and Credit Utilization: The Silent Factor Affecting Your Credit Score

Welcome to Day 4 of our series dedicated to empowering U.S. military veterans in the world of credit. As we uncover the layers of credit management, today’s spotlight is on a pivotal yet often overlooked aspect: Credit Utilization. Understanding this key component is essential for veterans aiming for financial stability post-service.

Unraveling the Mystery: What is Credit Utilization?

In the simplest terms, credit utilization is a ratio that compares your current credit card balances to your credit card limits. It gives lenders an insight into how responsibly you use your available credit. The formula for this ratio is:

Credit Utilization=(Total Credit Card BalancesTotal Credit Card Limits)×100

Credit Utilization=(

Total Credit Card Limits

Total Credit Card Balances

​

)×100

For instance, if you have a total credit balance of $4,000 and a credit limit of $10,000 across all your cards, your credit utilization rate is 40%.

Why Does Credit Utilization Matter for Veterans?

Credit utilization is responsible for about 30% of your FICO score calculation, making it one of the most significant factors after payment history. A high ratio might signal to lenders that you’re overly reliant on credit, possibly leading to higher interest rates or even declined applications.

For veterans transitioning to civilian life, establishing financial credibility is crucial. Whether it’s getting a mortgage for a family home, financing a car, or even supporting entrepreneurial ventures, a favorable credit score can ease the path. Keeping an optimal credit utilization ratio is an effective way to bolster that score.

The Golden Threshold: 30% and Below

While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer, financial experts often tout the 30% mark as the golden threshold for credit utilization. This means, to optimize credit score benefits, veterans should aim to use only 30% or less of their available credit. For example, on a credit card with a $5,000 limit, try to maintain a balance of no more than $1,500.

Strategies to Maintain an Optimal Credit Utilization Rate

• Regularly Monitor Balances: Frequently check your credit card balances and be aware of your credit limits. This can ensure you don’t inadvertently cross the desired utilization ratio.

• Multiple Small Payments: Instead of waiting for the due date, consider making multiple small payments throughout the month. This can help keep the balance low.

• Request for Higher Credit Limits: Occasionally, without taking on more debt, request a credit limit increase. This can instantly lower your utilization rate.

• Avoid Closing Old Credit Cards: Closing a credit card can decrease your available credit, potentially spiking your utilization ratio. Unless there’s a compelling reason, like a high annual fee, consider keeping your old cards open.

• Balance Transfers: If one card is close to being maxed out while another has a zero balance, consider transferring some of the debt. This can help evenly spread out the utilization rate.

The Dual Benefit of Healthy Credit Utilization for Veterans

Maintaining a healthy credit utilization ratio offers a dual advantage for veterans:

• Enhanced Credit Score: As mentioned, a lower utilization rate can significantly boost your credit score, making financial milestones more attainable.

• Financial Discipline: Regularly monitoring and adjusting your credit utilization instills a habit of financial discipline, ensuring long-term well-being.

Beyond the Numbers: A Holistic Approach

While it’s essential to understand and manage credit utilization, it’s equally crucial for veterans to adopt a holistic approach to credit. Relying solely on numbers can sometimes overshadow the real goal: financial stability and prosperity.

Understanding credit utilization is a tool in the vast financial toolkit. Pair it with timely payments, a mix of credit types, and consistent monitoring of credit reports for a comprehensive credit management strategy.

In Conclusion

As we march forward in our month-long journey, Day 4’s spotlight on credit utilization underscores its silent yet profound impact on financial health. For our veterans, who’ve dedicated their lives to service, this knowledge serves as another step towards ensuring their sacrifices are met with a seamless transition to financially stable civilian life.

Stay tuned as we delve deeper into credit intricacies, always aiming to equip our veterans with the tools for a brighter financial future.

Gustan Cho Associates and Lending Network LLC are Mortgage Lenders licensed in Alaska and can help borrowers who need residential, business, and commercial loans.

What are the Alternative Credit Tradelines, when and how to use?

Do you treat income taxes as past due if the taxes aren’t paid the earlier of when the tax return is filed or the last day to file without an extension?  Or at some later date?

• This discussion was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by  Alan Bercovitz.

FHA Down Payment Assistance programs are grants or loans offered by city, county, or state housing agencies to promote home ownership in their jurisdiction. Unlike general FHA loans, FHA down payment assistance is not a national uniform federal program. Each FHA down payment assistance program has its credit and income requirements.  This forum will answer questions about the individual FHA down payment assistance program per jurisdiction.

My question is with a 630 average FICO score (2,4,5) and my new taxes showing increasing income in the new year (2024) what other concerns should I have or try to prepare for when I apply for an FHA. DTI is low as well

How does a $300,000 student loan balance affect my debt-to-income ratio on either FHA or Conventional loan? My student loans are in deferrment. Can I turn my deferred student loan to an income-based repayment? How does IBR work on FHA and conventional loans. I heard that IBR is no longer available due to IBR getting sued? Is there any merit to IBR no longer being available for the time being? That does not make sense. Can you provide me with detailed information?

First-time homebuyers and loan officers. Have you hear of EPM DOWN-PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM? Equity Prime Mortgage has a forgiveable down-payment assistance program on FHA loans where the down payment of 3.5% is covered as a second mortgage but it is forgiveable after six months. What does forgiveable mean on DPA programs? Forgiveable means that after a certain period of time, if you sell the house or you refinance out of the FHA EPM DPA loan, you do not have to pay the DPA loan of the 3.5% back. The maximum debt-to-income ratio is 48.99% front-end and 48.99% back-end. The EPM DOWN-PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM is borrower paid transaction. Therefore, you need to get a 6% seller concession for you to get into a house with no money down and with no closing costs or little closing costs. In most cases, there is no down payment or closing costs. The EPM DPA Mortgage Program is availble on FHA loans in standard areas and high-cost counties like many counties in California. Here is an article I wrote about the EPM Down Payment Program. People that qualify are first-time homebuyers, homebuyers who are first-responders, teachers, veterans, and professionals in the medical field, and homebuyers who earn a certain amount of income based on their county:

https://gustancho.com/down-payment-assistance-mortgage/

gustancho.com

EPM Empowered Down Payment Assistance Mortgage Program

There are recoverable and non-recoverable Down Payment Assistance Mortgage for Homebuyers is offered at Gustan Cho Associates

If you lend in California? Are you aware of Prop. 19 Property Taxes? Do you qualify FHA loans, based on Prop. 19 property taxes? When a senior over age 55 sells her home, and purchases her next home, she can carry her current base property tax rate to her new house, thereby helping a lot to qualify for the loan. There is a calculation and explanation at this government. I will most certainly qualify for Prop. 19. The lender will also have to gross up my non-taxable part of my social security income in order to make the income better. This is legally allowed. 33% of my social security income is non-taxable, therefore, this percentage can be grossed up by 1.25% (I think this is the percentage). This makes a difference. Normally, lenders qualify by taking 1.25% property tax in calculations, however, that amount is very high and when it gets added to monthly payment, then the DTI is not met. For example, on a $615,000 home, with a loan of $304,000, the property tax (1.25%) is $651 per month. With Prop. 19 calculations, it comes to only $482.33. This makes a big difference in cases like mine who is trying to qualify for the highest price home possible based on my income. Last question – does the house I am purchasing have to meet FHA loan criteria? Before I go further, I was wondering if you are aware of Prop. 19 and grossing up income? I will try calling you next week.

• This discussion was modified 4 months, 3 weeks ago by  Dawn.

I know that FHA loans are the best loan programs for borrowers with bad credit and low credit scores. What is the minimum credit score requirements to get approved for FHA loans.

THERE ARE VARIOUS DIFFERENT FICO MODELS. WHAT FICO MODEL DO YOU LOOK AT FOR FHA.

What is the difference between FHA AMENDATORY CLAUSE and VA AMENDATORY CLAUSE?

• This discussion was modified 5 months, 1 week ago by  Sapna Sharma.

Here is a blog written by John Strange about FHA Refinance Guidelines. It is an older article that has been updated and posted today. Great informative article.

https://gustancho.com/fha-streamline-guidelines/

gustancho.com

FHA Streamline Guidelines on Credit and Non-Credit Refinance

FHA Streamline Guidelines on cedit and non-credit refinance do not require income docs or verification and no new appraisal is required

What type of loans can I qualify during and after Chapter 13 Bankruptcy? How long after a Chapter 13 bankruptcy can I get an FHA loan? How long after Chapter 13 can you get a VA loan? Bankruptcy Waiting Periods For VA Loans Vs. Other Mortgages. Bankruptcy Waiting Periods For FHA Loans Vs. Other Mortgages. How long after Chapter 13 can I get a home equity loan? Lenders generally require a waiting period of between one and five years from discharge or dismissal — and up to seven following foreclosure — before they’ll approve you for a home equity loan. This is because they want to be sure you’ve righted your finances and can manage new debt. What is manual underwriting and how does manual underwriting work?

• This discussion was modified 6 months, 3 weeks ago by  Ollie.

What are HUD Chapter 13 Bankruptcy dismissal guidelines to qualify for an FHA LOAN. Is there any waiting period requirements.

Found that HUD does not guarantee FHA LOANS DURING CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY REPAYMENT PLAN. WILL GET THIS FACT CHECKED.

Original Article:

https://www.mortgagesensei.co/blog/how-to-get-a-mortgage-as-a-first-time-home-buyer

—

This is a common question that I answer all the time. It’s easy to explain but may be difficult to execute. No worries! I’m going to lay it all out in the simplest and easiest way possible. At the end of this blog, you will know what financial areas you should focus your attention on as a first time home buyer

Understanding the 5 Pillars of a home loan will help you identify the financial factors that a lender evaluates to determine if you’re eligible for a home loan. In this article, we’re going to focus solely on what it takes for you to become a well-qualified borrower. If you simply focus on that and develop good financial habits, you will soon find yourself in a position to not just be able to qualify for a home loan, but to be considered a well-qualified borrower in the eyes of lenders, realtors, sellers, or anyone else involved in the home buying process. Take your time to read through this, and feel free to reach out to me here for any assistance that you may have.

What credit score do you need to buy a house for the first time?

Depending on your selected home loan program, you could qualify for a home loan with as low as a 500 FICO credit score. However, let’s not worry about “how low of a credit score can I have and still qualify for a home loan?” and focus instead on “what do I need to financially focus on daily?” With that being said, I recommend focusing on the FICO factors that impact your credit the most. Using myFICO Education as a guide:

Payment History (35%): This is simple to understand—don’t miss any minimum monthly payments for ANY of your credit accounts. A lot of people, when they read this, will say, “No duh, Sensei!”. Well, if it’s that obvious, why are so many people missing the mark here? There are many reasons, but I’ll list two:

1. Over-extending your credit/spending capacity, and
2. Limited amount of emergency/reserve funds.

Did you know that you only need a TOTAL of 3-4 credit accounts aged for 2+ years and properly managed to get a 700+ FICO score! Keeping your total credit accounts under 5 will help you in managing your credit accounts to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. Here’s my recommended financial habits to help you in raising your credit score:

1. Frugal spending habits: “How much you keep is slightly more important than how much you bring in”. One of my favorite books is “The Richest Man in Babylon”. The concept is pretty simple: “Priority saving and investing over any other spending choices”.
2. Fanatical saving: One of the main reasons people credit suffers is through some kind of financial hardship whether that’s unexpected medical expenses, job loss, or something that tends to be outside of your control. Having enough savings to weather the storm for months or even years, will give you a large enough financial safety net to make it through recessions, rapid inflation, unexpected expenses, etc.

Amounts Owed/Credit Utilization (30%): Our areas of focus are:

1. Revolving: “how much of your credit limit is drawn and owed.”
2. Installments: “how much of the credit debt is still owed compared to your starting amount.”

Developing frugal spending habits will greatly help you in keeping your credit utilization low. I understand that emergencies come up and you have to use your credit cards, but the truth of the matter is that FICO doesn’t care about your emergencies, or why your credit cards are maxed out. They only care that your credit card is maxed out. If you cannot quickly pay down your credit card balance under 10%-30% of the credit limit within 30 days of charging it, then you probably should not charge the product/service to your credit card.

Negative Status: Collections, charge-offs, repossessions, bankruptcies, foreclosures, Late payments within 2-years, etc. You can do everything right, and getting one of these can set you back overnight. All of these derogatory events result from some negative financial event that occurred, whether unintentional or intentional, the results will be the same. For those who have been victims of identity theft, you know from experience that creditors don’t care that your identity was stolen and a criminal damaged your credit. All they’re going to tell you is “take responsibility in fixing your credit.” Working towards preventing these negative financial events from reporting on your credit or removing them from your credit is your third focus. If you need help, reach out to Kredit Kleanse for expert credit repair assistance, or schedule time to start your home loan qualification process by clicking here.

How much income do I need to buy a home?

After the 2008 housing crash, our government implemented S.A.F.E. requirements for lenders to do their due diligence to ensure that the borrower is protected from predatory lending. One of the main focuses was on DTI (Debt-to-Income ratio). For the sake of this blog, I’m only going to focus on two aspects of DTI that are more relevant to this article:

Total Income: In this case, the borrower simply doesn’t make enough to afford the home regardless of how little debt they may have. For instance, the borrower earns $100,000 per year for income and wants to purchase a $1,000,000 home. Those numbers, in most cases, won’t work. Here’s my personal calculation: whatever your “total annual income” multiplied by 3x-4x should put you in the range of a home you can afford AND still enjoy life/save/invest/etc. This is not stating what you will qualify for, but simply a measuring equation to see if you are in the ballpark. Please note that (1) your area could be more or less expensive, (2) current interest rates, and (3) the lender you choose WILL affect your final qualification. The best course of action here is to either:

1. Increase your qualifying income: This is VERY tough conversation to have, and honestly the part of the job that never sits quite right with me. But truth is truth regardless of how I feel about it. Ways to increase your income are:
   1. Ask for a raise
   2. Go for that promotion
   3. Create passive income
   4. Start a business/side hustle (you’ll need a 2-year history of having that business)
   5. Get a 2nd job (you’ll need a 2-year history of working both jobs)
   6. Add a co-borrower/signer
   7. Obtain a higher paying job
2. Reduce your housing price if possible: I’ve helped people that simply weren’t able to increase their income, maybe because they are retired on fixed income, can’t change jobs due to their needed benefits or family, etc. To those people I would suggest reducing they’re home buying price by adjusting their home search parameters. The more flexible you are on the type, location, etc. of your new home, the more options you will start to have. Maybe a smaller starter-type home is what you need.

Usable Income: In this case, the borrower makes enough “gross income”; however, the challenge is the borrower has too many debt obligations that are eating away at the potential income we could use for a housing payment for the home they want. This is normally when the lender will tell you “your DTI is too high to qualify”. The best course of action here is to reduce/eliminate your monthly credit debt obligation. You can use a method called “debt-snowball”. The debt snowball method is a debt payoff strategy that involves paying off debts from smallest to largest balance. Once a debt is paid off, the money that was previously allocated to that debt is then used to pay off the next smallest debt. This strategy can help build momentum and keep you motivated as you pay off your debts. As each debt is paid off, payments increase in size, similar to a snowball rolling down a hill. We are also able to help our clients quickly identify exactly which credit accounts to pay off to move the DTI ratio meter the most. Schedule time to start your home loan qualification process by clicking here.

How much cash should you have before buying a house?

Lastly, we have to address the “Where’s the money coming from?” aspect. This is the red pill of our housing market/economy. Meaning that it’s ALWAYS better to bring money to the table over not bring anything. You have to be able to invest in the purchase of your home. The ideal scenario is a borrower that can fully fund all expenses needed to purchase a home without needing any assistance. Now don’t get me wrong, we will help anyone get into a home. However, if we look at the true data, people that need financial assistance to buy a home tend to have a more difficult time becoming homeowners: (1) loan programs are too restrictive, (2) sellers don’t want to sell to someone using a loan assistance program, (3) they’re not able to qualify for as much house as a traditional loan program, etc. These are the four areas you should consider:

Down Payment: This normally ranges from a minimum of 3%-5% for primary residence loan programs. If you don’t have the funds, there may be a home down payment assistance program available for you.

Closing Costs: Title costs, government recording fees, appraisal fee, credit report fee, setting up your prepaid/escrow account for property taxes and homeowners insurance, etc. This normally ranges from 3%-6% of the purchase price, depending on the area.

Moving Expenses: Will you need to rent a moving truck, hire movers, take time off from work, pay for deposits for utility hookups, build new furniture, throw a housewarming party, etc.? Many lenders will tap you out at closing, and you may be blinded by the excitement of buying your first home and you simply forget about these costs that are unrelated to buying a home. This is an unknown number because everyone is different. All I’m doing here is making sure you’re aware of this and plan for it the best way you can.

Once you add up everything the starting line is anywhere between 6-11% of the purchase price. If you don’t have it or simply don’t want to spend that amount, then you’ll need to work with the right people that have a strong understanding of creativity financing. schedule time to start your home loan qualification process by clicking here.

Give it to me straight and don’t sugarcoat it Sensei!

Over the course of my career, I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the grittiest people I’ve ever had the pleasure meeting. Some of those people “had no hope” of buying a home as a first time home buyer. What allowed them to become homeowners was knowing how the game works. It’s like golf—if you don’t know how to (1) pick the right club, (2) examine the landscape, and (3) swing with the right technique using the right amount of force and accuracy, you’ll easily get tired of “trying” to play golf. There are a lot of people today who are trying to buy a home, instead of actually being able to buy a home.

One of the biggest misconceptions, in my opinion, is that people are trying to get a lender to qualify or approve them for a home loan, instead of just being a well-qualified buyer for a home loan before they even reach out to the lender to “verify their financial status”. Credit, repayment ability, funds needed for closing—these are your core pillars that truly make up the borrower aspect of a home loan.

I’ve been in this business since 2011, and I can tell you without a doubt that traditional loans walk, look, and act similar. Yeah, there are guideline differences, but the truth of the matter is that even with these differences, the essence of the home loan is still the same. Working with someone that has these core home loan assessment experience will put you on the right track FAST. Schedule time to start your home loan qualification process by clicking here.

What would you do Sensei?

The 5 Pillars of a home loan are made up of: Credit, Repayment Ability, Funds Needed for Closing, Subject Property, and Loan Program. For this subject of “How to get a mortgage as a first-time buyer,” you have to find out what you qualify for. My recommended sequence of focus is: (1) Credit, (2) Repayment Ability, (3) Funds Needed for Closing, (4) Loan Program, and (5) Subject Property.

Here’s the honest truth:

1. Before you go under contract to purchase a home (i.e., subject property), you should know what you qualify for (i.e., loan terms/program),
2. Before you know what you qualify for (i.e., loan terms/program), you will have to go through the lender’s evaluation process (pre-qualification/pre-approval),
3. When you go through the lender’s evaluation process (pre-qualification/pre-approval), we will be verifying and evaluating your credit, repayment ability, and available funds for closing.

When you want to buy a home your credit, repayment ability, and available funds are the areas that YOU control. A lender does not control these aspects of your financial life. Your financial habits do. These three (credit, repayment ability, and funds needed for closing) are the pillars that you build up to be in a position to purchase a home. The last two (loan program and subject property) are the aspects of the home loan process that are more of an effect of the first three pillars.

We live in an instant gratification society and want everything now, fast, and easy. The truth of the matter is, that’s not how buying a home works. Now let’s be clear, your home-buying process can and should be simple and easy. If it’s not, you’re probably working with the wrong loan officer/lender. But you should not expect it to be “instant.” It takes time to buy a home, even more so to buy a home “right.”

When you first enter the housing market to purchase a home, you may have some challenges ahead. However, if you stay focused and dedicated, you will find the right home for you and your family. By following these steps and being prepared, you can increase your chances of securing a home loan and becoming a homeowner. It’s important to be patient and diligent throughout the process, as it can take time and effort to achieve your goal of homeownership. We are here to help you every step of the way. Schedule time to start your home loan qualification process by clicking here.

Happy house hunting! – Mortgage Sensei “Financing Futures, Building Dreams”

<hr>

Author Bio:

Nelson C. Thompson, Jr., President of The Mortgage Sensei Company. With years of experience in the mortgage industry, Nelson specializes in helping first time home buyers navigate the complexities of obtaining a mortgage. His mission is “Financing Futures and Building Dreams”

References

• List any sources or references used in the blog post.:
• Mortgage Sensei – 5 Pillars of a home loan – https://www.mortgagesensei.co/blog/5-pillars-of-a-home-loan
• myFICO.com – Education – https://www.myfico.com/credit-education/whats-in-your-credit-score
• FICO – https://www.fico.com/
• Kredit Kleanse – https://kreditkleanse.com/
• NMLS Resoruce Center – https://mortgage.nationwidelicensingsystem.org/safe/SitePages/default.aspx
• CFPB – https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-a-debt-to-income-ratio-en-1791/
• Mortgage Sensei – Home Page – https://www.mortgagesensei.co/
• Special Thanks to Gustan Cho Associates’s GCA FORUMS: https://gcaforums.com/wp-login.php?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fgcaforums.com
• Special Thanks to NEXA Mortgage: https://nexamortgage.com/
• Special Thanks to Candice Thompson: https://candinichelle.co/
• Special Thanks to Whitni Bell: https://whitnibell.exprealty.com/

• This discussion was modified 7 months, 2 weeks ago by  Sapna Sharma.
• This discussion was modified 4 months, 3 weeks ago by  Sapna Sharma.
• This discussion was modified 4 months, 1 week ago by  Sapna Sharma.
• This discussion was modified 3 months, 3 weeks ago by  Sapna Sharma.

mortgagesensei.co

How to Get a Mortgage as a First Time Home Buyer

As a First Time Home Buyer learn what financial factors you should focus on BEFORE you reach out to a lender or start shopping for your next home.

5 Pillars of a Home Loan

Become the qualified Buyer that Lenders are looking for!

Understanding what components make up a home loan will give you the advantage of being able to take the right steps towards homeownership.

I’ve been in the home lending industry since Fall of 2011. In that time, I’ve had to go through the highs and lows of understanding the home lending process. In my experience, I’ve had numerous conversations with clients that simply did not understand the home lending process. As I gained more experience, I coined the “5 Pillars of a Home Loan”. When I started explaining the lending process in this fashion during my initial consultation calls, my clients were able to quickly grasp the concept of the risk assessment of lending. This led to a boost in confidence in my clients which gave them the courage to take action. In writing this post, I’m hoping that I can go from a limited one-on-one conversation and expand my reach to communicate this concept to a larger audience to help more people find their confidence to realize that the process of homeownership doesn’t need to be this mysterious or unattainable process. It’s open to whomever is willing to obtain it.

The 5 Pillars are:

1. Credit
2. Repayment Ability
3. Funds Needed for Closing
4. Subject Property
5. Loan Program

As a Borrower, before you even get started the first three pillars are the most important actionable categories you will be preparing for BEFORE you try and get pre-approved or go under contract for purchase.

Credit:

Of course this is an obvious point. But the key to understand here is this concept: “Before the lender extends you more credit, they must first determine your creditworthiness by evaluating your current credit profile”. Think about it this way: If you have a friend, and they ask you to borrow $200.00, but that has a history of never paying people back on-time/ever. If you had it to lend, would you do it? If we’re honest with ourselves, we would say no; of course a strong emotional attachment would say otherwise, but even in that statement we must deal with the reality that lenders don’t have a strong emotional attachment to their customers, outside of paying their bills on-time. This isn’t a charity, as they would say. If you want to know how to go about working on your credit, I would suggest going to https://www.myfico.com/credit-education. There you will get a TON of free information on how credit REALLY works. If you are in a position where you need credit repair, then my good friends at Kredit Kleanse have a very good track record of helping people Kleanse their credit.

Repayment Ability:

Think “personal cash-flow”. The technical lending term is debt-to-income ratio “DTI”. This is what mortgage licenses were originally created to address: to ensure lending professionals are taking the appropriate action of making sure the borrower can actually afford the home loan so that we don’t have the 2008 housing crisis all over again. The equation I use is (credit debts + court debts + proposed subject property housing expense) / (Total calculated gross income). The numbers used will vary program to program, but overall this is the basis in which all DTI is calculated. There are two distinct DTIs:

1. “Housing DTI” which is ONLY: (proposed subject property housing expense) / (Total calculated gross income). A ratio of 30% is considered “healthy”
2. “Total DTI” This is the complete equation: (credit debts + court debts + proposed subject property housing expense) / (Total calculated gross income). A healthy ratio is 45%.
3. Key takeaway. Knowing EXACTLY what your DTI is will vary based on (1) the market in terms of what the fed-rates are, (2) which lender you are getting approved through since lenders decide their own margins and loan-pricing-levels which will dictate the final interest rate used for your housing payment, (3) the selected loan program, due to the requirements for things like debt-calculations and housing expenses like PMI, and (4) The subject property housing expenses like property taxes, homeowners insurance premiums, and community dues like HOAs.

Funds:

There’s 4 REALISTIC categories that you must consider when trying to purchase a home with a loan:

1. Down-payment: People like to lump this into closing costs, but by true definition that’s simply not the case. Down-payment is a “MIR” minimum investment requirement, meaning that it’s not truly a cost (a cost is something you “spend” to acquire something). In the sense of a down-payment you are converting your liquid-cash into a hard-asset which is home equity. With this clarity, you can expect to get your money back at a later date whether that’s through selling or cash-out refinancing your home. You can put down as little as 3% of the purchase price, and there are loan programs available that don’t require a down-payment like with VA loans, USDA loans, and down-payment assistance loan programs.
2. Transactional Costs: This includes appraisal costs, title costs, government fees, inspections, lender costs, etc. Typically this amount ranges from 3-6% of the purchase price and greatly depends on what market your home is in along with the final loan structuring. There are ways to get most of these costs covered. It’s best to consult with a mortgage professional to know what your options are.
3. Reserves: This is not always required for a home loan, but if it does come up during your approval process, it’s good to know just what the heck lenders are talking about. In short what this means is: “after all the necessary transactional funds”, how many monthly total housing expense payments do you have remaining in your account(s). Example: If your proposed total housing payment is $3,865/mth, and you have $52,862 left in your account(s), then you have 13-months of reserves remaining in your account.
4. After transaction expenses: This last point has no bearing on whether you will get approved for a home loan or not, but it is something that needs to be addressed, as some people are so excited about becoming homeowners that they forget non-transactional costs like: moving expense, deposits for utilities, time away from work for relocating, housewarming parties etc. These costs are completely unknown and not factored into your home buying process, and falls in the category of “living expenses”.

Subject Property:

Of course buying the right home for you and your family is most important to you, but when it comes to finalizing your loan approval to get to the closing table, these are the factors that the lenders care about:

1. Loan-to-Value “LTV”. Without losing you with all the LTVs that there really is, in this context is do you have the minimum required equity requirement in the home according to the loan program. In ALL cases even if you have 50% equity in the home, if the loan program requires a MIR down-payment then you would have to bring those eligible funds to the closing table.
2. Property Condition: Is the property habitable? Is the property safe in terms of potential obstacles that could cause injury to you or another person. In the appraisal report, there’s a property condition report that outlines these conditions. Different programs have different program requirements, so you may hear Sellers say I only want to sell to a person that has a conventional home loan knowing that conventional loan programs are the most lenient when it comes to property conditions required for final loan approval.

Loan Program:

This last pillar is more along the lines of the first 4 pillars being weighed against. In other words does your credit, DTI, Funds needed for closing, and subject property fit within the guidelines of the loan program. As you change loan programs the whole lending process changes, and even “meaningless” changes can affect your ability to close on the home. Working with the right company and professional will make all the difference in getting that home you want. Some lenders ONLY work VA loans, or don’t do USDA loans, or have “lender overlays”. A “lender overlay” is an additional guideline the lender places on-up of the actual loan program guideline. Having a consultation call with a lending professional to determine what they are capable of can save you a lot of time and stress.

A couple of my deals:

There’s one deal that comes to mind, and for the sake of privacy I will refer to the client as Gina. Gina was looking to purchase a home, but everything she went to a lender, she always got denied, but never received a clear explanation as to why. Eventually she got connected with me and we began to address each loan pillar. In doing so, it was uncovered that the funds that she was using were considered unsecured loan funds which is a no go for ANY loan program. Upon further inspection, I noticed that the funds were deposited into her account in about 45-days, with this knowledge I was able to leverage the proper interpretation of the lending guidelines. In short, we held closing another 2 weeks that way the deposited unsecured funds would be seasoned for 60-days and now would be considered eligible funds for closing. If the previous lending professional knew this they would have gotten the deal done.

Another deal I did, and again for the sake of privacy I will refer to the client as Ben. Ben had found a home that he wanted to buy, however when the appraisal report came back, there were some property conditions that neither the Seller or Buying was willing to fix, because it totaled over $40,000.00. Instead of denying the loan, we changed the loan from FHA to FHA 203k which is a renovation purchase loan, and was able to finance the cost of the repairs into the loan. A lot of lenders don’t even offer this special loan program let alone know how to actually do it late in the lending process.

What I always tell people:

Most people are just too afraid to buy a home, because it seems like such a lot of steps to get into a home. And to those people I would say you’re ABSOLUTELY correct (not what you wanted to hear huh?). The truth of the matter is that the home buying process is difficult, but the great thing about it is that you don’t need to know everything, you just have to know the right person that does know.

Another misconception is that you have to have perfect credit to buy a home, and that’s not true! I’ve gotten a lot of people with sub-600 credit scores into a home.

Lastly, getting with an experienced and knowledgeable professional early could make a huge difference. For instance there was a wonderful lady I helped become a homeowner, but it was a whole 2 years before she was ready! The key was that she had her free consultation call early, when she didn’t know which way was up. I was able to give her an action = plan that actually works, and she took my advice and implemented everything I told her. During those two years, she had challenges and unexpected financial situations that came up that ended up delaying her progress. However, she preserved and never gave into the setbacks, and now she’s a proud homeowner. You could be next!

My take on it:

Through my 12+ years of experience, I’ve seen a lot of different financial situations, and the overarching commonality is that there’s always a creative way to get anyone into a home. It could be on your part in the form of financial changes, discipline, knowledge, etc.; or the experience, knowledge, creativity, etc. of the loading professional. Is this a difficult process, yes! But it doesn’t have to be hard! ANYONE can own a home, and if you have made it this far, then that means you have the ability to become a homeowner.

When looking to use ANY financial loan instrument, the first 3 pillars are what you should be constantly working on. Focus on becoming a well qualified borrower and lenders will love lending you money because your behaviors display financial & credit worthiness. Ask yourself: “What if I am considered financial & credit worthy to lenders?” & “How do I go about becoming this person?”. Swallowing the red pill and putting in the work, will open doors that you could never have had imagined.

There was a client of mine a couple years ago that implemented the strategies I gave her. I’ll refer to her as Susie, and this is her story: Susie reached out to me about buying her first home. She had good intentions: more space for her kids, tired of paying her landlord, building towards generational wealth, and a lot of other great points. She imagined “what if” I could make this work. When she reached out to me in the Fall of 2021 and had her free home loan consultation we were able to come to the conclusion that she was not financially ready to purchase a home. Instead of allowing the reality of her situation to destroy her dreams, she asked “how do I get ready”. At this point I had to get her to willingly swallow the red pill, so I asked if she was ready for me to be brutally honest? She said, “Yes, please! Nelson, I really want to do this!”. Then I said to her, “This is REALLY what the banks are saying behind closed doors, you simply don’t make enough money for the home you want. You got to make more money!”. She replied, “OK, then that’s what I’m going to do”. Now, in my experience, normally people don’t actually do what it takes to live the dreams they have. A few months went by, and she reached out to me the following Spring. When we reconnected over the phone, she said in a very confident tone, “OK Nelson, I’m ready now!”. We restarted her pre-approval process and she provided her bank statements. When I reviewed them I thought she was going to jail for criminal activities! Susie had saved over $200k, mind you her previous qualifying income was $50,000.00/year. So, how on earth did you get that much money in roughly 6-months? Come to find out, she became a tax preparer and made more money in 6-months than she’s made in the last 4+ years! I still had to do some creative loan structuring due to the loan guidelines on employment history, but she’s a homeowner now!

Final Thoughts:

By understanding the 5 Pillars of the home loan, you can come up with a good plan to work towards homeownership. If you are trying to get prepared to buy a home, then focus on the first three pillars to become a well qualified borrower. They are:

1. Credit
2. Repayment Ability
3. Funds needed for closing
4. Subject Property
5. Loan Program

The time between when you have a good idea and the moment you act on that idea is the #1. #2 is executing a plan consistently over time in spite of the hardships that may arise. The first step is getting the right information from an experienced & knowledgeable professional. If you made it this far then you can become a homeowner. It’s as simple as scheduling a free consultation call with me by clicking HERE. As a bonus you’ll get a copy of my book “How to Buy a Home with a Loan” for FREE! It’s NEVER too early to start. Get the right information today!

References

• List any sources or references used in the blog post.
  • The Mortgage Sensei: https://www.mortgagesensei.co/
  • MyFICO: https://www.myfico.com/credit-education
  • Kredit Kleanse: https://kreditkleanse.com/
  • Federal Reserve Bank of New York: https://www.newyorkfed.org/markets/reference-rates/effr
  • Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/How-Home-Nelson-Thompson-Jr/dp/B0B5KNSFVP/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3UCC39VT0JSNA
  • Special Thanks to Gustan Cho Associates’s GCA FORUMS: https://gcaforums.com/wp-login.php?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fgcaforums.com
  • Special Thanks to NEXA Mortgage: https://nexamortgage.com/
  • Special Thanks to Candice Thompson:

https://www.mortgagesensei.co/blog/5-pillars-of-a-home-loan?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR08pqG5oRMqmvhOVV84ddOSIO73ywaq8uE00blMxypSot5QV3B1sJFfnBM_aem_AUJlOV2uXfL-F9lNHRwSH8BqGZ0l691zAFvevLpclfiajKfBvZO51IGyfE-R4Bj1Ht6_1hMDkK9_AhhJzbKG4jcN

“FHA loans” typically refer to mortgage loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which is a government agency in the United States. FHA loans are designed to make homeownership more accessible, especially for first-time buyers and those with lower credit scores. The term “high balance FHA loans” may refer to FHA loans that exceed the standard loan limits.

FHA loan limits vary by location and are influenced by the median home prices in a particular area. In areas with higher home prices, the FHA sets higher loan limits to accommodate the cost of living. These higher loan limits are sometimes referred to as “high balance” or “high-cost area” loan limits.

Borrowers seeking FHA loans in areas with higher home prices may be eligible for a high balance FHA loan, allowing them to borrow more than the standard FHA loan limit. The specific loan limits can change annually and are influenced by factors such as changes in the housing market.

It’s important for borrowers to check the current FHA loan limits for their specific area and understand the guidelines set by the FHA. Additionally, borrowers should work with a qualified mortgage lender who can provide information and assistance in navigating the FHA loan process. Keep in mind that borrowing limits, interest rates, and other terms may vary among lenders, so it’s essential to shop around for the best loan terms that fit your financial situation.

Homebuyers can get seller concessions for a home purchase from the seller up to 6% of the home purchase price which can be quite large. So on a $500,000 home purchase, the seller concessions can be a total of $30,000. Can the home buyer use the $30,000 on a $500,000 home purchase for the down payment?

When is a good time to refinance if you have a 7.5% rate on FHA loan? I heard mortgage rates are dropping lower.

What does manual underwriting on FHA loans mean? What is the difference between manual underwriting versus automated underwriting system on FHA loans. When is manual underwriting required on FHA loans? What are the manual underwriting guidelines on FHA loans?

Can anyone help me understand the HUD Guidelines on Chapter 13 Bankruptcy for FHA loans. Can you get approved for an FHA loan while in a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy. The Chapter 13 Bankruptcy has not been discharged.

Many homebuyers who cannot get an approval from the automated underwriting system (AUS) but eligible for a manual underwriting should absolutely explore a TBD Underwriting Pre-Approval. A TBD Underwriting Pre-Approval is when the borrower’s mortgage loan application goes through all the steps of the mortgage process but without a property. The borrower’s file will go through processing, underwriting, and get a conditional approval. Part of the condition loan approval will be the property. The loan officer will suggest to purchase a property. The borrower will get a home under contract and the lender will restart the final stage of the mortgage process which is underwrite the house. An appraisal will get ordered and the underwriter will underwrite the property. Once the underwriter finishes clearing the appraisal, a clear to close will be issued. With a CTC the mortgage processor will coordinate the closing with the title company. Here’s a guide about TBD UNDERWRITING PRE-APPROVAL PROCESS

@JenZ @Ali @wendy

https://gustancho.com/fully-underwritten-tbd-mortgage-approval/

gustancho.com

Fully Underwritten TBD Mortgage Approval As Pre-Approvals

Fully Underwritten TBD Mortgage Approval are full approvals for borrower on manual underwrites and tougher mortgages without the property