FHA Loans and Bankruptcy - How to Get Approved

For decades, mortgage loans approved by the Federalto those levels, which makes the prospect of an FHA
Housing Administration - so-called "FHA loans - haveloan even more attractive. The good news is that you
been something of a last resort for most homebuyers.can get approved after bankruptcy!
Many of them were reluctant to engage in theThe requirements vary in accordance with the type of
time-consuming paperwork and documentationbankruptcy filed, however. Chapter 7 and Chapter 13
requirements that FHA loans require, and resortedbankruptcies are very different forms of liquidation, and
instead to seeking mortgages that often entailed highereach has a different affect on your ability to get
or variable interest rates.approved for FHA loans after bankruptcy. It is
With the collapse of the housing bubble over the lastimportant to understand how each type of proceeding
several years, and the new recognition of the dangersimpacts your ability to deal with the FHA.
of such variable interest loans, more would-beIn a Chapter 7 filing, you are legally required to have
homebuyers than ever before are giving FHA loans abeen discharged from the proceeding for at least 24
second look. One question that many homebuyers askmonths, and to have maintained a perfect payment
is whether they can even get approved for FHA loanshistory since then. When it comes to your ability to get
after bankruptcy. The answer may surprise you.approved for FHA loans after bankruptcy in Chapter
The first thing you need to understand about whether13 proceedings, the news is even better. You can
you can get approved for FHA loans after bankruptcyactually obtain an approval after 12 months as long as
is the nature of the FHA loan program. They currentlyyou are still making timely payments.
insure about one in three home loans across theLenders prefer that you begin the process of
United States. The actual process is not a matter ofestablishing your credit again - though this is not always
the government itself loaning you your mortgagea requirement. Many people, after all, prefer to avoid
money. Rather, you receive your mortgage fromincurring new debts so soon after emerging from
lenders who have been approved by the Federalbankruptcy.
Government, and the FHA insures the loan for you.To get approved for FHA loans after bankruptcy, you
First established during the Great Depression, thewill need to be able to document payment history and
FHA's role in homeownership has grown over thecompliance, so plan accordingly. Though the process
decades since, but still maintains its primary focus ofcan involve more time and effort than traditional
enabling lower and middle income families to purchasemarket-based home loans, it is good to know that
homes without the necessity of large down payments.even borrowers who have recently suffered the
Obviously, families that have recently experiencedworst effects of a sour economy can still have
bankruptcy often see their standard of living loweredaccess to this critical part of the American dream.