How to Get an FHA Loan

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is behindyour debt to income ratio. This would help the lender
many programs aimed at increasing home ownershipdetermine the amount and the tenure of the loan that
in the United States. FHA was created by the Nationalyou are eligible for. Any individual can apply for a FHA
Housing Act of 1934 and its primary objective is toLoan and as long as the FHA approved lender is
promote growth of the housing industry through its loanhappy with the credit history and you are willing to pay
insurance program. Before we get into details of howthe FHA Insurance premium, you are likely to be a
to arrange such a loan, it would be wise to learn a bitsuccessful applicant for an FHA Loan.
more about these Loans. Such loans protect theThe most important thing to remember about these
lending institute in case the borrower is unable toloans is that the amount of money that you can
service the loan by making timely payments inborrow under such a loan is limited. This amount is
accordance with the terms and condition of thefixed by the Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
agreement. Before the FHA decides to insure theand one can easily find out the maximum amount of
lender, it does a through investigation of the credentialsFHA loan that shall be allowed for a specific area by
of the buyer through the FHA Inspector. In case it findsgoing to the official website of the HUD. Hence if you
the risk-reward ratio favorable, it provides theare trying to borrow a small mortgage amount
necessary security to the lender by charging an FHAcompared to the price of your property, an FHA loan
insurance premium from the borrower.could well suit your need. The biggest advantage of
So how does an individual get such a loan? Before wethe FHA loans is that they allow the home buyers to
discuss this aspect it is important to recognize thatpurchase a house with a down payment of as low as
FHA does not provide loans and merely insures the3%.
loan disbursed by a lender. The first step in obtainingTypically the home borrowers who make use of an
an FHA loan is to approach the lender or a mortgageFHA loan have to make an upfront insurance premium
broker who deals with FHA loans. The lenders whoof 1.5% to pass their default risk to the FHA. The
are allowed to process FHA Loans is called an FHAborrower would be also expected to pay a small
qualified lender. The lending institute would then a creditmonthly fee towards this insurance in his monthly
appraisal system very similar to that carried out inrepayments to the lender. It would serve you better to
case of a conventional home loan. The most importantcompare the cost of FHA loan with that of a
parameters that the lending institute would review areconventional loan.
your credit history reflected in your credit score and