Refinance FHA and Lower Your Payments

>points, and prepaids provided it all fits within the loan to
FHA mortgages have always been very good loansvalue limits. The new loan amount may be the current
for the homebuyer. In today's market the FHAprinciple plus closing costs, discount points and prepaids,
refinance programs offer maximum benefits to theOR, the appraised value x 97.75% (97.65%, or 97.15%,
homeowner that wants to lower payments or get outhigh or low cost state). Which ever is less!
of an adjustable rate mortgage.IF the smallest of these two values is greater than the
FHA mortgages have always been very good loansoriginal mortgage balance credit verification is required.
for the homebuyer. In today's market the FHAStreamline Refinance - "Credit Qualifying":
refinance programs offer maximum benefits to theThe loan amount is calculated based on the previous
homeowner that wants to lower payments or get outformulas and qualifying requires full employment
of an adjustable rate mortgage. FHA offers threeverification, credit report, and debt to income ratio
types of refinance mortgage loans: Cash-Out, Nocompliance. Typically these loans are used when the
Cash-Out, and Streamline Refinance.new mortgage payment will be higher, deletion of a
Streamline refinances were designed to lower monthlyborrower on new mortgage, or in assumptions
payments on FHA mortgages only. They can be doneinvolving due-on-sale clauses.
with or without an appraisal, and with or without creditFHA "No Cash Out" Refinance:
qualification. The borrower cannot receive any cashThis regular no-cash-out loan may be used to
back with a streamline refinance.refinance an FHA mortgage, VA mortgage, or a
Loan Type Conversion Allowed:conventional mortgage and requires the borrower to
1. 30 yr fixed to 30 yr fixed: The new payment mustfully qualify. Second mortgages may be included in the
be lower than the old payment.new loan if they are older than one year or you can
2. 30 yr fixed to 15 yr fixed: New payment cannot beprove that the funds were used solely to repair or
more than $50 higher. Note: 15 yr fixed to 30 yr fixedrehabilitate the home. If not, paying off or including
is not allowed.these loans would be considered a cash-out refinance.
3. Fixed Rate to ARM: Owner occupied homes onlyThis loan can be used to buy out the equity of an
4. ARM to Fixed Rateex-spouse provided it is documented in the divorce
5. ARM to ARM: Rate must be lower than current loanpapers. It is still considered a no-cash-out because this
6. 203K to 203Bequity is considered indebtedness.
Streamline Refinance "Without" An Appraisal:IF the property was purchased less than a year ago
The new loan amount cannot be more than the originaland is not currently an FHA loan, the loan amount will
loan amount, OR more than the current principlebe the appraised value plus closing cost, OR the
balance plus closing cost. ... Which ever is less. Thisoriginal sales price plus closing cost. Which ever is less!
only applies to owner occupied as non-ownerIf the home was purchased more than a year ago
occupied borrowers can only refinance the existingand does not have FHA financeing, the loan amount
balance do not have the option of rolling in the closingshould be calculated as the "streamline refinance with
costs.an appraisal" above.
The only credit verification required is a verification ofFHA "Cash Out" Refinance:
mortgage payments. This can be done with 12 copiesThis loan can be used to refinance an FHA loan, VA
of cancelled checks, front and back. IF cancelledloan, or Conventional loan. This loan has many
checks are available, no in-file report is required unlessadvantages: Max loan to value is 75% for conventional
the underwriter prefers that method to verifyloans but FHA loans allow 85% plus a portion of the
mortgage payments.closing costs.
Streamline Refinance "With" An Appraisal:The property must be owner occupied and the
An FHA streamline refinance with an appraisal allowsborrower must fully qualify.
the borrower to finance in the closing costs, discount