Can a Mortgage Have a Co-signer?
No. Well, yes. Sort of. Mortgages can have co-borrowers. Instead of getting all wrapped up in the differences and similarities let’s simply cut straight to what a mortgage can have and when and how it is used. More specifically let’s look at the non-occupant co-borrower. In other words someone will be on the loan but not living in the property.
While a NOCB is not exclusive to FHA home loans that is the most common place to find them allowed. Some smaller lenders who portfolio or have special products may also allow them but generally this technique is permitted only FHA home loans.
The NOCB must have qualifying credit and so must the occupant borrower. The reason for using a NOCB is for income calculations. The upside is a borrower who does not have enough income to qualify on their own can have a family member or significant other help them to meet their monthly expenses. The non-occupant is equally responsible in making sure the mortgage is paid on time as is the occupant.
Non-occupant co-borrowers cannot overcome bad credit on the part of the occupant borrower. In fact if the occupant borrower is not credit qualified a non-occupant is moot because the loan will not be approved.
An ideal situation for a NOCB would be if the occupant is a student and has good credit scores but limited income and the parents would serve as the co-borrowers to make sure the debt-to-income ratio is within specifications. In this case the credit of both and the income of both will be used and the income of the child (occupant) can be zero provided the parent’s income is high enough to cover all of their existing obligations and well as the new mortgage.
Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I am a multi-year veteran of the industry who has served in the highest offices in the industry. I can help you get the best deals and avoid getting ripped off!
Contact form on this web site
Home renovation loans
So you find the home that really fits everything in your list – location, size, price range – except it needs a few upgrades or repairs. Conventionally you would need to be able to (a) get the house approved for purchase even with the necessary repair, (b) be able to fund the repairs out of pocket and (c) deal with the entire transaction with a lender who knows little or nothing about rehab purchases. Problem solved if I may be so bold.
Play this short audio file for more information.
I am a multi-year veteran of the industry who has served in the highest offices in the industry. I can help you get the best deals and avoid getting ripped off!
Contact form on this web site
FHA Monthly Premiums will rise on April 18, 2011
FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums Increase
We have enjoyed several months of the lowest FHA UFMIP (Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premiums) and MMIP (Monthly Mortgage Insurance Premiums) in recent history. With monthly rates being at .9% payments have been lower resulting in higher debt-to-income ratio for home buyers and owners who have refinanced. With our dollars being stretched because of a damaged and weakened economy this has helped sales and refinances to remain higher than they would have been with higher rates.
Effective with all FHA loans at 95% LTV (Loan To Value) and higher starting with new casefile ID numbers being issued on and after April 18, 2011, the monthly rate is increasing to 1.1% per month. Here is how that stacks up on a $180,000 loan;
| Loan | UFMIP | New | MIP .9 | MIP 1.1 | Monthly + | Annual + |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 180,000 | 1,800 | 181,800 | 134.10 | 163.89 | 34.79 | 417.48 |
On a $180,000 home mortgage loan the increase in the FHA monthly mortgage insurance premium from .9% (of the principal balance) to 1.1% will mean nearly $35 more per month cost added to the mortgage. This multiplies to nearly $420 for the year.
While these numbers may not be astronomical you can see how this may make the difference to a family or single homeowner already working on a stretched budget. If income taxes are increased, deductions decreased, property taxes or home owner’s insurance increases, any of these need to be considered when purchasing a new home or refinancing.
.
I am a multi-year veteran of the industry who has served in the highest offices in the industry. I can help you get the best deals and avoid getting ripped off!
Contact form on this web site
FHA mortgage insurance changes official
HUD has issued Mortgagee Letter 2010-28 changing the Upfront and Annual Mortgage Insurance Premiums effective with case numbers assigned on or after October 4, 2010 as follows:
Upfront Premiums
| Loan Type | Upfront Premium Requirement |
| Purchase & Full Credit Qualifying Refinances | 100 BPS |
| Streamline Refinances (all types) | 100 BPS |
Annual Premiums
| LTV | Annual Premiums for Terms >15 Years |
| = or <95% | 85 BPS |
| >95% | 90 BPS |
| LTV | Annual Premiums for Terms =or <15 Years |
| = or <90% | None |
| >90% | 25 BPS |
These premiums are effective with case numbers assigned on or after October 4, 2010.
FHA down payment gift rules
In 2008 the Federal Housing Administration, in a move to try and get permission from congress to insure 100% home loans, were able to get most private third party down payment assistance programs eliminated from the process. Government and civic organizations are still able to operate but some of the largest DPA companies are out of the business of helping home owners with their required contribution to the loan process. 
Since that date the only way to get down payment assistance is from generally higher priced government assistance programs or from a gift from a family member or employer. According to the HUD Handbook, chapter 2-10(C):
“Gift Funds.An outright gift of the cash investment is acceptable if the donor is the borrower’s relative, the borrower’s employer or labor union, a charitable organization, a governmental agency or public entity that has a program to provide homeownership assistance to low- and moderate-income families or first-time homebuyers, or a close friend with a clearly defined and documented interest in the borrower.”
There is much more to it than simply having the funds available. Not only does the gift money have to exist. The paper trail, evidence of the donor’s ability to give and proof of the relationship also has to be verified.
FHA fees set to increase on April 5, 2010
For many years the Up Front Mortgage Insurance Premium, established and priced by the Federal Housing Administration, has been at 1.75% of the loan amount on purchases and non-streamlined refinances. Due to increased costs and losses in the Administration a new level for the UFMIP has been established and will go into affect on April 5, 2010.
The UFMIP is not the same as the Monthly Mortgage Insurance Premium but rather is paid in full at the time of consummation of the loan. In other words the date the final loan documents are paid and monies exchange hands.
What is a streamline mortgage?
Regardless of the industry there are certain buzzwords or words that seem like they are created simply to confuse the outsider. Near the bottom of the list for business goals should be confusing customers. Unfortunately it does happen and the one who stands the highest chance for damage is the most valuable of all; the customer.
Mortgage professionals throw around terms like an alphabet soup that would frighten even Vanna White. Words like ten oh three (1003) and respa (RESPA – Real Estate Settlement and Procedures Act) fall out of their mouths like jelly beans out of a pinata.
![]()
Making it even a little more confusing for you different agencies use the same term to apply to different meanings and vice versa. Streamline and streamlined for example.
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) makes available a couple of different “streamline” loans. Freddie Mac (FHLMC) has their “streamlined” loan. Essentially they are the same product and if you phone an FHA lender and ask for a “streamlined” loan they will neither laugh at you nor hang up on you.
For all practical purposes streamline loans, whether a streamline refinance or otherwise, indicate something less is required or they go faster than a standard loan. For the FHA streamline refinance a little less documentation is required and sometimes less evidence of value is required.
Power of the FHA 203k Streamlined
There is little secret about the devastation delivered to the real estate industry in the Atlanta area over the last twenty-four months. Values plummeted in 2009 as more properties made their way to the market through increasing numbers of foreclosures leaving banks and investors holding inventory unlikely to resell in months if not years.
Making matters worse many of the foreclosed properties are not in prime condition with many of them needing repairs to return them to livable condition. Add to this trouble the number of properties which have been vandalized while vacant and those continue to set in a deteriorating state further impacting the values of other properties in the area.
Purpose of the FHA 203k streamlined rehab loan
Home buyers and home sellers across America have a friend and ally they may not be aware of. For many buyers the “perfect” location may not be the “perfect” home. Due to the recent downturn in the economy, which many agree will level out this year in spite of Congress’s best efforts to destroy it, there are many homes for sale either by private owners or lenders who have taken?possession.
Real estate owned is the common term for bank owned properties which many investors are well familiar with as REOs. The foreclosing lender rarely, if ever, will perform any upgrades or maintenance to the average home before putting it on the market. For buyers with 20% down and plenty of cash to cure the issue this is not a major concern. However with the increasing number of buyers using FHA for their fairly liberal 3.5% down payment this is an issue.
Georgia Area Median Income by County
Many home loan mortgage programs have different requirements for maximum income levels by borrower and or household. Each state has different areas and often a single MSA or AMI may cover multiple counties. It is always best to consult with your home loan mortgage professional but, only as a guideline, here is the HUD AMI (Area Median Income) list for Georgia as of November 2, 2009. In Georgia call Ken Cook at 678-439-8683













Twitter
Skype