Mandatory FHA Loan Fees Increase For Some, Fall For Others

For the first time in its history, the FHA changed its funding fees and mortgage insurance structure this week. FHA-insured home loans are now subject to a risk-based pricing adjustment, as shown by the table above.

Because of risk-based pricing, FHA home loans are now more expensive for borrowers with less-than-ideal credit profiles, and less expensive borrowers with perfect ones.

Prior to the changes, most FHA borrowers paid an up-front fee of 1.500 percent, plus on-going annual mortgage insurance payments equal to one-half-percent on the amount borrowed.

FHA-insured mortgages have grown in popularity this year because, while the guidelines of other mortgage products have tightened, FHA program guidelines have remained loose. FHA allows 3 percent downpayments on purchases, for example, and allows "cash out" refinances to 95 percent.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not.

(Image courtesy: FHA.gov)

Cancel Your PMI Before It's Too Late To Cancel It

When homeowners borrow more than 80 percent of a home's value, mortgage lenders often require a corresponding insurance policy called Private Mortgage Insurance.
PMI provides a cash payment to lenders in the event of a homeowner defaults.

But because PMI policies are designed for high LTV loans only, they usually contain cancellation options for when home equity percentages reach 20 percent or more.

In other words, PMI can be temporary.

There is a caveat, however: Lenders will not automatically remove mortgage insurance when

LTV falls below 80 percent -- the onus is on the homeowner to initiate a formal request.

Earlier this decade -- when home values were soaring -- many PMI-paying homeowners recognized their equity growth and successfully petitioned out from PMI.

Many other homeowners, however, forgot.

So today, as home values stagnate or depress in different U.S. markets, homeowners eligible for cancellation may find that both their home equity and their right to cancel have vanished.

PMI helps makes high LTV loans possible, but there's no reason to pay it longer than necessary.

If your current mortgage requires PMI payments and your loan-to-value lurks below 80 percent, contact your mortgage lender to start the PMI cancellation process.

Or, if you're unsure about your home's value and the 80 percent threshold, call or email me anytime and I can help you connect with somebody to give you the answers you need.