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Posts Tagged ‘down payment’

UPDATED!

Please read the article posted at http://carolinamortgageconnection.foundbydesign.net/2009/06/01/update-tax-credit-as-downpayment-for-fha/ for updated important information about this tax credit!

Original Article:

The $8,000 First Time Home Buyer federal tax credit passed by the Obama Administration may be useful after all! The FHA is going to permit that tax credit to be “monetized” and used as a downpayment on an FHA mortgage loan. So if you do the numbers, you could possibly purchase a $228,500 home with no money down! After all, FHA requires 3.5% of the purchase price to be committed to the deal by the buyer, and 3.5% of $228,500 is just shy of $8,000! Of course, you’d still have closing costs and points to worry about, but with the right negotiations, they could be covered by the seller.

You may not want to buy a home quite that size, but the good news is that with this new option to use the First Time Home Buyer tax credit as a downpayment for Charlotte FHA mortgages, many new home buyers in Charlotte will have access to a tremendous home buying program!

Shaun Donovan, secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was quoted as saying:

We all want to enable FHA consumers to access the home buyer tax credit funds when they close on their home loans so that the cash can be used as a downpayment.

Regarding the housing market, Donovan said:

I do think we have some early signs hat the market overall is stabilizing. Since January we’ve seen both home sales moving up and down around a relatively stable number and we are seeing the first signs that the rapid decline in home prices is starting to abate.

The National Association of REALTORS has been lobbying for the use of the tax credit for first time home buyers as a downpayment for some time now and it looks as though it will pay off. Some question if using the tax credit for first time home buyers as a downpayment will rekindle a “zero down” / “no money down” marketplace and risk further issues in the future, but in the mean time this should definitely help many Charlotte first time home buyers find another reason to get off the fence!

UPDATED: TAX CREDIT CAN NOT BE USED FOR THE MINIMUM 3.5% DOWNPAYMENT AS REQUIRED BY FHA. READ MORE AT http://carolinamortgageconnection.foundbydesign.net/2009/06/01/update-tax-credit-as-downpayment-for-fha/

Down Payment Assistance for FHA sees Increased Fee

According to The Nehemiah Program, effective June 9, 2008, the fee for processing the down payment assistance program through Nehemiah will be increasing. Here is an excerpt from their press release:

Nehemiah has built its reputation through our relentless commitment to providing affordable homeownership solutions to the public. Unfortunately, current economic conditions have had a dramatic impact on our costs of operation. Additionally, we incurred significant costs associated with our recent regulatory victory and the expenses related to educating the public and governmental officials regarding the facts about downpayment assistance. While we strive to hold costs down and have held the line for a long time, it is now necessary for us to temporarily increase our processing fee.

Currently, the new list price of this fee is $599, up $100 from before.  However, as a preferred client, Residential Mortgage Center is able to get this fee at a discount, better enabling our clients to accomplish their goals! (including Charlotte first time home buyers!)

Down payment assistance for FHA mortgage loans is a key part of helping Americans realize the dream of home ownership, especially first time home buyers. Despite the recent demise of the subprime mortgage market, buying a home without a major down payment is still possible. Some critics say this is a bad idea, citing that this is what caused the mortgage and real estate crisis we are currently in. But I disagree as the real issues stem from a combination of investors speculating that values would just continue to increase at record pace with no end in sight and the offering of mortgage loans to individuals that should not have qualified in the first place. The amount of money down had no impact on a home buyer’s ability to make their mortgage payments.

With the continued use of Down Payment Assistance programs, many first time home buyers in Charlotte can actually take advantage of a soft market and stop renting. Getting the country’s real estate market back on track should be a priority and banning DPA programs would bring that recovery to a stand still.

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Federal Government Providing DownPayments?

With the Economic Stimulus Package checks being mailed out, many potential home buyers may be getting the down payment they needed to buy a home! And if you ask me, you can’t find a better use for the money!

The checks being sent out can be quite large. Most people will get $600, with married couples getting $1,200. Each dependent child will get $300 more. So the average family of 4 can stand to get a check for $1,800! A family of 5 will see a check of $2,100!

This can go a long way towards buying a home. On a $100,000 started home, a 3% down payment is only $3,000. With $1,800 coming from the government, you only need $1,200 in cash to buy your home! And with the check coming from the US Dept of Treasury, you won’t have to worry about “seasoning” the funds. (Seasoned funds are funds that you have had for at least 60 days.)

So when you are thinking about what to do with that big check from Uncle Sam, seriously consider putting it somewhere that will make a real difference in your family’s life… A home of your own.

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