A major drawback of FHA loans is the high cost of FHA mortgage insurance, which must be paid for the life of the loan if you make the minimum 3.5% down payment. FHA county loan limits also curtail your buying power, since they're set at 35% below conforming conventional loan limits in most counties across the U.S.
Borrowers who take out FHA loans will likely face higher costs upfront and with every payment, and it could signal that they aren't ready for a mortgage. You'll also have to pay mortgage insurance, and FHA loans are less flexible than conventional loans.
FHA might be better than conventional if you have a credit score below 680, or higher levels of debt (up to 50 percent DTI). Conventional loans become more attractive the higher your credit score is because you can get a lower interest rate and monthly payment.
Unfortunately, some home sellers see the FHA loan as a riskier loan than a conventional loan because of its requirements. The loan's more lenient financial requirements may create a negative perception of the borrower. And, on the other hand, the stringent appraisal requirements of the loan may make the seller nervous.
Advantages of FHA Loans
Down payment: The 3.5% minimum down payment requirement on FHA loans is lower than what many (but not all) conventional loans require. If you have a credit score of about 650 or higher, the low down payment requirement is likely the main reason you'd be considering an FHA loan.
Yes. You can pay off your FHA mortgage early. Unlike many traditional mortgages, FHA loans do not charge prepayment penalties.
To convert an FHA loan to a conventional home loan, you will need to refinance your current mortgage. The FHA must approve the refinance, even though you are moving to a non-FHA-insured lender.
Reasons Sellers Don't Like FHA Loans
Both reasons have to do with the strict guidelines imposed because FHA loans are government-insured loans. For one, if the home is appraised for less than the agreed-upon price, the seller must reduce the selling price to match the appraised price, or the deal will fall through.
Sellers often prefer conventional buyers because of their own financial views. Because a conventional loan typically requires higher credit and more money down, sellers often deem these reasons as a lower risk to default and traits of a trustworthy buyer.
When you apply for this type of mortgage, the underwriter will make sure that your application meets both the lender's standards as well as the standards set forth by the FHA. FHA loans take an average of 55 days to close. For home purchases, the average is 54 days. For refinances, it's 59 days.
There's no law that can compel a seller to accept FHA financing, though sellers artificially limit their buyer pool by doing so. Buyers, though, can help their cause by agreeing to an "as is" appraisal, for one. They might also consider asking for less in seller contributions to help with closing costs.
Typically, mortgage lenders want you to put 20 percent down on a home purchase because it lowers their lending risk. It's also a “rule” that most programs charge mortgage insurance if you put less than 20 percent down (though some loans avoid this).
The more money you put down, the better. Your monthly mortgage payment will be lower because you're financing less of the home's purchase price, and you can possibly get a lower mortgage rate.
An FHA-approved appraiser ensures that the home meets the government's safety and livability standards. The rules aren't onerous, but are a bit more strict than those that apply to some other loan types. FHA appraisal requirements can seem a little intimidating since they're key to getting your FHA mortgage.
To put it simply, FHA loans are generally easier to qualify for, and they allow for lower credit scores. Conventional loans, meanwhile, may not require mortgage insurance with a large enough down payment. Choosing the best loan option for you depends on your personal financial situation.
Helps With Buyer Costs
FHA loans attract buyers who might not have the cash savings for the closing costs out of pocket. FHA loans let the seller pick up as much as 6 percent of the value of the home to pay the buyer's closing costs, making it easier for the buyer to afford the house.
FHA loans tend to have higher closing costs than conventional loans, but because FHA loans allow the seller to pay for more of your closing costs than conventional loans, they may actually be cheaper.
FHA rates will be higher than conventional rates when the borrower has low credit scores. Although FHA loans are helping to make home ownership more affordable, low credit scores signal high risk to FHA lenders. As a result, they impose interest rate adjustments based upon the credit score of the borrower.
FHA mortgage loans don't require PMI, but they do require an Up Front Mortgage Insurance Premium and a mortgage insurance premium (MIP) to be paid instead. Depending on the terms and conditions of your home loan, most FHA loans today will require MIP for either 11 years or the lifetime of the mortgage.
People with little cash for a down payment and a modest credit rating typically qualify for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgages. FHA loans require a lower minimum down payment and lower credit scores than conventional loans. FHA loans are backed by the government, unlike conventional loans.
The only way to cancel PMI is to refinance your mortgage. If you refinance your current loan's interest rate or refinance into a different loan type, you may be able to cancel your mortgage insurance.
If you have a 15-year loan, the halfway point is 7.5 years. The servicer must cancel the PMI then — depending on whether you've been current on your payments — even if your mortgage balance hasn't yet reached 78 percent of the home's original value. This is known as final termination.
In general, FHA loan rules don't have much to say about selling the property as long as it was purchased and occupied in line with FHA loan requirements.
Okay, you probably already know that every dollar you add to your mortgage payment puts a bigger dent in your principal balance. And that means if you add just one extra payment per year, you'll knock years off the term of your mortgage—not to mention interest savings!