The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority The (CHFA) is Connecticut’s Premier Mortgage Loan Program for
“First Time Homebuyers”. There have been a few Posts written here on ActiveRain, that have provided some information about different components of the CHFA Loan Program. So I
thought it might be beneficial for
“First Time Homeb
uyers” if a Post was written covering all of the features that make up the CHFA Loan Program. Even though CHFA is a Loan Program specific to Connecticut, it is important for
“First Time Homebuyers” who maybe planning to relocate to Connecticut to also have information about it. Therefore this Post will be posted in the “Mortgage, First Time Home Buyer, New England, Connecticut, and Realtor Groups”.
CHFA is a Quasi Government Agency that provides a 30-year, fixed rate Loan Program, with an interest rate that is below comparable market rates. For example this week the CHFA rate is 5.250 % (APR range 5.350 - 5.750 %) with up to One Point (1% Origination Fee) payable to Lender. The Conventional Mortgage rates this week have been fluctuating between 6.125% and 6.375%, so as you can see the CHFA rate is far below the Conventional Rate. CHFA rates are posted every Thursday, and are fixed until the following Thursday. These Mortgages are originated and serviced by over 80 participating lenders (banks and mortgage companies) statewide in Connecticut.
Eligible Borrowers - CHFA Mortgages are available to homebuyers who have not had an ownership interest in a home for the previous 3 years. Prior homeowners may qualify for a CHFA mortgage if the home they purchase is within an area that is designated as a “Targeted Area”. These homebuyers must also be below "Income Limits" that are established by “Household Size” and these “Income Limits” vary by town. There are also “Sales Price Limits", which also vary by town.
Eligible Properties - CHFA Mortgage may be used to purchase an existing one- to four-family home, mobile homes, a newly constructed single family home, or a newly constructed two-family home in a targeted area. They can also be used to purchase condominiums that are on the CHFA eligible condominium list. All properties must be owner occupied, and CHFA loans are not available for investment properties.
Downpayment and Closing Costs Assistance (DAP) – CHFA requires a 3% downpayment on their loans. If a qualified borrower does not have enough funds for the downpayment and or closing costs, CHFA will let them borrow it on a second loan know as a “DAP Loan” at the same interest rate as the first loan. CHFA allows a borrower applying for a DAP Loan to keep up to $5,000 of their own money before CHFA requires them to use their funds to satisfy the 3% downpayment and or closing cost. The minimum DAP Loan amount is $3,000. Qualifying Homebuyers who apply for a “DAP Loan” need to attend an approved CHFA “Homebuyer Counseling Class”. These classes are free, and upon completion of the class a “Course Completion Certificate” which needs to be submitted with a DAP Loan, will be given to the homebuyer by the class Counselor. If a homebuyer already has a sales contract on a house, then they only need to attend a 3 hour class, but if they do not have a sales contract on a house and want to get the classes out of the way, they need to do 8 hours of class time.
PMI/MI - CHFA Mortgages are usually FHA insured, so the Mortgage Insurance Rate (MI) is much less than the Private Mortgage Insurance Rate (PMI) for a loan with the same downpayment. Because CHFA Mortgages are FHA insured they also are subject to the FHA Up Front Mortgage Insurance Premium (UFMIP) of 1.5%.
Veterans Mortgage Assistance Program (CHFA/VA) - CHFA Mortgages are available to Veterans and can be insured by the VA. This means that besides qualifying for the below market CHFA rate, the CHFA/VA Mortgage does not require any downpayment, and since it is VA insured, there isn’t any PMI. However, the VA “Up Front Mortgage Premium” is 2.5%. If a Veteran who is on Active Duty applies for a CHFA/VA Mortgage, they are entitled to an additional .125% reduction in the already below market rate.
Teachers Mortgage Assistance Program - Connecticut certified full-time or part-time public school teacher or vocational-technical teacher employed by and teaching in a “Priority or Transitional School District”, or who are certified to teach and are teaching in a “State-identified Subject Matter Shortage Area”, may qualify for the Teachers Mortgage Assistance Program. Teachers who qualify for this program are also entitled to an additional .125% reduction in the already below market rate.
Police Homeownership Program - This CHFA Loan Program is available to local or state police officers who purchase homes in eligible municipalities. Eligible municipalities must agree to participate in this program, then designate areas of the municipality where an increased police presence would be desirable. State or local police officers who purchase homes in those designated areas are eligible to apply for the CHFA low interest rate, and are entitled to an additional .125% reduction in the already below market rate.
Processing Time - Generally, the process time for CHFA Mortgages, from loan application to loan closing can be as much as six weeks. However, at McCue Mortgage we are experiencing only two to three weeks to commitment, and an additional one to two weeks to Close. This is because we know what documentation are needed, and we collect everything at the time of the application. So by the time our underwriters process the loan application, and send it to CHFA for their Loan Review, we receive it back within 24 to 48 hours approved. The loan packet is then sent to the Closing Attorney for them to complete the Loan Documents, Title Search and schedule the Closing.
Federal Recapture Tax - Under certain circumstances, CHFA mortgage loans may be subject to Federal Recapture Tax. The payment of federal recapture tax occurs at the time the property is sold, only if ALL three of the following conditions apply:
- The house is sold or disposed of within nine (9) years of being purchased, for reasons other than death.
- There is a capital gain on the sale of the home.
- The household income exceeds Federal Recapture Tax limits at the time of the sale.
We have been doing CHFA Loans for over 30 years and have seen this Recapture Tax kick in less than a handful of times. If a homeowner’s income has reached the point that it exceeds the Federal Recapture Tax Limits, they will probably be happy to pay the tax in exchange for that income. And even then the other two conditions must also apply in order for this tax to be paid.
As you can see this is an excellent Loan Program for anyone who can qualify for it, and it is the first loan program that I look to when I am talking to a “First Time Home Buyer”. With “30 Year Fixed Rates” that are below the rate of “Adjustable Rate Mortgages”, these loans make home ownership much easier to achieve.
For more indebt information on CHFA Mortgage Loan Programs is available at www.chfa.org or contact a participating Lender like McCue Mortgage (860) 573-1308
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Very informative George. We have a similar program called NH Housing Finance Authority
also for the 1st time home buyer. Great info!