I've been receiving several calls of concern regarding the elimination of the down payment assistance program. I'm not too sure what exactly is stated in the H.R. 3221 Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008l but it sounds a little frightening. I would have to say that about 90% of all my clients this year used some sort of down payment assistance program like Ameridream and Nehemiah. If it is really all gone on October 1st as stated on Nehemiah's website, I'm not too sure what I'll be able to tell my clients except 1. Let's get you a home ASAP or 2. keep saving and I'll talk to you next year.

Does anyone have insight on this? I'd like to get a better understanding! Thank in advance!

 

5 Comments on Does it all end on OCTOBER 1st?

JUL
31
2008
284,560 Points 4 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Great Question as I also need a better understanding. I was hoping someone would clear this up. We will still have state but thats limited.

6:46am • #1

According to what I had heard from National NAHREP, the corporations will  have to go away; but the true nonprofits will not. Which means that if a corporation is making money on the transaction then yes it will go away. If if is a true nonprofit and is not making money on the down payment program, it will be allowed. There will be no allowables of increasing of the price of home (including sellers contributations). This is what caused a lot of this problem. Inflation of homes (increasing the sales price).

8:33am • #2

Wow, I can't believe that these programs would go away! They are a used in a large amount of purchases that I have seen on the escrow side! This will be interesting to see happen. Another market hit?? Thanks for the heads up!

11:28am • #3

Congress has passed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.  This plan is supposed to help hundreds of thousands of homeowners to get out of mortgages that they cannot afford, to help Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to stay solvent, and to overhaul FHA lending.  

Gives a tax credit of $7,500 for first-time homeowners
Credit?  The last time I received a credit on an account, I did not have to pay for it.  This is not a credit.  It is an interest-free loan, so why even bother giving this so-called tax break?  First-time home buyers will immediately be upside down $7,500 the first year because borrowers will have to repay it.  If Congress were really trying to help first-time home buyers, why not use this tax credit as the down payment assistance they took away?
Puts a temporary moratorium on FHA's risked-based mortgage insurance premiums
 
Risked-based pricing is a good thing; it helps HUD to mitigate its risk and gives incentive to borrowers to have better credit while still allowing those borrowers with not-so-perfect credit to qualify.


Hope for Homeowners Act of 2008
This part of the program is supposed to help homeowners who CANNOT afford their homes to refinance into an FHA loan.  However, there are a few caveats:  The current lender must first write the debt down to 90 percent of current market value.  This provision is voluntary for banks, so they do not have to agree to do this.  If they don't agree to write down the debt, the homeowner does not qualify for the program.  IF they do decide to write the debt down to 90 percent of current market value, the borrower can get a new fixed-rate FHA loan.  Although this is a great deal, there is a problem:  The homeowner now has a partner in his home.  To illustrate, if the homeowner sells during the first year, HUD keeps 90 percent of the equity; and that steps down each year for the next five years, stopping at 50 percent. Therefore, if the homeowner decides to sell his house after 20 years, HUD will be entitled to HALF his equity!  This is all well and good if it saves his home, but I doubt that many homeowners will see any benefit because most lenders will not voluntarily write the debt down.
 
The Good
Loan limits will be permanently raised to $417,000, or 115 percent of an area's median home price, which ever is higher, with a cap at $625,500 on all conventional loans.
 
FHA loans will be 115 percent of the median home price.  Any temporary increases that were already in effect will be kept in place.
Licensing and registration will be required on a national basis for all mortgage brokers. 

The Bad
Changes the minimum contribution on an FHA loan from 3% to 3.5%
Did they think they were helping to stimulate the housing market?  What does adding a .5% down payment actually accomplish other than to exclude that many more buyers?

Eliminates all seller-funded down payment assistance, i.e., no more Nehemiah, Genesis, AmeriDream, etc.
 
Once again, how is the average borrower helped?  FHA loans are among the most affordable loans available for borrowers.  This provision will effectively eliminate 40 percent to 50 percent of qualified buyers.

11:31am • #4
AUG
18
2008
154,984 Points 1 Featured Post

Sorry, but I am glad they are going away. It never made sense to me for a seller to have to pay a fee to help a buyer.

10:42pm • #5

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Barbara Gregus

Albuquerque, NM

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Exit Realty of Albuquerque

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