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(REALTORS, this is a need to know) For the third time in 12 months, the FHA is changing its mortgage insurance costs.

By
Real Estate Agent with myCorpusHome.com/Keller Williams Coastal Bend

 

FHA Mortgage Insurance Increase April 18 2011

Effective for all FHA case numbers assigned on, or after, April 18, 2011, annual mortgage insurance premiums (MIP) will increase 25 basis points.

The change will add $250 to an FHA-insured homeowner's annual loan costs per $100,000 borrowed, and applies to all borrower's equally. Current FHA borrowers are unaffected.

To understand the FHA is to understand why premiums are rising.

As an institution, the Federal Housing Administration plays a much larger role in the U.S. housing market today than it did just 5 years ago. According to its own records, the FHA's percentage of purchase money business in Texas and nationwide expanded from 4 percent in FY 2006 to 19 percent in FY 2010.

Rapid growth like this has strained the FHA's capital and, indeed, in its official statement, the FHA alludes to this, stating that the MIP increase will "significantly strengthen" its reserves. By law, the FHA must maintain a certain minimum level of reserves.

FHA mortgage insurance varies by loan term, and by loan-to-value and, beginning April 18, 2011, the new insurance premiums are as follows:

  • 15-year loan term, loan-to-value > 90% : 0.50% per year
  • 15-year loan term, loan-to-value <= 90% : 0.25% per year
  • 30-year loan term, loan-to-value > 95% : 1.15% per year
  • 30-year loan term, loan-to-value <= 95% : 1.10% per year

To calculate your monthly mortgage insurance premium, multiply your starting loan size by your insurance premium, and divide by 12. 

There is no change planned to the 1 percent upfront mortgage insurance premium charged by the FHA.

Make sure you encourage your loan partners to order case numbers for any borrowers you have contracts with right away to avoid the possibility of a delay or even worse a loss of the deal all together. Also notify any buyers you have who are on the fence and considering using FHA (likely most of them) as this will be an extra cost that could cause them not to qualify.

More updates to come as changes occur. For further questions on this or any topic please comment or write.