Here's a little bit of info to educate everyone on what MCC is and what are the upsides and down sides. We are one of the few lenders on the island that offers this program. This program can also be combined with a VA loan merging the benefits of both programs. Enjoy!
The Mortgage Credit Certificate Program was authorized by Congress in the 1984 Tax Reform Act as a means of providing housing assistance to families of low and moderate income. The Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) is an issuer of Mortgage Credit Certificates.
The Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) reduces the amount of federal income tax you pay, thus giving you more available income to qualify for a mortgage loan and assist you with house payments.
The MCC is available to homebuyers who meet household income and home purchase price limits established for the MCC Program as well as federal eligibility regulations.
The federal government allows each homeowner to claim an itemized income tax deduction for the amount of interest paid each year on a mortgage loan.
For a homeowner with a MCC, this benefit is even better: 20% of your annual mortgage interest will be a direct federal tax credit, resulting in a dollar-for-dollar reduction of your annual federal income tax liability. The remaining 80% of your annual mortgage interest will continue to qualify as an itemized tax deduction.
The amount of your mortgage credit depends on the amount of interest you pay on your mortgage loan. However, the amount of your mortgage credit cannot exceed the amount of your annual federal income tax liability. Unused mortgage credit can be carried forward for three years to offset future income tax liability.
Here's an example of how a MCC can make buying a home affordable for you:
You obtain a mortgage loan of $250,000 at 6.00% for 30 years with monthly principal and interest payments of $1,499 and a MCC credit rate of 20%. In the first year, you pay a total of $14,916 of interest on your mortgage loan. Because you have a MCC, you could receive a federal income tax credit of $2,983 (20% of $14,916). If your income tax liability is $2,983 or greater, your will receive the full benefit of the MCC tax credit.
If the amount of your tax credit exceeds the amount of your tax liability, the unused portion can be carried forward (up to three years) to offset future income tax liability. The remaining 80% of mortgage interest, or $11,933, qualifies as an itemized income tax deduction. To receive the immediate benefit of your MCC tax credit, you would file a revised W-4 withholding form with your employer to reduce the amount of federal income tax withheld from your wages and increase your take home pay by $249 per month ($2,983 divided by 12). By applying the increase in your take home pay of $249 towards your monthly mortgage payment of $1,499, your effective monthly payment would be $1,250, ($1,499 minus $249).
Income limits:
County | Families of less than 3 | Families of 3 or more |
Honolulu | $85,560 | $99,820 |
Maui | $83,040 | $96,880 |
Kauai | $77,520 | $90,440 |
Hawaii | $71,880 | $83,860 |
Purchase price limits:
County | Newly Constructed Residences or Existing Residences |
Honolulu | $644,429 |
Maui | $644,429 |
Kauai | $644,429 |
Hawaii | $505,125 |
The MCC will remain in effect for the life of your mortgage loan, so long as the home remains your principal residence. The amount of your annual mortgage credit will be calculated on the basis of 20% of the total interest paid on your mortgage loan for that year.
The home you buy must be used as your principal residence after you obtain your mortgage. If it stops being your principal residence, your MCC will be automatically revoked and you will no longer be entitled to claim the mortgage credit. You cannot have had an ownership interest in a principal residence at any time in the last three years. The mortgage loan must be a new loan. You cannot be issued a MCC for the acquisition, replacement or refinancing of an existing mortgage loan. However, you may (on a case-by-case basis) be issued a MCC for the replacement of construction period loans, bridge loans, or similar financing of a temporary nature with a term of twenty-four months or less. The federal government considers the MCC tax credit to be a subsidy. As such, you may be subject to federal "recapture tax" if (1) you sell your home within nine years of purchase, (2) you sell your home at a gain, and (3) your income increases above a specified level.
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